A career expo was held on the 30th of April at the IkamvaYouth Mamelodi branch and we had different exhibitors, some guest speakers and an inspirational MC, Thulani Mphahlele, who delivered a speech which was in the form of an affirmation. He emphasized that “we are created to create, designed to deliver” and we opened our hands in acknowledgment that indeed the future is in our hands.
Guest speaker and senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria, Dr. Craig Grobbler gave a talk about his life, he told us what led him to be where he is now, “If you are born poor it is not your fault, but if you die poor it is your fault.” Challenges will always be there to test how far we are willing to go with perseverance and hard work . What I learned was to never give up on my dreams, don’t prove those who doubt you wrong but prove to yourself that you are right
Some of the exhibitors on the day were ABI, YCAP, Richfield, Boston, and Nedbank. Nedbank taught us that we can actually open bank accounts at the age of 16, these are student accounts and they gave us the opportunity to complete application forms. Boston is college and they offer bursaries to students pursuing commercial subjects. YCAP is a program that offers young people a platform to do projects that they believe can change their communities and help them to live with purpose.
I learned a lot and now I am much wiser about the career I want to follow. Thank you IkamvaYouth for the opportunity and l am looking forward to next career expo.
Lloyd Lungu