#TrailblazerImpact – Camilla Presents “Fun Maths”
Meet Camilla Thabejane, one of our Class of 2021 Trailblazers from the Mamelodi Chapter. Camilla’s community action project (CAP) had the goal of helping learners improve their maths grades. Through her CAP she has been by providing extra tutoring classes for Grade 8 and 9 learners at her school, Mamelodi High, since September 2021. She named her CAP “Fun Maths” because she wanted to create an environment where learners can have fun practicing maths and to take away the scary stigma of the subject. So far, Camilla has been able to help learners prepare for exams and also motivate them to do well. Camilla believes that “the youth itself is well equipped to bring forth change in the community and the world.”
Here’s her reflection on her experience in the Trailblazer Program:
“What I have learned thus far as a Trailblazer is that sometimes going outside of your comfort zone is where you get to learn different things and become more self-aware. I say this because before I joined enke, I was an introverted person, but right now, enke has allowed me and even guided me to be comfortable with doing the things I was not used to doing. Secondly, enke taught me that whatever you do in life for others or yourself, whether big or small, will always bring some difference that will have impact. I proudly say this because I have seen the impact of my small deeds and actions through my CAP at my school and the learners benefiting from it.
The way I view the youth has significantly changed. As a young person living in a disadvantaged community, I’ve always thought that you should relax, sit back, and let the government and the older people handle the community issues. I did not know that youth empowerment is essential because there is a need for new, unfamiliar modern solutions and ideas to solve the problems. The youth itself is well equipped to bring forth change in the community and the world. Who said you have to be grown to be wise? I have learned not to underestimate the power of the mind of a young person attempting to bring forth transformation to the community and not to underestimate the power of a person who is trying, regardless of their age.
I was attracted to the Trailblazer Program because I could empower not only my community but myself as well through the process and receive the tools to self-discovery. The more I learned about enke, the more invested I became because how enke chooses to make a difference in South Africa is very different and makes a person pay attention to it. Its role in our country is to use the youth to tackle issues we face in our communities.
I want to achieve leadership skills; I want to achieve the ability to be cooperative with stakeholders around me. To gain the ability to communicate and connect with people and make a difference in people’s lives. That’s what I want to achieve, and I have been able to achieve it. I am just looking forward to more of what enke has in store for me, and everything is just exciting. I have discovered so much more about myself through the program, so that has been a bonus.
I thank enke for everything because it has guided me a lot.” – Camilla.
Camilla is proof-positive of the power of connecting and equipping young people with the tools and resources to lead change in their communities. Beyond that, this also shows the mindset shift and change that is possible when we activate the potential within the . We celebrate young people like Camilla who are actively making their mark in their communities!
