Address by the Premier of Limpopo Ambassador Chupu Mathabatha on the occasion of the Take a Girl Child to Work, held at the Office of the Premier Foyer
Programme director,
Acting Director General, Dr. Pheme,
Managers and senior managers in the Office of the Premier, Our girls and boy children
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good morning!
I am delighted to be amongst these beautiful faces of our young boys and girls as we celebrate this year’s edition of the Take a Girl Child to Work campaign.
I am confident that today service delivery in our various government offices will be at its highest because of the new faces that would be behind the desk soon after we finish here.
Last year I have received a positive feedback from a number of those who were tasked to be your Mentors for the day. All that I have received were glowing praises about eagerness to learn and the inquisitiveness of last year’s battalion. I hope you are of the same attitude and make-up.
I am saying this because it is true that a willingness to learn and a mind that questions are important ingredients for success in life.
I hope that you are going to enjoy your day, as much as we hope to enjoy hosting you.
I also hope that you are going to be inspired by the work we do in government. Most importantly, I hope that your eyes will be opened to the many career opportunities that are available in government or public service.
As you would see, in government we employ all sorts of professionals. We employ Engineers, Architects, Quantity Surveys, Economists, Accountants, Lawyers, and many other professionals you can think of.
This year we are celebrating this day under the theme that says, ‘Dream, Believe and Achieve’.
This theme aims to remind you that our tomorrow is conceived in our dreams, and that there is nothing as beautiful and as powerful as a dream.
You have the power to make your dreams come true by starting to work on your future today.
I know that your teachers have already told you that the first and most important step you can ever take towards the future of your dreams is to do well in your studies.
Today we can only remind you of what you already know.
As a government we have embraced this annual campaign because we are committed to unleashing the full potential of our young boys and girls.
We believe that all of you are born with a God-given potential to inspire, influence and to become the greatest you can be. This potential, however, needs to be nourished for it to be fully realised. Potential is nothing without guidance and hard work.
It is for this reason that as government we support initiatives such as the Take a Girl Child to Work Campaign and many other initiatives which are aimed at nurturing the potential of our young people.
As government, we here to guide you; to ensure that your God- given potential blossoms even beyond your own imaginations.
Today all what you want to enter and study at the best University in the country is not a rich family background or genius abilities, just hard work. Hard work alone is the fertile soil that is required to grow the seed of your potential and unlock all doors for you.
You may come from a very wealthy family, but without good marks you won’t be admitted at any University.
On the other hand, a child of a pensioner, who has accepted the worth of hard work, will have access to the best university in the country, at times the government will even provide such a child with an opportunity to study overseas.
If you do not start preparing for your exams today, you must know that you are throwing the rich seed of your potential on to the fire.
If you do not listen to the advices of your parents and teachers, you must know that you are destroying your God-given potential.
If you start some relationships before you complete your studies, you must know that you are dancing on top of the seed of your potential and it will be destroyed.
There are three things you can do to enhance your potential; hard work, hard work and hard work. Of course this must be supplemented by discipline.
Programme director,
I am confident that the future of this country and our province is safe in your hands.
In your eyes I see the spark of determination; I see a passionate resolve to succeed.
I take it for granted that by now you are aware of the fact that various government departments have bursaries for those who are academically deserving and financially needy. We are looking forward to offering these bursaries to you.
I can also assure you that once you have completed your studies, your potential will be limitless, and not even the sky would be your limit.
You are our future generation of Engineers, Doctors, Teachers, Lawyers, HR Practitioners, Accountants and Auditors. However, you will only achieve this if you do not forget that the future starts today.
As I told your colleagues last year, opportunities will only be available to on condition that you complete your studies. Your generation must make education fashionable.
You must have a positive competition about good marks and not about fashion labels which you cannot even afford to buy. Spend more time on your books; and not on whatsapp, mixit and Facebook.
Programme director,
In conclusion, I want to thank our visitors for gracing our offices today. I hope that you will share your experiences with those of your friends who could not join us today. We know that it is only a matter of time before we welcome most of you in government, as public servants.
All what we can request you is that never forget that tomorrow starts today. There is nothing worth coming between you and your books, because your books are your future. Always remember to Dream big, believe in yourself and you will definitely achieve.
I thank you!
