SUCCESS STORY - LULAMA DOLONI

Lulama Doloni

Lulama turns 21 this year. Just like Beautiful Gate! But life for the youth of Crossroads can be tough. As Lulama says "You need to be aware that anything might happen at any time. You are not safe." But Lulama is one of the lucky ones! An interest in music and support from Beautiful Gate's Youth Resource Centre means that this young man has a bright future.

The Beautiful Gate Youth Resource Centre provides an information hub with electronic and paper resources to provide youth with information about opportunities for study or work. Career advice, tutoring in Maths, Science and Accounting and digital training are also part of the services offered.

The next generation depends on us. The future is in our hands

Lulama came to Cape Town in 2008 and was orphaned in 2009. He lives with his older sister and his uncle. He started playing soccer and got the opportunity to learn the marimba through the Lutheran Community Centre. In 2013 he attended Beautiful Gate's Youth Day as an entertainer, and heard more about what we do. It was the year that he was writing Matric at Phakama High School. Through the advice and assistance of Sonwabile Dwangu and the staff of Beautiful Gate's Youth Resource Centre, he was able to complete his application for Cape Peninsula University of Technology online and he was accepted. 

Lulama is now in second year of his Retail and Business Management studies. He hopes to expand his studies to include logistics and plans to start his own music project soon to begin teaching youngers in the community. 

Lulama hopes that the youth of his community will study and motivate each other positively, rather than becoming involved in drugs, alcohol or gangs as so many of them are. As he says
"It doesn't need an adult to inspire the youth, they can inspire each other by doing good things"