Premier Winde congratulates the Chrysalis Academy on 20 years of service

I would like to congratulate the Chrysalis Academy on their 20th anniversary of youth development.

The Chrysalis Academy was founded in 2000, and is an initiative of the Western Cape Government.

The academy has been significant in supporting young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 years old from across the Western Cape by providing a three month residential programme which has given thousands of young people access to opportunities which enhance their personal mastery, teach greater resilience and enhance their skills.

The Chrysalis Programme is aimed at youth at risk, who may be unemployed, come from troubled backgrounds or have had problems with drug and alcohol abuse.

I would also like to thank the role players who have dedicated so much of their time to invest in the youth of this province over the last 20 years.

I am delighted and encouraged to see the success of this initiative, and to see the development of young people, who will play an important role in shaping society and building a safer Western Cape.

The Chrysalis Academy is an important partner in the Western Cape Safety Plan, and we intend to ramp up enrollment in this valuable programme as part of our violence prevention strategy.

Chrysalis graduates are already playing their part in making this province safer- acting as peace officers, and assisting in safety initiatives in municipalities across the province.

Young people play an important part in shaping the future of this province, and it is our responsibility to build a society in which future generations can flourish and where we develop responsible individuals - which is one of the main priorities of our provincial safety plan.

I look forward to seeing the impact of young people from the Chrysalis Academy on building a safer Western Cape for future generations to come.