Give a year of your life to the people
Nearly one year ago, over 100 South Africa…
ns, between 18 – 25 years of age, came together for the first day of City Year – unsure of this new programme they had signed up for; unsure of the difference they might make; unsure of how the programme would change them personally. A year later it is described by many as the best year of their life – a year they will never forget.
They made friends for life from all different backgrounds, made a real impact in the lives of children and communities and grew in ways they could never have imagined. They became the embodiment of all the qualities we look for in today’s leaders – trust, compassion, confidence, and the life-long commitment to serve their country.
These diverse Service Leaders, with completely different experiences and skills, each morning left their homes in various parts of the city – from Sandton to Kliptown, from Centurion to Eldorado Park – uniting to serve full time for one year. In total, they spent 127,500 hours serving the children and communities of Johannesburg. In 10 after school programmes around the city, over 1300 children were served daily, engaging in activities to build their maths, literacy and life skills. Most importantly, City Year Service Leaders provided a safe and fun place to spend those after school hours!
What we need is more people in this world who not only have the desire to create positive change, but also the motivation, skills, knowledge and commitment to do so. That is what City Year is helping to do. Not only with the recruits who will join the programme, but also with those they inspire through their service year: the children, school staff, communities, corporate sponsors, parents, friends, and many more.
