Leossa Nomvula Mlambo Story
#YAPUntoldStories
Meet Nomvula, a vibrant, confident 19-year-old who lives with her mother, step-father and step-sister in Johannesburg. She learnt about YAP through a friend and decided to join, as she didn’t have anything to do after Matric, and didn’t want to sit at home. Before joining the Youth Accelerator Programme, she didn’t have much confidence. After being a part of YAP, she joined the Debate team and was voted the best speaker. This undoubtedly boosted her confidence. Through YAP, she has gotten to know herself better and she learnt that she is an empathetic person; she also learnt how to live harmoniously with others and to lend a helping hand. This helped her a lot, as she was a very self-centred person and only thought of herself. The YAP programme accelerated her confidence; today she is able to articulate herself better and knows exactly what she wants.
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Meet Nomvula, a vibrant, confident 19-year-old who lives with her mother, step-father and step-sister in Johannesburg. She learnt about YAP through a friend and decided to join, as she didn’t have anything to do after Matric, and didn’t want to sit at home. Before joining the Youth Accelerator Programme, she didn’t have much confidence. After being a part of YAP, she joined the Debate team and was voted the best speaker. This undoubtedly boosted her confidence. Through YAP, she has gotten to know herself better and she learnt that she is an empathetic person; she also learnt how to live harmoniously with others and to lend a helping hand. This helped her a lot, as she was a very self-centred person and only thought of herself. The YAP programme accelerated her confidence; today she is able to articulate herself better and knows exactly what she wants.
Bongiwe Mthombeni Story
#YAPUntoldStories
Bongiwe is an 18-year-old young woman who lives in Cosmo City, with her mother and five siblings. Bongiwe says she learnt about the Youth Accelerator Programme from a woman she met at a local hospital. She then decided to join as she was on a forced gap year due to unforeseen circumstances. She says YAP changed her life as she met amazing individuals with different ways of thinking and exposed her to new ideas. She feels more informed on social issues and feels she has more guidance on her choice of career and life trajectory. Being exposed to information excites Bongiwe the most because she feels like there is a lack of information and resources for young people in her community. Bongiwe aspires to be an active member that will empower and help her peers. In the future, she hopes that her community will present a more united front and will actively attend to the social ills plaguing them. Her plans for the future involve working in the Film and Television (TV) industry as either a Performer, Cinematographer or Editor.
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Bongiwe is an 18-year-old young woman who lives in Cosmo City, with her mother and five siblings. Bongiwe says she learnt about the Youth Accelerator Programme from a woman she met at a local hospital. She then decided to join as she was on a forced gap year due to unforeseen circumstances. She says YAP changed her life as she met amazing individuals with different ways of thinking and exposed her to new ideas. She feels more informed on social issues and feels she has more guidance on her choice of career and life trajectory. Being exposed to information excites Bongiwe the most because she feels like there is a lack of information and resources for young people in her community. Bongiwe aspires to be an active member that will empower and help her peers. In the future, she hopes that her community will present a more united front and will actively attend to the social ills plaguing them. Her plans for the future involve working in the Film and Television (TV) industry as either a Performer, Cinematographer or Editor.
Leeroy Nqabutho Ngubane Story
#YAPUntoldStories
Leeroy is a 19-year-old young man who lives with his mother and younger brother. He aspires to bring change in people’s lives by advocating on their behalf and by being the change he wants to see himself. Due to financial difficulties, Leeroy was forced to take a gap year where he then joined the Youth Accelerator Programme (YAP). Through YAP, he has learnt basic computer skills that will help him in the working world. He has also been able to identify his strengths, weaknesses and abilities, he now feels more confident and powerful. He attributes the change in his character to his time spent at YAP and describes Afrika Tikkun as the “gift that keeps on giving”. Leeroy’s aspiration is to be a Mechanical Engineer one day.
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Leeroy is a 19-year-old young man who lives with his mother and younger brother. He aspires to bring change in people’s lives by advocating on their behalf and by being the change he wants to see himself. Due to financial difficulties, Leeroy was forced to take a gap year where he then joined the Youth Accelerator Programme (YAP). Through YAP, he has learnt basic computer skills that will help him in the working world. He has also been able to identify his strengths, weaknesses and abilities, he now feels more confident and powerful. He attributes the change in his character to his time spent at YAP and describes Afrika Tikkun as the “gift that keeps on giving”. Leeroy’s aspiration is to be a Mechanical Engineer one day.
