3 days ago
Organisation celebrates nearly a decade of empowering youth
The Supreme Cadets Institute (SCI) celebrated nearly 10 years of empowering youth in the west of Pretoria on June 28.
According to communications officer Hellen Motau, the aim of the organisation is to inspire the youth towards academic excellence, positive life choices, and a holistic vision for their future.
Motau was speaking at their annual Achievers Walk.
She said over the past nine years, the organisation has transformed the lives of over 1 000 young people.
'More than 40 previously unemployed graduates have benefited from skills development programmes and financial academic assistance.'
She said beneficiaries are nurtured through programmes that instil leadership skills, discipline, and self-confidence.
'Additionally, we have extended our support to two primary schools in Atteridgeville by renovating school toilets and contributing to the construction of new classrooms,' she said.
She said that at the core of the initiative is academic support for local young people, led by university students and educators.
'We recognise that academic success is not independent of a learner's social environment. Our holistic approach addresses the broader challenges affecting young people by providing school uniforms and educational support.'
She said that by providing these essential needs, they want to ensure that no child feels excluded due to financial constraints and that intensive tutoring sessions enhance their beneficiaries' school performance.
Motau said the organisation is managed by youth co-ordinators, called rangers, who are previously unemployed graduates. They are now gaining valuable skills through their hands-on experience in various qualifications.
'This opportunity serves as a stepping stone for the rangers until they secure long-term employment,' she said.
She added that through community outreach, they provide toiletries and monthly hampers to vulnerable families, as well as counselling services for children and families in need.
Beyond academics, the organisation cultivates well-rounded individuals by offering extracurricular activities such as sports, board games, contemporary and traditional dance, arts, and drum majorettes.
Motau said the first employee of SCI, Onthatile Mokoena, expressed heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity she received as an unemployed graduate.
Mokoena underscored the importance of programmes that instil positive values in children from vulnerable backgrounds.
Thato Kokela (19), a second-year student at UJ, said that the programme has been instrumental to her success, saying she joined the programme when she was in Grade 7 and has since found herself a family.
'Having access to free tutors in this economy is highly unlikely, but they made it possible.
'What made it even more special was having people who would check up on our mental health, checking up on how we were doing, asking about our exams, and showing genuine care,' she said.
She said the support she received from SCI was not only about her academics but also her well-being. 'That support system made a huge difference.'
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