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SAWIP believes that fostering a culture of service across all sectors of society is an essential and valuable part of developing compassionate and ethically responsible leaders and productive members of society.
One of the selection criteria for the SAWIP program is the applicants’ record of service. SAWIP students are required to continue with their current service projects and complete at least 30 hours from April – June.
While in Washington, DC students commit to community service projects that match the students’ interests and benefit the wider DC community.
On their return to South Africa each SAWIP class implements a service project from an initial needs analysis to submission of a final evaluative report utilizing each team member’s abilities.
Group Community Project 2011
Leadyoung - High-Impact Youth Leadership Programme 2011
The SAWIP Leadyoung Leadership Programme took place from the 16th to the 18th of September 2011 at the University of Stellenbosch. The project aimed to identify school aged learners in grades 10 and 11, from three different schools and to facilitate a South African themed leadership development curriculum to them. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the project.
SAWIP Team 2011
RATIONALE:
The SAWIP team of 2011 decided to embark on a community service project that could have definite immediate impact but that could also have sustainable long term results. As such we felt that making a meaningful contribution to a group of young people, by developing their potential and deepening their human capital would not only be beneficial to them in the short term, but would also bear fruits for the country and its economy in the longer term.
AIM:
To provide and facilitate a process that provides a cross-section of high school students representative of a diverse socio-economy with an integrated and transitional leadership programme.
OBJECTIVES:
The SAWIP Class of 2011 focused on facilitating community service work that was:
- Constructive
- Inspirational
Centered on harnessing and gleaning young potential leaders from a spectrum of schools towards a broader definition of youth leadership in South Africa.
OUTCOMES:
The Leadyoung programme produced several important outcomes. The immediate outcomes of the programme centred around the 24 participants. Each of the participants was identified as a future leader in their school. Leadyoung aimed to capacitate these young people and prepare them for the task of leading their peers. This was done by:
- Giving them a South African focused curriculum which gave them a greater appreciation for leading in South Africa,
- Focused greatly on improving their communicative ability and particularly their use of English as a tool to convey important leadership ideas,
- Provided the participants with a range of skills to help them navigate the difficulties that they and their communities face,
- Inspired the participants to aim higher than they would otherwise have thought possible,
- Provided the participants with mentors who they could relate to, and,
- Provided the participants with a network of peers who can provide peer-to-peer support for their projects and aspirations.
Beyond the direct benefits to the participants, several other outcomes were produced: a sustainable leadership curriculum was created which SAWIP can use in future generations. The SAWIP community service focus was preserved with the completion of another generation’s project. The schools of the learners will indirectly benefit from the programme because they will be led by better leaders in matric.
Group Community Project 2010
Enthembeni Old age home
The Class of 2010 decided to assist the newly establish old age home. After having visited the home as a team, 3 particular areas in which we could add value stood out. Namely recreational activities, financial sustainability and community integration.
 RATIONALE:
What we as a class learnt during our D.C experience was that often community development initiatives receive the most support and funding in their initial start up phases; however soon after this phase the support dwindles and tappers off. After having come across Enthembeni, our aim was to create structures and partnerships that will ensure the sustainability of the home, as we realised that in order for a new home to do well it had to be part of the community (Gugulethu) not just in location but in its running.
METHOD:
 We had the understanding that the issues that needed to be addressed at the home were both short and long term in nature. As recreational activities were one of the immediate needs, we facilitated the appropriation of entertainment, as per requested by the Enthembeni residents. Such an example was a traditional games set. Similarly, from our prior visit to the home, we learnt that a number of the residents enjoyed spending time in the gardens of the home. This led us to creating a vegetable garden. Not only did this serve as a cost saving activity in the home by reducing food costs, but also made the garden more aesthetically appealing.
 In looking to have the greatest possible impact on the home we realised that had to focus on forming long term partnerships with the home and organisations within the community. These organisations included J.L Zwane and Cape Peninsula Organisation For The Aged (CPOA). J.L Zwane will be providing dancing and writing lessons within the home. Whereas, CPOA provides a platform where the residents of the home can engage with other members of the community on a habitual basis.
An in depth analysis of the financial situation of the home was done and recommendations were made. In the long run, we hope that these recommendations will improve the financial position of the home.
FOLLOW- UP:
As part of the unwavering commitment to the project, the class team committed to return to the home over the ensuing weekends. Furthermore, structural recommendations made by the SAWIP team 2010 have been passed on to Be the Change (BTC) Africa, an independent organisation that assist non-profit in improving their core functions.
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