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SchoolMedia embarks on project to share SA history with our youth

SchoolMedia has joined forces with the Castle of Good Hope to work on an inspiring project for the youth and the public as a whole. The importance of this project is to educate & inspire the youth to develop an interest in their history. The Castle of Good Hope is situated in Cape Town and has rich history of a building that is so much more than just a military fortress. When the foundation stone of the Castle of Good Hope was laid in August 1666, by the then Governor of the Cape Colony, Zacharia Wagenaar, the intention was to build a solid defence against two main enemies: rival European powers who could attack from the sea and the indigenous population who fought to retain their land and freedom. Last year was the 350th commemoration of the Castle of Good Hope.

Khethi Ngwenya – Managing Director of SchoolMedia, made a proposal to the Castle of Good Hope, illustrating how a small idea could aim to be so much bigger. SchoolMedia developed a timeline on the wall to show the different events that took place at the Castle of Good Hope through the 350 years. This makes the learning experience for school kids fun and easy because timelines are creative tools by which students can track and remember historical events. The timeline is currently being painted on the walls of different schools across the country. The project is part of a move to ensure that young South Africans study the true history of the South Africa as well as to be part of efforts to achieve the overarching objective to heal and reconcile the nation.

The next phase of the project will see the Minister of Defence effectively launching the project followed by dialogue sessions where the youth and the public will come together in discussion, as well as national competitions where the youth will challenge each other to see what they have learned from this project. Other partners that are involved are the Department of Defence, the Castle of Good Hope as well as the Department of Basic Education. This project will be included as part of the history curriculum at schools. SchoolMedia’s exhibition on the project is currently taking place at the Rand Easter show until the 23rd April 2017. The stand number is: Hall 10 A & B.

‘A lot of people don’t know about the history of the Castle of Good Hope. It is the oldest existing colonial building in South Africa. In 1936, the Castle of Good Hope was declared a historical monument which is now a national heritage site. The significance of this project is to educate, inform and empower the youth so that they know their real African history,’ said Ngwenya.

The Castle of Good Hope was the residence of the Governor until the British took control of it. It served as military headquarters for the British until it was handed over to the government of the Union of South Africa. Today, the Castle of Good Hope is the home of five Regiments, the Iziko Museum of South Africa and the Caste Control Board, which is the administrative arm of the Castle of Good Hope on behalf of the Department of Defence.

If you would like to reach schools or the youth target market visit SchoolMedia at http://www.schoolmedia.co.za or call +27 11 720-7174.

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