WHY PAY R200 FOR A YOUTH DIALOGUE (TALK)?

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We were made aware earlier today of a post circulating on social media (primarily on Facebook) by a gentleman called Gabriel Malose who doesn’t understand why should one pay R200 to attend the Tshwane Youth Leadership Talk (TYLT). I felt that it was very important for us as a movement to give clarity on this matter.
 
Since inception, our organisation – Agape Youth Movement(AYM) has been supported by various and most innovative means of fundraising. Through all our 25 initiatives, we were able to self-fund our programmes. This ranges from car wash campaigns (2011-2012), gospel concerts, to even advanced fund-raising strategies such as rendering services under our NPC structure and using the profits to impact thousands of lives across South Africa.
 
Let me make it clear to everyone that our organisation is self-funded (since 2009) and does not receive any donations from global organisations. The success of the organisation’s programmes lies with the amazing social capital (human resources) we have acquired over the years. The brilliant young men and women who work tirelessly and selflessly by contributing their skills towards the development of their communities, is what sets us apart from other organisations in South Africa that are funded by bother international and local funders. Also, we have created strategic partnerships with other development agencies and organisations who believe in our vision – striving for a capacitated and empowered youth who participate in the positive transformation of Africa.
 
The Annual Tshwane Youth Leadership Talks are phase one of an award-winning and innovative Learner-leader intervention within rural schools called #Moetapele which is endorsed by the national Department of Basic Education. This programme is fully-funded by AYM. Amid the current leadership crisis and the loud cry for a new breed of leadership, #Moetapele was designed and piloted by a group of industry experts during 2015 with efforts to combat and ultimately eradicate the leadership crisis we have in this country.
 
All the contributions from the public (in any form) are channelled towards financing the programme to run within Limpopo and Gauteng (emphases added throughout).
 
When you [the participant] pay a minimum INVESTMENT FEE of R200, you are indirectly financing the development of a new breed of leaders who will create real change this country is yearning for. Also, note that the event is a gathering of young thought leaders. It is a dialogue to engage and equip our brains with powerful content from incredible leaders and industry experta who have/are contributing to the positive transformation of this country. It is for this reason that we call your contribution ‘an investment’ for you and other young people in South Africa.
 
We are grateful to every person who has supported this programme since 2015. Continue to support us as we continue to develop exceptional leaders who will create impeccable change within our society.
 
As our mission states, we are a youth-led organisation implementing programmes aimed at previously disadvantaged youth in South African townships and rural areas. Our programmes seek to capacitate and empower the youth with relevant skills using innovative tools. We do this by;
– Making youth aware of their own potential and the role they can play in transforming society for the better;
– Provide youth leadership skills and capacitate the youth to engage meaningfully with societal issues and devise their own solutions.
– Provide structured support to the capacitated youth leaders in their endeavours; and
– Facilitate mutual support and mentoring of youth-based organisations.
 
We invite you to be part of the 3rd Annual Tshwane Youth Leadership Talk taking place on the 24th of June 2017 at the ZK Matthews Great Hall in UNISA. Do visit www.tylt.aym.org.za to know more about this important youth leadership talk and how to be part of it.
 
Thank you for your support! May God continue to bless you as you continue to support us in our quest to unlock a new breed of leaders in our society.
 
—
Issued by Thabang Ramoroka (Abuti Rams)
Chief Empowerment Officer (CEO)
Agape Youth Movement NPC/NPO

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CHANGE OF DATE FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL TSHWANE YOUTH LEADERSHIP TALK 2017

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This is to inform you that due to circumstances the date of the Tshwane Youth Leadership Talk, youth dialogue event, changed from Friday 23rd June 2017, to Saturday the 24th June 2017. However, the Fundraising Gala Dinner will still take place on Friday evening, the 23rd June 2017.
 
This is primarily due to high school examinations that will still be in process on the Friday of the 23rd June. For full attendance, it was advisable to move the event to a Saturday.
 
The agenda is still the same and we apologize for any inconvenience caused by this.
 
