A host of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working to educate the youth have found a new lease on life under the same roof in Joza township.
A host of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working to educate the youth have found a new lease on life under the same roof in Joza township.
Community projects including the Absa Achiever Programme, Ikamva Youth Programme, Upstart, the Village Scribe Association and the Access Music Project have all now got a space in one building to collectively improve their development initiatives.
Spurred on by a partnership between the Rhodes University Community Engagement Office and the NGOs, the centre's vision is to be “a buzz of educational activities”, said Joza Youth Hub coordinator Nontuthuzelo Blow.
Open daily, the centre provides educational services to seven high schools, various youth projects and local teenagers in the area.
After two years of negotiations, renovations of the empty building owned by the municipality started in January and operations began in February.
Makana municipality has agreed to let the NGOs stay there rent-free, so long as they pay for rates, taxes and utilities.
The hub is in the process of setting up a computer room with internet access for the youth projects, that will also offer computer literacy workshops to the community during the day.
The Hub is also planning to host a Winter School during the June vacation, which will provide extra lessons, study skills workshops, basic computer literacy programmes as well as CV and interview-writing training.
The Grahamstown Business Society will also help the hub host a series of financial life skills, business idea development and entrepreneurial skills workshops for Grade 11 pupils.
The ultimate goal is to have market day when the pupils will be able to test out their ideas, Blow said.
