Nurture a Girl initiative at Thembinkosi School empowers teens
The programme aims to develop positive self-esteem and resilience among participants
Learners at Thembinkosi LSEN School have been armed with the tools to fight substance abuse, following a comprehensive course through UWP Consulting’s Nurture a Girl initiative.
Consulting engineering firm UWP Consulting launched Nurture a Girl in 2017 at four schools around South Africa, including Thembinkosi.
Beneficiaries of the programme receive personal hygiene kits and are given opportunities to attend workshops and presentations, receive career advice and mentoring.
In April 2018 UWP arranged for 11 beneficiaries of Nurture a Girl at Thembinkosi LSEN School to participate in a two-day Peer Education and Training course on substance abuse with the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Sanca).
The course gave the learners insight into anger management and teen behavioural problems, what teens should know about drugs, teenage pregnancy, self-disclosure, attitudes and relationships, how to build positive social values, problem-solving, conflict resolution and bullying.
The programme aims to develop positive self-esteem and resilience among participants, help them identify peers at risk, understand the red flags for violent behaviour and myths around substance abuse, and know the options when referring someone for help.
One participant said after the training: “The programme has helped me on drinking because even yesterday I wanted to buy alcohol. But due to the programme, I told myself that I’m quitting.”
Another said: “I used to bully my classmates but after learning about bullying I now know that it’s a bad thing.”
Patience Mashala of UWP, who manages the Nurture a Girl initiative at Thembinkosi, said: “We are offering counselling to help the girls with the problems they are facing.
“We also arranged for LoveLife to address more than 50 learners at Thembinkosi on the facts and myths around HIV this year.
“Since we launched Nurture a Girl, we have seen the beneficiaries at Thembinkosi grow in confidence and become more hopeful for the future.”
In addition to life skills, the beneficiaries have been exposed to reading groups, art classes, cake decorating and knitting, among other activities.
Claudia Picarra, marketing manager at UWP, points out that Nurture a Girl is not just about the direct beneficiaries, but about bringing change within schools and their communities.
“As our relationships develop with the girls, we may find ways to meet individual needs that go beyond the scope of the programme. We will also seek opportunities to provide further assistance to the schools to benefit all learners.”
