A total of 120 young people from across the Northern Cape will attend the annual National Youth Camp at Duin in die Weg guest farm in the ZF Mgcawu District from December 3 to 9.
A TOTAL of 120 young people from across the Northern Cape will attend the annual National Youth Camp at Duin in die Weg guest farm in the ZF Mgcawu District from December 3 to 9.
The MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Desery Fienies, and the MEC for Youth, Women, Disability, Communications and e-Government, Lorato Venus Blennies, will officially open the camp.
Department of Sport, Arts and Culture spokesperson Morapedi Sekhoane said the camp served as a forum for young people to engage with each other across race, ethnicity and gender barriers, while learning valuable life skills.
“The programme started in 2012 with 300 participants per province. The number of participants was however reduced to 200 in 2019. The National Youth Camps are run simultaneously in the different provinces over a seven-day period. Camps are run by provincial departments of Sport, Arts and Culture and non-governmental organisation (NGO) partners,” said Sekhoane.
He added that the participants would be exposed to cohesion and nation-building, leadership and life skills and values that would help them develop into “proud and patriotic leader citizens”.
“A number of alumni from the previous year’s camps will be attending once again, but this time they’ll be attending to encourage young people to grow the trailblazer movement that promotes community work.
“One day during the seven-day-long camp is set aside for community service, where trailblazers will visit a school in the vicinity of the camp venue to do community work.”
Sekhoane said that 24-hour security would keep a watchful eye at the camp, while strict discipline would be maintained at all times.
