Amonge Sinxoto’s Blackboard Africa prepares youth to address continent’s problems

Young people need to find their voices and celebrate their identity, says Amonge Sinxoto, a 21-year-old youth activist and founder of Blackboard Africa, who aims to redefine the African youth narrative.

Through youth-led projects, the young activist defines herself as a social architect.

“I am someone who is invested and interested in building our society and who is actively working at that, in building the kind of world I aspire to see,” she says. “I am also a writer, public speaker, the founder of this nonprofit company and now I am also a children’s author.”

Sinxoto grew up in the suburbs of Johannesburg but was unwilling to turn a blind eye to the poverty and suffering around her. She not only wanted to make a difference, she also wanted to reclaim her African identity.

At the age of 15, Sinxoto established Blackboard Africa and has been using this platform as vehicle to improve and create social change in the lives of the youth in her community.

“I was frustrated by the circumstances around me. There were so many sources which contributed to the passion I had, to bring about change. My parents were a massive influence just in the way they raised me – to always be curious and a problem solver, which became what I was always wired to do – and ultimately that is how Blackboard Africa came about,” she said.

The platform was established to bridge the leadership gap among young people between the ages 13 and 25 and to prepare youth to address Africa’s problems. Coming from a model C school, she found it difficult to understand some behaviour among black pupils, for example, when “black boys hated some black girls when we are all [supposed to be] one” she said.

“We often found ourselves leaving parts of ourselves at the door to assimilate and fit into a certain bracket. I wanted to focus more in talking about these issues, in understanding African narrative and be the one to define it.”

“It was important to create a space to have those conversations and be guided about them.”

Sinxoto emphasised the importance of representation at a young age and how much of a powerful tool it was for her.

“I remember for the first time being exposed to the Black Girl’s Rock! awards, where I saw all these amazing, incredible, talented black women, creating this space for themselves and acknowledging their talents. I saw more of myself in this space and I wanted to translate that in a way which is more localised.”

“With Blackboard Africa, I used the things I had access to, which was social media. I used Instagram and established a page where we could start conversations and people could share their thoughts on anything. And we then moved into physical spaces which involved interactions with mentors.”

“It is great to understand where you come from and who you are and use that as a source of leadership.”

Since its inception, Blackboard Africa has hosted numerous youth seminars and workshops across South Africa on social entrepreneurship, youth activism, leadership and mentorship – and activated vibrant digital social campaigns.

While growing her career and the groundbreaking platform she had established, Sinxoto said their struggles included constantly finding ways to make it more engaging to people they tried to reach to bring effective change.

“Our growth was massive, which showed how we were a little bit underprepared. I started really young and structurally moving into that space and it becoming a proper nonprofit organisation and all the other specifics was not easy. Leaning on mentors really did help,” she said.

“Funding was a also a struggle, this in terms of making sure we sell a service rather than asking for sponsors and donations, which was also important, but also finding other ways to fund what we were trying to do.”

“I also struggled getting the support from other people, especially direct peers. I actually got more of it from the older people. This was all a learning curve.”

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Sinxoto has represented the organisation’s work at regional and global platforms such as: Global Citizen, TEDx, Black Girls Lead, Breaking down Borders Africa, Global First Ladies Alliance Conference and Black Girls Rock! with former US first lady, Michelle Obama and Unicef’s Voices of Youth.

The launch of her first children’s book, My Big Name, is underway and Sinxoto said it is simply the continuation of her mission in empowering the African child.

“The book was important for children to understand their power and ways they could use it to contribute. I may be talking through African names but it is a universal story. People from all around the world and the diaspora can understand the issues in trying to fit in and also the importance making their own presence a super-power,” she said.

It was important the youth remembered to do their part and do it to the best of their ability.

“We probably will not see the big picture now but it is important to keep going. Everything will pay off.”

– lungas@citizen.co.za