Freedom Park youth celebrate their month with exhibition

As South Africa marks Youth Month celebrations, the Thembelihle Community Projects will host the first local business exhibition event in collaboration with the Knowledge Share Enterprise and the Youth of Devland Freedom Park.

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The aim is to showcase local entrepreneurs and get the youth to rub shoulders and get insights from thriving business owners.

The Freedom Park Youth Exhibition (FPYe) 23 is aimed at being a space created for collaboration amongst the business community with a focus on creating exposure and brand awareness for start-ups.

“For us as South Africans, the 16th of June symbolises a memory of a struggle for freedom of education.

“Therefore it remains vital for us to remember that of the ultimate gifts that we can give our youth, is education.

“Which is why the event will collaborate educational contents, an exhibition opportunity for local businesses and an entertainment talent exposure for the local youth,” says Siboniso Thwala, author of 2020 Hangover – Financial Remedy by a Banking Analyst and founder of the FYPe Project.

A case study done by Thwala for Thembelihle Community projects indicated lack of collaboration as being one of the major obstacles for local business growth.

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They said the findings of the case study propelled the event and the decision to mark it as the beginning of an annual commitment geared to booting local businesses and creating a platform for businesses to launch their products or try new ideas in Freedom Park.

“As black people we need to change the negative norm which convinces us that we can’t start businesses on our own. So we need to teach young a black children not to be scared to start a business,” added co-founder of the FYPe project, Sindiswa Gumbi.

Thembelihle Sibisi, who is also a co-founder of the FYPe project, explains about her NPO Thembelihle Community Projects, and its involvement with the FPYe23 Project.

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Sibisi has been working with the community of Freedom Park since June 2020, offering wide services towards children and youth. In addition to her work, the organisation has helped some of the Freedom Park youth to get sponsorships and learnership opportunities to boost their business skills and knowledge.