Sebokeng Youth Graduate from Activate Change Drivers In-Community Training

The community of Sebokeng recently celebrated a powerful milestone as a new group of young people graduated from the Activate Change Drivers in-community training program. From thousands of applications received nationwide in 2025, Gauteng became the first province to introduce this wave of youth into the Activate network, a movement that now boasts more than 4,000 members across South Africa.

The journey unfolded in two impactful modules: Module 1 in May 2025 and Module 2 in September 2025. Across these sessions, participants engaged in civic education, leadership development, and collaborative activities designed to strengthen their role as active citizens. The training emphasized practical action, equipping young people with the skills to tackle pressing issues such as unemployment, gender-based violence, and community safety while nurturing their confidence to lead.

For the graduates, this was more than just a training program; it was a life-changing journey of self-discovery, responsibility, and empowerment. Each young person left with a commitment to not only improve their own lives but to actively shape the future of their community.

As a facilitator, this moment holds deep personal meaning for me. I, joined the Activate network in 2019, and that experience reshaped my path. Activate gave me the courage to regain my voice, reimagine my future, and begin creating opportunities, including my journey in radio, which began that same year. To now stand at the forefront of bringing new faces, skills, and talents into the network is a proud full-circle moment.

Standing in front of these young people in Sebokeng, guiding them through this program, I could see parts of myself in their excitement, their doubts, and their breakthroughs. I know what it feels like to discover that you have a role to play in shaping your community. That is why this graduation is so close to my heart  because it is not just their success, it is a continuation of the journey I started years ago.

The Sebokeng intake is not just about adding numbers to the network. It represents hope, resilience, and the rise of a new generation of leaders. These graduates embody the vision of Activate Change Drivers: building a South Africa where young people do not wait for change, they drive it.

The Sebokeng intake is not just about numbers being added to a network. It represents hope, new beginnings, and the promise of fresh energy in our communities. Each graduate is proof that young people do not need to wait for change. They are the change, and they have the skills, courage, and network to drive it.

I am proud to have been part of this journey and even prouder to stand as both a product of Activate and a facilitator bringing in the next generation of leaders. This is a full-circle moment I will carry with pride.

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About the author:

Jennifer ‘JennyLove’ Mdluli – A Radio Broadcaster, a Facilitator, an Activator, and a member of the Writers’ Hub.

Passionate about radio, youth, and community development her goal is to tell African stories the African way.

“If it doesn’t work change the plan not the goal.”