Today’s youth is preoccupied with many distractions that have the potential to derail them from their intended destinations. Lending a helping hand can never be overrated especially when this good deed is conducive to changing a person’s life. One notable individual who has devoted her precious time to making a difference in her community is Platform4Change co-founder Nomsa Chauke.
As a teenager Nomsa was fascinated with reading books and watching educational documentaries while her peers immersed themselves in different hobbies. “Growing up, I’ve always been a person who kept to herself and books were my escape to different worlds. As I read I began to see the world from a different perspective and once a person’s perspective changes so will their approach to life”, explains Nomsa.
It is this hunger for knowledge that inspired her to examine society and try to understand the latter’s plight while formulating a permanent solution. The inception of her Non-Profit Organisation Platform4Change came as a response to predominant social ills such as illiteracy and unemployment in Ennerdale.
“It [Platform4Change] came about whilst my friend and I were having a conversation about the state of our communities, particularly where young people are concerned. We knew that something wasn’t right but in order to fix it we had to first identify its genesis and causes. So we went out and began to take a closer look at the various social ills in our community and then we sat down to discuss possible solutions to either eradicate or alleviate some of them”, Nomsa continues.
The NPO was registered in 2015 and soon afterwards they partnered with the SOS Children’s Village where a number of reading books were donated. Programmes to get the youth off the streets and use their time constructively were also put into place.
As if Nomsa doesn’t already have a lot on her plate, she decided to start a marketing and communications company, in May 2019, called Nu Radar Business Solution. This recent business venture has seen her flourish in various entrepreneurial aspects. “As Nu Radar Business Solution. CFC we have worked with a publishing company for artists, D.O.P, where we were responsible for their PR regarding their music. Kwaito artist Drencko was also a client of ours regarding the marketing we did for his nomination in the Mzansi kwaito/ hip hop awards.
Nomsa also entered SABC 2’s Game Plan in 2019 and came out victorious when she and her partner won the competition on October 1st. The show provides a platform to young entrepreneurs who aspire for greatness.
Nomsa’s motto, ‘Do all you can and do it the best you can’ is testament to her achievements at the age of 25.
