Improved Communication Skills and Confidence Levels

My name is Melissa Othabetswe Sithole and I am currently a second-year student at the University of Cape Town. I’m studying towards a degree in Psychology. In September 2019, I attended the Youth Leadership Development Program in Bryanston, South Africa and this is where I first got acquainted with Africa Matters. I had heard about the workshop after the Founder Farai Mubaiwa spoke at an event my father was attending. Africa Matters is a youth organisation that focuses on empowering youth by providing them with skills that they can take going into the work force. Inspired and upskilled by the workshop, this year I started interning at Africa Matters in March to help further develop my skills. Since then I have achieved different skills such as facilitation skills, leadership abilities, public speaking and administration skills. Africa Matters has provided me with the confidence and the skills I need going into the work force after finishing University. I have always been someone who was never confident with public speaking or interacting with people in general. That workshop got me out of my comfort zone with the social entrepreneurship presentations and exposed me to so many wonderful people from all over Gauteng. Not only were the facilitators encouraging and helpful, my peers were also welcoming and willing to help. My chosen career path in psychology requires me to interact with individuals on a regular basis and I will to be able to use my skills gained at the workshop to do it. Interning with Africa Matters is helping me further these skills and use them in a practical setting. That practical setting opportunity came not too soon after when got the opportunity to internship at Africa Matters and use these skills in my own community as well. These include for me: communication skills, leadership skills, teamwork as well as creativity. These were all skills that I acquired during the Youth Leadership Development Program that I attended.