By Bongo Hlongwane

Ubuciko Bomlomo Infortainment (UBI) and Aids Foundation coordinated freedom day celebration program in Ntuzuma F library, under the theme “freedom in our life time”.

The objective of the event was to promote healthy life style and to encourage the rising stars to make education fashionable. Aids foundation employee, who is an Activator and UBI volunteer Lokishi Comrade Martin asserted that art is a powerful tool that they use to attract young people to be part of their event in order for them to transfer information. He said they were able to get mass youth to participate in the event whereas if they mobilised on the basis of health young people were not going to pitch.

Building from making education fashionable, on the presentation lokishi handed  Central Application Forms together with National Student Financial Aids Scheme forms to the youth, encouraging them to further their studies . Young people need to invest in getting knowledge, he said it should be a two way process where young people  will be capacitated with skills like financial skills which will assist them to a take stance in freedom .That escalated to the issue of unemployed graduates.  He stressed that graduates are role models in their spaces by that he emphasized that graduates need to go out there and volunteer in non-profit organization, saying that in that process they will gain experience which will make them employable candidates.

Aids foundation resource officer, Buhle Zuma unpacked the aids foundation projects, she said it a bridge project which aim to link 15-21 year olds with services as these young people are from vulnerable communities with limited access to information. Building from that on the presentation she conducted she emphasized on personal responsibility where she outlined the importance of using condoms whenever engaging in sexual activities. She also urged attendees to donate blood as it is part of serving and saving peoples’ lives. “Without knowledge young people are not free”, Ntobe Ngema appealing that youth is free to practice freedom by going to local clinics for HIV testing and taking initiative to utilize condoms. YouTH is free to live a healthy life style” she added.

The event consisted various artist from around Durban central, the genres performed includes music, comedy and poetry which dominated the stage. One of the artists Sphamandla Ndlove (Nsuname) shared his perspective of freedom, saying that freedom is not free. “in this century people do not necessary need to be chained in order for them to be slaves”, he said people are now constrained intellectually by the system which tells them that they are free whereas that freedom only exist in paper (Constitution). He delved saying that freedom will be brought by the land which consist wealth and that land is not on black peoples’ hands. He then drew from the event saying the youth got to exercise chapter 16 of the constitution but it was unfortunate that the leaders were not there to support youth initiative.

Buhle Zuma wrapped by asserting that freedom is free, young people need to take their tools and work to maintain their freedom. It is time for young people to support youth programs said lokishi urging youth to support the next event Qoute a Poet Chapter 7. The information shared is like union under each layer lies another layer.