Empowering Winterveldt, South African Youth

GLOBAL GIVING

BOKAMOSO LIFE CENTRE REPORT

NOVEMBER 2024

Submitted by:

Hilda Ramokone-Bokamoso Life Centre Manager

Connie Sullivan-President, Bokamoso Youth Foundation

 Bokamoso Life Centre is approaching the end of the year 2024.  The Centre is still upholding its mandate of caring for the youth of Winterveldt and surrounding communities who are dependent on its services.

The year 2024 intake of beneficiaries was about a hundred (100).  We are currently standing at 65 (sixty-five) beneficiaries which we have maintained for the year. 

Bokamoso Life Centre programs:

Youth Development Program (YDP):

YDP beneficiarieswill complete their 10-month program in December 2024. Sixty-Five youth will receive Certificates at the Graduation Ceremony. They will have completed Life Skills training, Computing Level 3 training, and modules on traditional songs and dance. We are proud to say that 99% of YDP beneficiaries have also completed the DSD Life Skills and End-User Computing Training programs

Department of Social Development Life Skills and Computer qualification:

The Centre has secured funding for the next year for the DSD Programs. Life Skills and accredited computer qualification is still part of the Centre’s services to the community.  We have already trained 100 beneficiaries in Life Skills 60 in End-User Computing Level 3 accredited. We have an intake of 50 more beneficiaries who are attending this quarter from the surrounding communities who are not YDP beneficiaries.  These beneficiaries will be graduating at the end of December 2024.  These are not fulltime YDP students, but attend the Centre part-time to receive computer training.

Department of Public Health:

The Centre has fully staffed the DoH HIV/AIDS program and the team is going in to the community daily to provide testing and information. The Program will be funded for 3years. With this funding, Bokamoso has also expanded its partnership to other organizations Like Bright Youth Council and strengthening its partnership with Childline rendering performances, mental health awareness to the beneficiaries and the staff

Scholarships 2024

In 2024, the Scholarship was awarded as follows: 1 undergraduate, 2 diploma, 3 certificates on Beaty therapy and 10 certificates on EDC grades security training with PSIRA compliance and 1 driver’s license.  This was achieved after the manager and the scholarship administrator opened the screening for the second time in May 2024 whereby other beneficiaries were given an opportunity to access training through scholarship. We are in the process of reviewing the scholarship for 2025 to ensure that no beneficiary is disadvantaged.

Job Opportunities:

Tiko organization, Tidimalong Aftercare: Tiko has given 5 of the Bokamoso 2023 beneficiaries a job opportunity with weekly wages on 12 months contract ending in March 2025 and is still anticipating employing more coming January 2025.    Tidimalong Aftercare has given three of our 2023 job opportunities with 6 months contract ending in December 2024.

Additional Stakeholders’ involvement

BLC beneficiaries have also had the opportunity to attend workshops sponsored by the following stakeholders:

üChildline – Female BLC beneficiaries attended a workshop on Gender based Violence

üNew Venture Creations – This NGO registered and offered a two day training to 20 of Bokamoso YDP beneficiaries in Business skills and Entrepreneurship

üChildline – As one of the partners. It’s still attending to our youth to address male and female issues that our youth comes across as challenges in their everyday lives.

üWits University - giving assistance alongside DoH (Department of Health) in attending to the HIV/AIDS reactive and linking them to care so that they receive the necessary treatment–

üMIET Africa - offers counselling and personal hygiene kit as an encouragement for the people to know their health status.

Conclusion

Bokamoso Life Centre has a new board with a strong background in HR and Finance.  The BLC and the Board with the support of Bokamoso Youth Foundation, the Department of Social Development, the Department of Health and all the stakeholders continuously empower youth and changing lives of many underprivileged and poverty-stricken families. The Extension of partnership ensures that the youth receive support also in