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Leadership and Excellence Programme Introduction Children and youth leadership and excellence requires nurturing for it to blossom and thrive. Opportunities for leadership and excellence development are mostly non-existent for youth from impoverished backgrounds. In cases where such opportunities exist, they remain out of reach due to monetary constraints. The current reality is that most young people do not participate in civil society. The existence of enormous numbers of marginalized, at-risk, out-of-school and in-school youth who are not participating in mainstream civil society activities calls into question just who civil society represents. The relatively few youth who participate tend to be relatively well-educated, elite male youth. Since elite and marginalized views and needs can be dramatically different, it should be seriously questioned whether efforts are being made to bring along and get true representation and advocacy for the needs of the marginalized youth majority. NMCF's approach in this area is that of actively seeking out youth with leadership potential and exposing them to experiences that would develop that potential. Historically the NMCF has been committed to the maximisation of leadership potential and to promote excellence among children and youth. Youth development and youth leadership are not isolated processes. Young people are constantly thriving, leading, connecting, learning, and working but this is not always appreciated or noticed. Young people develop in the context of their families, cultures, and communities. They need opportunities that foster connections with caring adults who build character or competence, and who help them contribute to their communities. Approach Arts and Culture The National Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST) has embarked on Cultural Industries Growth Strategies (CIGS) to promote four target culture industries: •· Crafts •· Music •· Publishing •· Multi-media(film and television) These industries are targeted because, when well implemented and supported, they are demonstrably capable of enhancing economic and social benefits to talented youth from all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. However programmes to promote artistic and creative talent remain selective and occasional as far as sponsorship funding for community focused interventions that offer avenues for excellence and leadership. This is because creative and artistic talent is usually not the product of a team, short term effort, but of an individual effort that is often honed in isolation until success has been achieved - and indeed, sometimes that may only come posthumously. Sports It is acknowledged, with merit and numerous examples, that sport has enormous potential, power and influence in creating opportunities for youth to improve their quality of life in South Africa. It is also a major industry, has the capacity to positively affect communities with relatively low investments while generating great enthusiasm and commitment. Developmentally, sport can be a dependable community mobilisation force around which other supportive programme interventions can be made. Its strength lies in its appeal to people of diverse interests, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds - therefore becoming a force in community mobilisation for development and an example for the pursuit of individual and collective excellence. The critical challenges with regard to leadership an excellence opportunities in sport remain around representation to reflect the country's demographics across all sporting codes, particularly those that were "minority" sports in the past. Access to Information In terms of information access the government established the Universal Service Agency through the Telecommunications Act of 1996. It has the specific role of promoting access to telecommunication and other information services. The increased accessibility of information is aimed at providing new options and opportunities for individual and community enhancement. Community Service: Volunteerism The development of and promotion of a culture of community service is fundamental to this programme. Individual children and youth as well as their institutions will be supported to research, initiate and participate in community development initiatives. Children and youth will be encouraged to keep a diary of their involvement in the community programmes and in particular to reflect on what they have learned as well as contributed to the community. NMCF strategic objective: To promote leadership potential and excellence among children and youth Programme strategic objectives •· Promote youth talent and self-esteem •· Increase numbers of young people who are actively participating in decision making platforms by 2010 •· Facilitate the opening of opportunities for leadership development programmes •· Promote access to information and resources 1. Kids Radio programme is the training initiative working with community radio stations. The programme is aimed at empowering children to become child radio producers, presenters and researcher of their own programmes. The initiative is aimed at ensuring the increase of South African produced children's programmes in community radio sector. The programme will work with children between the ages of 10-14 years for the community where the radio stations are based. 2. The Field Band Foundation creates lifetime opportunities for disadvantaged youth through the discipline and creativity of arts. The Youth Leadership and Empowerment Project intends to address the needs of youth and children in disadvantaged and marginalised schools around the country. It will target those who lack access to resources and information that place them at a distinct disadvantage in the development of their leadership potential. The Umtapo Centre uses a holistic, historical-materialist approach in all its programmes. The programme will be implemented in 9 provinces over three years. Year 1: Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Kwa-Zulu Natal in the first year. In year two the programme will be implemented in the following: Western Cape, Northern Cape and North West and third year: Mpumalanga, Free State and Gauteng. The organisation will work with 400 young people in three provinces per annum. The total of all participants over a three year period will be 1200. The organisation will provide youth skills