Khanyisile Nhlapo founded Khula Unqobe Creative Arts out of her belief that when one finds one’s purpose in life we seldom deter from that path.
It is this belief that drives Khanyisile to give children in her community who enjoy the arts, the opportunity to discover their talent.
This is Khanyisile Nhlapo’s story…
What inspires you the most or motivates you to thrive in your role?
Children inspire me.
The more I see children realise their gifts and lead in them, the more I want to do the same thing for more children.
I believe that once a person discovers their gift and they nurture that gift, they easily find and understand their purpose in life. This means that the person will make healthier choices because they have a sense of purpose.
I also believe that the sooner we find our purpose the better it is for us; so we don’t live meaningless or self-destructive lives.
There are two Proverbs that support my statement:
“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it” and “Ligotshwa lisemanzi.”
That’s the reason why I am passionate about helping children discover their gifts from a young age.
Then they learn the necessary disciplines of self-leadership earlier in their lives, which I believe will enable them to be better adults in the future.
I am testimony of that experiment and that is why Khula Unqobe Creative Arts (the organisation that I established) was born.
What do you hope to achieve through the work that you do?
I hope to create a safe and nurturing environment for children.
A place where children feel free and inspired enough to discover, embrace and share their gifts with others.
A space that accommodates any child who enjoys the arts or can benefit from our creative art programs.
I hope to inspire and create a good sense of pride in the children’s community through the children.
We are teaching children who belong to communities therefore there should be a positive change, big or small in the environment they live in.