The Youth and Special Programmes Unit in the Department of Education conducted a two-day strategic review session and advocacy for the Zero Learner Dropout campaign with districts at Savoy Hotel in Mthatha, recently.

The session aimed at providing a platform for project stakeholders to showcase best practices and effective models in mitigating drop out of learners from the schooling system.

It also aimed at capacity building of district officials in the Zero Learner Dropout Campaign with a goal of increasing the reach of the programme beyond the current pilot districts.

The planning session focused on numerous projects and campaigns the department has launched and will be executed to ensure the development of learners through character development campaigns such as "Phakama ntombi, phakama bhutana" which will assist with behaviour management and mentorship of both boys and girls.

Youth and Special Programmes Deputy Director, Lungelo Nonkewuse outlined some of the successful campaigns and projects that were rolled-out by the department in the 2022/2023 academic year as follows:

• Women’s Forum - which is a programme that fights for women’s rights, protect them from sexual harassment and ensures that women are promoted to senior management positions in the workplace.
• Military Veterans - Working with Provincial Department of Military Veterans in East London, ECDoE awarded bursaries to 18 Students during 2022/2023 financial year and awarded bursaries to 16 new beneficiaries and five (5) Returning Students from 2022 beneficiaries in the 2023 Academic Year.

Other projects include; Child Justice Forum, Disability Forum and Sanitary Dignity Programme.

Zukiswa Njotini who is the Director for Youth and Special Programmes in the Department, introduced and informed districts of the new campaigns that will be launched in 2023 such as the principals Gender Based Violence (GBV) workshops, the new programme “Shine Qobokozana” which will target adolescent pregnancy and restore self-esteem of young mothers and equip them with entrepreneurial skills for support so that they can cope with their added responsibilities.