With Youth Day around the corner, it has come time for South Africa to remember the passion that has brought everyone this privilege and the sacrifice that has allowed South Africans this powerful society. Clover Mama Afrika, Clover’s CSI project, not only wants to celebrate the youth but wants to empower them to create a nation united, skilled and loved by each other.
The project aims to empower women in communities across the nation with various vital skills such as cooking, baking, sewing, quilting, business management, food and gardening. With the mamas having grown a substantial amount over the years, so have their businesses and skills and they have now started mentoring the youth in their own community to learn, grow and develop skills to further extend their centres.
One such mama is Mama Rosemary Machogo who runs the Lesedi la Thuto Centre in in Mangaung, Free State. In 1999, Mama Rosemary started helping her sister as a volunteer worker at her school, sadly circumstances forced her sister to close the school, but the children had made too much of an impact on Mama Rosemary, and she could not abandon them. Within a year, she had completed her studies in Early Childhood Development.
To date, she has impacted over 1 000 children ensuring that they all leave her wing feeling empowered, with a bevy of skills to create a brighter future for themselves. She has watched many of her students grow from pre-schoolers to successful young adults, each making a difference and keeping Mama Rosemary’s legacy alive. For Mama Rosemary, the youth are the core of her centre, as she believes that every child needs an education and they have the potential to make the world a better place.
Mama Doris Ndingane, from Keiskammahoek in the Eastern Cape, is another mama who has empowered the youth through the work she does at her centre, Zanempilo Projects. Mama Doris understands that unemployment and a lack of skills leave any individual at a disadvantage and wants to help the youth develop and earn a brighter future. Mama Doris has six community projects and employs over 30 community members to upskill them with a variety of traits including sewing, cooking, and nursing. Mama Doris believes that a good education and a solid support system are what the youth need, and thus through her many Clover Mama Afrika projects, she was able to fund her daughter’s tertiary education. The youth for Mama Doris, holds a special place in her heart, as she says many of them are talented, they just need the opportunity to shine.
“These community heroes help to eradicate many issues in our society, and with upskilling the youth it makes it a better country for all. The youth are our future leaders and they require a good and strong foundation, which is why we are so proud of our mamas who are committed to providing this to the youth,” explains Professor Elain Vlok, Founder of Clover Mama Afrika.
There are many more mamas who work tirelessly and relentlessly to ensure that the youth they touch leave them feeling better equipped to create the future they deserve. One that is bright, full of light and filled with hope.
Clover Mama Afrika wants to empower all South Africans, starting with the passionate mamas and their ability to reach, teach and completely change the lives of the many individuals they come into contact with.