World Changers Academy

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World Changers Academy (WCA) is a non-profit organisation based in Durban, South Africa that helps young people develop life skills and leadership abilities. WCA targets high school students and young adults between 18 and 35 years old.

WCA's leadership programs are full-time, residential courses at its leadership centre near Durban Its life skills courses are run in urban and rural communities in and around the city.

History[]

WCA was founded in August 2002 by Sizwe Mthembu, a businessman from northern KwaZulu Natal and Joe White, an American who lived for five years in KwaNyuswa. In August 2002, the first program started with a 3-month Life Skills empowerment course for 100 unemployed youth.^{[citation needed]}

Programs[]

Leadership

Residential course conducted at Leadership Centre in Shongweni, Durban

• 7 courses per year for out of school youth (11 weeks per course – 5 weeks residential, 6 weeks community outreach in their local communities)
• 6 courses per year for high school students (7 days per course, all during school holidays)

Life Skills

Run at different venues in various local communities daily for 4 weeks.

• 6 outreaches (about 6-10 courses each) per year at various venues in the Durban area

Leadership/Life Skills/Volunteer Cycle[]

WCA runs life skills courses for four weeks communities. These are free to everyone in the target age range who understand English, sometimes mixed with Zulu.

Then, WCA staff select students from these courses (on average about 10-15%) to attend a WCA leadership course for 11 weeks, which includes food and accommodation with training for five of these weeks. During the remaining 6 weeks of the course, the leadership students assist WCA staff to facilitate life skills courses in their home communities.

Then, a small percentage of leadership students are offered the opportunity volunteer with WCA after completion of their leadership course. This builds the volunteer base of the organisation. Today, all of the nearly 35 full-time volunteer staff of WCA are former leadership students, with exception of the two co-founders.

Key Course Topics[]

• Vision and Goal Setting*
• African Renaissance*
• Healing of the Past
• Relationships and People Skills (with particular emphasis on HIV/AIDS)*
• Communication Skills*
• Leadership*
• Entrepreneurship*
• Volunteerism and Social Issues*
• Opportunity Awareness (employment, learnerships, further study and volunteering)
• Job Preparation Skills

A * Indicates topics covered by leadership course. Life skills courses cover all topics, but leadership courses cover the topics indicated by * in more depth.

Key Partners[]

• The Oaktree Foundation
• Youth With A Mission

Notes[]