PRESS RELEASE. #GIRLCHILD2016 SHINES LIGHT ON SACAP s WiASA PROGRAMME

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1 Postal: PO Box 408, Bruma, 2026 Physical: 1 st Floor, Lakeside Place, Cnr Ernest Oppenheimer Ave and Queen Street, Bruma, Johannesburg Tel: Fax: PRESS RELEASE #GIRLCHILD2016 SHINES LIGHT ON SACAP s WiASA PROGRAMME Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day, in collaboration with the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP) Women in Architecture, South Africa (WiASA) programme, lent support to four Grade 12 leaners from Kwa Bhekilanga Secondary School in Alexandra who expressed interest in job shadowing technologists, draughtspersons and architects to see what the profession looks like from the inside out. SACAP is the regulatory body for the Architectural Profession, guiding architectural professionals, as well as promoting the standard of education and training in the broader built environment. It also protects public interest by identifying the type of architectural work, Identification of Work (IDoW), each category of registered person is capable and competent to perform and administers a Code of Conduct. Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day is a national annual corporate social investment programme and this year celebrated its 14th anniversary with nearly 650 companies participating, including government entities. All the organisations involved organised for female learners (school pupils), usually from disadvantaged backgrounds, to spend the day at their place of work on the last Thursday of May. The four girls from Kwa Bhekilanga Secondary School were selected by SACAP due to their interest in the architectural profession and their aptitude in Maths and Science. They jumped at the opportunity to spend the day at one of South Africa s preeminent architectural firms, Boogertman + Partners, situated in Johannesburg. SACAP s Registrar and CEO, Ms Marella O Reilly was on site with the girls to encourage the girls to both dream and work hard for what they want. Christine Hadjieva, together with Candidate staff members of Boogertman + Partners, guided the learners through the different departments, providing them with an overview of the various stages of an architectural project from inception to completion. Yashaen Luckan (President), Maureen Gerrans (Vice-President), Gillian Bolton (Treasurer), Marella O Reilly (Registrar/CEO)

2 Commenting at the event, Ms O Reilly, explained, We wanted to demonstrate to the girls that our country s architectural profession is at the apex of conceptualising and planning for the growth of the built environment and show the young learners from previously disadvantaged backgrounds what the women architectural candidates and professionals enjoy about their work. Mrs Heleen Grimsehl-du Toit, one of the Director s of Boogertman + Partners explained what motivated the architectural firm to participate in the initiative. With only 34 Boogertman + Partners ladies registered with SACAP of the full staff complement of 107 registered architectural professionals, we would love to see more girls consider architecture as a very fulfilling and motivating career alternative. Registrar/CEO, Marella O Reilly further explained, Transformation is a key objective of our Council and WiASA initiatives like participating in the Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day are powerful vehicles to deliver its message that beautiful, productive and safe cities need the imagination and brilliant minds of men and women. Ms O Reilly also remarked that she hoped to see the young learners obtain the bursaries they will need to enter into one of the country s Architectural Learning Sites (ALS) and gain a qualification which will enable them as graduates to register as a Candidate with SACAP, either as a candidate architectural draughtsperson, candidate architectural technologist, candidate senior architectural technologist or candidate architect. Two of the four girls who arrived for the event were initially uncommitted as to whether they would go all out to pursue a career in the profession, but by the end of the day they had changed their minds and said they d like to see themselves in the positions role modelled for them by candidates and professionals of Boogertman + Partners who gave them a view into their world. Each learner received a certificate of attendance and corporate gifts before leaving to share their story and insight with schoolmates, friends and family. Ends: Press Release Issued on behalf of SACAP by Twiga Communications - Please send all media related enquiries to TWIGA Communications Contact: Jacqueline Wijtenburg Cell: or Tel: (011) or jacqueline@twigacommunications.co.za

3 Boogertman & Partners staff with Marella SACAP CEO & Sheleng Mushe, Neliswa Ndumase; Mabusa Hlonipho, Mzalamba Siphosethu (Gr12 learners KwaBhekilanga High School)

4 Centre : Marella O Reilly SACAP Registrar/CEO with Gr12 learners from KwaBhekilanga High School), L-R : Sheleng Mushe, Neliswa Ndumase; Mabusa Hlonipho, Mzalamba Siphosethu L-R : Carin Dreyer, Marketing Manager, Boogertman & Partners and Mabusa Hlonipho (Gr12 learner KwaBhekilanga High School)

5 L-R : Menan du Plessis, Boogertman & Partners Architects and Sheleng Mushe, Neliswa Ndamase; Mabusa Hlonipho, Mzalamba Siphosethu (Gr12 learners KwaBhekilanga High School) Back row standing (L_R) : Orepa Mosidi, Alice Mahlangu and Khanya Socikwa of Boogertman + Partners Architects Seated (L_R) : Sheleng Mushe, Neliswa Ndumase; Mabusa Hlonipho, Mzalamba Siphosethu (Gr12 learners KwaBhekilanga High School)

6 Job Shadowing: Mabusa Hlonipho (Gr12 KwaBhekilanga High School) L-R : Philipa van Ryneveld from Boogertman & Partners with Sheleng Mushe, Neliswa Ndumase, Mabusa Hlonipho, Mzalamba Siphosethu Gr12 learners KwaBhekilanga High

7 L-R Orepa Mosidi from Boogertman with Sheleng Mushe, Neliswa Ndumase, Mabusa Hlonipho,Mzalamba Siphosethu (Gr12 Learners Kwa Bhekilanga High School) L-R : Orepa Mosidi from Boogertman with Sheleng Mushe, Neliswa Ndumase, Mabusa Hlonipho, Mzalamba Siphosethu, Gr12 Learners Kwa Bhekilanga High School