LIMITED resources should not be an excuse for not making a difference in people’s lives.
Serving one’s community should be driven by total commitment and passion.That’s the opinion of City of uMhlathuze Youth Council Chairman Sphelele ‘Wiwi’ Gumede. The 34-year-old whose personal mission is to champion the interest of young people, has vowed to take the Youth Council to another level.
‘Having a limited budget of R270 000 we receive from Council has not prevented us from taking the Youth Council to young people throughout the city.’
Ngwelezana-born Gumede is no stranger to community involvement.
He made his mark in the community when he formed a local soccer team in Ngwelezana, served on the Ngwelezana Sport Committee as secretary, a position he also held at non-government organisation, Siqalo Sentsha Foundation.
He was later elected to serve as a ward committee member for ward 28 until he was elected onto the city’s Youth Council as an additional member in 2012. In 2014 he was elected as Deputy Chairperson and last year as Chairperson. Armed with a mechanical engineering qualification from Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), Gumede has used the Youth Council as a vehicle to address a shortage of skills among the youth, while also reaching out to those in rural areas.
‘We have partnered with Foskor in a programme to address the scarcity of skills.
‘So far we have trained 25 young people in electrical engineering. We have influenced council to increase the number of students who benefit from the registration fees assistance programme from 50 to 87.
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Reaching out
‘We have also embarked on a career guidance workshops for wards 31 and 32, which previously fell under Ntambanana.
‘The intention is to make them feel welcome in the city.
‘To that effect we have donated shoes to Qhamuka High School and will be doing the same at Bhekukwazi High School.’We have renovated a house belonging to an orphan in ward 13 in eSikhaleni and recently led a march calling on young people to unite against women abuse.
‘This followed a spate of violent attacks against women across the country, including the abduction of a local female student and two brutal murders of young mothers in eShowe and Mtubatuba.
Gumede said he was excited about the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) offices in Empangeni, which will be opened in due course.’At our Youth Council summit we adopted a resolution that NYDA offices must be accessible and closer to young people.
‘This will be the first NYDA offices in the district.
‘We have also partnered with Youth Blood In Action, visiting rural schools to distribute sanitary towels to schoolgirls.’
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