Seven local businesses and NPOs hosted a Youth Day event in Lentegeur to raise awareness about the dangers of crime, alcohol, drugs and gangsterism.
BruinChild Media, B & M Scientific, Kingdom Builders, Fountain of Life Prison Ministry, Move in God Ministry, Sons of Issachar, and Champs Musical Coffee Shop joined forces for the event which saw former convicts marching through the streets wearing prison overalls on Thursday June 16.
Each man’s hands were bound in chains sending a strong message of where you could end up if you followed in their footsteps. They also wanted to tell the youth that it’s never too late to change their lives, they are not imprisoned by their circumstances and they can break the chains of addiction.
The organisers said urgent intervention is needed as the youth are being gunned down in gang wars.
“Many young people lost their lives in the 1976 Soweto Uprising but 46 years later, our youth are still dying due to the many social ills that plague the Cape Flats,” said BruinChild Media founder, Alex Cupido.
The inspirational event culminated on Poppy Field where rapper Donovan Petersen aka Big D motivated the crowd to rise above their circumstances with his track Skyn Deur Die Pyn.
Prisoners shared traumatic stories of where the life of crime led them, pleading with the youth to avoid the same mistakes.
Move in God Ministry presented a fun and inspirational programme for children. Residents were also given a warm meal and the kids received party packs filled with yummy treats.
Kingdom Builders leader, Theresa Appolis, said: “It was a privilege to help organise an event like this because we wanted to show the youth that they must make better choices if they want to reach their dreams in life.”
B & M Scientific CEO, Majid Hargey, agreed and added that he wanted to support the event because it is “our duty to protect the youth”.
Mr Hargey said: “Life isn’t a science experiment. The youth are experimenting with drugs, alcohol, and crime and every scientist knows that experiments can go wrong. We wanted to show the youth that bad decisions could lead to prison or an early grave.”