The Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm hosted a youth camp for more than 100 young people from Wittekleibosch, Clarkson, Snyklip, Ekuphumleni, Storms River and Nompumelelo Village recently.
According to Sindiswa Speelman, Community Development manager of the Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm, the youth of Tsitsikamma face several social challenges, including drug and alcohol abuse, school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, depression, and inter-generational trauma.
“The camp was one way in which we sought to address the above, and ensure that young people are informed enough to take charge of their future,” said Speelman.
The activities at the camp included aerobics, hiking, dancing, singing, drama and poetry.
Guests included motivational speaker, Tshilidzi Matshidzula and Nomfundo Mogapi. Matshidzula is a young farmer and successful businessman. At the age of 19, he started working as a farm manager. He started running a herd of 45 cows, to over 1 300 currently. Tshilidzi is now a shareholder and COO at Matshibele (Pty) Ltd, a commercial dairy business.
Mogapi is the founder and CEO of the Centre for Mental Wellness and Leadership. Previously, she worked as the head of psychosocial interventions at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), and as the director for the South African Institute for Traumatic Stress (SAITS).
Her areas of expertise include integrating psychosocial expertise within policy and programming on a range of issues such as leadership, human rights, peacebuilding, governance, democracy, and transitional justice.
