Social Incubator Programme held at Khayelitsha
9 February 2006.
Thank you very much Programme Director.
Honourable Cameroon Dugmore, MEC for Education Chairperson of the Standing
Committee, Ms Joyce Witbooi Honourable Members of the Standing Committee Heads
of Department Councillors present, leaders of our democratic movement
Management of the Departments of Education and Cultural Affairs and Sport
Educators, Parents and learners
This is indeed an exciting moment for our government and the Department of
Cultural Affairs and Sport in particular, when the community that we serve is
gathered to witness the rollout of one of the most important delivery
programmes- the social incubator programme.
This programme is the government's strategy aimed at contributing to the
reduction of social ills confronting the most vulnerable, the youth and our
communities in general.
The Social Incubator programme we are launching today is also part of the
overall Social Capital Strategy of the provincial government and our
contribution in this regard is targeted at after school hours to fully engage
learners and drastically reduce risks and other evil temptations.
This initiative was triggered by the following analytical assessment:
* Lack of access to recreational, sport and cultural facilities
* Decline in active sport participation on code by code basis
* Gang culture centred in the townships
* High rate of alcoholism and drug abuse
* Drop out rate of learners
These are some of the real challenges facing our learners and we hope the
introduction of this approach at schools will go a long way in addressing
them.
Through this strategy and our programme in particular, we have developed
concrete plans to fully engage learners after school hours to ensure that there
was something worthwhile to do. We have also created a platform for members of
the community to actively participate in the activities of schools in their
vicinity.
We are saying that school life must not end at two o'clock when normal
tuition finishes. We are saying that school community, must cease this
opportunity to make a difference. The school facilities must be used optimally
to benefit the community.
I am happy to announce that the Department will commit resources to ensure
the smooth roll out and sustainability of this programme. To this end, we have
already committed R1m for the initial implementation phase.
As part of the programme we are launching, a wide range of organized sport
and recreation activities and cultural programmes will be integrated into the
school life so that schools become the centre for community life. This
programme will include:
* The appointment of cultural animators to run training programmes
* Training educators and care givers for Grade R festivals
* Skills development programmes in clusters for rollout of modified sport
programmes for Grades 3-5
* Programmes for senior and community sport
* Innovative promotions around language with exhibitions
* Rock drawings and heritage awareness
* Mobile libraries and storytelling
* Story hours and literacy promotion
* Promotion and development of family trees
To add value to this initiative, we have set aside a budget to employ
cultural animators and sport assistants who will be deployed at schools in the
nodal areas recognized as flashpoints of violent activity, gangsterism and drug
abuse. I will soon be announcing details regarding the human resources needed
for this project.
We believe we are setting a firm foundation for a better tomorrow for the
youth of our beautiful province. Our contribution to the social strategy has
great potential to impact on the community positively but we need the full
support of the school community and stakeholders.
We hope to assess the impact of this programme on the identified communities
over time. However, we feel the huge challenges of unemployment, HIV/Aids, drug
abuse, that our youth face today, could not be the sole responsibility of
affected government departments only. We are confident this initiative, with
the support of all stakeholders, could soon yield the results we all
desire.
I call on all concerned to add their weight behind this initiative so that
our youth can indeed face a better tomorrow.
I thank you
Enquiries:
Mandla Yeki
Tel: (021) 483 9804
Cell: 082 553 3477
Issued by: Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Western Cape Provincial
Government
9 February 2006
