Using a different brush to celebrate Youth Month
"The youth are often painted with the same brush and we are here today to celebrate the spark each individual has."
MBOMBELA – This year’s Youth Month celebrations kicked off at the E3 premises at 17 Streak Street in keeping with the theme: ’25 Years of Democracy: A celebration of youth activism’. This could not be a more apt theme for the youth at the event.
Organisers Cathy Churchill and Iris Felix started E3 in a bid to provide a solution for the future of our youth. The event was opened with the traditional burning of impepho and a spirited ditty by the Sweet Dreamers Marimba Project, whose opening number was the popular Mirriam Makeba hit, “Meadowlands”.
Churchill said, “We started the E3 youth development hub a year ago to bridge the gap for unemployed youth through a three-month development programme we offer.
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“We have completed two programmes thus far, targeting the creative industry for income generation. We are celebrating Youth Day by sharing the stage with people with whom we have grown organically and who become a part of E3.”
She added that the hub was fast gaining a reputation as a space to reflect and learn, comparing it to a campus without a university.
The hub also offers free Wi-Fi access and youth who are registered there have the opportunity to research which direction they want to pursue by enrolling for online courses under the facilitation of Churchill and Felix.
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“The youth are often painted with the same brush and we are here today to celebrate the spark each individual has.”
E3 will be offering a new three-month programme which aims to strengthen the creative industries by identifying how they can be harnessed into sustainable career paths for the youth. The drive for entrepreneurship and being involved in exploring ways of using the youth’s creativity in income generation, is at the top of the list for the pair.
“The programme will be divided into three sections, each of which explores who you are, provides a skill which can be used in the workplace and focuses on entrepreneurship.”
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The day’s programme ranged from musical entertainment to spoken word performances, a display of handcrafted items for sale, artworks and the launch of a book detailing how to grow an entrepreneurial mindset.
Youths interested in becoming part of E3’s development hub are welcome to visit the centre or their website, e3.co.za to register.
