New youth centre in Delft a beacon of hope

Western Cape Minister of Social Development Sharna Fernandez welcomes the opening of the Kap 23 Youth Centre in Delft. The birthing of this facility is thanks to a partnership between NPO HOPE Cape Town and the German AIDS Foundation, which has invested €600 000 into this project.

HOPE Cape Town and the German AIDS Foundation have been championing the cause of HIV and AIDS education in Germany and South Africa for many years. This significant investment by the Foundation also solidifies the long-standing relationship between the Western Cape Government (WCG) and the German Free State of Bavaria.

Minister Fernandez joined Dr Kristel Degener, CEO of the German AIDS Foundation, Reverend Stefan Hippler, Chair of HOPE Cape Town Trust, Western Cape Government Director-General Harry Malila, City of Cape Town Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews, and other representatives from the provincial government and City at The Nex – Indawo Yethu campus in Delft on 20 January 2023.

The campus boasts a health facility which supports pregnant women, babies and children, and an Early Childhood Development Centre.

The Kap 23 Youth Centre will provide a safe place in one of our identified hotspots for dedicated support, where young people can study, do homework, and receive tutoring in subjects like English and Mathematics. It will also provide a safe environment for the youth to relax and unwind in the “chill room”.

“Latest figures show that the unemployment rate among youth between the ages of 15 and 34 is 46%. Those with lower levels of education are more likely to be unemployed. Children who are exposed to high levels of violence are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use disorders and other mental health challenges. For them, focusing on education while dodging stray bullets in the street, or living with domestic abuse in the home, becomes near impossible. With the opening of this youth facility, a calm space is being created for the youth to focus on their education, and their futures,” said Minister Fernandez.

“The Youth Centre now complements the holistic approach with the Clinic, the Early Child Development Centre, and the Bavarian House on the Nex Campus, which offers vocational training and entrepreneurship development, and has the eCentre as an added service,” said Reverend Hippler.

A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has also been signed between the WCG, HOPE Cape Town Trust and Library Business Corners (LBC), which will turn the Nex Campus into a WCG eCentre. The eCentre will address the issue of a lack of access to information and communication technologies (ICT) in Delft and neighbouring communities, which exacerbates the digital divide and limits access to government information, services, and skills development opportunities.

The Agreement between the WCG, LBC and HOPE Cape Town will ensure that they collaborate on the establishment, maintenance, and utilisation of a WCG eCentre Programme at the Nex-Indawo Yethu Centre Campus. The Agreement will ensure that the public has access to:

• ICT services, which include the internet, productivity tools (Word, Excel, Power Point),
• Email and,
• ICT training opportunities.

“Partnerships like these enable the Western Cape Government to focus its resources where its most needed and serve even more of its most vulnerable citizens. Thank you to these organisations for filling the gap for us, and for investing in our communities,” said Minister Fernandez.

Media Enquiries:  Monique Mortlock-Malgas Media Liaison Officer Office of MEC Sharna Fernandez Department of Social Development Tel: 084 775 2975 E-mail: Monique.Mortlock@westerncape.gov.za