Youth & Education

We believe in a national consciousness that draws attention to the factors that affect the country as a whole. Youth unemployment rates are at a startling high level, with opportunities depreciating every day.  The unemployment rate remains at 25.3%, which means 4.4 million people are unemployed and the youth comprise 3.1 million or 71% of that unemployment rate. These are facts that have been reiterated by many people, but solutions are few and far between.

Our community based model is to engage with the youth of Cosmo city in a way that simultaneously addresses the issues that affect the community as a whole. Going beyond the confines of a class room and introducing them to environments for the practical expression of what is learnt. The reality is that most of those young people who are unemployed are unemployable because they lack the required skills for jobs on offer, as well as the recourses that allow them to further their education to a tertiary level. Above all we hope to inspire and invoke spirit of initiative and discourage the idea that opportunities come to you.  We are developing Change Agents who will take responsibility in spreading the change and influence others in the community.

The role of the youth of Cosmo City is to pioneer projects, explore entrepreneurial opportunities and lead community transformation. Our focus is not on the challenges and problems that we face but a venture to exploring our collective and individual potential and abilities, an asset-based approach.

Stage 1:  Bridge the Gap:  50 unemployed young people between the ages of 18 and 25 are invited into a Gap year programme for 8 months (4 days a week) with Oasis. The programme includes:

• Life skills: presentation skills, communication, conflict management etc.
• Basic computer literacy
• Students will be encouraged, when necessary, to upgrade their Matric results. During their course, we want to prepare them for higher level of education.
• Career guidance: through this stage we work towards finding the students strengths and weakness. To help align those findings with future options and decisions that should be taken. We wish to inspire young people, from disadvantaged backgrounds to dream big and pursue their primary career choice.
• Volunteering opportunities: in different schools, parks and community activities. All the theory learnt in the life skill sessions will be applied practically in all these volunteer spaces.
• Change agents who are not chosen to continue onto the other stages could be linked to some job opportunities.

Stage 2:  First year Youth Change Agent 20 young people will be chosen from the initial 50 Bridge the Gap students, who will continue with us in this process. Their role changes from just being a participant/team member in activities to facilitating those activities.  Each 1^styear Youth Intern receive a stipend.

• This stage begins with the members taking responsibility for certain tasks and activities run within the Oasis. They will also be expected to participate in community engagement, though the school support programs, sports structures and any activity that involves the community.
• Own initiatives will be highlighted, as Interns are inspired to establish projects they will invest personal efforts as an addition to their work expectations within an area of their passion and giftedness. These projects include sports clubs, businesses, youth forums, dance groups etc.
• Each 1^st year Intern will be enrolled in correspondence learning with affordable tertiary institutions. The career guidance exercises undergone in the previous year will be guidelines to the best decision of which profession to pursue. We will remind each one of the broad scope a careers, that are available and they are free to pursue the profession that best suits them.
• A high emphasis will be directed to education and their responsibility to their own education. Mentor sessions will be held regularly to assess each Intern’s progress in their studies as well as to share ideas and study tips.
• Interns are assisted, where possible, to get drivers licences.
• Life skills programme continues with weekly feedback and deeper relationships as a catalyst to have a great influence and bigger change.

Stage 3: Second year Youth Change Agent   The change agent becomes a mentor sharing his experiences, lessons and ideas with the first year gap students. Only 6-8 mentors will be chosen to continue with this process. and continues to receive a stipend.

• Change agent becomes mentor.
• Introduction to advanced skills and training in respect of counselling skills, people and project management skills.
• These may also form part of the Oasis official staff.
• Contact with others who are still studying but have not advanced through this process will be maintained. The mentoring sessions and study groups will be available for all

Stage 4: Change Agent for Life / Professional involvement  This stage is the place where we expect most of the change agents to be fully involved and contributing to the economy of the country with the skills acquired through the life skill program and education at tertiary level.  A product of our program should be an accumulation of professionals in poor communities and making role models that others will look up to. By influencing and equipping one person, means that those who are connected to those individuals will be direct beneficiaries with the larger communities indirectly reaping some of those fruits.   To be a Change Agent for Life means to always be conscious of transforming oneself and one’s community in a positive way.  This stage is not a controlled phase, but rather takes on the form of an Alumni, that remains connected and inspired with one another and the organisation.

Food Gardens	Youth assisting vulnerable households (identified through regular activities’ relationships) to grow/start up own sustainable food gardens.
Holiday Clubs	Holiday clubs are held throughout all the school holidays in different locations, covering various topics+themes through life skill games, sport and arts&crafts
Pre-school support	Bi-weekly visits to 10 informal pre-schools to assist in children reaching their developmental outcomes through fun lessons, ensuring safe practices &environments at schools and support regarding educational toys and resources
Anti-abuse lessons	6 week lesson series for grade 1-3 learners about how special they are, including topics like good/bad touch, stranger danger, signs of abuse, etc.
Environment lessons	6 week lesson series for grade 4-6 learners about taking care role of the environment and how to take care of it.
Eye-testing	Free eye testing to grade 1-3 learners to identify possible eye problems that lead to learning difficulties.   Problem cases are then referred to a partner Optometrist where required tests are done and spectacles are made
Teacher Assistants	Through a good relationship at one of our Primary Schools, they’ve requested that some of our Youth assists them weekly, during school time.   We’ve often also facilitate lessons during times of strikes and teacher absence.
Grade 1-3,     Grade 4-6     Grade 7-9  After-schools	Monday – Thursday:   2 hour long After school lessons consists out of a combination of the following: home work assistance, life skill games, sports, numeracy and literacy lessons
Sport & Culture clubs	Monday – Thursday:  2 hour training sessions from 3:30 in various sport teams (or dance/drama teams) where Youth is coach, but areas of home work and life-skills are included in activities

Meet Tina, part of our Youth & Education Change Agent Community.

Sipho & Ronny are both part of our Youth & Education team – meet them and some of the boys they work with in these videos.

• -          Stationery:  Particularly pens, paper, calculators that can be used for After-schools
• -          Crafts:  Paint, brushes, colour paper, etc. for afters-schools, holiday clubs and pre-schools
• -          Pre-school toys
• -          Bicycles:   To improve Youth Change Agent mobility in Cosmo City between projects
• -          Soccer boots
• -          Sports equipment:  Especially soccer, netball and cricket
• -          Music instruments:  For some of the talented young artists that we got to know
• -          Vegetable seedlings:  For Food gardens at vulnerable house holds

1.  80 unemployed youth leaders developed as Change Agents whilst impacting their community

2.  3,500 children reached through regular school lessons, equipped to make healthy (life-style) choices

3.   500 children holistically impacted through relationships with youth role models

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