16 Days For Youth – Heart FM closes its doors to lend a hand

Cape Town, 31 May 2018: As Youth Month kicks off, Heart FM will be paying homage to the youth of the Western Cape with its 16 Days For Youth initiative to uplift and lend a hand in communities where help is most needed. The initiative started in 2016 undertaking youth focussed projects cross province, taking the microphone to the heart of communities, giving them a voice and making a difference while doing so.

Come June the 1^st, Heart FM will once again close the doors of its Greenpoint on air studio and swop it for its mobile outside broadcast vehicle, travelling the length and breadth of the province. The radio stations entire line up will take to the road to bring change. This year a greater focus will be placed on feeding as many people as possible, in the light of the recent cost of living increases and food scarcity in many of the towns.

The journey this year kicks off in Kraaifontein and will see teams travel to Lavender Hill, Bridgetown, Paternoster, Langebaan, Mooreesburg, Darling, Montana, Maitland, Kleinmond, Hermanus, Greyton, Genadendal and Bishop Lavis. Projects will include and are not limited to feeding, clothing, fixing, painting and construction. The initiative will also revisit some of its inaugural projects to report on progress and expansion.

While the project has only been running for the two years, there has been many a success story along the way. In 2016 the team met Tannie Magda, a community worker in the Paarl area who clothed and fed the community with limited resources. With the help of the #16DaysForYouth team and sponsors coming on board, Tannie Magda who in 2016 fed just over 2000 people on a monthly basis, is now feeding more than 26 000 people per month in her community.

Managing Director for Heart FM Renee Redelinghuys says nothing is more important than empowering communities. “We’ve seen the impact made in the communities over the last two years and that these projects are not just once-off. Our 16 Days for Youth teams have been carrying out monthly visits to our beneficiaries and have reported on the progress and support received since our initial visits. It is heartening to know that we inspired this change and it is making a difference in the lives of those who need it. We look forward to touching the lives of those we meet on our next journey.”

Programme Manager for Heart FM Denver Apollus echoes her sentiments: “16 Days For Youth is an initiative that is based on telling the stories of the communities in the Western Cape. The ethos of the initiative is not to gain or garner exposure or to brag about the good things done in the communities by a radio station.  Rather that there is a need out in these communities and we have a microphone that has access to numbers and an audience that can be mobilised,  thus we are able to tell their stories and effect the difference and make a change.”

Members of the public will once again be able to get involved on the 16 Days For Youth journey. The route, beneficiaries and wish lists will be published on www.16daysforyouth.com . Listeners will also be able to pledge their support for the campaign. To find out how to get involved and how to join the journey, members of the public are urged to email youth@heartfm.co.za.

For more information visit the website: www.16DaysForYouth.com  to follow the journey on Facebook – @16daysforyouth  on Twitter – @16daysforyouth or Instagram – @16daysforyouth

ENDS