South African youth #CommittedToChange
Activators from the Activate! Network, constituting over 2,000 young people, have an inherent commitment to change, but understands that change does not happen overnight - it's a constant conscious investment every day. As initiators of change, their fundamental goal is to help orchestrate critical shifts in collective and individual mindsets, behaviours, and communities. Active citizenship forms a significant part of engendering this shift.
Activators
Alleta Mathumba
Besley Boshielo
Thabiso Motlakatse
A commitment to change matters if we are to create a South Africa where young people have opportunities for employment, where women and children feel safe and where the vulnerable in society are included in and benefit from democracy. The youth of the Activate! Network are active citizens as a direct result of proactive steps to effect change, a concern for their communities and intentional actions that yield results.
Activator Motsatsi Mmola, a young leader from Hoedspruit in Limpopo took up the responsibility in her rural and impoverished community and held a dialogue with the locals after numerous attempts of knocking on doors that were slammed in her face by community leaders.
“The locals cannot even afford to travel to the clinic to get their prescribed medication, I end up doing all this for them,” says Motsatsi. The community still lacks running water, electricity and as a consequence, crime is rife. Motsatsi is one example of young people across the country rallying together for effective and tangible change that benefits all.
Another Activator, Tshepo Mabuya a social entrepreneur from Mangaung Municipality in the Free State held a workshop on 25 May with the hopes of imparting knowledge to the youth on how to upskill themselves in the field of entrepreneurship. “Young people must mobilise each other to write a new youth narrative,” says Mabuya.
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