By Mamello Maila
Keamogetswe Masike and volunteers braved the cold winter morning on Tuesday to celebrate youth day by donating food and winter clothes.
Keamogetswe M Foundation is still hard at work serving the community, despite icy weather last Tuesday. “We spent our day in Marikana Extension Three in Kwa-Thema, with community builders assisting us in our clothing drive initiative. “We celebrated Youth Day by honoring and recognising the role of the youth of 1976 in the liberation of South Africa.
“Fortunately, this initiative was not selective to specific individuals or families, but our criteria remained to accommodate the needy. “It is winter and most families within our communities are struggling to survive.
“The lack of clothing and food aren’t the only problems, but proper shelter, medical care water and sanitation are major issues as well,” explains Keamogetswe Masike, founder of the foundation.
He says these families are constrained and don’t have the means to survive during this period. “We approached our municipality and a few community builders to assist. Fortunately, Rise Against Hunger and Green Movement called and partnered with us. One provided food for about 60 families from Marikana to Highland.”
He says working closely with the community has been an eye-opener.? It has helped to change the perspective of the young people who volunteered. “This gave us time to really understand challenges, such as poverty, the consequences of unemployment and domestic violence, our community faces on a daily basis.
“At a distance, these might seem like minor problems, but they negatively affect public growth and development of our communities and the society at large.”
Keamogetswe M Foundation condemns gender-based violence. As a Foundation we scream the idea that “A conscious society is attentive and its success depends on initiatives aimed at empowering its youth, specifically young girls and women.
“Our sacrifice today was to create awareness in the community in our stance against gender-based violence. We also honour the lives lost in the face of brutal political systems and all forms of oppression, then and now,” he adds.
