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A troop of 160 young women in cobalt blue uniforms and sand-colored bucket hats marched across a vast courtyard in lockstep. Two more faced the group to give military-style salutes, say prayers and hoist the South African national flag into the air.
What looked like mandatory military service was a sought-after program that takes young people from Cape Town’s toughest streets and sets them on a path to employment.
“I felt that my life had no direction, but since the moment I got here, got to experience everything that’s happening, a lot has changed,” said Siphokuhle Kapa, 23, a student at Chrysalis
Chrysalis Academy may look like a military conscription, but is actually a sought-after programme that takes young people from Cape Town's toughest streets and sets them on a path to employment.
The scene looks like a military conscription, but is actually a sought-after programme that takes young people from Cape Town s toughest streets and sets them on a path to employment.