Forty young people who form part of the YearBeyond programme completed a year’s training in implementing a 1 000 Stories Library Project, which promotes child literacy, and graduated at a special ceremony held in the Caledon Town Hall on 30 November.
The programme is a youth service partnership among the Western Cape Government, Community Chest of the Western Cape, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, the Jobs Fund and various NGOs,
Joanna Marzec-Visagie, Sustainable Development Manager at TWK, said: “We started with 54 young people in the programme and today 40 are graduating after a tough year.
“They are made up of a combination of 1 000 Stories participants and ICT cadets [the latter providing computer assistance and support to library users and staff]. Some participants exited the project for various reasons, either having found permanent work or because they felt the programme was not for them. We look forward to recruiting again from February or March 2023.”
YearBeyond, of which particpants are known as “YeBoneers”, was launched in the Theewaterskloof municipal area in 2021, and provides opportunities for young unemployed youths, after training, to assist local libraries with motivating children to read with understanding. It has proven successful in the Theewaterskloof area, not only in helping children read but also in opening doors to career opportunities.
Four top teams in a Social Innovation Leadership Challenge were also announced in a live stream, with the Infinite Squad of the Botrivier Library taking second place. Their prize was a day trip to Cape Town.
A judge, Shivani Ghai, founder of Vitrus Consulting, told graduates: “Your YeBoneer journey is almost at an end, but your life’s journey has just begun.”