GLO Girls 2020 cohort complete life skills section of empowerment programme |11 July 2020
Learners taking part in the Marshmallow Challenge at the leadership skills session conducted on Saturday July 4 at President’s Village Children’s Home. This was the final session in the My Life, My Responsibility term
A group of 12 secondary school age girls currently living in children’s homes have completed the first half of an empowerment programme aimed at providing them with essential life skills.
The programme, entitled GLO (Grow, Learn and Overcome) Girls is currently being undertaken on selected Saturday mornings by Nectar Communications in partnership with the National Council for Children (NCC).
The year-long educational and social empowerment programme is targeted towards teenage girls who either live in children’s homes or who are no longer in the care of their biological parents. The GLO Girls programme seeks to empower a cohort of learners with essential life skills and raises awareness of the social issues that may potentially affect them and their communities. By providing them with a safe space in which to discuss their challenges, the girls can learn new social skills and improve their confidence.
The programme was originally designed in three sections: term 1 (My Life, My Responsibility), term 2 (Succeeding in the Workplace) and term 3 (Discovering Creativity). However, due to disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the session dates had to be adjusted and as a result term 2 (Succeeding in the Workplace) has been cancelled this year. The learners have now fully completed the life skills section, including sessions on values, safeguarding, communication skills and leadership skills.
“By strengthening these learners’ social skills and self-esteem, their health and economic risks are minimised in the future,” says the director of Nectar Communications, Hajira Amla. “The children at care homes such as President’s Village are deserving of love and attention. Some have survived unimaginable traumas. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child, so each one of us can do something small to help ensure they can make a successful transition into adulthood.”
“Creating opportunities for girls and young women to become leaders can empower them to fully utilise their rights. We need girls to know that they can accomplish whatever it is they set their minds to and we need girls to be strong and assertive in decision making,” adds the chief executive of the National Council for Children, Jean-Claude Matombe. “We are proud to be facilitating this important programme to empower and protect vulnerable teenage girls in care homes.”
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