Focused Young Minds

The month of love got off to a good start i.e. we got to participate in something we love: EMPOWERING YOUNG MINDS. Focused Network hosted a workshop on the 1^st Feb 2020 at the Tsogo Sun (Southern Sun Hotel Rosebank – previously Crowne Plaza) with the theme entitled “Upgrade my life”, which focused on encouraging girls to take charge of their lives and driving a behavioural change to help achieve their dreams. Career Wise was invited to the session to share empowering information about the company’s offering for 2020 as well as answer questions about funding and general support for tertiary studies.

Focused Network is an innovative non-profit organization that empowers the youth through programmes relating to self-development, education, health and economic empowerment. They offer a safe space for girls and young women as well as an opportunity to explore, learn, play and grow. Their programmes are designed to nurture, empower and offer the best development, preparing them for lifetime leadership.

Career Wise empowered the girls by taking them through the following:

• Funding option models for tertiary education,
• The difference between a bursary and a scholarship,
• How to apply for a bursary/scholarship,
• Tools to consider using when applying for university,
• Tips on enjoying university beyond just academics,
• Relatable success stories of other students who successfully upgraded their lives.

The workshop was made up of girls who are from different walks or life and different stages of the academic journey. The high school girls were given enough information for them to share with their parents and consider through the course of the year as they complete the last leg of their high school careers. The university girls were given information on channels to investigate to get funding for their studies even though they had already started without funding.

Overall the workshop was a great success in terms of attendance and participation from the part of the girls. The theme was very well articulated in the content that was shared with the girls and each girl left empowered with enough to Upgrade their lives for 2020.