Bonang Matheba speaks for keeping girls in school in ‘Activate: The Global Citizen Movement’

Last night, local celebrity and Global Citizen Ambassador Bonang Matheba was the guest of honour at the gala dinner that saw the official South African launch of Activate: The Global Citizen Movement, a six-part documentary series from National Geographic, Procter & Gamble, and Global Citizen.

The South African A-lister and philanthropist also stars in the fourth episode of the documentary series, highlighting the key local issue of keeping girls in school.

The gala dinner, hosted by Penny Lebyane, included a captivating performance by Afro-Soul songstress Brenda Mtambo.

Bonang, meanwhile, delivered an impassioned speech highlighting the importance of educating girls and called on the private and public sectors to get involved in addressing this issue, including the provision of menstrual products.

The documentary is about the international organisation Global Citizen’s efforts to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030. The series premieres this Sunday at 8pm on National Geographic, DStv Channel 181 and more information is available at globalcitizen.com/activate.

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Each episode explores an issue connected to poverty and shows world-renowned artists, personalities and activists including Hugh Jackman, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Common, Pharrell Williams, Gayle King and Bonang, corporate leaders, grassroots activists and those impacted, as they work to conscientise and ignite change.

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The Keeping Girls in Schools episode was filmed with Bonang and Gayle King in Johannesburg, and looks at the menstruation-related barriers to girls’ education, and how P&G’s Always Keeping Girls in School programme helps address this through providing puberty education and pads.

“I am honoured to have been selected to be part of Activate. As human beings, we all need to be part of the movement to eradicate global poverty as well as creating a sustainable future. We need to dare ourselves to help change the world,” said Matheba in a statement.

Global Citizen encourages people around the world to get informed, take action and connect with others in addressing the organization’s goals for a better world including the end of poverty and hunger, promoting global well-being and providing equal access to quality education, among others. Last December, Matheba, Trevor Noah and Naomi Campbell presented the successful Global Citizen concert in Johannesburg.

Activate premieres this Sunday at 8pm CAT on National Geographic.

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