Cape Town – Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka participated in Take a Girl Child to Work Day by hosting 11 young women who aspire to become future deputy president of the country.
The aim of Take a Girl Child to Work Day, which took place on Thursday, is to provide girl children with real life platforms to deepen their thinking and aspirations about their roles in society and which careers they want to follow after matric.

The day started with breakfast at the Deputy President’s official residence in Cape Town at the Grooteschuur Estate before proceeding to the naval facility in Simon’s Town.

The programme culminated with a tour of Parliament followed by a debriefing session with Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka.

The concept of Take a Girl Child to Work Day was introduced by cellphone company Cell C in 2003 and it has now grown into a countrywide programme.

Tina Smith, 17, and Ntsiki Baqwa, 18, said the deputy president taught them that it takes strength, power and determination to be able to run a country effectively without taking negative criticism to heart because a lot of the time the negativity comes from the issues that are beyond one’s control.

After engaging with the deputy president, Andrea Peters, 17, from Table View High School said: “The choices that are made by senior executives of our country are important and need to be taken seriously because they affect all citizens within our nation and shape the views of South Africans.”

Another one of the girls, Phillisiwe Bhengu, 19, from Simon Estes Music High School said that they were able to learn about the importance of women empowerment and leadership skills.

She added that they have also learnt that the Department of Defence serves as one of the most important components in the development of the economy with so many opportunities.

“I like the fact that the department does not discriminate against gender status and offers equal opportunities for both genders,” Phillisiwe said.

Sithembele Matiso High School’s Grade 12 learner, Noluthando Hasen, 16, said she would study Civil Engineering next year and then apply her skills in the navy.

Dakhili Makananda, 15, who is doing Grade 10 at Harold Cressy High School in Gugulethu said she had learnt that self respect and the respect for others plays a big role in one’s life.

“This has prepared me for the future as I will be a leader like the deputy president one day,” she said.

Other pupils who where part of the group included Grade 11 pupil at the Worcester Secondary School, Nerissa Joseph who is 16 years old and wants to be a dentist.

Carolien van Rhyn,17, from Hope Field High School, Alice Coetzee, 16, from Weston High School and Thateng Shete, 17, from Simon’s Estes Music High School, who are all aspiring to be Chartered Accountants.

Sandiswa Tsapa from Lentegeur High School says she is going to be an Air Traffic Controller one day. “I am going to control the deputy president’s aircraft one day,” Sandiswa said jokingly. - BuaNews