With schools having closed today for the next six weeks until the end of the World Cup, the Gauteng Provincial Government has launched an integrated holiday programme to keep the youth busy. The programme, launched yesterday, 8 June 2010 at Greenfields Primary School in Tokoza next to Zonkizizwe, will see 244 schools and community hubs across the province as implementing sites.
Launching the programme the MEC Infrastructure Development Ms Faith Mazibuko was confident how the programme is going to assist in both parents and young people during the World Cup period. “We are sure that the programme will serve as a positive alternative to our children. It will also engender the active involvement of young people over this holiday period and to improve the quality of their lives by mitigating against social challenges that may impair their human development ability over the holiday period,” said MEC Mazibuko.
The Departments of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR) together with the Departments of Community Safety; Education; Health and Social Development have joined forces to develop and implement an integrated holiday programme of activities and services for children and youth up to the age of 19.
The programme includes activities delivered through the SACR integrated recreational hubs and different schools. In total there are 244 sites throughout the province that will implement the holiday programme for the duration of the World Cup. There’ll be daily registration of participants for the daily programme.
Apart from crime and violence youth in Gauteng are also faced with social and economic challenges such as:
* unemployment
* poverty
* lack of skills
* HIV and AIDS prevalence
* substance abuse
* life transition from childhood to being youth/teenager
* family breakdown
* homelessness
* teenage pregnancy
* exposure to unsafe sex/rape
* youth moral degeneration.
Projects to be implemented include:
Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Integrated Recreational Programmes at identified schools and SACR’s 51 hubs as well as the following special programmes:
* Get to know your province programme-visit to heritage sites and areas of importance
* national symbols programme
* traditional dance programme
* mass participation programmes include:
* fun runs
* gymnastrada
* diski-dance
* aerobics
* soccer
* netball
* volley ball
* music
* indigenous games
* arts and culture programmes
* learn to swim programme.
Department of Community Safety:
* Citizen safety and crime prevention programmes with an emphasis in children and youth include:
* Substance abuse
* Youth Crime Prevention Desk Program
* Road Safety Awareness Campaigns
* Youth Safety Programmes
* Men as Safety Promoters Programme (MASP).
Health and Social Development:
* life skills
* health awareness programmes
* youth diversion programmes in partnership with their funded non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community based organisations (CBOs).
The Department of Education:
* know your province-visits to different areas of importance including museums and memorial sites
* shape social cohesion and promote gender-equity and rights, mass participation, valued citizenship and social justice
* national building and promotion of lifelong learning
* enable leaders to share ideas between and amongst themselves so as to develop emotionally, socially and strengthen clubs
* capacitate learners on life skills to enable them to make informed decisions.
For more information contact:
Nomazwe Ntlokwana
Tel: 011 355 7525
Cell: 083 507 8068
E-mail: nomazwe.ntlokwana@gauteng.gov.za
Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
9 June 2010
