Youth Day is close to our hearts for many reasons but most importantly because we are committed to empowering our youth for the future.
Every year Carmién Tea, through its social upliftment arm the Mouton Foundation, celebrates Youth Day by reaching out to needs in our community teaching our children to share and care, instilling the values that are practised and taught at the various foundation centres.
At the De Meul Centre, the largest of four community centres, over 110 school children get bussed in and out every day to attend an Afterschool Club and receive a good meal while their parents are still working. The facility also houses a small clinic and office for our mobile nursing practitioner.
At Bergendal, our exclusive prosessing and packing plant, the focus is education and exposure from an early age so the farm creche had the little ones visit our tea packing facility where they were also treated to a little tea tasting. Getting educated while still enjoying the fun of childhood.
Down in the village we shared delicious hot soup and a sandwich with the under privileged and elderly in appreciation of their input in our lives, reminding us of the value of giving, of parents and grandparents. Soup kitchens were run at the De Meul community centre, at Ubuntu Child Development Centre and at Heuwelsig, a retirement facility for the aged. Each child and adult also received a box of Carmién Tea and a waterbottle.
An inspiring talk was given on the topic, “The Year of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke: Growing youth employment for an inclusive and transformed society.” Charlotte Mannya Maxeke was a South African religious leader, social and political activist and the first black woman to graduate with a university degree in South Africa as well as the first black African woman to graduate from an American university.
Lastly, we simply celebrated the joy of getting together freely and inclusively as we commemorate the lack of freedom of choice and exclusivity which initiated the Soweto uprising of 1975.
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” Nelson Mandela.