The ACTIVATE! Change Drivers Network’s first academic course has been accredited by the ETDP SETA[1].
The official accreditation of the contents of the NQF level 5 Community Development Certificate Course training programme coincided with the last module session which was held at the Alpha Conference Centre outside Broederstroom in the second week of November 2015. The intense 9-month training programme infused with theory and practice was facilitated by Landy Wright, Erika Joubert and Pam Hicks. It was attended by 38 Activators from all over the country.

The thrilled programme director and facilitator, Landy Wright, explained the logic behind the course. “We wanted to create a tertiary formal education opportunity for young people / social change drivers who are already doing community development”, she said.

Here are the views of other course participants:

Gauteng based participants, Sifiso Mabuza said “I used to describe myself as one of many young ambitious people who couldn’t afford to further their studies purely because of financial challenges but today I consider myself as one of the very few blessed people to have been part of this programme.  The academic information and training I have received exceeds everything that universities can offer. Today I can confidently say that this course has unleashed the great leader in me.”

Eastern Cape based Activator Ncedeka Angalakha Mangwane said somehow the facilitators fulfilled the world’s renowned icon Nelson Mandela’s famous quote that says “It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farmworkers can become the president of a great nation.” Mangwane said “I am grateful to be part of this course. All our facilitators made us to realize that driving social change is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that differentiates one person from another. I will use all the contacts and information to uplift my community”.

Northern Cape connector, Fernando Visagie said “Attending this Community Development certificate course was a life changing highlight that I will always treasure. This course has affirmed me that choosing a road less traveled in terms of career can go beyond being a fulfilling life experience but also can create a brighter future not for only myself but for my community, country and the world. I am sure South Africa will be different, peaceful, prosperous if youth can have a taste of what we (as the first CDCC students) were blessed to have tasted.”

Western Cape based activator Nicole Alexander said “Well, this course has not just taught me theory about community development, but how does one also practice it. This was my huge expectation for applying for this course. When given assignments I could simply see what has been happening in the organization I work for which is Educo Africa. The course widened my perspective of what we do as development workers and how we can do it better through innovation. It has opened doors of opportunity, whereby I can implement these ideas at work and in my personal life. I have met amazing individuals across the country whom today I can say positively they are my friends. This course shows us how to be Sustainable Community Development Workers.”
 
All activators praised the facilitators (who turned out to be also parents, friends, and advisers), the ever hard-working, friendly and silent logistic anchor/mastermind of it all Andiswa Madinda, all guest facilitators, financial management expert, ‎Working Capital Management owner, Arno Erasmus, conflict resolution expert, Consultant, Coach, Co-Owner of the Pan African Market, Vuyo Koyana, president of Amnesty International WITS, International Relations analyst, Sociologist, Human Rights Activist, Amir Bagheri and president of Youth for Human Rights International, Lion’s Den Global and fellow activator Tony Matipa.

The Department of Higher Education also congratulated ACTIVATE! Change Drivers for being one the first accredited independent service providers for the university entry level course. While speaking to one of the programme participants, Department of Higher Education spokesperson Khaye Nkwanyane said “I may not know much about that organization (ACTIVATE! Change Drivers) but if our two stakeholders, South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and Sector Education Training Authorities (SETA) approves the organization, then as the department we also would be more than willing to support such an organization.” said Nkwanyane.