South Africa is in a lot of trouble. Loadshedding has reached ridiculous proportions, the majority of our youth is unemployed and unskilled, and it feels like every day brings a new, seemingly insurmountable challenge to overcome.
South Africans are feeling increasingly frustrated, drained, and helpless. So, it must seem strange to be defining what is meant by empowerment at a time like this.
Eileen Thornhill, Director of The LLC Academy, believes that this is exactly when we should be talking about empowerment. “For too long, South Africa has been glossing over the actual meaning of empowerment. We talk vaguely about upliftment and making things better for all, but when it comes to bedding down the nuts and bolts of the matter, we shy away from the conversation,” she says.
“No more. Myself and my colleagues at The LLC Academy know what empowerment means – we live and breathe it on a daily basis,” says Thornhill. “Every day, we get to see the impact of our programmes. We get to see what happens when a person has the opportunity to educate themselves. We see how that education then gives them the ability to seize control of their own life, their own future. And we get to see how their personal upliftment goes on to improve the futures of those around them.”
One such opportunity for education offered by The LLC Academy is the Teach-a-Teacher, or TAT programme. This programme aims to address the critical shortage of qualified Early Childhood Development practitioners in South Africa. “All our students are recruited for their demonstrated passion for children and education,” says Thornhill. “The LLC Academy recruits unemployed people who are enrolled on a one-year programme, who then access NQF level ECD training through accredited training providers who provide part time, distance learning programmes. We provide coaching and support to develop them holistically, and they are placed in schools to work as teacher assistants for the year for the practical requirement of their qualification.”
“The funding for this is provided by our corporate partners,” says Thornhill. “They get to positively impact youth unemployment education in one fell swoop, as well as benefit from the impact this programme has on their B-BBEE scorecard.”
“Empowerment is not about giving people the power to help themselves. It’s about partnering with them, recognising that their empowerment, their upliftment is tied to your own,” says Thornhill. “To use a quote attributed to Lilla Watson, “if you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”
“When we work together to achieve our collective empowerment, everybody benefits. And isn’t that what empowerment is actually about?”
If you, like us at The LLC Academy, believe in uplifting, educating and empowering our fellow South Africans, then contact us today to see how we can partner with you in achieving your B-BBEE goals.