I'm extremely excited about this coming weekend – Saturday
to be precise. I will be attending the 6th edition of the Ikasi
Experience – the initiative of developing young people by Ikapa Live.
The Ikasi Experience is aimed at celebrating the local
diverse culture of entrepreneurial spirit while seeking to expose local
entrepreneurs, businesses, undiscovered talents and vendors from Khayelitsha to
an array of visitors – both local and international – with the hope of
generating sustainable income and long-lasting networks.
What does this mean for our townships? It means there will
be economic growth, the ability of young people to do things by themselves for
themselves.
But why am I writing about the Ikasi Experience on our
platform of sharing life experiences to empower one another? This is because the
organisers of the event have permitted us to take learners from Sinako
Secondary School to the event.
What I haven’t shared with you is that recently I was
invited to Sinako Secondary to give an inspirational talk to thirty learners
that are under the Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s (OVC) program. The principal specifically wanted me to share
my background about going through many challenges and obstacles and rising
above them.
The most amazing thing that happened was when the school principal,
Mr Qinisile, told me to start off by sharing a word or two to the teachers
before they commenced with their daily duties. The attention I got while
talking, the questions I was asked after the talk really meant I had played an
important role that day in telling teachers without them there would be no us.
When I moved on to the learners I had already thanked God
for blessing me with that day. I stepped into their computer lab which had approximately
twenty computers that aren’t working. The learners came in, took chairs to sit right
in front of me as people that were eager to hear what I had to say.
I started telling them about how I grew up. As soon as I
told them about how other people hide behind pain and suffer silently – I could
see change in their faces – from beautiful smiles to sad almost teary faces. I’ll
never forget the look in a 14 year old boy that stood up and said “sisi, I want
to be a doctor but I don’t see it happening.” I could not help but shed a tear
as all thirty of these learners had a sad story to share and how they all don’t
see any hope of their circumstances changing.
Before I left their school, they asked for my contact
details. Later that night I was already receiving messages of gratitude from
them – like I had already done something for them.
So I thought the least I can do is to organise donations and
mentors for them. There are so many people from our townships that have a success
story to tell. I thought why not take these learners to see the work of the
Ikapa Live team – Loyiso Mdebuka and Vincent Manzini – that are also from
Khayelitsha; and have had their fair share of challenges but rose from them.
Giving back to your community is cool because one gets to be
part of the people that develop the minds of young people and infrastructure in
our communities. There is no fulfilment in ones heart than that of making
another person’s heart happy – it is just too blissful.
Join us on Saturday at Khayelitsha Look Out Hill as we will
be giving these learners a memorable experience which will motivate them to
always look beyond their circumstances. We are through with blaming our
circumstances and other people for our laziness. If you want a better life for
yourself, you start acting better today – tell a friend.
Be at the Ikasi Experience on Saturday and sleep having made
someone’s day.
See you there! *mwah*
