Rhodes empowers 160 E Cape rural youths

OVER 160 rural youths have been trained in supply chain management, maths, finance and logistics by Rhodes University to build sustainable projects in communities.

Yesterday, social development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi was present at Rhodes in Grahamstown when the youths from around the province were awarded their Level 4 community development certificates at a joyful graduation ceremony.

Sihlwayi’s department has invested almost R6-million to empower the 168 rural youths from all over the province with community development skills through the training from Rhodes.

Speaking on behalf of all the graduates, Nokuthula Yamaphi from Alice painted a picture of the abject poverty of resources and knowledge that characterises rural homesteads, including her own.

“We are grateful to the department and Rhodes University for this amazing and rare opportunity to become qualified community development practitioners, as young as we are. We have learnt to develop original ideas. Through us people will know about services offered by the government and we will assist them to access them.”

The young community development practitioners are all now serving projects specific to their communities.

Sihlwayi yesterday said: “In a country and province where there is a challenge of critical skills and high levels of youth unemployment, skilling of young people is an essential step in readying them for the labour market, and as job creators too.”

The 168 graduates, all aged between 18 and 35, completed their three-year national youth service skills programme in Level 4 community development.

Rhodes education faculty dean Professor Di Wilmot, said: “We have a role to play in addressing the high level of poverty and unemployment among the youth in the province. We are creating pathways for young people who have fallen out of the schooling system to get training and embark on dignified career paths that also serve their respective communities.”