Do you remember the day you turned 21 years old?
Although you had no idea what the road ahead of you looked like, you firmly believed the world was your oyster.
For many, this milestone birthday is an expected grand eventuality they will experience. But for some in our many communities, born into poverty and violence, getting to this milestone age is an auspicious day not to be taken for granted.
Taking this into account, Northcliff-based NPO Growing Champions is asking the community to help them celebrate the resilience and lives of some of their own who will turn 21 this year.
The organisation works with children born into these circumstances and they use education, personal development and sport to create positive changes in their lives. Founder Sam Toweel-Moore said their youth chose to change the narrative of their heritage. “Growing up, many of them experience severe poverty which leads to going to schools that don’t have textbooks and being ‘taught’ by teachers who are intoxicated and walk around the classroom with a shambok to hit the scholars who step out of line,” she said.
Toweel-Moore added some had even been stabbed at school and introduced to addictive substances.
“Having fathers who aren’t present or [are addicts] is the case for 75% of these young people. But these young men choose to rise and champion change. Some who have been fighting addiction have endured rehab and moved into a place of residence away from friends and family to move in a new direction.”.
These growing champions, as Toweel-Moor shares, have become change leaders and contributors to the transformation of destructive forces in our communities. “Creating a movement of youth who choose to move in a new direction, away from violence, addiction and poverty.”
They all run community projects, are enrolled in tertiary studies and contribute to the running of the NPO’s community kitchen in Kliptown where they feed young children and the elderly.
So how can you help celebrate these change leaders? The organisation would appreciate a donation of a delicious meal from a local restaurant for each of the birthdays of these youth this year. Also, jewellery store gifts of crucifix necklaces would be appreciated. These donations would be most welcomed.
Details: Growing Champions 082 803 3866 or 082 654 5733.
