The Despatch resident has been mandated to represent the aspirations of children in the province. And the 17yearold is just days away from taking to the stage at the SAHRC children's rights unit conference in Johannesburg to bring the concerns of the province's children to the fore. She said due to her past experience in public speaking and community service she had been selected to be among the candidates for the position. After various discussions and debates between the candidates on various topics, the top three were selected and voted for by a panel. "I am so honoured that I was the nominee with the most votes. "Now I have the responsibility to go out there and make meaningful and robust engagements in the interest of my province of legends. "Certain amendments are required to further protect chil then from cyber bullying. "That is what we will be deliberating on in the presence of national parliamentarians." Among her other duties are to create awareness in the province of fundamental human rights, foster relations with social workers and the police to benefit needy chil dren as well as promote, protect and monitor the implementation and application of children's rights. With regard to balancing all her roles with the demands of matric, she said her father had taught her that anything of value came at a cost but could be managed through prior planning and time management. "If I fail to plan then I would be planning to fail. "Matric, as one expects, is demanding; having so many leadership roles and having my academics still as a priority is challenging. "Optimising my time management skills, having good reliable friends who help me with notes, the support and understanding of my teachers and above all, having God by my side help me stay afloat with my studies. "The reason I serve my community diligently is that I see myself as a UN International Children's Emergency Fund ambassador in the near future." She said in her new role she aimed to implement aspects of the Bill of Rights and educate the public not to exploit those rights. "That demonises the democratic rights that were meant to enhance social cohesion, tranquillity and love in society. "Maybe as a country we need to consider changing 'rights' to 'responsible rights'. "Though we have the rights, we need to celebrate our responsible rights consciously to avoid casualties."

Source: HeraldLIVE