Two of the most effective ways to get young people to pay attention to an important issue are through music and sports. This is why the Young Free Educated (YFE) initiative presented by the Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (commonly known as the ARA) and the Nelson Mandela Foundation has appointed musician, Oscar “Oskido” Mdlongwa, and soccer star, Jabu Mahlangu (formerly Pule), as ambassadors.
The announcement was made at the Nelson Mandela Foundation offices where radio personality, Chilli M, was the MC. The star, who shared his tales of how to became a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, has also since been made an ambassador. The YFE programme seeks to bring awareness to the dangers of alcohol and substance abuse, particularly targeting youth between the ages of 18 and 25.
They will host a major expo in Grahamstown in August as well as a series of workshops and more in Durban, Limpopo and Cape Town until the end of the year. Oskido pointed out that he is thrilled to be a part of the campaign. “I’m also very humbled to be a part of this programme. I still drink so it’s two different things that Jabu and Chilli have gone through,” he said.
He also added: “I’ve had 21 years in this music industry so I have seen artists come and go. We have developed many but we’ve lost about 90 percent of them to the abuse of alcohol.”
l To see where the YFE workshops, expo and parties will be, visit www.yfe.coo.za