The five-day Mentorship Camp forms part of the Rural Female Youth Mentorship Project (RFYMP) that aims to equip young girls and women in rural areas with basic life skills in order to reduce the high number of school drop-outs, improve sexual health and prevent alcohol and drug abuse. A group of 25 young rural girls from the prioritised rural development nodes of the Western Cape received mentorship during the 5-day Rural Youth Mentorship Camp. The young girls were educated on basic life skills, substance abuse awareness, prevention of teenage pregnancy, awareness raising on HIV/AIDS and STDs, conflict management, career guidance and awareness on gender-based violence. Mr Brighton Shumba, the Project Manager for the Rural Female Youth Mentorship project highlighted the importance of women mentorship, stating that “[w]hen we support the growth and empowerment of women and girls, we transform our communities and raise the quality of life for everyone. This is because when women lead, they not only lead their families, they lead in their community, they fight for their children, and they give a voice to issues that are crucial to our collective future. Mentoring encourages their ambition and empowers their confidence”.
