Reflections from the youth Hub

By SIkhethiwe Mlotsha

Over the past three months, one of the most beautiful and meaningful parts of the Youth Hub has been the sense of community. Twenty young people from five different communities came together and managed to live, learn, and grow as one collective. We saw how powerful it is when young people from different places are given a space to connect with each other, to support one another, and to build something together. There was real beauty in how this group came to feel like one family.

But this wasn’t easy. One major challenge was the lack of resources. The youth were working on six different projects—farming, sewing, carpentry, welding, hairdressing, and motor mechanics. With limited tools and materials, it was difficult to distribute everything fairly, and that slowed down the work. Even when the motivation was strong, the lack of support sometimes made it hard to move forward.

Another deep challenge was the way we approached leadership and learning. Unlike the traditional systems many of us come from—where young people are told what to do—we invited everyone to find their own voice and their own sense of purpose. That’s not just a method; it’s a whole shift in how people see themselves. For many, this was the first time they were asked: “What do you care about? What do you want to bring into the world?”

At first, this was confusing and even scary. But we stayed with it. We listened, supported, and made space for each person to step into leadership in their own way. It was challenging, but it also sparked something real—something that could grow into a different kind of future.

We saw meaningful outcomes emerge from the six different projects:

- Motor Mechanics: The youth managed to fix two cars in the village—real repairs, done with care and growing confidence. It was work that mattered to the community.

- Welding: They created burglar bars for one of the houses in the village. And they created with an eye for beauty and creativity. It was a powerful reminder that their learning had a direct impact on people’s lives. They also created a beautiful shelf with the name of their team welded into the lines.

- Carpentry: The youth repaired many of the old chairs around the village, giving them new life by covering them with bright, beautiful cloth. These chairs are now being used in the Kufunda office, and the whole space feels transformed by their touch. They’ve also taken on maintenance across the village—fixing doors, steadying tables—and are now working on a beautiful bunk bed to showcase to the community. Their steady carpentry skills are a symbol of growth and possibility.

- Sewing: What made this project especially beautiful was the sense of joy and excitement that filled the space. The team was small, which gave them time to slow down and deepen their learning. I witnessed moments of real pride as they designed their own patterns and turned simple pieces of cloth into beautiful, wearable creations. This was was self-expression, care, and creation all in one.

- Farming: The whole team participated in this collective project. Most were learning for the first time how to grow food in a healthy, organic way. There was so much joy in exploring biodynamic practices—new methods that felt exciting and rare in our context. This was farming as a way of reconnecting with land, food, and life itself.

Each project carried its own rhythm, its own lessons, and its own small victories. Together, they became a living expression of what’s possible when young people are trusted, supported, and invited to show up as leaders of their own becoming.