Although a Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers’ mandated functions include traffic policing, policing of municipal by-laws and regulations and the prevention of crime, JMPD officers went beyond the call of duty in the Alexandra community.
The Public Safety Department, the JMPD outreach and communications unit, together with the camp Sizanani attended a three-day ‘DayDream’ camp for girls sponsored by PEPFAR at Alexandra Minerva High School.
The purpose of this camp was to empower orphans and vulnerable girls between the ages of 13 and 18 years. It was also to equip the girls with the necessary skills such as, sustainable life skills, valuable programmes and introduce them to psychosocial support services that will make them more resilient and enrich their communities both now and in future.
Some of the programmes offered in the DayDream camp were life skills lessons that were well researched and verified by the Department of Social Services, criminology and the prevention of HIV/Aids, teenage pregnancy, sex and sexuality education and mental health awareness lessons, as well as the ways of dealing and reporting gender-based violence.
JMPD officer Itumeleng Buza interacted with campers by presenting lessons on road safety, bullying and human trafficking. She also highlighted how to report perpetrators and to teach them of how to gain self-confidence by reporting criminal matters. Buza also vowed to provide guidance and maintain efficient and effective metropolitan police services within the Alex community.
“Being a police officer doesn’t mean our duties should only involve arrests, issuing of traffic fine and enforcing the laws of our country. It means going the extra mile to educate our communities and assist with problems big and small,” she said.
Campers were also exposed to positive role models and empowered with positive coping mechanisms to deal with life’s challenges. “We hope that they have learned constructive ways of expressing themselves and also developed mindful social skills, strong mental and emotional abilities as well as character building networks that will enable them to make well informed decisions that will positively impact their future,” said Buza.
Written by Nomasonto Manyehlisa
22/10/2021