The Christian Youth Development and Empowerment program 2025

The Christian Youth Development and Empowerment program (CYDEP) is a year-long program which provides training in hard and soft skills in various disciplines to young people from different African countries. Upriver Developments together with other companies in the Vaal area, provide opportunities for participants to receive hands-on practical training. The primary goal is for participants to return to their home countries equipped with the ability to sustain and support themselves and their communities to a greater extent. The launch of the Vaal University of Technology’s (VUT) Small Business Management and Community Development Program (SBMCDP) which was initiated in February 2024, was a significant milestone for the Christian Youth Development and Empowerment Program (CYDEP). The Hippo Mundo Charity (HMC) is a foundation which runs Christian and humanitarian programs not only in Africa, but worldwide. Their policy objective is to support the training of young people from poor countries and thus improve their chances to earn a meaningful living. Being the program owner and host, HMC has been instrumental in the inclusion of the one-year university diploma course which has been integrated into the CYDEP program. This is done in collaboration with its partners, Brunstad Christian Church South Africa (BCCSA), Upriver Developments, with VUT offering the diploma course. Since its inception, the SBMCDP has had two groups of CYDEP students graduating from the course. In 2024 and in November this year – 28 students graduated. This formal recognition of completion and graduation from the SBMCDP university diploma course, will certainly carry weight for the graduates when seeking employment. BCCSA provides the important spiritual component of the CYDEP and young people are taught to respect other cultures and how to put Christian principles into practice in their daily lives, thereby fostering the ethic of service to others. BCCSA is responsible for the recruitment of candidates into the program and provides the facilities for participants while on the CYDEP. During their time on the program, participants are integrated in local church life while also receiving practical training and work experience in various disciplines. Training areas include construction, IT & network installations, media and music production, hospitality, self-sustainable farming, sewing, catering, housekeeping and office administration and bookkeeping. Other elements are included to provide a varied and exciting weekly program for the participants with choir practices, Bible Studies, teambuilding activities, fundraising initiatives, cultural excursions and more.