Age is not a deterrent for Nonkosi Sontshatsha, a 74-year-old retired nurse from Gugulethu, when it comes to learning new skills which will benefit her, the organisation she serves and her community.

Mrs Sontshatsha was the oldest of 36 community representatives to receive certificates for completing various courses aimed at empowering participants in their personal capacity as well as equipping them to deal with matters in their communities.

Other community representatives who attended included Oscar Tokwana, 56, who founded the Nkunzi Organisation for the disabled and the youngest attendee, 19-year-old Vuyo Ntentema from the Nyanga Yethu Youth Project.

Leadership and governance, conflict resolution and management, financial planning and management, fundraising, business planning, organisational development, record management, fostering organisational cohesion and team-building were among the modules that were covered.

The graduates are part of the Safe Node Area Committee (SNAC) – a voluntary community-based representative structure elected from community organisations in Gugulethu and Nyanga. This is part of the City's efforts to mobilise community participation through the City's Mayoral Urban Regeneration Programme (MURP) development initiatives and programmes.

The committee helps the City to identify and prioritise the community's needs, which are included in the Community Action Plan (CAP) for the area, so that MURP programmes can be implemented accordingly.

The City arranged the training for the newly elected SNAC leadership to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to ensure that they are executing their roles within their organisations more effectively, which in turn will assist the City when engaging with the committee and organisations.

This is the first course Mr Tokwana has attended since he became disabled a few years ago.

'It was not easy for me to attend the course but I persevered against all odds. I have never felt sorry for myself. I plan to share what I have learnt with those at my organisation and will discuss issues like skills development, violence affecting disabled people, and ideas for job creation. Training like this should not be once-off because it is so empowering,' said Mr Tokwana.

Mrs Sontshatsha said she attended the course because she 'still longs for more education'. She is still a ward committee member for Ward 38 and represents the South African National Civic Organisation's (SANCO) Section 2 Branch.

'Age is nothing but a number and the mind is a terrible thing to waste. For this reason, at my age, I am very happy that I was a part of the course because I feel very empowered. By learning about the field of organisational development and the process by which it is conducted, I can now be a more effective agent of change at SANCO. The course has taught me how to lead and run an organisation more effectively,' she said.

Mr Ntentema, who coached boxing, soccer and basketball at Nyanga Yethu Youth Project, said conflict management was his favourite course.

'I feel well equipped with the knowledge and skills to be able to recognise conflict situations, and then to resolve and manage them effectively, especially being a coach and leader in the community of Nyanga, Crossroads and Nyanga Yethu. This course has boosted my confidence and self-esteem and I feel more mature and fit for purpose,' said Mr Ntentema, who is also a business management student.

The City's Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Environmental and Spatial Planning, Councillor Johan van der Merwe, said the training initiatives are truly the building blocks for a better future.

'Across the more vulnerable areas of our metro, street committees and other organised community structures are at the coal-face of community issues. We need to ensure that we train these persons and that proper skills transfer takes place.

'The City is very pleased to be a part of this investment in skills development and training, which has contributed to the personal development of these graduates. We are certain that it will also equip them to deal with matters in their communities, as they are often the first port of call.

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