By Wilma Jakobsen | Project Leader
VOLMOED YOUTH LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM REPORT
AUGUST 2024
THANK YOU ALWAYS FOR ALL YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS!
Our VYLTP is always exciting! We have many different groups who visit, and there are opportunities for the young leaders-in-training to drum for various groups locally and visiting. The young people sometimes take international visitors on tours around Zwelihle and Mount Pleasant townships where they live, giving visitors a taste of the different cultures, languages and lifestyles in this region of South Africa.
They drummed for a local Rotary women’s group and explained how the drums are made, at a venue with a spectacular ocean view on a gorgeous sunny day that included a pod of dolphins swimming by just as the drumming started.
They drummed at a local pub and watering hole on Africa Day in May, inviting those who watched to join in. They drummed at Volmoed Retreat Centre on Nelson Mandela Day in July for 67 minutes, to symbolize the estimated 67 years that he served his country and the world. This was after his private secretary of many years, Zelda la Grange, had addressed the young people and other guests with a very inspiring message.
Visiting groups have included the Tutu travel seminar, a group from St John’s Church, Lafayette Square opposite the White House, an Indiana/Midwestern group who work for peace in the Middle East, and Marquette University students.
Their drum making continues on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, at the drum factory set up in a local church hall. Just this past week, the drum factory moved to a new space, more accessible to local communities, with more reliable electricity, and will include connecting with other local community groups. This is a move with a lot of potential and we are excited. The hope is to get more visitors and sell more drums as a way of increasing financial support for these local, unemployed youth. This is also a way to reach and impart leadership in a very different way from the formal Thursday program, learning the art of discipline, work, teamwork, and more.
Our formal leadership program takes place weekly on Thursdays at the Volmoed Retreat Centre, which is a highlight of the young people’s week. Each month has a different focus of learning and leadership.
Topics and skills learning have included leadership; public speaking; spirituality, mindfulness and the power of silence; nature gazing; gender based violence and femicide; reconciliation in South Africa; a weekly session by a Dutch volunteer, who aims to instill a love of reading in the young people – the motto being ‘a leader is a reader
And a group of three young artists meet with an elderly Volmoed resident for artistic sewing lessons, producing some beautiful collage fabric art.
Sometimes our international guests spend time with the young leaders-in-training, as a way of learning about other cultures and expanding their horizons.
Another Taizé youth day was held in June, which brings young people together from the Western Cape for time together in song, silence, and reflection time alone, workshops, networking and walking to the beautiful waterfall.
There is a fantastic opportunity for the young people in mid-November this year, to attend PASIC, the annual Percussionist Convention in Indianapolis, in partnership with Drumba and the drum trainers. This is a huge endeavor that some very generous people in the USA are supporting. There are ten young people selected to attend, along with the drum trainer and drum partner, and the director of VYLTP. Currently the money is almost raised for the airfares and passports and visas. The group is working hard each week to practice not only their drumming skills but their singing. They are a wonderful group of singers and drummers who will most certainly make an impact at PASIC, and the leadership learning of the experience will be enormous.
In addition, they will tour and give a couple of concerts in Indianapolis, Michigan and Chicago. If you are interested in coming to PASIC, and /or attending a concert or two in those areas, or in supporting the group as they prepare and continue to raise funds for this incredible experience, please contact Wilma Jakobsen at safricawilma@gmail.com.
What an exciting few months it has been, and will be! As always, thank you so much for your support. We could not do this important work without the support of so many. We appreciate you!
YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS ARE ALWAYS MUCH APPRECIATED!
THANK YOU!
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