Tshegofatso Molefe Story
#YAPUntoldStories
Tshegofatso, 19, is originally from Muizenburg in Cape Town, now residing in Kempton Park with her siblings. She heard about YAP from her older sister when she was taking a gap year, she decided to join because it sounded like a stepping stone for her after graduating from high school. She initially struggled to fit in at Afrika Tikkun because she was from a different province and spoke a differently. The YAP programme helped her to fit in and gave her the skills she needed to interact with her peers on a daily basis. She says, “I would encourage another young person to join the YAP programme because it assists you with a lot of things that you will not know before stepping into the work place, and you need all the skills in order to present yourself favourably.” In the next 5 years she sees herself as a qualified educator as well as a owning a clothing store business. She is passionate about giving back, and education is the way she feels she can give back. She also wants to bring positive change to the education system, through introducing different ways of learning.
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Tshegofatso, 19, is originally from Muizenburg in Cape Town, now residing in Kempton Park with her siblings. She heard about YAP from her older sister when she was taking a gap year, she decided to join because it sounded like a stepping stone for her after graduating from high school. She initially struggled to fit in at Afrika Tikkun because she was from a different province and spoke a differently. The YAP programme helped her to fit in and gave her the skills she needed to interact with her peers on a daily basis. She says, “I would encourage another young person to join the YAP programme because it assists you with a lot of things that you will not know before stepping into the work place, and you need all the skills in order to present yourself favourably.” In the next 5 years she sees herself as a qualified educator as well as a owning a clothing store business. She is passionate about giving back, and education is the way she feels she can give back. She also wants to bring positive change to the education system, through introducing different ways of learning.
Angelo Onaka Biyashe Story
#YAPUntoldStories
A philosopher at heart, Angelo is an 18-year-old young man who lives with his father in Marshalltown. During his gap year, Angelo did not just want to hang around his neighbourhood because he was afraid of falling into the gangs that plague his neighbourhood. Angelo heard about YAP through his cousin and decided to join. He is thankful to have been part of the programme because it exposed him to people from different backgrounds, which allowed him to embrace who he is. In line with one of YAP’s over-arching values, Angelo believes community involvement and upliftment are vital. To this end, he has taken part in two protests to raise awareness of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Xenophobia, to date. One of his ultimate wishes is to have his community cleaned up so that all young people have access to a safe environment.
DONATE TODAY
A philosopher at heart, Angelo is an 18-year-old young man who lives with his father in Marshalltown. During his gap year, Angelo did not just want to hang around his neighbourhood because he was afraid of falling into the gangs that plague his neighbourhood. Angelo heard about YAP through his cousin and decided to join. He is thankful to have been part of the programme because it exposed him to people from different backgrounds, which allowed him to embrace who he is. In line with one of YAP’s over-arching values, Angelo believes community involvement and upliftment are vital. To this end, he has taken part in two protests to raise awareness of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Xenophobia, to date. One of his ultimate wishes is to have his community cleaned up so that all young people have access to a safe environment.
Equip them with skills that will help them #Navigate their future
Afrika Tikkun’s Cradle-to-Career approach is concerned with equipping the youth of today for tomorrow’s ever-changing and progressive future. Our holistic approach is based on our belief in the importance of appreciating the social, economic and psychological factors that influence our young people. In particular, our Youth Accelerator Programme (YAP) empowers young people to engage and direct their own lives through good decision-making, active citizenry and meaningful skills. The programme targets young people aged 18 to 21 years and aims to create a space for interrogation, development of character and a positive sense of self. The three main categories for development in this programme are the development of self, the development of community awareness, and the development of competencies that facilitate economic participation. YAP further develops personal and public confidence and creates an awareness and appreciation for active citizenry and community involvement. It offers guidance on careers and career opportunities and through a range of activities; young people develop basic skills needed to enter the world of work.
