Almost two-thirds (63.9%) of South Africa’s youth are currently unemployed,1 and not enough action is being taken to help positively impact the lives of many young people who cannot find jobs in a competitive labour market. To help combat this problem, Mister Bread collaborated with Enke, an NGO dedicated to youth empowerment, to develop a course targeted at primary school learners. This programme was delivered through a fun and completely free holiday camp for Grade 5 to 7 learners in Mthata.
A positive link between entrepreneurship and economic growth cannot be denied. The Yondla Ikamva Holiday Camp Programme empowered 400 young people, teaching them about entrepreneurship and how to start a business, preparing South Africa’s next generation for future success. The importance of empowering our young entrepreneurial minds is key to creating and bringing to life new technologies, products and services while creating new markets and jobs along the way.
Mister Bread’s brand owner, Premier FMCG, aims to grow and nurture the communities in which they operate. “The initiative intends to make a real and lasting impact in the lives of young South Africans, teaching them about entrepreneurship and how to start a business, all in a supportive learning environment,” says Julian Singonzo, Managing Environmental, Social, and Governance Executive at Premier FMCG. “The camps are also facilitated by local teachers to support the communities’ educators with additional holiday work,” he adds.
This year’s camp took place over 16 days, from 29 June to 14 July, at Green Park Lodge, Mthatha. Courses were divided over two days to accommodate 50 learners at a time, with 400 learners selected in total. The two-day programmes hosted up to 50 learners at a time. Course content covered creativity, basic mathematical skills, the fundamentals of money, entrepreneurship, and how to identify business opportunities in a community in a fun and engaging way.
“This is the second year that we’ve run the Yondla Ikamva Holiday Camp Programme, and we’ve seen wonderful results and attendance from our young ones,” says Singonzo. “South Africa’s young people are our future – if they succeed, we all succeed. Mister Bread is passionate about giving learners the opportunity, knowledge and support they need to become self-sustaining, responsible members of society who can take care of their families and contribute to the local economy,” she adds.
The activities in each module gave learners the opportunity to earn, trade and sell with the camp’s very own currency, ‘Mister Bread Dough’. Learners discovered how to work together as a team to grow their money, and at the end of day two of the camp, they got to spend their hard-earned ‘dough’ at the Mister Bread Spaza Shop, with plenty of products and branded items to choose from.
“The best part of camp was when I realised, hey, I can do this. I can build a business and help bring exciting change to my future and my community,” says Grade 7 learner, Lakitah Skosana.
Participating schools included Upper Zimbane JS School, Transkei Primary School, Dalubuhle Junior Secondary School, Tamsanqa Primary School, Jersey Farm Primary School, Hermann Gemeiner Primary School, and Bambanani Primary School.
“The Mister Bread team would like to thank the dedicated teachers and learners who made this year’s camp a success. We look forward to next year and another opportunity to empower young South Africans with the knowledge, skills and experience to learn about entrepreneurship and create their own futures,” concludes Singonzo.
References
1. https://tradingeconomics.com/south-africa/unemployment-rate
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Alan Straton
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