MAKHADO - A creative Grade 11 pupil of Louis Trichardt High School was recently elected to represent the area in a European country on a date to be announced.

Faith Phathela won the first round of the Rotary Club’s Junior Ambassador Competition and on April 26, she came second at provincial level. She received R2 000 as part of the money needed for her ticket to Europe. While she was very happy with her achievement, Faith was spending sleepless nights thinking deeply as where and how she could get the outstanding R8 000 to jet off to Europe. As everyone likes to be associated with good things, Mr Simon Ndou of Mabidi and Sons Construction came to the rescue of the young of Makhado. Last Friday, he donated R5 000 to Faith.

Ndou said that, as a construction company, they have a programme aimed at empowering needy young people. "I heard the mayor talking about this young girl and I was touched, especially after I heard that she was expriencing financial constraints. It is very encourgaing to have young people of Faith’s calibre in our communities. I am doing this as another way of nurturing her natural talent. Who knows, maybe when she returns from Europe, we might organise something better for her," he said.

Ndou said that he donated the R5 000 to Faith in order to lure more young people into development programmes. "We encourage other young people to focus on their studies, at the same time appealing to businessmen to involve themselves in eradicating poverty, crime and diseases in our villages," said Ndou.

The mayor of the Makhado Municipality, Cllr RS Nkuzana said "this is what we call public/private partnership and we will continue being contracted to it," he said. Cllr NP Muladi of the Makhado Municipality added that, because they have a good partnership with businesspeople, assistance for young children with potential is their first priority as the municipality. Asked about the secret behind her success, Faith said that on a daily basis she lives as an example. "I don't live for myself. I have a dream of becoming the governor of the Reserve Bank in the near future and, if possible I want to further my studies overseas to obtain outside experience to better my country. To other people I am saying, abstain from sex and substance abuse, as everything has its time," she said.