He had a rich career in education and had a stint at the International Red Cross organisation in Mozambique as a social project manager.

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Born in Dobsonville, Soweto, he always knew he would return to make a difference in his hood. Seeing a lack of information and education on his return to Dobsonville in 2013, he was inspired to establish his organisation to help children and youngsters to have a brighter future. He aimed at empowering schools and communities to help minimise the effects of what Simente describes as “social illnesses”.

“Education and sharing are the keys to developing the country. Education comes first,” Simente says. Young Voice Academy excites him and he gestures regularly to make his point when he speaks about it.

The mission of Young Voice Academy is to educate and build a healthy environmental society focusing on love, unity and transformation and one of their objectives is skills training development.

Simente’s right hand is Cathrine Chibweza (47), who shares his passion for community development. Chibweza joined the team in 2019. Her heart breaks when she sees children abusing drugs and dropping out of school. She stresses the importance of educating them at a young age and creating awareness.

During the academy’s eight years of existence, Simente and Chibweza have become known as the “go-to” people in Dobsonville and protectors of child development centres. Besides Dobsonville, they also work with communities in Snake Park, Tshepisong, Pimville, and Randfontein, among others. They’re mobile and often visit schools to empower early childhood development (ECD) centres and schools.

Young Voice Academy also offers training in sports, academics, history, drama, and exposure to experiences such as museums and theatre. The organisation has built a relationship with the Roodepoort Museum over the years and collaborated on events like the senior citizens’ day, learning from history, and the ECD programmes.

“The impact has been amazing and the kids love it,” Chibweza says.

The academy started without sponsors and relies solely on partnerships built and established in the community to remain afloat and continue doing great things for the community.

Simente says he looks forward to continuing towards building a brighter future and keeping on making a difference.

Written by Brümilda Swartbooi