The streets of Mamelodi came alive with brass, drums and colour on August 7 as local young musicians joined the Field Band Foundation’s (FBF) Red Honour Band for a community parade.

There was a real sense of ‘gees’ with trumpets and dancers extending a warm invitation to the whole community to come out, watch, and sing along.

The parade was organised and sponsored by Lesaka, a South African company using digital innovations in the financial industry, with a long-standing presence in communities such as Mamelodi.

CEO of the foundation Ushama Ross Jerrier said FBF is a respected non-profit organisation that has spent almost three decades using music to change the lives of young South Africans. It offers many children a chance to learn an instrument, dance and build confidence through structured, safe rehearsal programmes run in underprivileged communities across the country.

Jerrier said leading the parade was FBF’s Red Honour Band, whose members are all accredited by the Royal School of Music.

They were joined by around 25 young local musicians from the Alexandra Field Band, giving the parade a proud community flavour alongside national performance excellence.

“Music has the power to transform young lives. Our bands give children who might never otherwise have the chance a place to learn, to grow in confidence, and to be part of something bigger than themselves,” said Jerrier.

She said every time their bands play, the community celebrates its own talent.

“We are looking forward to working alongside Lesaka over the coming months as we take our parades across the country,” said Jerrier.

Beyond the music, the day was designed as a family outing: free entertainment, giveaways, Spin and Win games, and a fun atmosphere to enjoy time together.

Families, from young children to gogos, came out to support the local band and enjoy an afternoon in the streets of Mamelodi.

Rather than mark a milestone with a conventional corporate event, Lesaka chose to invest in the bands and young people already loved by their communities.

Brenda Magana, Gauteng Provincial Head of Lesaka, said: “We wanted to celebrate in a way that means something to the community.

“Our consumers’ and merchants’ lives don’t happen in Sandton and office parks; they happen right here,” she said.

“We are combining our well-known brands such as Kazang, Adumo and EasyPay Everywhere under one Lesaka brand, which marks a big step in our journey.”

She added: “Our promise is: ‘Where you are, we are’. Partnering with the Field Band Foundation and the local field bands was the most appropriate choice.”

Mokgosi Lithebe, area manager of Lesaka EasyPay, said the company’s comprehensive offering enables Mamelodi’s consumers and merchants to pay, borrow, receive, insure and grow.

“Lesaka is woven into the life of its communities, and it’s exciting to be bringing the parade to Mamelodi.”

The Mamelodi parade is one of 10 in the coming weeks across Gauteng.

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok or WhatsApp Channel