Politics & Government 2021

It all started with what Hope Dhlamini — a 24-year-old chief executive and public relations officer from Soweto — thought would be a small campaign. She and her peers wanted to improve the lives of vulnerable people living in charity homes and homeless shelters, and the love and support that their COVID P.U.N.C.H Community Project received from Johannesburg communities left her awestruck. Majoring in public relations and community management at the University of Johannesburg, Dhlamini believes that “humanity is key. I want to restructure the image of South Africa that is associated with poverty, hunger and unhealthy living conditions by providing essential needs for the most vulnerable in my community in the informal settlements,” she says. Motivated by the success of her Seed For Life community garden, Dhlamini has made it her priority to believe in herself and make a difference in society.

Stop listening to negative thoughts and do away with the “what would people say” syndrome.

Celiwe Mabaso does the important work of identifying community needs, then designing and implementing socioeconomic and enterprise development programmes to address them, with the aim of creating thriving local economies. Mabaso’s proudest moment was when the first group of matriculants graduated from a programme she had put together, and were awarded bursaries by the organisation she works for. Mabaso believes in dreaming big. “You can be anything you put your mind to being – you are the author of your own destiny,” she says. “Life is like summiting a mountain – it gets harder as it gets steeper, but the rewards are always worth it.” Mabaso hopes that through her work, she can influence the way young people from disadvantaged communities see themselves. “I want to see the next batch of disruptors from Vryburg, Mmakau and all these places that no one has really taken note of,” she says.

You can’t buy time: it’s so valuable and important to spend your time doing the things you love.