NOXOLO MIYA
Johannesburg – Nompumelelo Nxumalo, a 17-year-old matriculant from Emshukantambo Secondary School in Soweto, is a qualified barista manning the media coffee station at the ANC national elective conference in Nasrec.
Dressed in her school uniform and serving coffee with a bright smile at the Nasrec media coffee station, Nxumalo said she's at the conference to showcase her work as a young barista.
“It’s school holidays, but I’m a barista. I learned it at high school, and now I’m here to serve coffee and show what I can do. This is something that is not known that much, especially for children in the townships.
“I am passionate about it because coffee has given me an opportunity. Coming from Soweto, the only thing that you are exposed to is drugs, alcoholics, and teenage pregnancy, and that’s what you end up thinking about what life is about. Coffee has taken me to such great places that I was able to say that there’s more to life,” said Nxumalo.
17 year old matriculant, Nompumelelo Nxumalo from Emshukantambo Secondary school, Orlando East, Soweto is a qualified barista “maning” the media coffee station at the #ANCnationalconference in #Nasrec @TheStar_news @IOL pic.twitter.com/Zz8F8hBSXT
— Noxolo Miya (@MiaNoxolo) December 17, 2022
The self-funded programme was funded by Sbusiso Sibeko, a former football player from Naledi who wanted to make a change in his community and expose young people to “something different yet so fulfilling,” he said.
“The idea came about after I looked at the social ills in most black communities – substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, etc. I thought about how I got into the coffee space and how that had changed my life and opened so many doors for me, as I got to meet and talk to important people over a cup of coffee.
“I introduced the programme to several schools in Soweto, and today we are here at one of the biggest conferences in the country with my team of young people to serve and educate our customers about coffee,” Sibeko said.
The team of three girls will be working and serving coffee for the duration of the conference.
The Star