Press Release: Young South Africans Create Positive Social Change

enke: Make Your Mark will host the Cape Town Celebration Event to mark the end of the 6-month experience in social action for the 118 participants of the 2013 enke: Trailblazer Program Cape Town Intake. This upcoming graduation-styled event is designed to recognise and celebrate these young South Africans who have implemented innovative community action projects to address social issues within their communities.

Ndilisa May, Talita Maliti, Lwazi Fanana, Vuyani Vorslag, Ambesa Mafanga, Ludwe Zigwebile, Onke Ntlolokotshane and Abenathi Ntelezi are a group pf inspired 16 to 18 year olds from Khayelitsha, Western Cape, who participated in the 2013 enke: Trailblazer Program. They and realised they all shared a mutual concern regarding the low level of literacy in English and Xhosa, amongst primary school learners within their community and were passionate about addressing this issue.

After going through training at the 2013 enke Forum in Cape Town in July last year, the group returned to Khayelitsha empowered, and established “The Young Minds Reading Club” an initiative that encourages Grade 6 and 7 primary school learners within their community to expand their knowledge and improve their literacy through regular reading workshops held by these enke participants. The group’s manifesto, “An inquisitive mind is an intelligent mind” has propelled these eight young leaders to share the joy of reading and knowledge with these primary school learners.

The enke: Trailblazer Program develops the personal leadership skills of high school learners with training and practical experience. Participants are empowered to harness their potential and are challenged to inspire and lead others in their own communities to create sustainable social change and innovation.

As part of the program, Grade 10 and 11 participants are challenged to implement a project to tackle a social issue in their own communities – a Community Action Project (CAP). These projects were a result of six months’ worth of training, commitment and hard work by participants of the 2013 enke: Trailblazer Program.

“The projects implemented by enke participants show that young people care about their communities and are capable of driving change, and that, once equipped with skills and support, they can accomplish great things, “ commented Rufaro Mudimu, Chief Programs Officer at enke: Make Your Mark.

“The Cape Town Celebration Event is an opportunity to celebrate and hear the outstanding stories of these young leaders, as they made their dreams and aspirations for social change a reality, within their communities,” she said.

It’s not just members of the Young Minds Reading Club who are making a positive social impact – other examples of inspired youth are Mihle Cuka (Hamburg, Eastern Cape) who rallied for support within his community to restore the road that provided primary access to his village and Anelisa Valela (Eastern Cape) who ran spoken word and poetry workshops to build awareness on the importance of self-expression amongst young people. These young South Africans reinforce the enke belief that young people are empowered, equipped and inspired to create positive change and impact on the social issues they care about most within their communities and society-at-large.

The Celebration Event for participants of the 2013 enke: Trailblazer Program Cape Town Intake will be take place in Cape Town this Saturday, 22 February 2014.