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ALEXANDRA – Youth centre disappointed with the poor response to council's bursary opportunities.
The Alex Youth Advisory Centre calls on local youths and children to use its services optimally for their own development and empowerment.
This was said recently by Thabang Telekwa after the centre team returned bursary opportunities to the Joburg City Council when only a few takers submitted applications while others were not submitted or incomplete.
Read: Youth Advisory Centre deepens its service footprint
Telekwa said with the high socio-economic depression, poverty and unemployment in most households, it was disappointing to see the funding opportunity slip away, yet there are cries for help and support for local children’s higher education and other opportunities. “Many children eligible for tertiary education and technical skills training are languishing in the streets daily, yet such opportunities are availed continuously but disregarded. It was saddening for us to only submit a few of the forms to the council,” Telekwa said.
He said this was despite the centre conveying the information to five secondary schools, also going to collect the forms from the schools and spreading the information by word of mouth. He urged schools’ management to take such information and opportunities seriously.
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Telekwa called for the establishment of an inclusive platform with council’s Region E, councillors, education and other stakeholders to, develop a five-year education support plan to help spread related information, encourage the youth to exploit all services offered by the centre, and for the centre’s engagement with potential youth support agencies and the private sector at regular workshops for the youth.
“MECs and ministers at national government and others in senior positions in the public, private sectors and in trust funds from Alex, should be part of the platform to ensure the youth access a broad range of available support.”
He further urged, in particular, girls who dropped out due to pregnancies and boys rehabilitated from drugs, with the potential, to also approach the centre for assistance.
Details: Alex Youth Advisory Centre 076 032 2287.
