Khulisani Foundation calls on local businesses to support youth leadership initiative
After 16 years of working closely with young people across the country, Khulisani Foundation is looking to its local community to be involved in building its next chapter.
The Khulisani Foundation has worked tirelessly to provide South African youth with leadership, agricultural, and creative skills for 16 years.
The organisation is now calling on businesses in Houghton, Rosebank, Killarney, and surrounding areas to support it as it continues moving forward. Bianca Williams-Masina, one of the foundation’s founding executive directors, said their work goes beyond tackling unemployment.
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“You can say unemployment like it’s the main thing,” she said. “Yes, it’s a big deal, but it’s not the main thing. I think the lack of self-awareness really is the main thing, lack of self-leadership.”
The foundation works with high school learners and youth who have already finished school, travelling to communities to assist where possible.
The organisation’s programmes centre on youth leadership, sustainable agriculture, and creative arts, with training involving storytelling, gardening, videography, and other creative skills. “We really believe that leadership and youth leadership is a cornerstone for young people,” said Williams-Masina.
Williams-Masina said some alumni have gone on to study and work internationally, while others have opened businesses and organisations of their own.
To mark its 16th year, the foundation plans to run three ‘Impact of 16’ cohorts, with each consisting of 16 young people. Furthermore, the organisation is asking businesses to participate by adopting a cohort and contributing towards the programmes.
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“We are looking for people to celebrate this milestone, to mark this milestone with us by actually adopting a cohort,” she said.
However, keeping the organisation’s work going is never easy. Williams-Masina stated that the foundation counts on businesses and other partnerships for funding.
Despite the challenges, Williams-Masina said reaching the 16-year milestone has given the organisation an opportunity to reflect. “When you’ve got your head buried in the work, and you’re just so focused on the work, sometimes you don’t really look up to get perspective of the kind of building that you’ve been doing,” she said.
She added that seeing the success of the foundation’s alumni is always a wonderful thing to witness. “It feels good to see a lot of young people who have been part of our programmes grow as individuals,” she said.
The milestone, however, does not mean that their work is done. “The reward for work is actually more work,” she said. “We are still here, we still have so many things that we want to do, so many young people that we still want to engage and reach.”
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