Johannesburg – Are you working in your community?
Independent Media has opened up an opportunity to
accelerate community development efforts of SA’s youth.
On Tuesday, the company said young people living in South Africa and
making a difference in communities stand to win R250 000 worth in prizes to
boost their community development work
Independent Media is looking for 100 inspiring
young leaders aged between 18 and 35 years who are trailblazers, influencers,
disruptors, healers or innovators in their communities. These 100 young leaders
stand a chance to win R250 000 towards their work to enhance their community
development projects.
“We recognise that there are a lot of inspiring
young people doing exceptional work in communities around the country; however,
a lot needs to be done to support their work in order to help accelerate their
efforts. Our aim with the Young Independents competition is to provide some
support to boost their efforts and their community development endeavours, and
provide the necessary support to enhance their work in communities,” says Saajida
Francis, head of The Young Independents. She continues, “Our aim is to
encourage and accelerate young leadership in various structures of society,
recognising that this age group is the future of our country, and by nurturing
them, we are nurturing the country’s future leaders.”
Independent Media is asking community members to
nominate any young person between the ages of 18 and 35 whom they think is
making a difference in their community. The nominee’s work can be involvement
in the church, the workplace or general community, or he or she could have
environmental influence etc. The five nomination categories are:
· Disruptors include young
people challenging the status quo or traditional thinking with their
unconventional ideas and actions. This includes artists, writers, media, and
civil society leaders.
· Healers include young
people involved in healing our planet and society with their hands and heads.
These are young medical practitioners, young educators involved with
environmental work such as recycling, and NGO workers.
· Influencers are young
people who are influencing the actions and behaviours of brands, policies and
people, and this includes government leaders, trendsetters, social media gurus,
and critics.
· Innovators include young
people inventing new products, and business ideas or services that are changing
the way we live, work and play. This category is for youngsters who are driving
business or technology, scientists, architects, and chefs.
· Trailblazers include
young people leading their field at a local and even international level.
These include top sport stars, academics, scientists, and business leaders.
Nominees must be South African residents (not
necessarily born in South Africa) who are doing exceptional community
development work.
To enter someone for the competition, submit the
nominee’s contact details (name and telephone number or email address), as well
as the nominator’s contact details, along with a motivation letter explaining
why the candidate should be considered as one of the 100 inspiring leaders.
Applications close on 31 January 2017. More information on the competition is
available here.
The 10 winners in each category will receive R35
000 each, and the runner-ups will receive R15,000.
The 100 Young Independents will each win:
· A
chance to win R50 000 in one of five categories.
· A
profile in The Young Independents special
edition across the national Independent Media newspapers in 2017.
on our social media platforms.
· Invitations
to relevant youth seminars and networks aimed at leadership development, among
other relevant issues in the various categories.