The little town of Humansdorp is just a stone’s throw away from Jeffreys Bay which is home to internationally acclaimed surfing beaches, well-known by international surfers that flock the town throughout the year. Humansdorp, lies at the foot of the Kouga Mountains and is the first economic centre between Cape Town and Gqeberha with growing energy and farming industries, illustrated by the wind farms along the N2. With such a promising future for the town, one truly experiences it in the enthusiasm and love for the area from the municipality and the residents.
Two candidates from Humansdorp Secondary School were nominated by their Executive Mayor, Cllr Horatio Hendricks to receive a bursary from MaxProf and EST Sourcing. In a video interview, Cllr Hendricks wished the two candidates, namely Mr Craig Smith and Ms Astered Du Plooy the best of luck in their future endeavours and encouraged them to have dreams and goals that scare them, as they begin this journey of building their careers. The Mayor elected these deserving students, after reading their compelling motivational letters in support of receiving their bursaries.
Once the learners were selected, a Bursary Award Ceremony, in collaboration with Kouga Local Municipality, was held in Humansdorp at the Grill and Company Restaurant on the 29th of November. EST Sourcing and MaxProf representatives Ms Lineo Monokoane and Mr Cedric Mataka, respectively, were graciously welcomed by Ms Ivonique Van Rensburg–Jacobs, Personal Assistant to the Executive Mayor. Ms Van Rensburg-Jacobs coordinated the function with the Grill and Company Restaurant staff, ensuring that a private dining room was made available for the day. Refreshments and eats were served as welcoming snacks while the guests arrived and waited for commencement of the programme.
The programme director, Mr Eugene Goliath, Public Participation Manager at Kouga Local Municipality, lead the proceedings with charisma; starting the proceedings with a prayer of gratitude and offering the guests an opportunity to introduce themselves. The candidates were accompanied by their parents and school principal, Mr Shaun Felix, to give their heart-warming testimonials. The parents expressed their gratitude and promised to support Mr Smith and Ms Du Plooy in their endeavour to attain a qualification, and in the foreseeable future, give back to the Humansdorp community. Ms Du Plooy shared in her testimonial that she dreams of one day becoming a Chartered Accountant. This dream was influenced by the reality of her surroundings; she narrates feelings of discontent, being unfulfilled and lacking purpose, much like many of her peers. She wishes to turn that reality around for herself by using this opportunity to excel until she reaches a position where she can impact lives in her community, just as MaxProf and EST Sourcing have hers.
“What motivates me, is when I see the violence and crime that the youth is exposed to and partakes in daily; I do not want to be part of this, I want more. I have decided that I want to work with the youth, be part of their education so that I can show them that they are capable of more, they can achieve more in life.”
– Mr Smith
Following the testimonials, the keynote address was delivered by the Speaker of Kouga Local Municipality, Cllr Brenton Williams. He started by saying “life doesn’t always go smoothly, and there are challenges along the way; it is how we react to those challenges that determines our character”. This is in relation to the plight of gangsterism due to poverty and unemployment in the community, however, Cllr Williams continued by saying that he is very proud that Mr Smith and Ms Du Plooy have taken the road to educating themselves instead of succumbing to status quo. He urged the bursary recipients to not let anything derail them from their goals and dreams, even during tough times, as they are inevitable.
It is humbling to witness youth taking a stand for a better future, not only for themselves but for generations to come in their respective communities. Humansdorp is a small town with overflowing potential to become an economic hub, where the standard of living is not corrupted by crime and youth unemployment. It is a pleasure to see youth recognise the circumstances surrounding their current reality, as well as having solutions on how they would like to change their community.
