January 14, 2005
By Anish Abraham
CITY Year, a programme that promotes community service, has started its first international programme in Johannesburg after a successful 15-year stint in 15 cities in the United States.
The programme, which was launched in Boston in 1988, brings youngsters from different backgrounds together to do community work for a year.
The organisation runs a full-time youth service corps, encourages participants to become involved in community services and holds workshops and discussions on issues such as national service policies and initiatives.
The American programme leaders came to South Africa in 2001 with the former US president, Bill Clinton, at the request of Nelson Mandela. City Year is part of the AmeriCorps network, a programme created by Clinton during his term in office.
Clinton later said he would like to see a similar programme develop in South Africa.
This is now about to happen: City Year is recruiting 100 service leaders between the ages of 18 and 25 for the first such programme in South Africa.
About half have already been selected, but there are still openings for those interested in applying.
"Young adults will be selected from a diverse cross-section of Johannesburg's youth, representing all racial, socio-economic, educational, religious and language groups," says Danielle Reichner, City Year's recruitment manager and one of five staff from the US who will help the South African chapter through its infancy.
The programme runs from 21 February to the end of November.
The focus will be on helping young children - particularly in the inner city and Soweto.
The service manager, Katie Koski, says City Year will work with the provincial department of education. "We have chosen to work with primary schools in Region 8, the inner city, and Region 10, Soweto."
The City Year volunteers will help in needy areas by:
providing tutorial support in maths and science;
promoting reading through reading clubs and encouraging the use of public libraries;
starting sports, drama and community service clubs; and
increasing children's awareness of their role and value in the communities in which they live.
The 100 recruits will be divided into groups of 10 and each group will be assigned to a particular primary school for the year.
Service leaders work with a team and members have to rely on one another's skills and experiences. The teams receive training and are backed up by a full-time team leader and support staff.
The College of Education at Wits University will train each service leader in the after-school environment and in development practice.
The programme will cover transport costs and provide recruits with food and a small stipend. But volunteers will, on completion of the year-long programme, receive a R6 000 post-service reward, Reichner adds.
City Year is working on a memorandum of understanding with the City of Johannesburg, which it hopes to sign in the coming week.
For more information contact City Year on 011 838 8845, email
recruitsouthafrica@cityyear.org, or visit them at 56 Main Street, Marshalltown.
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