Thank you and please contact us for any assistance.
_____
Matsetsebale Tleane
Communications Director
Agape Youth Movement (AYM)
+27 12 771 4705

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Agape Youth Movement (AYM) enters into a 3 year partnership with Junior Chamber International (JCI) Tshwane

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On 6 April 2017, Agape Youth Movement (AYM) and Junior Chamber International (JCI) Tshwane entered into a formal partnership. In alignment with Objective 3 (Provide, with partners,  a peer support and mentorship platform for youth-based organisations and institutions. See www.aym.org.za/about) of the organisation and youth entrepreneurship development programmes (see www.aym.org.za/business), AYM officially entered into a three (3)  year strategic partnership with JCI Tshwane. The partnership is formed on the following objectives:

  • Organisational Awareness (both offline and online)
  • Youth Entrepreneurship Programmes
  • Events

Co-founder and CEO of AYM – Mr Thabang Ramoroka (Abuti Rams), emphasised the importance of creating partnerships for youth development especially in the youth entrepreneurship space. “Having worked with JCI Tshwane informally in 2013 under the leadership of Mr Ndzimeni (former JCI Tshwane President), it is fitting for us to enter into a formal agreement which will benefit both organisations and ultimately increase  our collective impact within youth entrepreneurship development. AYM will further connect JCI Tshwane with its other resource and strategic partners within Tshwane. Surely this will strengthen the work of youth development, not only in Tshwane but to the rest of the country.”, he emphasised.

Central to our youth entrepreneurship development programmes’ goals and objectives, our intention is to become an entrepreneurial engine, fueling entrepreneurs and businesses by presenting opportunities to learn, network and leverage off each other’s knowledge, resources and enthusiasm.

AYM and JCI Tshwane will endeavour to inform its membership and stakeholders about either organisation to foster an environment where its stakeholders and companies support and cooperate with both organisations.

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Poverty is your worst enemy

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I’m going to be as brutally honest as I can with you today. Please bear with me.
 
If you ever thought poverty is a myth, then I want you to pay attention for the next few minutes.
 
Reality of the matter is that poverty is real and it is not something you should entertain. We wake up each day to face a monster called poverty. This evil create shuts our eyes from seeing bigger visions about our lives. It deprives us the opportunity to live our dreams. Poverty distracts us from our real ambitions in life.
 
We wake up each day to fight poverty. Some wake up early hours of the day to go to work, some go sell products and services to make money whilst others are studying towards having a better future to eradicate poverty. But what is the best way to fight poverty? Are we comfortable with our current situations? Are we happy to be “surviving” all the time?
 
At some point in our lives, we gotta start having crazy faith that’s bigger than our bank balances. In-fact, our bank balances should be motivation enough to go out there and work harder than before. We need to hustle until the hustle gets tired of us. Until the hustle start complaining, you don’t have a right to stop.
 
Poverty is not your friend. You can’t be acting like it will smile be nice to you. Poverty is out to get you. You need to work harder. You need to put in all the energy. You need to press on. You need to push like never before.
 
My prayer for you and I today is that we start seeing poverty as the enemy. We can only conquer it if we put in the work. Do everything in our power to take advantage of all the opportunities life presents to us. We need to see beyond the obvious. Break boundaries. Push ourselves to the limit and never stop dreaming big. After all, there’s no crime in dreaming big as long as we also act big!
 
See you at the top!

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Connecting the dots

Connect the dots

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It was in 2015 at Stanford University where Steve Jobs had this to say in his thought-provoking speech: “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
 
I fully concur with his statement. If you can look back on your life, you’d realise that nothing’s the same. Indeed a lot has changed for the better. Though it may seem like nothing has changed, but you can also agree with me that where you are today is definitely not where you were a year before. 
 
If you look deep into the changes around, you’ll notice that things are not the same as they used to.
 
Yes you’ve committed some mistakes. Yes you missed some opportunities here and there. Yes you’ve been ridiculed for the small hiccups and yes you have been in some tougher situations in the past. But what matters and what stands is that when you reflect on your journey, you can see the great milestones you’ve achieved. You can begin give yourself some credit and cut yourself some slack.
 
Look back, see what the Lord has done in your life. Appreciate every challenge and see them as opportunities and not setbacks. It may not be a fun exercise, but as soon as you are able to look back and count your blessings, you will begin to connect the dots.

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Only believe God’s report

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Have you ever been told that you’ll never succeed or amount to anything in life? And did you believe it?

Reality is that, there are people in this world who try by all means to demotivate us with their negative statements or those who are try to destroy us by being negative in whatever we want to do or achieve. They think that they know us or can predict our lives.  It is sad that some of us are not living the lives we desire to live because we have listened and believed these negative people.

The truth is that, the only person who completely knows you is God Almighty (your Creator). He knows everything about you, your dreams, vision and purpose. He knows all that you’ll come across in life, the setbacks, the pain, the challenges, the good times and all that you’ll go through before you arrive to the future He has prepared for you. But worry not for He will be with you all the time.

He said: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I blessed you.” Jeremiah 1:5

Why do you believe what people say about you and your life over God who created you?
He formed and blessed you. He says with Him all things shall be possible in your life but you choose to believe people who says, nothing shall be possible in your life. Why?

