Youth camp boosts PA

ROB KNOWLES

WHARF Street was awash in a sea of red and blue tracksuits on Sunday afternoon as 345 youth between the ages of 14 and 25 descended on Port Alfred to attend the grand opening of the provincial leadership camp, Youth in Motion.

Eastern Cape MEC for sports, arts, recreation and culture, Xoliswa Tom, addressed the participants from a barge anchored in the Kowie River and participants lined the embankment to hear what she and Ndlambe mayor Sipho Tandani had to tell them.

"Youth in Motion will holistically deal with all matters relating to the youth and the development of the youth. We want lasting friendships and relationships to come from the camps,” said Tom.

GIVE THEM CAKE: Among the many skills students learned over a youth development programme in Port Alfred this week was kitchen practical, taught at the Stenden South Africa kitchens, where participants learned basic knife skills, the measurement of ingredients and how to cook. Here, Akhona Mxuthu (left), Jared Penny and Camagu Mashalaba measure up ingredients to bake a cake Picture: ROB KNOWLES

Earlier this year Stenden South Africa successfully tendered for the right to host the event in Port Alfred. Outdoor Focus was appointed as the main subcontractor and owner Keryn van der Walt organised many of the outdoor activities.

The week-long programme, which will run until this Saturday, included activities intended to help create and groom the leaders of tomorrow. Youth were taught life skills through sport, and participated in activities such as horse riding, water orientation, dance (hip-hop), along with courses on administering CPR and computer skills.

Each day they also received instruction from the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and its partner, Love Life, regarding living a healthy lifestyle.

Two team leaders from each of the province's seven districts were identified and trained earlier in September, and played an important role in directing participants during the camp. All working sessions were recorded for history purposes and to distribute to schools and others who were not able to participate in this year's event.

Head of Stenden community development and deputy general manager, Alroy Taai, said he was pleased to have brought Youth in Motion to Ndlambe.

"This is a very prestigious event, and we are happy we were successful in our bid to host it,” he told the provincial and local dignitaries at the opening banquet held at My Pond Hotel on Sunday evening.

"It has brought considerable exposure to Ndlambe and generated much needed revenue for businesses in the area.”

Taai also announced that one successful participant of Youth in Motion would receive a full three-year bursary to attend Stenden following recommendations from team leaders and interviews with Stenden. The bursary will include tuition, accommodation, meals and equipment.