One of many of Alexandra’s non-profit organisations, Catch Them Young, has partnered with the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) to deliver the first programme session of youth education and engagement in cultural heritage.
Catch Them Young aims to educate and engage young people in opportunities, mainly within the culture, heritage and tourism sectors.
During the session on 14 May, Obed Semono, acting manager for public engagement and education, highlighted that South African languages are slowly dying because of youth not knowing their culture and where they come from.
“Our grandchildren will not know where they come from and what is the meaning of their names is if we continue neglecting our culture,” Semono said.
He explained that the commission’s aim is to build the nation by providing space for each of the cultural, religious and linguistic communities and to promote unity among diverse communities.
He said it will be launching more programmes to help the youth from Alex who are part of the Catch them Young organisation to produce things to sell and create their own businesses out of arts and crafts.
Catch Them Young’s chairperson Abby Sechoar told Alex News that one of many key points that stood out during the session was when one of the youth members highlighted how they needed stalls around cultural centres for their businesses to sell what they have crafted in a location where their stuff could be bought.
“A lot of young people were not aware of what kind of opportunities Catch Them Young is bringing to them, and with the help of the commission they now see the job opportunities that are being presented to them,” concluded Sechoar.