that will enable them to participate in the local structures and give youth a voice on issues that affect them. 3. Sonke Project The programme works with young people out of school between the ages of 15-22. This group comprises of teenage mothers, ex-offenders and drug users with a particular focus to rural youth. The programme develops youth talents and provides them with skills that will enable them to pursue careers that are linked to their talents. It is based in Durban and draws participants from the rural communities in Natal and Mzimkhlu areas. The organisation will work with 30 young people in soccer and 50 young people in performing arts in the first year and over the three years it will be 90 young people in soccer and 150 in performing arts 4. Qunu Multi Purpose community centre intends to be a development institution that will contribute in improving the lives of young people and the community at large through information dissemination and creating programmes that will equip people with skills, which enable them to create own employment, reduce poverty and the spread of HIV/AIDS. To capacitate young people to have self-confidence and self-esteem that will enable them to make informed decisions regarding reproductive health. 5. Agisanang Domestic Abuse Prevention and Training (ADAPT) The ADAPT Youth Programme intends to work with young people, their families especially men to minimise the incidences of sexual violence amongst girl children. The project is based in Alexander; and works with 1200 learners in five high schools. 6. Thabisong Youth Club is a project that focuses mainly on-out-of school youth and offers necessary skills of composing and playing of musical instruments, writing plays and choreographic skills. The participants are also taught theory and practical music, drama and dance. 7. Youth for Christ (YfC) runs a number of projects aimed at rebuilding the lives of historically disadvantaged children and youth. The organisation has programmes operating in the following areas: Homeless Children; High School Development; Gender Empowerment; Peer Education; Job Creation; Youth at Risk; HIV/AIDS awareness and various volunteerism projects (internship programmes; edutainment terms) The current proposal is for the continuation of the Siyithemba Healthy Schools programme in Soweto at two schools. 8. The Mangaung University of the Free State Community Partnership Programme (MUCPP) started in 1991 as a local community partnership health development programme. The partnership was initially developed between the Mangaung community, the University of Free State and the Provincial Health authorities. The partnership aim was to make both health services and the University more accessible to the disadvantaged majority 9. Human Resource and Social Information Centre (HURESIC) was established in 1995 by unemployed youth to deal with socio-economic development needs of young people in their communities. The organisation seeks to realize a society in which young people live a better life through, among other things, good health, involvement in community development initiative employment, access to information and awareness about the essentials of development. 10. Happy Heart People Against Human Abuse shelter for abused women and children is located in Sunnyside-Pretoria and admits survivors of violence from all over South Africa and Africa as a whole. The core business of the organisation is Domestic Violence and HIV/AIDS as they impact on women as well as the growth and development of children. 11. Umtapo Centre Training, concretisation and mobilisation of young people and communities for leadership roles and taking control of their own lives. The organisation targets youth in schools and communities between the ages of 10 - 23 from disadvantaged, impoverished areas, mainly rural. They lack resources and access to opportunities for development of skills and leadership because they have been historically marginalised in the three provinces of Western Cape, Limpopo and North West. Umtapo centre offers targeting 600 young people 12. Youth Connection Youth Connection is a youth development institution, positioned in Kwa-Thema (East Ekurhuleni Metro). It was constituted in February 2000 as a fully integrated multi-disciplinary youth service provider that implements youth developmental activities and programmes for public benefit and development. Since its inception YCO has been at the forefront of youth development and it has developed into a fast tracking, reliable and commendable youth service institution that addresses the undesired state of young people in Kwa-Thema, which is characterised by many of social ills such as unemployment, early pregnancies, high rates of HIV infections and lack of basic life skills. 13. Thabo Mofutsanyana Youth Development Network TMYN is based in the Thabo Mofustanyana District Municipality intention is to assist young people to lead quality lives, be responsible and be self reliant through the provision of life skills, sports, arts and culture training. It target children and Youth from 8 - 25 years in and out of school including those with disability. Youth participating in youth clubs who are unemployed and come from poor communities especially in rural areas. 14. Student Partnership Worldwide Students Partnership Worldwide South Africa was founded in 1988 in response to the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS emergency in rural communities of the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. SPW SA conducted a comprehensive participatory rural needs assessment, through an established volunteer-facilitated process. 15. Institute for the Advancement of Journalism Kids Radio programme is the training initiative working with community radio stations. The programme is aimed at empowering children to become child radio producers, presenters and researcher of their own programmes. The initiative is aimed at ensuring the increase of South African produced children's programmes in community radio sector. The programme will work with children between the ages of 10-14 years for the community where the radio stations are based. 16. Room 13 Room 13 is a studio run by learners for learners, supported by an artist-in-residence, within a school environment. Learners manage the studio as a business, electing their own management team each year. The artist in residence is their employee, not their teacher.
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