July has been an incredible month for Justice Desk Africa, filled with impactful events, generous contributions, and significant strides towards our mission of empowering communities and upholding human rights.
From our transformative Youth Ambassadors Conference to meaningful Mandela Day celebrations, our dedicated staff, volunteers, and youth activists have worked tirelessly to create positive change. This month, we also launched our Mariasdal Combined School Fundraising Campaign, hosted international visitors, and conducted vital training sessions. Here’s a look at the highlights that made July truly exceptional.
Youth Ambassadors Conference 2024: Building Connections through Activism
From July 1-3, Justice Desk Africa hosted its annual Youth Ambassadors Conference at the Christian Brothers Centre in Stellenbosch, gathering 74 learners and teachers from 24 schools across South Africa. The theme, ‘Building Connections through Activism: Empowering Youth for Social Change,’ set the stage for three days of education, collaboration, and empowerment. Workshops and talks focused on human rights, child protection, and effective advocacy, encouraging teamwork and problem-solving through group activities and presentations.
Generous Donations and Community Impact
A heartfelt thank you to Crystal Reynecke for donating sanitary pads for our Mbokodo Heroes as part of her #StrideForDignity Campaign after completing the Table Mountain 16km Trail Race. This generous contribution helps address period poverty and supports our mission to empower young women.
Mandela Day Celebrations
Our Mandela Day activities included court protests for a Mbokodo Hero whose rape case continues to be postponed. We also visited Immaculata Girls High School and the Dominican School for the Deaf for GBV and Campaign Building training. Our Everyday Activists from Bonteheuwel High School served soup at a local hospital, while Bastiaanse Secondary School students did the same for their community. We are immensely proud of our young activists for making a positive impact.
Staff, Facilitators, and Volunteers Camp 2024
Our team gathered in Glencairn for a camp focused on improving facilitation skills, experiential learning, and forming stronger connections. The camp included sessions on sequencing, empowering participants with socio-economic constraints, and the importance of reflection. Facilitators designed and presented leadership sessions, receiving constructive feedback. The team also visited the Haven Night Shelter to donate food.
Mariasdal School Fundraising Campaign
Thank you to everyone who has donated towards our Mariasdal Campaign. We are in desperate need of additional support to repair Mariasdal Combined School in Tweespruit, Free State. The school requires repairs to windows, doors, plumbing, and electrical systems, as well as improvements to sports and recreational facilities. We are also looking for donations such as single bed mattresses, linen, pillows, kitchen appliances, crockery and cutlery, etc. Your contributions will make a significant difference!
St. Anselm College’s Rugby Team Visit
We hosted St. Anselm College’s Rugby team from England. Between their matches against local schools, the team learned about our work and mission. We are grateful for their generous donation, which will help us continue empowering others to uphold their human rights across Africa.
GBV and Campaign Building at our YA Schools
Our team has been busy visiting many of our Youth Ambassador schools to give them training sessions on GBV awareness and campaign building. They visited Noluthando School in Khayelitsha, St Boniface High School in Kimberley, Zonnebloem Nest Senior School, Edison Century City High School, CBC St Patrick’s, and Portlands High School. By equipping them with this knowledge, we empower them to create meaningful change in their schools and communities. We also visited Joe Slovo Engineering High School to give them an introduction to the YA Program.
Empowering Mbokodo Heroes
This past Saturday, we held a powerful Mbokodo Session focused on empowering our Heroes. We covered topics such as consent, boundaries, child abuse, sexual and reproductive rights, protection orders, and campaign planning. Our girls also learned about self-confidence, conflict resolution, and self-defense, ensuring they are equipped to be heard and seen.
Upcoming Women's Month Events
Thank you to everyone who participated and supported our events this month. Together, we are making strides towards a more just and equitable society.
We are planning a few exciting events for Women's Month, including a walk, run, and panel discussion. Keep your eyes on our social media for updates!
Wow, what an incredible month of achievements and impactful events! I can't wait to see what August brings and how you'll continue to make a Wordle Unlimited difference.
We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who attended and supported our activities over this month. Through our collective efforts, we are making progress toward a society that is more just and equal. geometry dash online