This week I had the opportunity to impart knowledge and hope in the lives of a group called 19 Alpha at Chrysalis Academy. The objective was to empower them with office skills and Basic Computing knowledge.
These young men volunteered to join the Chrysalis Academy’s 3-month programme where they are equipped and trained to affect change by learning the art of discipline and hard work. These young men are drilled to bring out the best version of what they can be. It was inspiring to see them taking charge of their future, to hear how many want to “be their own boss” and to feel the desire and enthusiasm to learn new things. We were merely vehicles to assist in moving them forward.
Despite the students having to wake up early every morning at 04h30 to do boot camp style drills, there was still excitement and expectation in the air. Everyone was ready to learn and gain experience in Basic Computing. We covered various topics that included: Introduction to Computers, Google Docs, Email, Spreadsheets, Presentations and other Google Apps.
During this time I had my first opportunity to facilitate and honestly speaking it was truly a humbling experience. The idea of me as a young person training another young person was daunting but it was also incredible to know that we are empowering them to empower other young people. The students were engaged and interactive in all the sessions.
Although the students were the main focus of our trip, we could not help but notice the many baboons that were freely roaming the grounds of Chrysalis Academy. This brought a whole new level of anxiousness and adrenaline to our visit.
During this time, we had many laughs, discussions and heartfelt moments where students could share what they want to be, where they would like to go and what they would like to change for their family or in their community. These are young men that are going to do great things in their career fields.
Watch this space.
