A personal development programme aimed at grooming and moulding future student leaders  culminated in at least 10 students receiving accolades for their noteworthy participation in an intensive two-week workshop.

The expectant students received their just rewards during the launch of the Personal Development and Empowerment Programme in East London recently - a first of its kind leadership programme for the university.

The workshop saw at least 50 house committee members representing various residences from Buffalo City Campus attending a two-week programme which ran from 4 – 19 November which consisted of nine sessions packed with interventionist concepts and theories aimed at equipping the students with different skillsets.

“Our intention in establishing this programme is to use it as a strategic vehicle to create a pool of student leadership that is ready to occupy student leadership positions. We consciously chose to select students from the house committees with the understanding that you’re primed and in the best position to rise to the highest echelons of student leadership by virtue of being leaders in one of the SRC substructures,” said Residence Unit administrative assistant Thulani Landu.

The nine themes upon which the training was based included personal development path; leadership; emotional intelligence; study skills and exa, preparation; men and women’s societal views; men and women’s power; financial intelligence; the empowered man and woman as well as health and wellness.

Programme facilitator from Imfundo Solutions Group, Beauty Kotela, a community development activist, didn’t mince her words as she addressed the participants during the launch of the programme.  

“Before you can go and occupy a leadership position, you need to know that you’re a leader. It’s critical to know that leadership is about two things – influence and taking charge. You need to first and foremost be able to take charge of yourself, and only thereafter can society, organisations and universities be able to trust you with taking charge of a whole bunch of students.”

“The second aspect of leadership is influence! By virtue of being alive means you’re going to be of influence. The real question then becomes what kind of influence will you exert on others? Will you be a leader whom people get excited about being around, or are you the type of leader who leaves people exasperated and discontent by virtue of your presence,’’ quipped Kotela.

Programme participant and first-year analytical chemistry student, Pabalo Chula, said she found the workshop valuable as it taught her the importance of self-awareness and personal accountability.

She decried the phenomenon of entitlement amongst young people which ‘’often renders them unwilling to take charge of their lives and their own situations’’.

Her counterpart, third-year IT student Sinenjongo Mbepe, said although he initially didn’t know what the programme entailed, he quickly discovered it had the potential to change his life.

‘’The programme has thus far been truly life-changing as it’s equipped me with life skills and tools that I need to be able to form solutions that can help me get out of some of life’s challenges. It has also taught me a lot of myself – my worth, what I want in life, who I aspire to be and how I can go about fulfilling my dreams. It has truly made me look at myself in a better light,’’ said Mbepe.

Students that received certificates for the workshop had to have completed more than five sessions, whilst those who engaged and deliberated most fruitfully also received trophies for their ‘’excellent contributions’’.

By Thando Cezula