Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport has exceeded its targets for one of its most vital programs. According to the recently-adopted 2021/2022 annual report, the Department supported 59 more schools with After-School Programmes (ASPs) than the targeted amount of 350. These additional schools have been able to give their pupils vital resources, which will assist them as they grow as students and future citizens.
The After-School Programme is a vital social intervention run by the Western Cape Government which aims to help children across the province grow and develop, especially in underprivileged areas, or those plagued by high rates of crime. ASPs provide safe spaces for a range of initiatives, including the MOD (Mass participation; Opportunity and access; Development and growth) Programme, and the YearBeyond academic support programmes. Not only do these initiatives provide a path toward growing one’s passions and skills, they also provide our at-risk youth with a space that will prevent them from falling into the cycles of addiction and crime which claim so many, and fuel the crime waves of tomorrow. By preventing this from happening, ASPs provide a pro-active response to several challenges in our society.
MPP Gillion Bosman says: “The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport’s ASP’s provide a vital space for many of the province’s schoolchildren to grow and develop in safe, secure and nurturing environments. Rather than being left to their own devices and becoming vulnerable to the social ills we see affecting so many of our youth today, our younger generations are given the chance to discover their passions and build skills which will last them a lifetime. In these turbulent times, it is more important than ever to ensure the safety of our children, and these programs assist us in doing so. DCAS’s constant effort to enhance and expand these programmes demonstrates the department’s intense commitment to building our youth into the citizens of tomorrow.”