The #YesMovement and the From Gangs to Grace movement have initiated a pilot programme with schools in Eldorado Park called Boys at risk Boot Camp.
The two movements will host the first group of 25 boys this weekend, aged 13 to 17, for the boot camp, after the boys were identified by their educators and parents.
The boot camp serves as a means of early intervention and diversion, in response to an increase in gang-related activities in Eldorado Park.
A community activists and founder of the #YesMovement, Cheryl Pillay, described the initiative as a tangible response to changing the narrative.
“The Boys at risk Boot Camp was initiated after the boys were hand-picked by their schools because they were already vulnerable and have shown bad behavioral patterns,” Pillay said.
“We decided to take them on this camp so that we can conduct behavioral change programmes with them, and they will graduate next year and become part of the scouts that we are launching in Eldorado Park.
“We are hoping that this will grow to being a mentorship programme, where the boys will see a better way of life than just hanging around and getting involved in gangsterism.”
Pillay explained further: “Our hope is that this will be a life-changing experience for the boys and the beginning of a new culture. We are excited about the camp, as it is the first of many more to follow.
“We started in Eldorado Park, but we will be moving it further to other affected communities, as we grow our network and get more sponsorships.”
The camp aims to tackle the increasing rate of youth becoming part of gangs, and it will take place quarterly and annually.
Gangs to Grace leader Kester Fisher said: “This camp was initiated for the youth in the community of Eldorado Park, because there has been a rapid rise in gang activity in the community. We discovered that even in primary schools, there’s young boys who ignorantly associate themselves with gangs.
“The boys have been identified by their educators and parents, and we took the initiative to take these children out to a boot camp for them to get exposed to a better way of life.
“The aim is to run the camp annually or quarterly, depending on the support we get. We want to help the children in the community and identify skills in these boys.”
The boot camp will cover topics such as leadership and conflict resolution skills, as well as team-building. The boys will also take part in hiking, river rafting, problem-solving activities and counselling sessions.
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