Cape Town - A South African team of talented musicians and dancers, led by 2018 SA Idols winner Yanga Sobelwa, arrived back in Cape Town on Thursday to a warm welcome from loving supporters, friends and family.
They had performed at the World Children’s Prize Foundation ceremony that took place in Sweden. Sobelwa received the “Young Honorary Adult Friend and Patron Award” for her mission to stand up for girls’ rights.
The ceremony celebrates Children’s Rights around the world and attendees got the opportunity to perform in front of Sweden’s Queen Silvia.
Millions of children globally chose Malala Yousafzai Malik as their WCP Decade Child Rights Hero for her fight for girls’ rights to education and freedom.
Shen Winberg, the South African cultural ambassador for the World Children’s Prize Foundation, accompanied the team to Sweden.
“The World Children’s Prize Foundation reaches many countries around the world. It is a course that we implement in as many school’s as possible, especially previously disadvantaged schools, to promote children’s rights, especially abuse against girls. It is known to be the Nobel Prize for kids,” Winberg said.
Carla Williams, 18, the drummer of the team, said the experience and representing her country was really great.
“It was so good … It was really a touching experience because we got to meet other kids and make friends with them. It was about us representing South African music and representing our culture,” she said.
Simthandile Sonamzi, 17, was one of the dancers on the team. She said it was a pleasure to represent South Africa and perform for Queen Silvia.
“It was perfect – the service and everything was on point and we had a lot of fun. It was such a pleasure to go; it was my second time though. We went in 2019 and because of the coronavirus, we couldn’t go until now. Performing for the queen was the highlight for me,” she said.
The World Children’s Prize Foundation aims to inspire other children to learn so that they can be better people and inspire others, especially those from underprivileged communities.