I am a 24-year-old female, born and breed in a small town called Khuma in North West. I am also a PK (Pastor's kid). I am a Social Justice activist and that is the main reason I studied law, I not only wanted to know the law in theory, but I wanted to know I could advance my Social Justice agenda with the law and within the corporate sphere. I want to advocate for those who are unable to do so themselves.
Youth Day reminds me every day that I have a voice, a strong valid voice which I can use as a young attorney to further the agenda of transformation. Youth Day is significant to me because it reminds me of where we come from and how far we still need to go. I need to use my profession, access to the law and how it operates to help further the transformation agenda, especially in the corporate sphere. It is significant because it gives me courage to stand up against everything that is inconsistent with the transformation mandate as per the Constitution and most importantly, to act.
I have come to learn that access to education/knowledge on all levels is of utmost importance. The history of Apartheid has backlogged black people and their descendants and the only way to ensure that the chains of poverty breaks, employment rates increase and the rate of crime decreases is when every child has access to every level of education, and that education is of quality so that the country can produce excellence and provide equal footing for all generations.
Access. Access to education, to knowledge. The enrichment of the mind. Give the youth the tools to empower themselves, teach them self-empowerment. I envision a society full of knowledgeable future leaders, leaders in all spaces even from a young age. A bright South Africa.
It takes a village to raise a child. This is an idiom in many African cultures which reflects on the emphasis of culture and that not only is a child raised by his/her parents but everyone has an important and valuable role in the child's life. Community is symbolic in this regard - this is how I live my life; not only do my friends, lecturers, colleagues or partners help me grow, I do the same around my community and if we, as a country, work together to enrich each other instead of tearing each other apart, imagine what a beautiful village our country would be and its children would indeed reflect a rainbow nation.
