Cape Town - Making an impact through art is what Supporting Mentorship Through Art (S.M-ART) strives for.
Its objective is to empower the youth with skills they can use to equip themselves with knowledge and experience.
These skills include art in all aspects: dance, graffiti, music, theatre, modelling, extreme sports, skating, and self-defence.
The organisation also focuses on sexual health, mental health, physical health, job readiness and preparation, and self-development. It also runs community upliftment events.
Among the students who took part in a S.M-ART workshop was Shireen Farat from Beacon Valley in Mitchells Plain.
Farat said she had learnt that everyone was talented, but in different ways.
“At first, students are shy, but as they progress one is able to see the talents they have. I personally got to see the difference S.M-ART makes in the lives of thousands of people,” she said.
Farat is now part of the management team at S.M-ART.
“These programmes really inspired me, and I am grateful to be part of this organisation. Life has its ups and downs, but it is up to you to decide what to make of it,” she said
From October 2022 until March 2023, the non-profit organisation will host cultural and heritage workshops for unemployed youth and adults, where they will focus on various forms of art and health awareness.
At the end of the workshop, students will be provided with a certificate of completion and a detailed letter of reference.
They will also be on the organisation’s database for potential work that becomes available in the future.
Co-founder of S.M-ART Zeenat Isaacs said workshops like these were important.
“Students who attend the workshop will learn how to make a difference in their own lives and in their community while receiving a stipend. We are here to nurture them, help them grow as persons, and see what talents they have,” she said.
Established in 2018, the organisation hopes to reduce unemployment and crime in South Africa.
Isaacs said this would lead to a better society, a better country, and a better world.
“When the youth are equipped with essential skills, they can utilise them to feed and assist others, or even invest in them for future use, aiding the nation economically. This will in turn contribute to an increase in their employability as well as add skilled workers to the job market in South Africa,” she said.
Waldo Krugell, an economics professor at North-West University, said every little bit helped.
“There is research which shows that getting even just a little bit of work experience makes a difference for job seekers,” he said.