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Reading key to youth empowerment project success

Pupils from De Mistkraal Primary School, a small farm school outside Patensie, are taking part in weekly workshops thanks to  local education non-profit organisation Youth Potential SA.

  • Herald Reporter
2 min read
IT ALL ADDS UP: De Mistkraal Primary School pupils play maths games at their weekly workshops offered by Youth Potential SA
IT ALL ADDS UP: De Mistkraal Primary School pupils play maths games at their weekly workshops offered by Youth Potential SA IT ALL ADDS UP: De Mistkraal Primary School pupils play maths games at their weekly workshops offered by Youth Potential SA Picture: Supplied

Pupils from De Mistkraal Primary School, a small farm school outside Patensie, are taking part in weekly workshops thanks to  local education non-profit organisation Youth Potential SA.

Youth Potential SA offers weekly literacy and creative youth empowerment workshops for children at rural schools in the Gamtoos Valley area.

At a recent workshop, the grade 5 pupils at the school came up with the idea of writing their story for a newspaper so  people could read what they have to say.

They spoke a lot about their joy of reading and how they appreciated Youth Potential SA bringing beautiful and interesting children’s books for the class to read and discuss together.

Ronaldo Mandeka said: “We so love the stories in the books we read together because we learn many things and they are fun.

“The books ‘Night Becomes Day’ [by Richard McGuire], ‘Whistle for Willie’ [by Ezra Jack Keats], ‘A Beautiful Day’ [by Elana Bregin] and ‘Die Seekoei Wat Gelukkig Was’ [by Rachel Elliot] were some of our favourites this year.” 

George McGuire said: “We like to think about the stories and the things they teach us.” 

Lorenzo Blou said: “In our school there is no reading for pleasure, only text books.”

Theoline George said: “Some of us are concerned that many of our friends in the school still cannot read and we are trying to help them. Reading makes people happy!”

LOVING IT: De Mistkraal Primary School pupils are taking part in weekly literacy and creative empowerment workshops thanks to Youth Potential SA
LOVING IT: De Mistkraal Primary School pupils are taking part in weekly literacy and creative empowerment workshops thanks to Youth Potential SA LOVING IT: De Mistkraal Primary School pupils are taking part in weekly literacy and creative empowerment workshops thanks to Youth Potential SA Picture: Supplied

The children experience daily challenges, both at home and at school, and are able to discuss those worries at the workshops.

Their concerns range from bullying to violence in the areas in which they live.

Youth Potential SA co-founder Alexis Salaman said: “Youth Potential SA’s weekly literacy and creative youth empowerment programmes nurture and grow empathy, communication and social-emotional skills, literacy, creativity problem-solving and critical thinking skills in children, competencies that are neither developed in the school nor in their communities.

“Academics at the rural schools are mainly delivered through rote learning.

“Youth Potential SA’s creative learning curriculum helps the children develop the vital skills they need to become fully functioning and contributing members of society.”

Programme director Ray Schöne said the programme emphasised supporting primary school pupils as those years were key to development.

“Projects and activities are developed around exciting themes, creating fun learning experiences while encouraging children to make lateral connections across subject areas,” he said.

“The programmes are successful because children actively participate in the learning process and feel safe and supported.

“We have been with this grade 5 group since the beginning of their grade 4 year.

“They are a very special bunch of kids with bright minds and warm hearts.”