Transformational Power of Education: Visit to Kliptown Youth Program
“A quality education has the power to transform societies in a single generation, provide children with the protection they need from the hazards of poverty, labor exploitation and disease, and give them the knowledge, skills, and confidence to reach their full potential.”
South Africa is rated as one of the most unequal societies in the world, and COVID-19 has widened this gap, with the unemployment rate going up and inequalities increasing. In South Africa, youth constitute more than a third of the population, with those within the age of group 15 to 34 constituting 34.7% of the population. Young people continue to face serious challenges.
Kliptown Youth Program, or KYP, works to provide opportunities for young people and their families to develop skills. Kliptown is a township in Soweto with a large population of extremely disadvantaged families living in poverty. The youth in Kliptown are vulnerable to both the economic conditions as well as the fact that they lack access to quality education that would foster critical human skills development such as communication, collaboration and problem solving. KYP provides these life skills through education, which results in improved outcomes in school, work, life and communities.
The programs provide quality education, but are not just hyper-focused on academic rigor. KYP provides a variety of programs that promote vocation skills and nutrition as well, designed with a focus on personal and leadership development, work readiness and active citizenship.
I met with co-founders Thulani Madondo and Sipho Dladla and Marketing and Communications Manager Nelisiwe Walaza. KYP was founded in May 2007 by a small group of young people from Kliptown to help residents lift themselves out of poverty through education. In a community afflicted with an unemployment rate of 70%, an HIV/AIDS rate of 25%, and high teenage pregnancy, KYP enables children to resist forces that would drag them down, harness their own potential, and grow into dynamic and skilled individuals who can give back to society.
“[We] believe that if we identify and nurture talent amongst us, and ingrain the value of education in our members, we can create opportunities for success and the skills necessary for taking advantage of them. ”
Education is essential for success in life, so KYP is built around a tutoring program, a fully functional library, sports, arts and cultural programs, as well as free computer classes on internet skills and Microsoft Office. Also, KYP covers the cost of school fees and uniforms for all of its members and has a tertiary education program that provides funds to successful students who wouldn't be able to attend university without financial support. Additionally, KYP provides all members with two nutritious meal a day. Lastly, KYP has established a support center for families where they can seek the advice of counselors in a safe, confidential environment. To learn more about KYP, visit https://www.kliptownyouthprogram.org.za/.
