SINOYOLO JACK, a 17-year-old from Mdantsane, has taken up dancing and public speaking at the Mdantsane Arts Centre through the recently opened grooming school.

The centre acts as an academy of the arts, and the plan is to develop skills, explore township talent, and even attract tourists. As part of the strategy to nurture young talent, Lulutho Grooming School for Girls has opened. It is hoped that the centre and the grooming school will help to cut crime and teenage pregnancy in Mdantsane.

Jack, who hails from NU 17, said she had learned various life skills through the programme, which started in early October. "I am now able to talk freely with other kids through the school's public speaking programme."

The school has already recruited over 300 teenagers from the township.

Established by Yolanda Pietersen, a former Miss South Africa finalist, it was opened with the idea of promoting self-confidence and self-reliance among girls. "In the past few weeks I have seen most young girls in this group progress and flourish through various activities," Pietersen said.

She also highlighted that it had a community-building purpose. "I started this programme as part of a community-building exercise. I'm not expecting to gain any profit from this but to see young girls become better people in the near future."

The school offers teenage girls training in modelling, music, dance, public speaking, arts and career guidance. "These tools will help any child to understand who they are in this country, where they want to be in the future and their worth in this world," reads its website.

It taught girls to rely on themselves and their intelligence and to accept themselves as they were, she said.

The grooming programme focused intensely on career guidance, "where we encourage young women to pursue careers in the various sectors".

Jack agreed that the school had given her another look at life. "The different activities at the school have encouraged me not to look at life as it comes but to also be an initiator and be proud of being from Mdantsane," she said.

"These activities prepare and groom teenagers [to be] young women who will be future leaders in their different passions and talents," added Pietersen.