Pupils from five Grahamstown high schools emerged excited from a tour meant to expose them to careers in the Correctional Services Department this week.
Pupils from five Grahamstown high schools emerged excited from a tour meant to expose them to careers in the Correctional Services Department this week.
The Department of Correctional Services in the Amathole Management Area hosted 30 girls from high schools around the area in commemoration of women’s month in King Williams Town.
The management area has five correctional centres and five community corrections offices in King Williams Town, Middledrift, Grahamstown, Stutterheim and Fort Beaufort.
On Tuesday the Grahamstown Correctional Centre hosted girls from five local schools to expose them to job opportunities available in the department. It was an eye-opener for the pupils.
They each told the officials at the end of the programme that they had discovered exciting new career options during the tour of the centre.
Department spokesperson Sivuyisiwe Matanga said: "The main goal of the day (was) to deepen the thinking of the girl child with regard to her infinite roles in society, enhance her self-esteem, inspire and motivate her to reach her full potential through exposure to diverse careers and positive role models to assist her to prepare for the world of work."
The pupils from TEM Mrwetyana, Nathaniel Nyaluza, Mary Waters, Khutliso Daniels and Nombulelo high schools expressed gratitude to the correctional services officials for opening their eyes to the opportunities available in the department.
Matanga said the theme was taken from the Take a Girl Child to Work programme, with the aim of sharing knowledge and job experience on career opportunities in the department.
"The programme will be an ongoing process to help learners achieve their goal of encouraging them and to be active in the country’s economy," she said.
Speaking at the event at the Grahamstown centre, prison official Nomonde Stamper said she was inspired by her mother's friend, who had graduated from university.
"I was fascinated by the attire she wore when she graduated, and secretly kept her picture as motivation," she said.
Stamper said it was important for the girls to identify good role models and to surround themselves with positive people.
Matanga said the programmes were hosted in centres headed by women in a bid to address the previous lack of women leaders pre-1994. In Grahamstown the programme was hosted by the head of the centre, Nowakhe Panda, on Tuesday.
In the acting area commissioner’s office, 10 pupils were hosted by Nolitha Mangxila on 19 August.
On the same day the head of the King Williams Town centre, Thobeka Saki, and the head of community corrections, Landezwa Ngwabane, each hosted five girls.
Gcobisa Mbanya from the Fort Beaufort centre hosted five girls yesterday (Thursday 26 August).
After the programme, women from the Grahamstown centre visited the McKaiser old age home.
Old Mutual and Liberty Life sponsored the five Grahamstown pupils with stationery while Gems medical scheme donated groceries worth R500 to each girl.
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