Lira takes on poverty MAKING THE DIFFERENCE
Lira and the Southern African Trust invite our youth to be the generation that ends poverty in SA, writes
LIRA ain’t just a pretty face and voice – she is actively involved in changing the poverty situation in Southern Africa. The decorated singing sensation launched her new social consciousness video U&I in partnership with the Southern African Trust this week.
This will be the theme song for the trust’s Change4ever campaign, of which Lira is an ambassador. The campaign hopes to raise awareness and get the public actively involved in providing lasting solutions to poverty.
“I am happy to be part of something that is tangible and where you actually see results,” says Lira. To be able to work with women in different
“parts of the country, fund them so they are able to farm their own food, is unexplainable.
“This is a permanent solution, as opposed to charity, which is a once-off.
“As South Africans we need to stop complaining and come up with solutions. Our parents fought for freedom, let our generation be the ones who help make a difference in the lives of the poor.”
Shekese Mookgosi, the campaign’s coordinator, says the initiative is about making poverty everyone’s business.
“It’s about creating a lasting change in the way people think and take collective action to overcome poverty,” Mookgosi says.
Executive director of the trust Neville Greyville says bringing Lira on board is about making it trendy to be a part of a solution to poverty by supporting credible initiatives.
“We want to make it interesting and fun and easy for people to get involved,” he says.
The current phase of the campaign urges South Africans to text the word change” and answer
“the question: If you could change one thing forever, what would it be? Responses are to be texted to 40061. The R20 cost of the SMS will be donated to Change4ever, who in-turn will distribute proceeds to community-based groups involved in projects to alleviate poverty.
So far, the trust has worked with more than 180 organisations to implement more than 200 projects across 18 countries in Africa.
For more information or to get involved, visit www.change4ever.org