The need for A YOUTH resource centre

Lutho has two older sisters who are not at university but working to support their family. He is 18 years old and doing his first year at the University of Cape Town studying chemical and human anatomy.
He comes from the community of Lower Crossroads where Beautiful Gate is situated.
When he finished high school he decided to study and not do a gap year. Lutho said this would not have been possible if he didn’t come to our Youth Resource Centre.  

Lutho met with one of the career guidance and life skills coach's at the Beautiful Gate Youth Resource Centre. Lutho didn’t know anything about Beautiful Gate or a Resource Centre. At his school they didn’t have access to computers or a computer lab, so computers were a new thing to him.

During his matric year he decided that he would not just enroll at a university but he first check his interests and then choose a career that he would enjoy. He went on to do job shadow at a day hospital in a nearby community with a letter that he got from his school principal. He enjoyed his one-week job shadow at the clinic and decided that he would study medicine at university.

---

​The Beautiful Gate Resource Centre had a huge impact on my life", said Lutho, "because I had access to a resource centre with all the information I needed in order to get to university and good career guidance. I got to learn how to use a computer and apply online for a university. It’s expensive to use the internet café and print out hard copies to apply for university. The resource Centre accommodates learners for free including free career guidance. This is not something that you get in our schools where we go out to career talks or get career guidance and access to the internet. Young people ignore what they really want and put things that they don’t want to do forward because of lack of guidance and knowing that I had guidance actually keeps me motivated. "The struggles will be there but you can get through them

​Lutho comes in now and then the Resource Centre for internet access and other services. The Beautiful Gate Resource Centre is open to learners and the Lower Crossroads community for internet usage, workshops, and events.