On June 16, we returned to Phefeni Secondary School in Soweto – the hallowed ground where the 1976 student uprising began – not only to remember and honour history, but to build futures.

Highlights that moved us:

• 300 plus learners from Soweto’s streets and informal settlements arrived eager and willing to participate and learn, despite the winter chill. Their energy? Electric.
• Tech, arts, agriculture, entrepreneurship – we saw the youth light up as they listened to inspiring Soweto alumni, leaders, and community members who are actively involved in shaping the future of Soweto.
• A powerful moment – Veterans of the 1976 uprising stood shoulder-to-shoulder with today’s learners and delivered a powerful and insightful history lesson during the opening ceremony, which poignantly set the tone for the day.

Wins that can’t be measured:

• Libapo Services and Maintenance, a local service provider, delivered exceptional services throughout the event, ensuring that every learner present was fed. Learners were not only fed, but they were also inspired, and left believing that their community needs their genius.
• We left Phefeni in a better space than when we arrived, including a donation of 10 new dustbins, just one of the small steps towards honouring this sacred space.
• Triviron, a company dedicated to the empowerment of girls in STEM and the built environment, donated R10 000 towards this first Youth Day Soweto Career Expo initiative.

Sponsored by Jozi My Jozi, this was never going to be just a Career Expo. It was a promise kept – to those who fought for liberation, and to those who’ll claim it in the future.

The work continues. The youth are ready. Soweto’s future is unwritten, but in excellent hands.