Vincent and Mandy are young adults who grew up in Tshwane. Both were introduced to PEN at an early age – Mandy through one of PEN’s bible clubs, and Vincent through a mentorship and training programme called “Tjommies”.

Mandy, who was in Eendracht Primary (in the inner city) at the time, gave her life to the Lord in her first week at Bible Club. She attended regularly, all the way through high school and eventually went on to study BCom Internal Auditing. When her studies were done she returned to PEN as a volunteer and is now actively involved with penKidz – imparting many of the life skills she learnt in the original bible clubs to a new generation of children.

Mandy tries not to look only at what she gained through being involved with PEN as a teenager, but what she can give back to the youth of today. When asked about why she believes in what PEN is doing for Tshwane’s youth she replies, “Plant the seeds and God will grow them. If we plant God’s word in a child’s life then all we need to do is wait for him to grow it.”

Vincent talks about how he was born in Polokwane and raised in Benoni. While still in primary school his parents got divorced and he moved with his mother to Pretoria where he attended Hamilton Primary and then later Hillview High. While at primary school a friend invited him to attend “Tjommies”, a mentorship programme for boys. Here he learnt practical skills like leatherwork and woodwork, all under the caring tutelage of Gawie, one of the leaders.

While struggling to fit in to his new environment, Vincent found Tjommies to be a “safe place” – a place to escape to from the turmoil of his home life. Tjommies filled a gap in his life, and Gawie became the father figure Vincent needed. Now, at age 23, Vincent has joined penKidz as a volunteer because he would love to give back to the city’s youth – to impart something of what he gained through his time with PEN’s Tjommies programme all those years ago. He chuckles at the fact that he is now called “sir”.

PenKidz is a programme that aims to give the city’s youth life skills that are severely lacking, but which are also crucial to a young person’s future. They run “Kingdom Kids” youth groups throughout the city, including in Sunnyside, the CBD and Salvokop (one of the city’s more needy areas) once a week. In addition, there are several weekend camps a year, minor events (like mini-soccer tournaments and dance workshops) organised, as well as a “sea camp” held near the end of the year.

These programmes are important not only because of the life skills which they impart, but because they often form an entry point for the children and their families to other services offered by PEN.

Are the programmes successful? I think one only needs to look at the lives of both Mandy and Vincent (amongst others) to know that PEN’s youth-oriented programmes are impacting children, not only in the moment but way into their adult lives.