Camp equips girls to cope
And inspires them to help communities
AFIVE-day camp focusing on addressing the community challenges faced by young women in the Buffalo City Metro earlier this month brought together 50 pupil leaders from eight schools in the city.
Bumb’ingomso Leadership Camp in Gonubie culminated in community projects that the young women identified within their various communities.
The organisation will help cultivate these community projects in practical ways for the next year by introducing a mentorship programme at the schools.
The 36-week mentorship programme will ensure that clubs are started at the schools and encourage participation.
Bumb’ingomso communications and marketing coordinator Spokazi Tyiwani said the organisation was a youth development programme that supported and empowered young women to fulfil their potential.
She said the sessions the girls attended were aimed at guiding them in decision-making and dealing with the challenges they faced every day in their communities.
“It was very good to see they took the initiative and many young women shared their projects and ideas,” she said.
A secondary source baseline study was conducted to assist the planning of the Bumb’ingomso HIV prevention project, implemented in BCM.
“We want to decrease new infections of HIV, inform and empower young women to take full ownership of their bodies and lead community-wide change that makes Buffalo City a safe place for women to thrive,” Tyiwani said.
Bumb’ingomso believes that completing high school reduces the chances of HIV infections.
Its aim is to ensure young people remain in school and improve their access to economic opportunities.
Sanelisiwe Tsengwa, 19, of Amalinda, said she had learnt useful skills at the camp.
“I’ve learnt a lot from this camp, firstly on how important our goals and dreams are, that our values should be cherished and lived by in our daily lives and that believing in our goals and never giving up is a stepping stone to being strong young women.
Hudson Park High School pupil Imkitha Mbutuma, 17, said: “The camp has been a phenomenal experience and it has further taught me how to work with people and how to have patience and respect.
“One main thing I have taken out though is that you don’t have to be independent in order to succeed. Indeed umntu ngumntu ngabantu [“I am because we are”].
Nonkosikhona Moshani, 19, of Gonubie said she was most grateful for having been taught how to overcome obstacles. — oreillya@tisoblackstar.co.za