On 27 April, the Liberation Drive commenced, during which Hatfield Studios collaborated with Legal Shebeen, M-Powerment, UP Rag, and Urban Knights from Urban Nest Republica. It was a day of community service to uplift those less fortunate by reaching out through various initiatives. Volunteers from these organisations and others from the general public arrived to provide help. The outreach aimed to empower youth and engage with the community through their service with Kids Haven, SOS Village Mamelodi, and Home of Hope for Girls. The Liberation Drive posters were displayed around the university, and the organisations involved publicised them on their social media platforms to maximise community involvement and donations. There was also a Google form for participants to sign up or donate supplies.
The day began with volunteers and members of the organisations making sandwiches at Hatfield Studios that they would distribute to as many as possible. Other volunteers organised donation packs consisting of soap, sanitary pads, assorted toiletries, and groceries donated by the volunteers and the public. Clothing donations for children and adults were collected, specifically consisting of winter clothing.
The sandwiches were distributed to individuals on the streets in Hatfield and to the institutions. Transport was provided to the volunteers to reach these institutions, deliver the donation packs, and engage the children in activities. An activity was held at SOS Village Mamelodi, where they engaged the children in creating a vegetable garden for education purposes, teaching the children to care for a garden and the benefits of garderning. In the future, M-Powerment and their team of engineers at SOS Village will revamp the jungle gym and install netball poles.
When asked about the envisioned impact this outreach will have on the children’s lives, Lyanne Mhlongo, a Wellbeing and Outreach Student Life intern from Hatfield Studios, stated that it “makes them aware that the community is there for them, and that they are not isolated” and that “the garden will have a sustainable impact on their lives’’. The founder and CEO of M-Powerment Care, Similo Siyenga, stated, “It always starts with love; the kids need love. [Engaging with them makes] a massive impact on each of their hearts by getting them to see that they are loved and cared for.”
It was through these organisations – Hatfield Studios, Legal Shebeen, M-Powerment, UP Rag, and Urban Knights – that such an initiative was possible and could give back to the community. The Liberation Drive is a testament to these community-based initiativesmake efforts to bring about change the lives of children in need by giving them essential supplies and educational opportunities. For information on future initiatives, keep an eye on their respective Instagram pages and other social media platforms.
