Ikewana’s interest in Valued Citizens Initiative grew when we saw the critical connection made between school leaders, teachers, social workers, parents, and learners; and the positive impact they had on communities.
Considering the statistics, 33% of South Africa’s youth suffer from a traumatic experience and as a result, struggle to cope in schools. On top of that, 32% of learners within the programme live with a single parent and 30% live with a guardian from the extended family or in foster care and many suffer from anxiety. Needless to say, self-esteem is low and trust very limited. It is a goal of the organisation to journey with these children and to break the cycle of vulnerability.
In the 17 years that it has been around, Valued Citizens Initiative developed a leadership platform which has enabled 1277 600 learners with a will power to gain core soft skills – self-discovery, leadership, communication and emotional intelligence. Their programmes enable learners to have a voice as responsible citizens on current affairs, be resilient, commit to their career goals and ultimately see themselves as Valued Citizens.