Far too many South Africans grow up in communities where joblessness, violent crime, and drug and alcohol abuse are as predictable as homework. So, there’s an enormous need for institutions that offer hope to young adults, who can then, in turn, inspire their own neighbourhoods.
The Chrysalis Academy in Cape Town is a flagship youth development project that is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. To date, it has helped over 10,000 students become self-confident, positive role models with a greater chance of finding jobs and standing up against crime in their communities.
“I came here to learn and do whatever it takes to make things right in my life.”
– Mark, participant
Funded by the DA-run Western Cape’s Department of Community Safety, the Chrysalis Academy has an excellent reputation around the city.
The Academy provides a three-month residential programme for young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who are at risk, who may be unemployed, come from troubled backgrounds, or have had problems with drug and alcohol abuse.
“I know Chrysalis can do an awful lot changing the lifestyle, the behaviour and the mindsets of the youth out there. We need to show them something better. We need to show them something different. We need to show them other role models, and the other, better side of life.”
– Dan Plato, Cape Town Mayor
Graduates are more likely to find entry-level employment or study further with the skills they learn at the Academy. And many graduates are already playing their part in making the Western Cape safer – acting as peace officers, and assisting in safety initiatives in municipalities across the province.
Just recently, 140 Chrysalis Academy graduates attended the first Work Assessment and Career Awareness Initiative. The initiative aims to bring young people who are looking for jobs closer to companies who have available positions to fill, and is a collaborative pilot project between the Imperial Technical Training Academy and the DA-run Western Cape’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT).
Three courses are run by the Academy per year, two for males and one for females, and they are divided into four stages.
Phase 1: Orientation
Here students have an opportunity to go quite deep and develop themselves personally, with a focus on life skills or skills to build resilience. This includes building self-esteem, managing anger, dealing with conflict, personal hygiene, human sexuality, cultural diversity, the negative consequences of substance abuse, and leadership skills.
Phase 2: Outdoor
Then students do two weeks of outdoor, where they go into the wilderness and use the healing power of nature to overcome certain challenges. They learn about teamwork, and gain an awareness of biodiversity and the environment.
Phase 3: Skills
Here students learn foundational skills training in areas that they have expressed an interest in such as welding, electrical circuitry, sports coaching, firefighting, welding, cookery, youth development and a range of other skills depending on the students’ needs. They then spend four weeks just learning those skills. (Most of the training offered is accredited which means that students can use proof of that training to find entry-level employment or study further.)
Phase 4: Community
Finally, students can engage in various career discussions, volunteer at community projects, and prepare for their exit back into their communities and home life after the graduation gala event.
“Today I feel so happy to see my family and, spiritually, I feel relaxed as compared to when I arrived here.”
– Vuyolwethu, participant
Post-graduate support
The Chrysalis Academy provides support to all graduates for a period of five years.
Over the last twenty years, the Chrysalis Academy has come a long way, offering young adults a formative experience that sees them graduating with a better sense of self-worth and purpose.
The DA-run Western Cape will continue to support the project so that it can grow more and more.
“I look forward to working more closely with Chrysalis to expand the programme. This year we will be deepening the work of the Youth Hubs and launching a few new ones. These Hubs are critical in providing ongoing support to Chrysalis graduates. This will be conducted in line with the violence prevention aims of the Western Cape Safety Plan.”
– Albert Fritz, Minister of Community Safety in the Western Cape