On Friday, 10 April 2015 the Overstrand Municipality was host to a ceremony that marked the farewell of outgoing candidates of the Chrysalis Academy Intern Programme. The event also served to welcome a new intake of candidates to the programme that was borne from a partnership between the Municipality and the Department of Community Safety (DOCS).
Addressing the candidates, Monica Matais, a DOCS district field worker, stated that the programme had allowed them to learn valuable life skills, as well as those necessary for the workplace.
One of the outgoing candidates said, “Though the programme was hard it taught me a lot about tolerance, respect for self and others and gave me the opportunity to learn so much. Until I did this I had no direction whereas now I have so many options available to me.”
Executive Mayor Botha-Guthrie gave a moving keynote address where she stated, “This is not the end of the road for those whom we are saying farewell to. We are exceptionally proud of your achievements and know that you will put your newly-found skills to good use in your communities.”
“You serve as an example to those new candidates starting the programme that with dedication, self-respect and discipline reaching any goal is possible.”
Before concluding by wishing the candidates a bright future, the Mayor shared the lyrics from an old song “Do what you do, do well boy, do what you do, do well.“
