ACTIVATE! Change Drivers, will facilitate a community gathering, the ACTIVATE! Youth Imbizo, at the Ipelegeng Community Hall in Extension 5, Scweizer Reneke to discuss agricultural development trends in North West. The event will take place on Friday, 06 May  from 12H30, with the aim to influence North West agricultural policy makers and authorities to accommodate more young people who are interested in agriculture.

ACTIVATE! Change Drivers is a network of more than 1600 young change makers or “Activators” across South Africa who are finding innovative ways to transform their communities and the country as a whole. The ACTIVATE! Youth Imbizo forms part of ACTIVATE! Change Drivers’ mission to equip young people with necessary knowledge and skills to thrive in their respective social development efforts.

Lezerine Mashaba, coordinator for the ACTIVATE! Youth Imbizo project says “Agriculture is pivotal to the sustainability of South Africa’s economy. It enhances local economic development as it is a source of employment and keeps most of the income local. For those reasons, it is very important to sustain that field by introducing young people to it so they can carry it to the next level.”

The event will be in a form of a multi-stakeholder dialogue and will discuss matters like trends in agricultural development in the province, agricultural trade, investments in agricultural water management and will look at ways to  best position young people’s interests in agriculture.

“By hosting this Imbizo, we hope to assist the government and other relevant organisations in developing programmes and campaigns that will make farming attractive to young people in both academic and business perspectives. It is also our wish that this event will encourage the private sector to participate in supporting agricultural activities in the North West province,” says Mashaba.

Representatives from government and the private sector will be present to engage in the dialogue. Mamusa Library Book Club, Mamusa Local Municipality, Kopano Club, Ipelegeng Secondary School and Youth in Tourism are some of the organisations that will be participating.  The session will be as interactive as possible to encourage maximum participation of all attendants, thereby enabling an environment for teaching and learning.

For more information and details on how you can participate or attend, please contact Bongani Hlatshwayo on 072 822 1756.

Under the umbrella theme, ‘Democracy in Action’, ACTIVATE! Change Drivers facilitated similar Imbizos in three other provinces. On 05 April the Imbizo was held in KwaZulu Natal where ‘HIV/AIDS prevention’ was discussed. In the Eastern Cape the Imbizo took place on 08 April and the dialogue was around ‘Abortion Stigma’. The third Imbizo was held in Free State on 22 April and the aim was to explore how civic engagement and social participation among South Africa’s youth can be enhanced. The overall aim of these Imbizos is to highlight how these topical issues affect South Africa’s hard earned democracy and come up with resolutions. 

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Issued by ACTIVATE! Change Drivers. For more information please visit www.activateleadership.co.za 

For media related queries, please contact:

Nomtika Mjwana

ACTIVATE! Change Drivers

Email: nomtika@localhost  (cc: communications@localhost)

Cell: 079 816 3910