WATCH: Imvelo Dance Group keeps Rosettenville children off streets
The group has about 60 members consisting of children aged between six and 17 - all of them are still at school.
IMVELO Performing Arts group is a dance group from Rosettenville which was founded by Nompumelelo Mpanza (34) in 2015 with the aim of reducing the number of children on the streets.
The group has about 60 members consisting of children aged between six and 17 – all of them are still at school.
Nompumelelo saw the need to help young children because of substance abuse and sometimes the lack of parental guidance which is a problem in the community.
“Some of the teenagers in Rosettenville have dedicated their lives to doing drugs and engaging in prostitution. I believe if you can reach the young ones at an early age it will make a huge difference in their lives,” she said.
The group has performed at Rosettenville, La Rochelle and Turffontein schools. They market themselves at community events such as birthdays, weddings and community forums in order to get more performing opportunities.
“Imvelo group is for the young people of Rosettenville. We as the leaders of the group want to see these children make something of their lives. Young people of today are more into parties and fashion trends. In the group, we teach them about the importance of life on how to respect themselves and respect people around them. We also teach them social skills.
“To keep their minds off worldly things we keep them occupied with activities to help them stay out of trouble and off the streets. The activities involve playing sports, helping them with homework and taking them on educational trips,” she explained.
“We are currently practising in the streets because we are battling to find a place to practise. We have tried seeking help to get a venue where we can practise but no one has helped yet,” Nompumelelo said.
For more info on the group, or if you can assist with a venue, contact Nompumelelo Mpanza on 062 603 0060 or call Jabulile Mpanza 063 433 9972.
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