Growing up in Grahamstown
By Khutso Tsikene and Phumla Ncgobo
Five Minutes with the Director
We sat down with Shireen Badat to find out more about Upstart. Shireen explained to us that the organisation has now been in existence for six years. Over this time, Upstarters have succeeded, amongst other achievements, in establishing a newspaper, radio show, and a short film programme. Listen to Shireen as she tells us more about Upstart, why it works and the challenges it faces in staying current, so that it can continue to engage with young people's issues...
Upstart consists of a network of clubs based in high schools all over Grahamstown. Each week, the clubs meet to discuss the projects that they are involved in. These include creative initiatives such as the Upstart Newspaper, field trips, poetry workshops - and Yung Amplified, a radio programme that is broadcast by Upstart members on the campus radio station, Rhodes Music Radio (RMR).
We followed the Yung Amplified team for a few weeks, to find out what they are all about.