#khutsong

Vee is a new musical sensation from Khutsong, Carletonville, South Africa.

Download her first single from her debut project Alive ep. paying tribute to the great Thandiswa Mazwai.

Introducing a mentorship programme anyone can be part of.

It started off with an injustice I observed, which totally changed the way I saw the world and I realised how privileged I am to be male and how disadvantaged women are, most especially when young and from a poor household. At about the same time, government was introducing Max. re-branded government supplied and free condoms, marketed as flavoured and hip; meant to increase the usage of condom among the youth. All I saw was...

That gave birth to Promise a pad, a campaign that attempted to balance the scale, give young girls who are unable to afford the most basic of necessities one less thing to worry about. I had an inkling that many are going through menstrual cycles without sanitary towels but I couldn’t imagine the impact of not having sanitary towels.

From ‘on the ground’ research conducted I found out what young girls really go through. Resources were pooled between my brand, Neo Influence, Khutsong Literary Club (a NGO focused on combating social ills through literature), Girls with goals (a company owned by young female professionals aimed at women empowerment) and individuals to identify the girls in need, from Khutsong secondary schools. Once identified, we were able to plead with organisations, churches, companies and individuals to hear the cries of these young girls and help them get an equal chance at life. So no girl will miss a day of school because a packet of pad is too expensive.

Overwhelming support was received before and during the women’s month of August 2016. From the community, Merafong FM bringing awareness via advertisements and radio interviews, articles by Carletonville Herald http://carletonvilleherald.com/8095/promise-a-pad-campaign-new-initiative/ ,through events whereby admission was by a packet of pads

The newspaper articles, radio interviews, events and word of mouth spread and the plight of young girls received the attention it deserves.

(women in mining organisation from Anglogold Ashanti Mponeng, donation)

more and more organisations saw the need and began similar awareness campaigns, as a result a more impactful initiative is needed to transcend and better the lives of the young girls who struggle to afford the basic of necessities. Promise a pad has evolved into Promise a girl, a mentorship programme where you can offer help by guiding a young girl through decisions that will affect her for the rest of her life, be the positive influence so she may empower other young girls going through similar life experience. as Joseph Wong said

"Influence is our inner ability to lift people up to our perspectives"

So if you believe you have some knowledge to pass on to a young girl & change their life for the better, reach out.

If you are a young girl with the belief you need some help, reach out.

Send a profile of yourself to [email protected]

Closing date: 31 August 2017

The space between the person I am striving to be and the person I am has shortened. More so, in recent years. However, for most of the years I did not have an outlook that focused more on values but rather materialistic tangibles, which were next to nothing at the time. For all those years I was oblivious to all the wealth and everything else I actually had. Most of it was abundant and priceless. The image above shows the invaluable love that has brought me thus far. Far enough to have realised what is important in life and how reactions to circumstances have the power alter the direction of one’s life.

The boy carried by his mother is me. In the middle is my aunt and next to her is her brother (aka my father) and  lastly my older sister. The picture was taken in our living room in Chiawelo, 3 years before my younger sister was born.

Today I am grateful for all I have. I am grateful for the unconditional love and support of my wife and family, the good health and active lifestyle of my children, the loyal and ambitious friends I keep and the respect my community gives me. Above everything I am glad I am able to pursue my dreams. Given my upbringing, I could not fathom I would go to university to study my dream degree, let alone graduate. I could not imagine I would be able to direct and produce music or deserve the title of graphic designer nor creative director.

“I never knew we were poor until I was told we were”

I am a Communication Strategist because I was born and raised in a shack by loving grandparents who never spared the rod or let me go hungry. I never knew we were poor until I was told we were. I never questioned why my parents were not in attendance at debate competitions or award ceremonies because I understood what they had to do to provide the clothes I wore. Hungry nights in Hilbrow, Johannesburg, with nothing but music, poetry and the company of my friends have honed my ears for music. Struggling to submit advertising assignments without Photoshop let alone a computer have gave me an eye for graphic design. Failed relationships have gave me the love of my life. 

“Everything worth having is worth fighting for”

Clouds draw & dim The sky scarlet. Stars clear the night To the nauseating stench of murder in the air. Sent in haste to meet the maker as a sentence is passed under heaven. Pleas fall on deaf ears as seeds to fire incinerate. Flames gutter the soul at the stake to blind witnesses without tongues. Blood boils as rage of these malevolent executioners flares. Pyre sans of rites & tyres as Red cedar necklaces. Has the good lord forsaken a life that ends unceremoniously?