I miss the YEP Clan Family so much, this has been the longest three months ever being away from the action activities happening in Cape Town as I am currently in Basel. I just want to say Congrats to all our Cycling team for doing us so proud, Keep up the great work guys!

Miss you all!

Nqobile

I’ve been a YEP participant since it’s inception in 2007, joining YEP Clan was one of the best decisions that I’ve made in my life, because it offered an alternative to what we were used to in the townships(e.g. soccer). We started going to hikes every 2 months and that’s truly stimulated my love for nature, because those things we’d see in TV being done by white kids. This helped in broadening our horizons and indicating endless possibilities to what we as individuals and a team can achieve.

YEP Clan became more than just a mere thing or just another organization, it became a place where by we interact with each other as participants and others from the outside(teach2 fish members). We engaged at a personal level, getting to know each other, our future hopes and aspirations and shared knowledge amongst our selves, when we were on hikes and other fun activities like street football etc. Although YEP started out with hikes it now has escalated in terms of growth, now offering Cycling, Community Service, Self Development and the Tutoring Programme.  I was part of the Tutoring Programme as a participant and now I am leading this programme.  This is very instrumental in the development of our participants, in terms of the way they think it has helped them to think more holistically and not narrowly as used to. One of my highlights as a YEP member has been the cycle tours, mostly the Cape Argus Cycling competition and the overnight hike we had on top of Table Mountain.

YEP has installed a sense of belonging in us, knowing that you have a place where you are accepted and loved for being who you are, has had a positive influence in my life.  Knowing that I can communicate with others as my equal and not superior in anyway has boosted my self confidence and how I see my self. Now I’m not afraid to express my views and ideas in front of other people. I totally admire the people who are leading YEP; they have become my role models in more ways than one, because of their selflessness. They see YEP so feasible that they quit school and give up work opportunities. Their determination to help and empower the youth of this country inspires me so much that I too want to be part of the solution and not the problem.

I’ve learned a lot these past couple of years being a participant and this year I’ve been empowered to be part of the programme leadership team.  This empowers me, because it’s lives up to the YEP mission and I’m very eager to work with such motivated and energetic people. Who seek to initiate change in their own communities and not waiting around complaining about what and what-not the Government should do, so I’m very proud and honoured to be part of the leadership team. I hope and trust that it will inspire other young people to also want to get involved and help out in their own communities.

Yours in Youth Empowerment,

Andisa Maqoqa

Abigail Stewart

My experience of the fun was totally AWESOME! I had a ball of a time, I enjoyed every minute of participating on the indigenous games. I learnt so much and met so many people that day. All I can say is well done to the YEP Clan team who successfully organised this event.

 Lameez Parker

My experience with YEP Clan was awesome, because I felt that I was a part of something good even though I was not a leader, but a participant. I was enjoying myself playing different indigenous games and meeting new great people. I think that YEP Clan is a great empowerment to our communities and especially our young children, because it helps keep them off the street and occupied them with meaningful activities. I know that I would always want to be part of something so AWESOME and don’t let me forget that I felt very IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!

Our previous Hike was on the 30th of July and we had three different youth groups namely; YEP Clan, SIFE TSiBA and BPC youth. The Hike was Awesome and you can check the beautiful pictures that were taken on our facebook page.

In two weeks time, we are having another Hike and you are invited to Join us. We are hiking Kirstenbosch Gardens up half way of Table Mountain.

YEP Clan with Project abroad are working together in this project. We have about 15 girls that we meet with every Saturday and we have a theme for each Saturday. It’s like sisterhood forum; we talk about everything that a girl goes through and we empower each other to be successful gorgeous young ladies. We have themes like inner beauty, outside beauty, how to be confident about yourself, fashion, love, health and so on…

 As we  might know there are many factors that people pose when it come to this word or action ”Taking initiative”

Reasons are; the government is not providing, there’s no Jobs, I don’t want to be forward some people would say and so…….

but now the Questions are; why is it hard for us to take the step and initiative to empower our youth and develop our communities, why is it hard for us to be a nation on fighting poverty and unemployment,  why are we scared on being leaders of our communities at large  and lastly, what happened to one blood one nation?

So, do you have any questions, answers or comments on this topic?