Your days have been recorded before you were even born by God who created you for a reason with a purpose to fulfil. He has plans and greater things in store for you. Why then do you believe what people say about you and your life over what God who created you says about you (His beloved Child)?

Don’t let what others say to you destroy your vision.
Don’t let their words hold you back in life.
Don’t let the negativity they spread about you pull you down.
Don’t let their small thinking grab your attention.
Stop believing people who knows nothing about you over God who knows everything about you.

I wish you a blessed day and productive week. May all your plans and dreams come true.

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#PowerTalks Back with A BANG!

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We are happy to announce that our weekly #PowerTalks are back with a BANG. Catch the first edition in 2017 on the 6th of March 2017 from 7am. Visit www.aym.org.za/powertalks to be part of our mailing list.

Please note that you will also have them on our website on www.aym.org.za/category/power-talks

For more information, email powertalk@aym.org.za

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Get Your Empowerment on our platform

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Agape Youth Movement (AYM) is giving you an opportunity as an organiser to publish and promote your youth empowerment event on our Events Portal. All you need to do is to simply send us an email on events@aym.org.za with the following:

  • Name of event
  • Event Organiser (s)
  • Date (s) of the event
  • Time (s) of the event
  • Venue of the event
  • Poster of the event

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God has not abandoned you

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Many times when you come across demotivated, depressed and stressed people or when you come across people who have been struggling and suffering for a long time, maybe with sickness or unemployment, when you start telling them about God and how great He is, some of them will ask you, where is God when I am suffering like this, why is He not helping me, why has He abandoned me?

Truth be told, God has not abandoned you for He said in His word that, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” He is faithful to His word, when He says He will do something, trust Him for He will surely do it. Being in the situation you’re in doesn’t mean God doesn’t care about you, it doesn’t mean He has abandoned you. He has His reasons why, He has a purpose to fulfil in your life with all that you’re going through. Learn to have faith in Him, to trust Him and to be still knowing that He is God who can do exceedingly abundantly above all that you asked for.

It’s challenging, it’s painful, it’s disappointing but let it not separate you with God, let it not destroy your faith but rather let it help you grow closer to God.

God is able, don’t stop trusting Him just because your life is challenging and complicated.
Don’t give up praying just because you feel like you’ve been praying for a long time and God is not answering you.
He hears, He sees and He responds.
Your appointed time will surely come, wait patiently for it.

I wish you a blessed and a successful day.
May all your plans and dreams come true.

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Be Expectant

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During pregnancy, a woman is forced to quit all bad habits which some include smoking, drinking and eating fast foods. There is a lot of pain that is experienced at times. There is a lot of sacrifice that needs to be done however you can draw a lot of lessons from pregnancy. Some lessons include patience, care, health and faith, just to name a few.
Another term we use to say that a woman is pregnant is pregnant is that “she is expecting”. This means she is expecting something – a gift – a baby. One important other lesson to draw from a pregnant women is that you need to learn is to be expectant.
“cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder.” – (Romans 12:12 MSG)
Often times we are not on the receiving end. We have faith that God will do miracles, however we are not expecting something to come our way. When a woman is expecting a baby, she makes sure that her health is up to scratch. She makes sure that nothing harms that which is coming her way (a gift from God).
Maybe one of the reasons why you haven’t received your blessing is because you are not expecting it. By expecting a blessing, there certain things you need to do. You do not sit there and expect something to happen when you are not preparing yourself for it. The bible say you must “wait on the Lord.” Whilst waiting, you need to gear up. Just like a pregnant woman, you need to get rid of the many things that might cause a blessing miscarriage.
Some of the things that may cause your “blessing miscarriage” include doubt, negative talks, impatience, shame, thanklessness, hopelessness and pride (we will dwell on this subject in detail).
Maybe one of the reasons why you haven’t received your blessing is that you are not at the receiving end. Yes, you might be waiting on the Lord, still standing firm, but your position might be incorrect. When God opens the windows of heaven and pour out His blessings to you, will the blessings find you in the right position with him? Do you have a right-standing with God? Are you righteous?
There are many “blocks” preventing your healing, health and blessings. A sober conclusion would be that you need to walk in “Love and Truth” with God, ourselves and our fellow man, there will be NO blocks! You need to make sure that at all times you are expectant.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:1 NLT)
God has great plans for you, plans not to harm you but to give you hope and future. As much as He wants you to wait upon Him, He also expects you to be expectant. Be ready to receive the blessings of God. Don’t wait without hope and the right standing with God.

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