Johannesburg - Youth Month, which was commemorated in June, might officially be over, but Mrs South Africa, Palesa Matjekane, is determined to assist the nation’s youngsters for the foreseeable future.
As the future leaders of the country, Matjekane believes that now is the time for youth development and is using her reign to make a concrete difference.
She is currently working on a project to roll out the digital skills youth development campaign and sponsor Tsholo and Qhuweng High Schools’ students and teachers with laptops in the Vaal. She will also assist the schools’ teachers with drawing up resumés and university applications.
“I am a firm believer of giving back to where you come from,” Matjekane told The Saturday Star this week.
“The teachers in those specific schools have taught me when I was younger and my sister went to one of the schools so this is our way of giving back to what was implanted in us as kids.”
As part of the initiative, Matjekane’s youth development program seeks to empower the youth with skills in areas such as cybersecurity, robotics, coding, content creation, and software and application development.
“With more than 65% of the country’s youth unemployed, the government has prioritised interventions to provide young people with the skills and tools they need to thrive in the digital world,” she said.
“We want to work closely with the government in implementing these skills to our youth.”
The business woman added that essential digital skills are a step towards learning lots of other new things. “They can improve your confidence to use technology for work, learning and daily life.
“Many jobs today need digital skills and you need them even for jobs that do not ask for high levels of qualifications or experience, so we prepare our girls and boys for the future.”
Matjekane also believes that youth development programs help the youth realise their full potential by preparing them for the challenges of life.
“By engaging young people in experiential learning programs, we can teach life skills beyond textbooks and lectures.”
The youth skills development program also seeks to provide youngsters with accurate and up-to-date information about different career options, job market trends, and educational requirements.
“This information can help individuals make informed decisions about their career choices,” Matjekane said.
“To manage their careers and move from a general understanding of life and work to a specific understanding of the realistic learning and work options that are open to them.”
She said that this will enable pupils to be more engaged in education and are highly motivated about their future.
“When they have a clear understanding of themselves and how they might live and work when they leave school, this will put them on the right path for the future.”
Meanwhile, Matjekane is also the founder and chair of the seven year-old Women Formation Foundation - Africa and her Mrs. South Africa’s role in motivating the pageant’s new semifinalists is a culmination of Palesa’s foundation’s mentorships.
“This women-led non-profit organisation’s main focus is empowering unemployed and disadvantaged youth in townships through educational initiatives.”