|
| |
WE DID it for ourselves... and for others, Emma Hallas (from Australia), Ignatia Luthuli, Jon Insley (from England), Musa
Nzimande, Joe White, Minenhle Goge and Ben Prebble (from Australia) celebrate their achievements. Hallas, Insley and
Prebble are volunteers who helped local students Picture: KHAYA NGWENYA
Ready to change their worlds
MYRTLE RYAN
IN A MASS graduation at 15 dif-
ferent centres around Durban,
about 1000 township students
this week emerged triumphant-
ly clutching certificates in life
and leadership skills.
World Changers Academy in
Hillcrest has, over the past four
weeks, been preparing young
people from disadvantaged
backgrounds to take charge of
their lives.
"We teach them communica-.
tion, Job preparation., goal set
ting, how to prepare for a job
interview, and a basic Knowl-
edge of computers, among other
things," said -Joe White, a
founder of the academy
Since its establishment in
2002, the academy has "empow-
ered" community leaders, high
school and university student
leaders, teachers, pastors and
workers who show potential for
turning into leaders.
"At present the focus is on the
unemployed," said White...
About 100 young people from
Australia, Europe and America
volunteered their services for
the project. Fifty local leaders
and almost 200 speakers also
contributed.
White credits the courses with
helping people become produc-
tive in their communities.
He said the original World
Changers training centre, estab-
lished in August 2002, is run
by former criminal Vusi Kweya-
ma, 25. "Vusi escaped three
times from juvenile prison, but
he has changed radically" said
White.
Two weeks after coming out of
prison, Kweyama signed up for
a course with the academy and
turned his life around-
World Changers was founded
by White, an American, who has
lived in the Valley of 1000 Hills
for five years, and Sizwe Mthem-
bu, who comes from a poor rural
Zululand family. He pulled him-
self up to make a success of his
life as a teacher, businessman
and pastor.
|
