A Bonteheuwel-based non-profit company wants to help young people fulfil their big dreams, by developing them into future leaders through sport, recreation and life skills.
On Friday October 9, the Paradigm Leadership Academy for Youth (PLAY) launched its Leadershift Programme at Cedar Primary School, and this platform was also used for its international vision night.
Director Angelo Coetzee said since they were only starting out now, they hoped to recruit 30 young people initially to make a real impact.
“It is all about providing a platform to learn and add to their personal growth. We envisage to have frequent engagements through leadership sessions, team-building, and excursions, among others. Participants who show themselves to be committed will also stand a chance to be put forward for various opportunities such as possible bursaries, learnerships and international work experiences,” Mr Coetzee said.
When asked how they would do things differently, Mr Coetzee said the main focus would be on his life story.
“I had the opportunity to travel and it changed my perspective of being from Bonteheuwel. We want to inspire and motivate the next generation to dream big. Our vision is to groom and cultivate a generation of dynamic leaders in the industry of sport, recreation and society at large. We make use of innovative skills development approaches and techniques in order to achieve excellence as the desired outcome. Our objective is to groom outstanding citizens, endorse strong values, provide service delivery in the community, to foster healthy and informed life choices and to create sustainable skills development programmes, ” a passionate Mr Coetzee said.
He explained that the evening was also used for their international vision night, which was a collaboration with other young leaders in the community, and the establishment of a database of facilitators for future volunteer work or paid opportunities.
“We also had a few friends who tuned in from the United Kingdom, Wales, America and Germany, who inspired our young people with their personal journeys from humble beginnings,” he said.
One of the young people who is already part of the programme, Jamy Botha, 23, said she joined to empower herself.
“Being a facilitator was not my goal, but it grew on me. I initially had no interest in training to become a facilitator, but this programme has improved my confidence and I am building up quite a character. I want to be a positive role model and this is the ideal platform. I also believe that it will pave the way for me to do international travel,” she said.
Angelo van Wyk, 17, said there are a lot of opportunities for the youth, but many do not know how to get hold of it.
“All those involved with Play are busy opening doors for us, but beyond that, they are also willing to walk the journey with you, and not many other organisations walk alongside you,” he said.
Mr Coetzee hopes that when funding is generated, his programme can recruit more young people. For now, he runs it from his own pocket, and young people are not expected to pay anything.
If you are able to sponsor or partner with Play, contact Mr Coetzee at 067 031 8914 or email: info@couldctraining.co.za
