Making sure ‘Nobody’ is left behind
The youth of Nobody now have an outlet for their talent and skills thanks to the Nobody Skills Development (NSD) programme.
POLOKWANE – The initiative aims to bring young people together in the name of entertainment, and to raise money. Founded on 8 May 2019 by David Mojapelo, NSD provides dance, drama, stage plays and music training.
The group has 25 members who meet for practice on Fridays and Saturdays. Practice used to be held at David’s home but after a long struggle, he was offered space at Nobody Clinic.
“They saw the value in what we try to do for the children in our community,” he said. Mojapelo said that things are looking up for the group but one major hurdle that they cannot seem to overcome is the lack of support from parents.
“My own parents did not understand why I would want to carry the burden of getting youth off the streets when I am barely out of my teens. This is a passion which chose me and I really want to empower the youth in my community,” he said.
He added that he wishes he had a mentor to help him grow as a person in arts as well as providing the guidance he needs to keep him on the right path.
“We currently have 25 children, and that is 25 fewer children at risk of being exposed to drugs and alcohol on the streets. We have had many deaths in the community related to substance abuse and something had to be done, even if it’s being done by the youth themselves,” he explained.
The group performs at school events and events within the community. They hope to grow big enough to bring concrete growth to Nobody by building a community hall and a drop-in centre to address other social ills they witness in their community.
