Youth upliftment through music
Durban: Non-profit organisation Destiny Fulfilled is collaborating with Parkhill Secondary School as well as the Greenwood Park community to celebrate Youth-Fest on Youth Day.
The event is set to take place on Friday at Parkhill Secondary School, Greenwood Park.
Local rapper Ash-Leigh La Foy, aka Lex LaFoy, will be performing and is looking forward to it. She said: “As an artist with a love for music, community development and social justice, this event excites me. It's about giving back to our community and inspiring youth who are so desperately in need of hope.”
La Foy said the event was also close to her heart because it was taking place in the community that raised her and the community in which she resides. She said she was well aware of the issues the youth face within that community, including drug use and crime.
She added, “An event like this brings much-needed hope and joy to young people, to remind them that great things are possible when we come together with a definite end in mind.”
La Foy said both her family and Tryon’s enjoyed a good relationship and they managed to reach out to Tryon’s organisation to assist with the event, “as we share common values”.
Festival organiser Michelle Tryon said Youth Day was a day to commemorate the power of youth. She said, “The youth of 1976 sought means and solutions to overcome their challenges. They believed their actions would help change the trajectory of the country.”
Destiny Fulfilled is a NPO that started in 2013. It aims to empower youth and foster positive change in educational settings through programmes. They aim to inspire learners, transform schools, and build thriving communities. Tryon said the organisation's vision was influenced by her youth. She said she was heavily involved in youth leadership and social development in her teenage years.
She said: “We try to continue the legacy of individuals like Steve Biko, who changed the consciousness of a generation. Everything happens in the mind. How we think and what we think will drive us. It is a day to acknowledge the bravery, belief system of youth and the power of youth and consciousness. It also is a day of the power of belief and that if you think positively, you’ll achieve positively.”
Tryon explained that as a former pupil of the school, she said for the last two years, their organisation had fully committed to assisting the school by drawing up a pilot to demonstrate “that when the community and ex-pupils come to a public school, that school has an opportunity and support it requires.”
“We’re using this event as a catalyst to bridge the gap between the school and the community as we discovered that they’re not actively involved with the school,” she said.
In an earlier interview with “Northglen News”, Parkhill Secondary Principal Larry Naidoo said they looked forward to the event and that one of the musical acts involved their school choir. He said: “We want to forge a stronger bond with the community and showcase our school’s talents. For me, one of the most exciting parts of all this is our choir. They will be performing on the day, which has motivated them to be a part of the fest.”
There’s no entry free for the event and attendees will be privileged to receive multiple musical performances from local artists, as well as a flea market and youth empowerment and entrepreneurial opportunities. The event will comprise over 30 musical acts put on by the “youth” (35 and younger).
The Independent on Saturday