Broadcaster in school shoes donation initiative
BULAWAYO Arts Awards (2018) nominee Melissa Nxumalo, known as Melisa Laung in the showbiz industry has started a humanitarian organisation called The Future Leaders of Tomorrow with Melissa that seeks to provide school shoes to underprivileged children in the country.
Melissa Laung, who is based in South Africa where she works as a television, radio presenter and actress, said she believes giving school shoes to underprivileged children will afford them a chance to attend classes comfortably.
She said it was important that children are given school going opportunities so as to have a bright future.
“This school shoes initiative started last year and I am doing it again this year with the help of friends, some of them are soccer players like Kuda Mahachi who is based in South Africa who has been supporting the project together with his wife.
“Another soccer player who has donated shoes to the cause is Peter Muduhwa who plays for Highlanders. The initiative also got help from Sandile Mlalazi, who is a close friend of mine and Dweezyboi, an up-and-coming musician from Bulawayo with a kind heart. We are open to more people coming on board to assist this noble idea,” she said.
Melissa Laung (24) is also a brand ambassador for African Class Couture. She was born in Zimbabwe to a Zimbabwean father and a South African mother.
She works for South African Venrap radio station which is predominantly a digital hiphop station and a household award winning station which first went live in May 2013.
She started her broadcasting career with Hillbrow Radio in 2015 and describes her first slot on radio as “short of dramatic” as she was a bundle of nerves. In 2017 she left Hillbrow Station for Venrap.
She has also hosted a number of high profile events and Zimbabwe and South Africa such as The Castle Lite Block Party in Harare, Nigeria Music and Comedy Night and Independence Day, among others.