A group of seven talented youngsters from disadvantaged areas returned home to Cape Town on Thursday after representing South Africa in Mariefred, Sweden at this year’s World’s Children’s Prize (WCP) Ceremony.
The WCP runs the world’s largest educational program empowering children to become changemakers who can stand up for the equal value of all people, the Rights of the child, democracy and sustainable development.
The group, lead singer Yanga Sobetwa, dancers Thato Nomungeka and Simthandile Sonamzi, bass player Keethan Jurams, keyboard player Curtley Cerfontein, drummer Carla Williams and sign language narrator, Sesethu Ntikinca from Khayelitsha, performed at the ceremony on Monday.
The 2018 Idols South Africa winner, Sobetwa who was bestowed the Young Honorary Adult Friend and Patron Award of the World Children’s Prize.
Arriving at Cape Town International Airport on Thursday, Shen Winberg, the South African Cultural Youth Ambassador for the World’s Children’s Prize Foundation said his role is to implement child’s rights courses in previously disadvantaged schools in the Western Cape.
“With this ceremony the children get to see and hear stories from other children around the world that have different hardships, different plights and different journeys they go through which are really bad. So they get to understand the hardships of other children, especially abuse against girls. They get to learn about the sex slave industry and real hardcore issues that children deal with in this world, so they come back with a wider spectrum of knowledge of what is happening in the World and how they can effect change in their society.”
“Musically, I think this ceremony is very important because a child can come from Khayelitsha or Gugulethu and live in a small shack where they don’t necessarily see the opportunities the world can give them because their mind is focused on what they see in front of them, which may be limited. Going overseas and performing on a big stage in front of a global audience, I feel it answers to their self-esteem and self image so much that they are able to paint their future with so much more than just black and white,” said Winberg.
Nomungeka from Gugulethu has been a dancer for eight years and is a WCP Ambassador.
“I stand for children’s rights and I do not allow anything that goes against their rights. There are a lot of children going through so much trauma and so much trouble and abuse. I believe that all children should be treated the same and have access to their rights such as schooling.”
“The experience was so amazing, to be able to meet the Queen of Sweden in person and perform in front of her. It was amazing to meet children from other countries and continents.”
Cape Times