Successful stint at academy for young Georgian
Georgian Arthur Cameron Fry recently completed a three-month stint at the Chrysalis Academy in Cape Town with a successful passing out parade.
The Chrysalis Academy is an initiative of the Western Cape Provincial Cabinet, established in 2000 in Tokai, to combat the high crime rate in the Western Cape, which is due to a high degree of substance abuse and the strong gang culture in
Cape Town’s disadvantaged communities. The start of the programme is based on three months of empowerment training that focuses on the individual’s physical, emotional, mental, energetic and spiritual development.
“We are very proud of Arthur for completing this challenging course, but knew he could do it,” says proud dad Johannes Fry, who works as a printer’s technician at Group Editors, publishers of the George Herald. Arthur completed his school career with a good pass, but did not embark on the career he wanted. Instead of learning how to become an automotive expert, he took on various part-time jobs, including learning cheese making at a local company. This was only for a contracted period, so afterwards he decided to investigate a few other options.
Arthur has now moved back to George and says that he is investigating options for a learnership, which should be much easier with something added to his matric certificate. His father is very proud. “It was a process during which Arthur became a young man and the programme has given him confidence and allowed his abilities to shine. He even managed to audition successfully to play in a band during his training,” he says. The Chrysalis Academy is a non-profit organisation which is mainly funded by the Western Cape Provincial Department of Community Safety. Since the project started 15 years ago, over 6 000 young people from different communities in the Western
Cape Province were trained to become empowered for life. It has become one of the most successful youth development organisations in South Africa.