By Mehdeen Sehgal | Associate Director, Marketing and Development
Lucky started out his life in Limpopo Province of South Africa. His mother was un-employed, and his father had passed away. Hunger was a daily reality for him and his four siblings. Seeking an opportunity for work, he came to live with his two siblings in Alexandra Township (low-income community area) Johannesburg. None of the siblings were working, and so they struggled to make ends meet. Then one day, at a time when he was “close to giving up”; he heard an invitation on the radio, inviting athletes to compete and travel overseas to take part in a triathlon. He came to Afrika Tikkun’s Center to enroll in Afrika Tikkun’s Sports Program, where he met his future mentor Thomas Taole.
By taking part in the Sports Program, he was mentored to develop the soft skills (discipline, perseverance, good sportsmanship and teamwork) that prepared him for a successful career path. Travel opened his eyes to a whole new realm of possibilities. Upon returning he applied for Afrika Tikkun’s Child and Youth Care paid internship. This helped him support himself and his siblings. Lucky proved himself to his community and the Center, and soon a job opportunity arose. He began to climb through the ranks of the organization that employed him. Through his internship and now his work experience, he discovered his passion – training, motivating and inspiring young people. He continued to progress within the organization, and was appointed to work with a company, Afrika Tikkun Services (the career and placement arm of Afrika Tikkun). This gave him the opportunity to interact with many other companies, and he was soon hired by RAM couriers. Today, Lucky is rising through the ranks at RAM Couriers, while also pursuing higher education.
With the help of donors like you, Afrika Tikkun empowers disadvantaged youth with relevant employability skills to ensure their socio-economic stability. Our comprehensive development program has a long-term impact on the youth we serve as our skills training program provide them with a solid foundation to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency.
On behalf of our 20,000+ beneficiaries, we thank you for investing in the future of our young people!
Warm regards,
Mehdeen Sehgal
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