The Greenwood Park community came together to celebrate the annual Youth Festival, hosted by Destiny Fulfilled on Saturday, 14 June. The event, which aimed to nurture young leaders, featured a procession from the community swimming pool to Greenwood Park Primary School, where various activities took place.
The festival was attended by notable figures, including Ward Councillor Andrew Akkers and representatives from the Community Policing Forum (CPF) subforum two. CPF subforum two chairperson, Danusha Makan-Maharaj, said: “We partnered with Destiny Fulfilled to provide safety and security throughout the event. We firstly need the youth to join the youth desks of the various organisations within our community, more especially the CPF youth desk.”
Destiny Fulfilled founder, Michelle Tyron, expressed her gratitude to all parties involved in the event’s success, saying: “It would not have been possible without the collective efforts of all many partners and collaborators.” Tyron highlighted the organisation’s hope for the festival, stating: “Our hope is that every young person who attends leaves feeling seen, heard and inspired to take up their rightful place as leaders and change makers in their own lives and communities. Beyond a one-day event, Youth Fest is about igniting purpose and possibility. Showing young people that their voices matter and that they have a support system walking alongside them.”
Luzel Luyanda Magwaza, a 17-year-old Deputy Head Girl at Parkhill High School and participant in the Destiny Fulfilled Young Leaders Mentorship Program, proposed the idea of starting the day with a procession. Magwaza emphasised the importance of taking action and empowering the younger generation.
The festival concluded with a day of music, food and games, and was deemed a success. Program director Tracy-lee Ulibricht reported that over 1,000 people attended, with 31 vendor stalls and 180 children registered in the Kiddies Corner.
Ulibricht highlighted the overwhelming positive feedback from attendees, stating: “But beyond numbers, the true measure of success was the overwhelming positive feedback from parents, educators, community leaders, local businesses and — most importantly — the young people themselves.”
