On Tuesday 16 June 2020, Kwambele Brand Cause Marketing in partnership with Podcast and Chill by MacG, commemorated Youth Day by launching the #100KInitiative under the Amandla Wespani campaign, which saw a day of virtual entertainment being used to raise funds for Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development (Y-LED) and the loveLife Langa Youth Centre.
Amandla Wespani, (loosely translated as power of work) is a campaign that was born out of the realisation of Covid-19’s effect on youth unemployment. As Covid-19 continues to create anxiety and uncertainty not only in the world but in Mzansi, it is refreshing to see that young people are not sitting idly by waiting for the worst to come.
Research indicates that 61% of young people aged 15–34 are unemployed. Heeding the call of collaboration in addressing youth unemployment, this Youth Day saw two organisations led by young people joining forces to raise much-needed funds to support two very critical initiatives that support youth development.
‘Amandla Wespani aims at walking the journey with young people of our country from all walks of life towards achieving their goals. Young people of South Africa are facing tremendous challenges, and it’s important to understand that life will never be the same post Covid-19. For this reason, it’s important for youth to know that they are not alone and that through collaborative efforts, we become stronger together,’ said Matshidiso Mbele, Chief Executive Officer at Kwambele Brand Cause Marketing.
MacG brought his podcast platform to life with a refreshing entertainment line-up featuring performances and conversations with well-known personalities including Queen of bling Khanyi Mbau. Money raised during the virtual event benefitted two deserving programmes: Y-LED and the loveLife Langa Youth Centre. Y-LED is an NPO dedicated to arming young people with business skills as well as real and practical experience in establishing and running successful small businesses of their own while learning the importance of entrepreneurship.
Due to the Coronavirus, the NPO has modified its programme to an online no data cost platform and requires funds to continue the online offering. The second beneficiary is loveLife’s Langa Youth Centre, which is in desperate need of studio refurbishments for its Media Y’s Programme that makes broadcasting equipment accessible to young people wishing to pursue a career in journalism or broadcasting.
‘Despite the challenges we face, especially as young people, we have the ability to look beyond the now through our innate resilience as a community. Together we can overcome our challenges by doing what the youth of ’76 did – standing together and remaining united and leading the change that we want to see in our communities,’ said MacG of Podcast and Chill.
In the words of Nelson Mandela, ‘What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.’ The youth is our greatest asset as a nation, and giving them the support they need today will enable them to be the future leaders we will need tomorrow.
Listen to the podcasts here.
Donations for this worthy cause are still welcome until the end of June. Donations can still be made safely and conveniently to Y-LED and loveLife on Payfast.
https://www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/lovelife
https://www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/yled
