On Friday, 10 and Saturday, 11 October, the Tutu Youth Forum brought together students to discuss their role in building a better South Africa as part of Habits of the Heart V, under the theme 'Reframing the Legacy: Reclaiming our Future'. From citizenship and education to technology and bridging city divides, young voices explored how to create real change.
Day 1
From the moment we registered and gathered for the Opening Ceremony, there was a palpable sense of excitement—a shared curiosity about how we, as young people, could begin reframing the legacy of our country. After a spectacular performance from our St John's College a cappella group, we were welcomed by the leaders: Oliver Boulliart (LV, Clarke) and Rebone Rantloane (LVI Runge). We were lucky to have Ray Films cover the event with us. After a fun ice breaker and introductory discussion, the energy in the room truly shifted when Ms Jaxa began her session: What YOU can do for change.
All I can say is—wow. I have never felt such intensity and passion in a discussion before. Our attention was hers when she related our active citizenship to the 'beef' between Drake and Kendrick. She moved on to challenging us to think critically about our role in shaping South Africa's future and, more importantly, to start creating real solutions rather than just talking about problems. She made every question feel personal and meaningful.
My favourite moment was when she asked, "What can we do to make the government aware today?" I remember responding that while social media is the common answer, it often feels like the government ignores online activism, as if our voices (trapped behind screens) can't create real change. I said, "Let us use our past to frame our future," echoing the Habits of the Heart slogan. I spoke about bringing back collective action in the form of peaceful protests that once had shaped our nation. If it worked then, why not now? Let's make it a movement, a countrywide call for change. That moment made me realise how powerful youth voices can be when united. By the end of the day, I left with a renewed sense of purpose, determined to play my part in building a better South Africa.
"Give young people a greater voice. They are the future, and they are much wiser than we give them credit for." — Desmond Tutu
Day 2
The second day began with Workshop 2: Learning about Learning, which encouraged us to think about how we learn—not just academically, but socially and emotionally too. We were honoured to hear from the Click Foundation: a South African NGO on a mission to support under-serviced primary schools in building strong foundations in literacy, numeracy, and digital skills. We learnt about their carefully designed online programmes, which empower students to take ownership of their learning journey with the help of technology. The Click Foundation even helps with job creation by creating meaningful opportunities for unemployed youth, who step in to assist schools and teachers with the implementation of these programmes. I realised that sometimes we need to look beyond the governmental systems and build support structures for our South Africa.
Workshop 3: Mind the Gap, where we discussed inequality and how education can either close or widen those gaps. Cynthia from Dlala Nje was interviewed by our very own Mr Mashego. She was inspiring. Her work empowering children and young people in Johannesburg's inner city showed me that transformation is possible—that stereotypes and social barriers are often the biggest obstacles to progress. I wanted to ask her, "For those who don't become success stories, what are the reasons? And can understanding those reasons help us find real solutions for Johannesburg?" Even though I didn't get the chance to ask it, the thought has stayed with me. I hope to cross paths with Dlala Nje again. Mr Mashego then ran a workshop with us where we had to identify key needs in our precincts. We were divided geographically and we had to figure out what was possible, what was needed and how we could be active citizens in our communities.
The student leaders hosted Workshop 4: The Device in You, which focused on technology, Artificial Intelligence, and the future of work. This was truly impressive and made me stop and reflect on our relationships with technology. The leaders, Oliver, Rebone and Soham-Zhy Ravjee (LV, Clarke) had us choose a side of the room based on our views on a topic. Soham-Zhy then asked AI, while projected on the screen, which side it would take in these controversial dialogues. This exercise made me think deeply about whether AI is truly helping us or slowly replacing us. Some students felt that AI promotes development by reducing manual labour, while others argued that it's costing people their jobs, especially those in underprivileged communities. One comment that struck me was that South Africa's creativity is rooted in its people, and that overreliance on AI could make us lose part of that human spark.
The final workshop consisted of panel discussions centred on Recolouring the Rainbow. These discussions continued our lively debates and engagement. The guests were: Luke Lamprecht, who works in the non-profit and child protection sector; Judy Malan, Tutu Fellow 2006, lawyer and leadership consultant; Tshepiso Polo, a Grade 11 student at Hoërskool Birchleigh, who is a South African debater; and Roedean student and debater, Laila Ahmed. One question that sparked a lively debate was, "Why do some suburbs, like Houghton, not collaborate more with Johannesburg's CBD?" The answers ranged from fears about crime and poverty, to uncertainty about how to help, to misconceptions about people's ability to care for shared spaces. It reminded me how divided our city can still feel—and how important it is for young people to challenge those divisions.
"It is important to provide our students with a space to realise the importance of their voices. They need to see that they matter not only in our schools but in the future of our nation. This event is by the students and for the students," said Mrs Tracy-Lee Edwards, who assisted the students in running the event.
As we prepare to launch our social media campaign and report on our discussions, I'm reminded of Archbishop Tutu's words: we are the future, and our voices matter. The forum showed me that when young people come together with purpose, we don't just talk about change—we become it.
