The WPDI’s Youth Training Programme graduation ceremony is a celebration of potential and hope. Young individuals are empowered with skills in business development, peace building, and conflict resolution, inspiring them to become genuine leaders in their community’s transformation. The event honors knowledge, promise, and optimism, and signifies a pivotal stride towards a brighter future. The graduates are now equipped with the tools to traverse the intricate terrains of entrepreneurship and peace-building, becoming active contributors to change and the real leaders who will steer their communities towards a prosperous and peaceful future.
WPDI’s annual Youth Training Programme graduation ceremony honors knowledge, promise, and optimism, empowering young individuals with skills in business development, peace building, and conflict resolution, and inspiring them to become genuine leaders in their community’s transformation.
In November 2023, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), in association with the City and RCS Group, orchestrated a jubilant event to honor knowledge, promise, and optimism. The occasion was marked by the graduation of young individuals from WPDI’s annual Youth Training Programme, a moment that reverberates with the sounds of empowerment, leadership, and a promising future.
This graduation ceremony signifies the fourth consecutive year of successful collaboration between WPDI and the City of Cape Town’s Social Development & Early Childhood Development Department (SD&ECD). The invaluable result of this collaboration is a certified Business and Entrepreneurship programme, meticulously crafted to provide participants with the basic skills required for business development. The SD&ECD, dedicated to developing young talent, manages the enrolment of these young hopefuls, ensuring this educational opportunity is available to as many as feasible.
The year witnessed a commendable participation – a total of 210 energetic youth from various communities like Mitchells Plain, Grassy Park, Masiphumelele, Lavender Hill, and Hout Bay, among others. These individuals, aged between 15 and 35, embarked on a journey of enlightenment, enrolling in courses pertaining to business, peace building, and conflict resolution.
Their perseverance and dedication culminated in a memorable event, overseen by WPDI founder and CEO, Forest Whitaker, Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews, and representatives from the RCS Group. Whitaker, during an emotional speech to the graduates, underscored the immense potential harbored within youth. He expressed, “You are the solution, you can be active contributors, genuine leaders in your communities’ transformation, and the architects of a brighter future.”
His words sent a strong message, a call to action for these promising individuals to take on leadership roles, harness their boundless potential to enact change, and stimulate growth within their communities and beyond.
Echoing Whitaker’s sentiments, Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews illuminated the city’s aspirations to become a lighthouse of hope and progress. The Deputy Mayor, in his address to the graduates, said, “The world we live in is vast and intimidating. If you don’t aspire to be successful, you will simply become a statistic.” He stressed on the responsibility each graduate bears, representing not only themselves but their families, communities, city, and ultimately, their country.
This event is a testament to the transformative power of education, the crucial role of nurturing potential, and the unstoppable force that is youth. It signifies a pivotal stride towards a brighter future, with the graduates now equipped with the tools to traverse the intricate terrains of entrepreneurship and peace-building. They are now ready to become active contributors to change, the real leaders who will steer their communities towards a prosperous and peaceful future.
The WPDI Youth Training Programme goes beyond being just an educational initiative. It serves as a stage that acknowledges the immense potential within each participant and empowers them with the necessary tools and guidance to fully utilize this potential. As these graduates march towards their future, they carry not just the wisdom they have acquired, but also the obligation to use this knowledge for the improvement of their communities and society at large. The power to shape tomorrow’s world is in their hands, and if this event is any indication, the future indeed looks promising.
WPDI’s Youth Training Programme graduation ceremony is a celebration of potential and hope where young individuals are empowered with skills in business development, peace building, and conflict resolution, inspiring them to become genuine leaders in their community’s transformation.
The Youth Training Programme teaches skills in business development, peace building, and conflict resolution.
Young individuals aged between 15 and 35 from various communities like Mitchells Plain, Grassy Park, Masiphumelele, Lavender Hill, and Hout Bay, among others, can participate in the Youth Training Programme.
The SD&ECD manages the enrolment of young individuals from various communities, ensuring that this educational opportunity is available to as many as feasible.
The graduation ceremony is overseen by WPDI founder and CEO, Forest Whitaker, Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews, and representatives from the RCS Group.
The graduation ceremony signifies a pivotal stride towards a brighter future, with the graduates now equipped with the tools to traverse the intricate terrains of entrepreneurship and peace-building. They are now ready to become active contributors to change, the real leaders who will steer their communities towards a prosperous and peaceful future.
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