The Gender & Transformation unit of the Department, in partnership with Cell C had a “Take a Child to Work” day on 29 May 2017 at Lerato Place of Safety The keynote address was delivered by the HOD, Ms. Samson.  In her speech she said that the future of the Country belongs to the children; boys, girls, and the youth, because the government, in particular the Department of Social Development value, care and take them serious.

Ms. Samson also mentioned the three PPPs:
Poor - educate yourself to avoid poverty and be an independent thinker.
Powerless - take decisions, and strive to  be in powerful positions.
Pregnant - say no to pregnancy until you are ready.

The HOD quoted Maya Angelou: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

The purpose of the day was to afford the young boys and girls the opportunity to visit the workplace, giving them first-hand experience of the vast number of careers available. Together we are opening the doors of learning and culture beyond the classroom and helping to break the stereo-types associated with how girls were socialised. It is a practical way of encouraging children to strive for excellence, dream big, have strong self-esteem and know that anything is possible.

The 2017 theme, “Dream, Believe and Achieve”, encourages young women and girls around South Africa to believe in themselves, to open their eyes to the possibilities around them and to make a difference in their own lives. It provides an opportunity for girl children to “stop, think and evaluate” the choices that they will make with the information gathered on the day.

By engaging in this initiative, the goal of the Department of Social Development is to expose the boy and girl children to the world of work so that they can make informed career choices. The benefit of this would be to deepen their thinking with regard to their infinite roles in society, enhance their self-esteem, inspire and motivate them to reach their full potential and through exposure to diverse careers and positive role models, assist them to prepare for the world of work. 
 
To ensure that appropriate participants were selected to participate in the programme, the following selection criteria was applied:
 - All participants were girls and boys in Grades 10, 11 and 12.
 - Participants included girls and boys from both Institutions, Lorato Place of Safety and Molehe Mampe Secure Care Centre, as well as Isidindi
   and also children of the provincial office personnel.

To be effective and have a meaningful impact, the programme must be continuous and should be approached on a long term, structured and systematic basis. The invited grade 10 and 11 learners will continue to be part of the programme at the Department until they Matriculate. Each year the Department will add additiona learners from slectd schools.

The Gender & Transformation unit and Lorato Place of Safety will play the lead roles in planning and coordinating the “Take a Girl Child to Work” Programme.

The programme was official closed by the Senior Manager in the Office of the HOD, He thanked all who were present and wish them a safe trip.

The Gender & Transformation unit would like to thank all the stakeholders that contributed to the success of the day.

By Pappy Koloane