The first Peace Resource Centre in the area was launched at Dimani Secondary School outside Thohoyandou last Thursday.

The coordinator of the centre, Mrs Joyce Makhado, a Life Orientation teacher, says the peace club at the school goes back to last year when they were asked to send 27 learners to Louis Trichardt for training in human rights, tribalism, xenophobia, education, and anti-racism. The 27 learners from Grades 9 to 11 were selected and attended a three-day course. Makhado says after the three-day course they came back to their respective schools where they were expected to share what they had learnt with their fellow learners.

"We identify needy learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, who have been exposed to all forms of abuse and domestic violence and we assist them," she said. She said their other focal point was imparting Ubuntu amongst learners, teaching learners respect, love and sharing with each other and discouraging substance and drug abuse, alcoholism and promoting HIV/Aids awareness.

"We are also striving to bring back the culture of teaching amongst educators and learning amongst learners and schools and we hope to expand our area of operation to neighbouring schools as we are now a recognized resource center," she said. "We presently have 36 club members at our school and we hope the number will grow as we expand to other schools," she said.

Ms Phumzile Yika from the Umtapo Centre said the centre was the fifth to be launched in Limpopo and they have a vision to launch 30 in four different provinces this year. Yika said Umtapo had been lobbying the Department of Education and other stakeholders´ support of the PHARE programmes for several years and could look back with pride as there had been some positive results.

Yika said reports from schools showed that where these centres exist there had been tremendous improvements in terms of safety and transformation. "It is only through empowering the youth to take control of their own lives that we will see the future we envisage," she said.

The principal of the school, Mr Fhatuwani Tshivhase, said the centre will help them face the challenge of substance abuse and other unbecoming behaviour amongst learners at schools. He thanked Umtapo for selecting his school as one of the first centres in the Thulamela area. "The centre will serve to send messages about moral regeneration and peace in the neighbouring schools and we are very glad to announce that we are already reaping fruits from the programme," he said. Unarine Makharamedzha, who is the school´s club chairperson, said they were prepared and ready to spread the gospel of peace to other schools.