Unicef’s Pinky inspires male learners to dream big

Hope and ambition took centre stage when Unicef’s Pinky Vilakazi addressed a packed Wattville Men’s Forum (WMF) gathering held at the Actonville Community Hall to motivate and inspire male matriculants on August 6.

Speaking directly to young men from local secondary schools, including Liverpool, Etwatwa, William Hills and Ephes Mamkeli, she urged them to dream boldly and refuse to let their background dictate their future.

Vilakazi’s message was clear – their worth and potential stretch far beyond the streets they call home.

“We are here to remind you how important you are. If a man doesn’t know who he is, you can see it easily. Be proud of who you are and where you re from. You are carrying our hopes. We mustn’t see you as a failure. We must see where you are going,” she said.

Reflecting on her upbringing in Wattville, Vilakazi told the students she grew up determined to beat the odds. Armed with education as her passport, she broke barriers and earned opportunities to study in the US and Italy.

“Today, you children are lucky with all these opportunities. We were disadvantaged by Bantu Education. But we use it to climb the ladder. Sometimes we undermine ourselves as black people. You don’t have an excuse. Dream. The playing field is level.”

She urged the learners to work hard rather than sit back and wait for government handouts, adding that when opportunities come without effort, they can breed comfort and quietly kill ambition.

“I grew up in an era where we had no free education. Free things make us hopeless. You find parents saying they don’t have money to pay for their children’s school fees but they come to school meetings and events wearing expensive wigs and weaves. Let’s prioritise the right things.

“You live in an era of technology. Manage your time wisely. You can start dreaming now. You can be the best. The future belongs to you,” said Vilakazi.

Several speakers, including social worker Nicholas Mmola, the executive director of The Concept of Consent, Reverend Bafana Khumalo, and Actonville and Wattville ward councillors Imtiaaz Loonat and Kenny Ranyawa, encouraged the boys to go out and make the community proud.

WMF chairperson John Machapa said their message was simple – where you come from should never limit where you can go, which is why they invited speakers such as Vilakazi and Khumalo.

“We are aware of many shortcomings prevalent in Wattville and Actonville. There’s substance abuse, an increase of school drop-outs and teenage pregnancy. We are trying to inspire these boys to focus on their future.

“Like Pinky Vilakazi said, you can fail today but can rise tomorrow. They mustn’t believe that minor setbacks means the end of the world. We want to motivate them to put their shoulders on the wheel and make themselves people in our community.”

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