June 2022.

The arts hold a significant creative and cultural value within communities and can act as an important and effective tool to engage the youth. It is for this reason Perdekraal East Wind Farm is supporting a drama programme, aimed at unlocking the talents of the youth and high school learners, in the Witzenberg communities. The initiative furthermore provides a sense of purpose and positive environment for personal growth.

“There is an abundance of hidden talent in this community, but due to the lack of aftercare and weekend activities for school kids and the youth, many of them fall prey to negative social influences. As such, this initiative is a great way to stimulate the youth's natural interest and curiosity, to foster their artistic performance skills and promote positivity,” said Jo-Anne Brown, Economic Development Manager at Perdekraal East Wind Farm.

Implemented by Jacomus Foundation, which is founded by Dann-Jacques Mouton who is famous for his roles on 7 De Laan, Arendsvlei, and Noem My Skollie, this foundation has had success with the programme participants securing roles in local soapies, such as Arendsvlei.

36 youth, 31 of which are high school learners, were selected to participate in this three-phase programme, which ran for a period of 12 weeks.

“Having the chance to be a part of this drama programme was like a dream come true. As a young boy, my dream has always been to become an actor and this programme provided me with the perfect platform for me to showcase my talent. Through play, I gained a great deal of knowledge, especially how to remain focused, how to control emotions, and how to work within a group,” expressed Mustapha Moseley Jansen (26), one of the programme participants.

This project forms part of Perdekraal East Wind Farm’s Asset Based Community Development programme, which has a keen focus on mobilising communities and building capacity for positive change.