A total of 192 learners, 93 from Bokamoso Secondary School and 99 from Lithuli Combined School, are recognised for completing the programme, despite facing significant social challenges including gangsterism, bullying and substance abuse within their communities, says the foundation.

The award ceremony coincides with World Read Aloud Day, aiming to give the celebration an even deeper meaning. As part of the commemoration, learners presented a special item and participated in a Read Aloud session, supported by reading materials provided by the Polokwane Library, adds the foundation.

For the learners, the awards marked more than a certificate handover, it was a moment of victory, says the foundation.

"For many of our learners, school is not only a place of learning but also a place of refuge," says Legodi Monica, School Governing Body Chairperson of Lithuli Combined School. "The Communities and Justice Programme has helped our children navigate difficult realities and reminded them that they deserve safety, dignity and the freedom to focus on their education. Today, they are celebrated and today, they get to simply be children."

The Communities and Justice Programme is designed with the aim to equip young people with tools to make positive life choices, resist negative social pressures and build resilience in environments often marked by crime, drugs, bullying and alcoholism, adds the foundation.

Speaking at the ceremony, Riah Phiyega, CEO of the Safer South Africa Foundation, aimed to emphasise the national importance of protecting childhood and education, says the foundation.

"When children are consumed by social ills, they are robbed of their future and, ultimately, the nation is robbed of its potential," says Phiyega. “On World Read Aloud Day, we are reminded that literacy opens doors, but those doors can only stay open if learners are safe, supported and free to focus on learning. Today exemplifies renewed hope for these learners, their families and for South Africa."

The Foundation says it aims to highlight that programmes such as CJP are not just interventions, but investments in the country's long-term social stability and economic future.

"Every child who chooses learning over violence and hope over fear, strengthens the fabric of our society," says Phiyega.

The Safer South Africa Foundation extended its appreciation to the Polokwane Library for sponsoring the venue and refreshments, and for championing literacy by creating a space where young voices and stories could be heard, says the foundation.

As the ceremony draws to a close, the Safer South Africa Foundation aims to reiterate the words of Nelson Mandela. "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."

For more information, visit www.safersouthafrica.org. You can also follow the Safer South Africa Foundation on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor