Teen with a dream
A passion for philanthropy - that's Empangeni teen, Samantha Johnson
SAMANTHA Johnson could be just another teen living for the weekend, staring off into the distance – not interested. But she’s not. She lives for the present moment and asks herself what more she could have done as it passes by.
Seated across the table with a humble pose and welcoming smile she says, ‘so what would you like to know?’
Five months ago Sam and her sister, along with some friends, jokingly played with the idea of starting an outreach programme in the school holidays. Soon enough their BBM conversation turned into a reality and ‘Reaching Out Through Youth’ (ROTY) was born.
But ROTY is just one of the many items on Sam’s agenda. With a busy schedule of sports, school work and church she still manages to find time for her friends and family.
Her passion for helping others stems from a story she heard about a troubled young boy in Margate suffering from epilepsy who was supported by the sheer determination of his older brother. ‘It was just so inspirational.’
And with looming examinations, her priority for now, she still has plans in the pipeline for her December outreach run.
Sam hopes to study journalism at university one day. With her passion for community engagement and writing, her skills will not be put to waste.
‘Helping someone else isn’t about personal gain. It’s about saving someone else.’
