Why Kliptown Needs KYP

KYP was founded in early 2007 by a small group of inspired young people from Kliptown who wanted to make a difference in their community. This is their "Statement of Need," an explanation of the challenges the people of Kliptown face, and the KYP committee's vision for how to help.

"As South Africa has grown into a modern country, there are still some places that unfortunately are neglected by the government; Kliptown, the oldest township of its

kind in Soweto, established in 1903, is one of those places. Ironically, Kliptown is itself of historical and cultural interest in the history of South Africa, as it was the place where the Freedom Charter was adopted in 1955. Yet in the face of such hope, Kliptown is a community without most of the basic needs such as schools, health clinics, electricity, proper sanitation, etc. There are approximately forty four (44 000) thousand people living here. Unemployment runs as high as 70%; teenage pregnancy about 60%; HIV/AIDS infection 25%.

One of the roots of these problems is that the children are disadvantaged by their limited access to proper schooling. As mentioned there are no schools

in Kliptown, so all children must walk to local schools. While all schools teach English as a second language, unfortunately not all of them teach it at a high enough level that these children have the ability to succeed on their "matrics" (exams taken at the end of high school), which are given in English and not their native language. Additionally the high cost of school, between the school fees, uniforms, shoes, lunch, and trips, is extremely prohibitive due to the limited resources of Kliptown children. It is no surprise in this environment of seeming hopelessness that many community members turn to drugs and crime at an early age.

Kliptown Youth Program believes that if we identify and nurture talent amongst us, help to inculcate the culture of education, then we can create positive opportunities for ourselves. In doing so, we believe we are creating a solution to poverty; one which we can stand up and show the world that we are a force to be reckoned with. On a continent often wrought with victimhood and a mentality that everyone deserves a handout, KYP seeks to teach its children that they deserve that which they create."

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