The scene looks like a military conscription, but is actually a sought-after programme that takes young people from Cape Town's toughest streets and sets them on a path to employment.
CAPE TOWN - South Africa- A troupe of 160 young women in cobalt blue uniforms and sand-coloured bucket hats march across a vast courtyard in lockstep. Two more face the group to give military-style salutes, say prayers and hoist the South African flag high into the air.
All of South Africa has a horrific crime problem, but in 2021 Cape Town's murder rate was by far the highest in the country, at 64 killings per 100,000 people.The crime is driven by rampant gangs, combined with high unemployment - things Gibson Jannecke wanted to escape. The academy was set up in 2000 by local government, in the shadow of the high-security Pollsmoor Prison - a jarring contrast to the leafy surrounding suburb of Tokai.
Chrysalis runs three three-month courses each year for people aged 18 to 25, with two courses for men and one for women.Restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic have hit all the courses and the current intake of 162 women also has reduced numbers.They focus on fitness and discipline, as well as mental wellbeing and vocational skills.Due to Covid, outside visits are not allowed but students can phone their family members two or three times, and write to them.
The course ends with four weeks of vocational training, where students study areas such as cooking, firefighting or police training.
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