Umzi Wethu

Umzi Wethu students are empowered through life skills training to support and guide other youth as peer mentors. Target youth include those in: the Ray Mhlaba Training Centre adjacent to the Umzi Wethu Hospitality Academy; the Eastern Province Child and Youth Care Centre with which the Port Elizabeth Academy shares a campus. Umzi Wethu students are also involved in Wilderness Foundation’s experiential education programmes for disadvantaged youth – Pride of Groendal, Imbewu in Addo Elephant Park, and Khula Nam in local parks. Through Umzi Wethu, the Wilderness Foundation is pioneering a new Pride of Boschberg programme in Somerset East with students providing experiential education on day trails to local youth in or just out of school.

Umzi Wethu has a growing partnership with Grassroot Soccer, an organisation which uses sport as a vehicle for peer education. Umzi Wethu students are trained as peer educators (‘Skillz coaches’) who run weekly contact sessions (‘practices’) with groups of local school children. These sessions each focus on a different aspect of HIV/AIDS awareness including stigma reduction and the importance of knowing your status.

“I really enjoy Pride, because it helps the community by teaching young school kids how important it is to conserve and teach them more about nature." Umzi 6 Student

“I found it a good opportunity to become an educator, standing in front of your peers that really boosted my confidence." Umzi 7 Student

“I really enjoyed Pride; it is one of the informative initiatives that helps us to know more about nature." Umzi 7 Student

“Grassroots makes me make my move amongst the youth of today, to openly speak to them about HIV and AIDS and how it affects lives" Umzi 7 Student

“It made me proud of myself knowing that I am taking part in changing the lives and preparing a good future for the kids and I felt like a role model." Umzi 7 Student

"The group meetings have been so amazing. There was a mix of blacks and coloureds and mothers and fathers. Parents told me that they are amazed at how we do it, where parents couldn’t do anything we have created change with matured and responsible students. Umzi really has changed lives; we’ve met our goals when parents give testimony that we’ve changed their children’s lives. We have taken them out of their environment and their staying in the residence gives them time to think about their future, which they wouldn’t have had a chance to do if they were day students.” Ntombi Kungwayo - Senior Housemother (responsible for family visits)