Winde Encourages Chrysalis Graduates to Embrace Life Changing Opportunity

Media Release: Winde Encourages Chrysalis Graduates to Embrace Life Changing Opportunity

I want to encourage each and every graduate to use their acquired knowledge and skills to continue uplifting themselves and their communities. You now have an excellent opportunity to excel in life, while also contributing to creating a safer Western Cape.

As the 18 CHARLIE course here at the Chrysalis Academy, you should be proud of your achievement and completing the three-month long programme.

18 CHARLIE, which is one of the academy’s male courses, commenced with 205 young men on 12 January 2019 - 184 students graduated. Students came from various communities across the province, including Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Hanover Park, Plettenberg Bay, George, Mossel Bay, Beaufort West, Leeu Gamka, Vredendal, Saldanha and Worcester among many others.

The purpose of the Chrysalis Academy is to serve as a platform for youth to deepen their resilience and unleash their potential through physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development, enabling them to be role models and agents of positive change.

Since the inception of the Chrysalis Academy in 1999, the Department of Community Safety has remained the main funder and donor of the Chrysalis programme. During the 2017/18 and 2018/19 financial years, we funded the Academy with R13 327 million and R13.427 million, respectively. For the 2019/20 financial year, the Academy will receive an allocation of R14.167 million, so that more young people’s lives can be enriched.

Despite close to 80% of students being unemployed when they joined the course, all of them will start their one-year internships on the 8 April 2019. The graduates will be placed at Municipalities, City Improvement Districts, SAPS offices, Community Health Centres, Hospitals, Department of Correctional Services, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and at the Chrysalis Academy. It is vital that further development and support is provided to the graduates, so that they are able to reach their full potential.

Chrysalis Academy will continue to provide its 5 year after care programme, so that should graduates require any form of psychosocial support, the academy will be available to assist. I want to encourage all graduates to be positive role models in their communities, as our province needs everyone’s active participation particularly that of the country’s youth to ensure a Safer Western Cape.