Synopsis By Chadwin Petersen (Coordinator) And Tony Austen (RCW)
The Rotary Club of Cape Town held their annual Rotary Adventures into Citizenship 2024 from 17 June to 22 June 2024 at JVR Hostel in Cape Town. The event provided 50 grade 11 and 12 learners from across South Africa (East London, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay, George, Cape Metro, Paarl) the opportunity to develop their understanding of how a country and society function through informative tours and presentations by some of South Africa’s leading institutions such as the High Court, City of Cape Town Chambers, UCT, Stellenbosch, UWC, Simonstown Museum, Heart Museum, GBV Theatre Production, Rotaract Presentation, Friedman Naumann Foundation (discovering your WHY), Arts Festival etc.
Adventures has grown over the years to become one of Rotary 9350 flagship leadership development programmes that stretches the learners’ mind to what possibilities are available to them post matric. Adventures into Citizenship 2024 was nothing short of phenomenal! It stood out as one of the best camps by far, and what truly made it exceptional was the remarkable diversity among the groups.
Participants came from various backgrounds, each bringing their unique perspectives, which created a rich tapestry of experiences and learning opportunities. Seeing the participants grow and thrive was deeply fulfilling. They demonstrated resilience, creativity, and a profound commitment to understanding and embracing the principles of citizenship. The discussions were vibrant, the activities engaging, and the sense of community palpable.
Tony Austen writes: “Waterfront Rotary added meaningful value to 4 young people this last week in affording them the opportunity to attend the annual Adventures into Citizenship Programme. Two learners from Trafalgar High School and two learners from the Salesian Institute joined the group of young people from 17 June to 22 June.
The 50 strangers ended the week as best friends who seem to have known each other for ever. Young men and women from all over the Western Cape as far as Mossel Bay and George connected, engaged, and became friends. As one attendee exclaimed at the Closing Ceremony; “We were family withing the first hour”.
It is wonderful to observe young people from all walks of life stepping forward and realizing their potential in the right environment with nurturing facilitators. Rotary is making a huge difference and in this week to fifty-one lives.
The four learners Rotary Waterfront sponsored did us proud and made a good impression. Three of the four were asked to share their experiences with all at the closing ceremony. All expressed the value of meeting with young people from different schools, learning about themselves and discovering their net worth as they interacted and got to know one another.
Our young South Africans are well on their way on their citizenship journey.”
