Lloyd Babedi
By Simon Manda
Disability activist, social entrepreneur, and DJ, Lloyd Babedi, aka Hloni-Walker the Dj, is partnering with various organizations and institutions in an effort to bring empowerment to school leavers and unemployed youth by holding an annual workshop and dialogue session.
The inaugural event, “Disability is a Mindset”, will be held on November 11, 2023, to kickstart the drive to equip youth with disabilities with information and linkages to tertiary and business opportunities that exist.
“I am a member of a non-profit company called Lehlohonolo La Batho Disability Organization, which is registered and aims to develop and advocate for persons with disabilities,” said Babedi.
“We aim to build social cohesion and inclusion for persons with disabilities within the various economic and social sectors. Our core belief is that disability is not an inability. Hence, our initiative is deemed to have a mindset shift because we aim to encourage and motivate persons with disabilities to participate in the various sectors and aspects of opportunities available within the country,” he explained.
The inaugural event will see various stakeholders and sectors attend to present services and opportunities accessible to people with disabilities. Some of the confirmed partners include the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Ltd. (IDC), NEHAWU Investments Holdings, Rosebank College, Boston Business Management, and the Gauteng Premier’s office.
The event is per invitation only, and Babedi’s organization hopes to have representation from various organisations that deal with youth with disabilities.
“The dialogue will focus on information sharing, education skills, and entrepreneurship, where we aim to empower those with disabilities to have the relevant information to know where to apply for bursaries, where to go in order to get learnerships or employment, and what the processes are to follow.
We urge corporations, government entities, and organizations that have platforms and resources for disability inclusion to partner with us to make these events sustainable and meaningful,” added Babedi.
Previous Initiatives by Lloyd Babedi
