Witsies champion community change on global stage
- Wits University
Two Wits students were selected to participate in the 2025 Get Engaged Student Action and Youth Leadership Conference in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The 12th Get Engaged Conference organised by Bard College in partnership with the European Humanities University, took place from 14 – 21 July and brought together 40 student community builders from various parts of the world.
Witsies Ntlahla Sikwana and Tessa Tshuma had a chance to showcase their projects at the conference.
Ntlahla, a third-year Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Anthropology student, founded a grassroots project in her hometown of Kwazakhele in Gqeberha. The Hand in Hand for Hope project focuses on literacy.
“The motivation behind the project came from a deep place of knowing what it feels like to be forgotten. I saw firsthand how many children were out of school, not because they didn’t want to learn, but because poverty, neglect, or simply being overlooked made education feel out of reach.”
“The project helps children with foundational literacy and numeracy, and we work closely with families to get them enrolled in school and connected to the resources they need.”
Tessa, also in her third-year of LLB studies is a volunteer at the Jan Hofmeyer Community Service located on Vrededorp. The organisation offers a range of services such as hot meals and homework assistance to children in an aftercare programme and a soup kitchen for the elderly. Her commitment to serving others was shaped by a visit to Marang House, a children’s home.
It was this visit that opened her eyes and heart. “That experience motivated me to continue giving back, and I soon started volunteering with the Masidleni programme at Wits. Eventually, through the Wits Citizenship and Community Outreach (WCCO), I was offered the chance to lead the Jan Hofmeyer Community Services project,” she says.
The pair describe the conference as incredibly valuable and returned home with more tools in the bag.
The workshops encouraged deep self-reflection and had a strong emphasis on leadership, creative thinking, innovation, and project management. An added bonus was meeting like-minded individuals and learning from each other.
“There’s something powerful about being in a space full of changemakers it reignites your belief that change is possible, and that you’re part of something bigger than yourself, says Ntlahla.
She encourages students who are interested in civic engagement to reach out to the WCCO.
Be part of change.
