#TrailblazerImpact – Class of 2020
Internal Light: Mmakgauta Mohlabeng and Moloko Sekgolwane
School: Mabea High School
Location: Limpopo
CAP Issue: Teenage Pregnancy
Mmakgauta and Moloko have decided to work together to address an issue in their community that they’re both concerned about, Teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is one of the social issues that youth are challenged with. Mmakgauta and Moloko decided to address the negative impact that teenage pregnancy has on the young people in their community. And this because they have seen young girls having to drop out of school and not get an education.
From the Trailblazer workshops and the support received in the Program, they embarked on a journey that would impact their community and themselves by starting their CAP “Internal Light”. Mmakgauta refers to the Trailblazer Program as one of the most exciting experiences in her life. It has transformed her and ignited her dreams and dreams of all the young people in her community. She asserted that there are so many things that a young person can learn from the Trailblazer Program, from self-development to how to be an active member of your community. Being part of the Program has motivated them to value and believe in themselves, build self-confidence, and positively approach their future. Moloko shares: “I had a lack of confidence and was always overcome by fear when it comes to achieving my dreams, but now I have become a more confident person with a lot of expectations and hope for the future.”
Mmakgauta and Moloko particularly enjoyed the interactive and hands-on way that workshops were delivered and the different fun activities. Trailblazer Workshops were a space to learn and grow while contributing to the growth of their communities. One of the activities that stood out for them was the Experiential Learning Model and building peer-to-peer connections, and learning how they can build each other and their community.
Mmakgauta and Moloko, through their CAP, have invited local nurses to the schools in their community to educate their peers about teenage pregnancy and how it can be prevented. They have held this kind of session in two schools. The session included both girls and boys as sex education and teenage pregnancy affect both girls and boys. The Internal Light Project also created a platform for youth to advocate against other issues that contribute towards teenage pregnancy (such as drug abuse, poverty and lack of information). These are issues that have been highlighted by the learners through the platform. To date, more than 200 learners from Mabea High School and Kgalashu Secondary School have benefitted from the Internal Light project, attending the sessions with the local nurses. Due to the impact, they have seen in the project, these Trailblazers aim to continue the Internal Light project and keep creating impact and changing their community. They will get more Trailblazers to participate in the project and involve other learners from other schools in their community. The impact is not only on a few schools but also on the whole community.
