Friday 6 April 2018

Trevor Noah on path to empowering youth to excel

South Africa-born comedian Trevor Noah on Wednesday launched his own foundation focusing on equipping orphans and vulnerable youth with the education, life skills, and social capital necessary to pursue further opportunities upon graduating high school.

Noah, the host of The Daily Show in America, said that he was inspired by advice from South-African born Hollywood actress Charlize Theron to "believe in drops in the bucket" when setting up a foundation to benefit people facing complex challenges.

"The journey and goal is the start a programme, and better understand how to help schools move forwards. Then, we want to help these schools become self-sufficient. Each experience will inform the next. Today is only the beginning," Noah said.

"We are going to look for people who are already pushing, and we are going to help them push. Many hands can make light work. Fundamentally, the foundation is going to bridge the gap between learners and the education they deserve."

The Trevor Noah Foundation, which was launched at New Nation School in Johannesburg, aims to invest in three priority areas: psycho-social support, skills development, and career guidance.