Chrysalis Academy celebrates 25 years of holistic youth development this year. The academy in Tokai that runs a three-month residential programme for youth aged 18 to 25 from across the province opened in June of 2000.
Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, academy partners, board and staff members and interns attended the unveiling of a billboard at the campus, on Wednesday January 8, to commemorate the quarter-century milestone.
“Since its establishment, Chrysalis has been supported by each government that came into leadership for the mere reason that their vision was non-racism, non-sexism. It’s about building South African citizens for the future who have the characteristics of discipline, understanding to be tolerant of each other. Also to start to build a new South Africa with ethical leadership and servant leadership,” said board member Marlene le Roux.
The academy’s pillars were structured for youths from “traumatised communities” to be able to find themselves, she said.
“Chrysalis becomes their second chance.”
She hopes to see Chrysalis extended to a compulsory year-long programme, particularly for those who desire to become civil servants.
“We have too many young people still standing on the corners. That is part of gangsterism, not being purposeful, it’s not about money. It’s to live an impactful life and to understand what do I give back to society and not ask what society is giving back to me. Then we will have leaders that will lead this country once again for the people and not for themselves.”
From its early days, there has been a big growth in recruitment. For an intake of 160 to 230 young people per course, the academy now receives 4000 to 14000 applications per year, according to Chrysalis Academy CEO, Dr Lucille Meyer.
The academy has also piloted two community-based programmes in Atlantis and Kraaifontein for eight weeks.
Referring to the academy’s wider impact on society, Dr Meyer, referencing its annual report, said: “If the academy works with one student and that student is in a family of between 7 to 12 immediate family members, and if that student gets an income during the internship, that is money that’s not only there for the graduate, it’s there for the family.
“So if we take on 230 we think we impact between 2 000 and 2 500 people because of the children of graduates, parents of graduates, siblings that they are taking care of. So it’s never just the 230; it’s the 230, their family and, of course, when they go into the workplace they are then impacting on other people in their community.”
She said the next 25 years would be about deepening skills for job readiness so that young people who finished the internships found full-time employment. The academy also aimed to train more youth development workers to run the programme in different areas across the province.
“One academy can’t accommodate all unemployed. I think Chrysalis will also need to look at becoming a training institution of youth development workers so that in Grootbrak, in Mossel Bay, in George, in Knysna they have many little Chrysalises. It doesn’t have to be called Chrysalis, it doesn’t have to be a three-month programme, but the curriculum can be utilised by other people,” Dr Meyer said.
Jaedehy Cupido and Winnie Sizani are former graduates who are now employed by the academy as youth instructors.
Mr Cupido, 26, said the limited work opportunities outside of factories and farming in his hometown, Grabouw, drew him to apply to the Chrysalis Academy.
Ms Sizani, 29, of Mfuleni, said that before Chrysalis she had not had any direction or purpose. After the loss of her baby, she had fallen into a depression, drinking and staying out more. When her mother suggested she join Chrysalis, it was the catharsis she needed.
“It changed my life in so many ways because now I have more focus. I’ve healed, and I can give back. That’s the one thing that made me come back is seeing how this place empowers youth, embracing and unleashing that potential inside.”
She now encourages other youths to join the academy when applications are open.
“I know life is really hard outside, especially if you don’t have support. If you’ve been down for how many years and don’t know how to bring yourself up, this is the place,” Ms Sizani said.
