Kabelo John Chabalala

Community Youth Heroes

Nominee's Province:
Mpumalanga

Age:
31

Project Name/Description:
Young Men’s Movement

More info:
https://www.facebook.com/kabelo.chabalala.5

Kabelo John Chabalala, 31, is a humanitarian with a big heart for his community. In 2016, he founded Young Men’s Movement (YMM) to help boys from his village of Pankop, Mpumalanga, and nearby communities, live responsible lives by avoiding being violent and not feeling entitled. Chabalala, a freelance writer, uses dialogues and debates to further the aims of his organisation. In a country grappling with high incidents of gender-based violence (GBV), YMM is a beacon of hope. “As a communicator, I realised that one of the things we struggle with as boys and men is expressing our feelings,” he explains. “So, I realised that my personality and my professional skills are a brilliant combination to help boys talk about their challenges and their dreams and aspirations.” Chabalala facilitates mentorship programmes at his home, whereby social issues such as GBV, teenage pregnancy, mental wellness, doing chores at home, careers and dating, among others, are discussed. “Today my community is thankful for the work we do to ensure the streets don’t consume our boys and lead them astray,” he adds. In 2019 Chabalala received recognition as Community Builder of the Year from the Marcia Lebambo Foundation. The previous year he was acknowledged as one of 200 Obama Leaders: Africa 2018.