CTII Schools program held an extremely successful end-of-year camp over the weekend of the 18-19th October 2025. While high winds saw the cancellation of the Cape Town Marathon, there was also good news coming from the gusty Atlantic coast.

35 Grade 10 learners from 7 of our 8 schools spent time at the beautiful Environment Centre Camp in the Soetwater Nature Reserve near Kommetjie.

Thanks and praise go to the CTII’s director of the school’s program (MSYIIP) Pippa Jones and her incredible team, who through exceptional dedication throughout the year designed and curated a relevant, fun, and multi-faith educational experience.

This allowed the learners to tap into their young potentials, truly empowering them and envisioning a better future for their communities. By teaching and demonstrating holistic development, spiritual insight, and dialoguing skills, each and every one was able to identify ways in which they might make a genuine difference in their own worlds and spaces.

The yearlong program now in its 15th consecutive year after its founding by Marlene Silbert in 2011. It comprises of 45 Cape Town Grade 10 learners from Wynberg High, Spine Road, Gardens Commercial, Seapoint High, Springfield Convent, Michael Oak Waldorf, Herzlia and Rylands High. Through the year they visit a wide variety of faith and cultural spaces, including churches, mosques, temples and shuls as well as an exploration of our indigenous history, identity, African Traditional Spirituality and knowledge systems.

Here they learn the connection of interfaith dialogue and the peace work so needed in the world today, and they experience the power of unity in diversity, the quintessence of the South African Ubuntu ideal.

Deep gratitude also goes to the Davey family who made the special effort to be with us for Shabbat and lead us in prayers and the sharing of the kitka, in the unfortunate absence of our Jewish learners from Herzlia who were absent for security reasons. Happily, the camp proceeded without any hint of danger to the learners.

The 2025 Schools Program will culminate in a graduation event hosted by the City and Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, on the 2nd November. The Graduation Ceremony will also honour the 24 Grade 11s who have participated in our second year of the Youth Programme and contributed significantly to a brand new initiative for active youth engagement in the lifeblood and future of CTII in 2026 and beyond.

Comments from camp facilitators

Whitney Hedlund

A core memory from CTII Youth Interfaith Camp was the session on trauma healing. I was sure that getting a group of exhausted grade 10 Learners to participate authentically in an emotional morning session would be a challenge. However, I was surprised to see how these students engaged in this topic with genuine compassion.

I was also encouraged to see students take Ann Paton’s (facilitator) call to welcome the complexity of whatever emotions they may be experiencing and not shut the door or try to close themselves off. It was an honor to see how students were able to hold themselves tenderly and allow space for their classmates to do the same.

We completed the session by dropping rocks into a bowl of water, symbolizing the heaviness we are carrying, and adding flowers, acknowledging where we find beauty. I will be taking many of the lessons from that session into my own life as I hope our students will do the same.

Ana van Straten

The Grade 10 camp was an unforgettable experience! Our group embarked on a journey of team-building, adventure, and self-discovery. With activities like the night hike, UN game, and obstacle course, our learners pushed their limits and learned to rely on each other.  Facilitators and guest speakers guided our learners through workshops on activism, boundaries and art therapy. This camp was more than just a fun getaway – it was a transformative experience that brought the group closer together.

Golden Munya

The camp was a very wonderful experience. The learners learnt a lot and made bonds with other learners, broke free from groups and people that they know. The camp was a very productive environment for learners to learn out of school.

The camp activities helped learners understand the power of change and group work. The night hike was one of the biggest examples, as we climbed up the mountain we held hands and patiently uplifted each other to the top. Team work makes the dream work.

Being able to facilitate these learners was a blessing, I got to understand others and to acknowledge others at all times. We were a group of difference races and faiths but with the acceptance of Ubuntu and humanity.

Zahra (Zee) Jobe

My experience at the camp was amazing. I only met them at the beginning of the year and seen them in bits so I feel as though I’m able to say that they’ve broken out of their shells. At first they were shy and they would not mingle, but at the camp they were like a family, they constantly looked out for one another and I think the hike was where I saw the most bonding.

I remember one student ran down to help a few get up with us and it was so sweet. Then to welcome all our little family members that came from different countries, they sang the anthem on the top of their lungs🤣 Nobody was left behind they made that very clear, everyone helped get each other to the top.

Nora Grīnberga

Helping out at the Cape Town Interfaith Initiative Grade 10 camp was honestly such a special experience. I loved how balanced everything felt there was time to reflect, to learn, and to just connect as people. What really stood out to me were the three big questions that shaped the whole camp:

Who are you? Who am I? Who are we?

It sounds simple, but watching the students dive into those questions with so much honesty and curiosity was really inspiring. I found myself learning alongside them about empathy, awareness, and how powerful it is when people from different backgrounds come together and really listen to each other.

By the end of the camp, it felt like we’d all grown closer, not just as a group, but as human beings figuring out what it means to share this space in the world. I loved to see all the students exchanging numbers and sharing socials before departure.