On June 16, we pause to reflect, not just as students, but as young leaders  entrusted with the responsibility of shaping the future [of service and engagement]. At UP RAG, Youth Day is more than a date on the calendar. It is a powerful reminder of where we come from, who we are, and what we stand for.

Youth Day commemorates the 1976 Soweto Uprising, where brave students, took a stand against an oppressive education system. Their defiance echoed a simple but powerful truth: young people are not just future, they are the present. 

What It Means to Be Young

To be young, especially in leadership and service, means to carry the energy of possibility and the weight of responsibility. We are part of a generation that is bold, compassionate, and unafraid to ask, “How can we make today matter?”

At UP RAG, we channel this youthful spirit into service, community engagement and student empowerment. Whether we are organising a donation drive, painting murals during Mandela Week, or mobilising the students for a cause - we are led by the same passion that fuelled the youth of ’76: the passion to build something better. 

To be young means to care deeply and actively, to lead - not from a place of ego but of purpose, to serve - knowing that change starts with us and to hope even when circumstances do not permit.

Carrying the Legacy Forward

We do not take for granted the opportunities we have, opportunities that others had to fight for. As students, we benefit from the battles won by generations before us. And as student leaders, we understand that privilege comes with a purpose.

That is why UP RAG exists: to give back, connect, and to remind students that leadership is not just about the blazer, it is about being bold, being present, and building up others.

We believe the spirit of Youth Day lives on in every student who volunteers their time, stands up for justice, mentors a peer, or brings light into someone else’s life.

A Call to Action

If you are young, then you have power. Not tomorrow, today.

You have the power to build, challenge, question, create, serve, and lead. And you do not need a title to do it. All you need is heart.

We call on all young people to use their voice and vision to uplift others. Be brave like the youth of 1976. Be loud about what matters. Be consistent in your values. Be active in your communities. And never doubt that you matter.

Final Words

As we walk forward, we remember those who walked before us.

As student leaders at the University of Pretoria, and as UP RAG, we recommit ourselves to a vision of South Africa where youth are seen, heard, supported and empowered. A South Africa where we do not wait for change, but we become it.

Happy Youth Day!
From your UP RAG Family — where youth leads, and hope lives.