What's New?!

Heritage Day Celebration

C4L hosted a Heritage Day event to celebrate the the national holiday with young people from White Hazy, Sabie, Pinaar etc, it was a day to embrace our culture, with the theme BACK TO OUR ROOTS. These young people performed Drama, Traditional dances, Music, poetry and many other arts and cultural activies, they were all dressed traditionally, they looked so beautiful. we had two adults that came to show and tell us more abou the Swati Culure as well as a short description of how they used to behave. not only that, we hosted also the loved Djs of the local radio station Ligwalagwala Fm, Sweet Mike and Lungile Mhango, they blessed us with African music and Lungile gave a great speech of encouragement to the youth.

We closed the day by having a great meal, only African traditional food was served.

we are looking forward to celebrating more of these theme daysm such as Mandela Day, Youth Day etc, touching the lifes of the youth out there and also it is a way to let them know that we are there as the Desmond Tutu Centre for Leadership, nurturing their talents and opening opportunities for them to persue their dreams.

BREAKING NEWS!

Ten Canadian youth volunteered to help with the winter camp in July 2011.  It was the first English Access camp ever run at C4L, for orphans and vulnerable children frequenting Kids Clubs in high schools.  The project is funded by the USA Embassy in Pretoria, which sent honoured guests to officially launch the project during the camp.

C4L is now a Youth-led organization

Over the past 5 years, this trend was intentional:

First, youth became a key target group in programming, starting in 2003.

Then starting in 2005, training youth volunteers to deliver community service began in earnest.

By 2007, with expansion, some volunteers were finding their way onto C4L staff and Board.

By 2009, you had to look to find someone older than 35 on the C4L campus!  A few even found their way onto the senior management team in 2010.

At the AGM in 2011, a rotating system of CEO was adopted.  All those involved are youth.

Now if C4L can only find youth ready to serve as voluntary Board members!

 

 

The Green Economy

A new training unit has been created called the Livelihood Security Unit or LSU. 

Young women and men will learn to become either solar technicians or full plumbers. They can then install, maintain, and inspect solar water heaters and other solar appliances for lighting and charging. This starts with youth empowerment, and moves on to community enlightenment. C4L will be the base of training, both in technical and business skills. The youth trained will then become self-employed solar installers in their respective communities.

The Caster Cup

Banyana Banyana says it all!

Women's soccer is on the rise, and C4L is promoting it for young women who attend its Kids Clubs in 8 different communities.

Teams will play 5-aside and can have 2 substitutes. Teams of seven will attend training at C4L 3 Saturdays a month. Thisa will include scrimmages, as well as related training in nutrition, team building, and leadership.

On the last Saturday of each month, there will be a play-ff round in the community of the defending champions from the month before. The winning team will take the cup for the next month, but will have to defend it at the next play-off hosted in their community.

This will provide good exercise and socialization for young women who are OVC.

Eat your heart out, Bafana Bafana!!!

Social Innovation Prize

Portia Dlamini joined the C4L Youth Corps several years ago and started a Kids Club using the know-how she acquired at C4L in her own community of KaMklushwa. She later started as a camp counselor and eventually became Music Director for camps in 2009. That byear she was inspired to nominate Orchard Camp for one of Mpumalanga's CSI Awards. Her motivation is the new Camp Diary .  C4L won the prize and she accompanied the CEO to the awards ceremony in February, 2010.