My name is Malikah Roman, I’m currently 19 years old. I’m a vibrant yet very determined person, I like working under pressure and enjoy tackling many things just to keep myself busy all the time. I matriculated at Alexander Sinton High School, in 2019. While being in high school specifically grade 11, I started my own Beautician business. I was always an introvert and this business helped me a bit. Time passed, then COVID happened and my business died down. I then moved on to joining Avon. I became an Avon Business Owner shortly after joining them, where I had to recruit people in my team. This helped me as well, but I still felt like I needed that push to become the best version of myself. I’ve heard about RLabs for years and I was always inspired by the stories posted by those who were at RLabs. I then came across the ad, for the YES Program and immediately applied. I knew people who worked at RLabs and enjoyed the whole journey and even got permanent jobs after they finished the program. I wanted to become successful and I felt RLabs is the way forward for me.
So far, working at RLabs has been great. My journey started only recently but I love every bit of it already. They’re like family, they make you feel welcome, they make sure you’re on the right track, they’re right there when you need their assistance. We would have breakout rooms on our calls, just to say how we’re feeling and get to know one another. I love the inspiring parts where they would have a talk or a little quote of the day/week because it keeps the positive energy going. And, my absolute favourite is the Leadership course, where we go in-depth about ourselves. It’s amazing how I never thought our Leadership course would be this way, we expected something different. But, I’m not complaining at all! It’s way better than expected. Overall, I already love being with RLabs. I’ve put out this vision of seeing myself grow, working hard and becoming successful!
I’ve gained some digital skills. I have a much better understanding of online platforms, social media, creating apps, emailing, designing and more. I’ve also gained great communication skills, as we have to communicate with our coaches and peers. Teamwork, while going on a hike with the leadership team was amazing, we met our team and worked well together. I’ve adapted to being more organised, time-efficient, critical thinker and being motivational. My leadership and problem-solving skills are improving a lot as well.
The encouragement I believe young people need, to hear is to never miss opportunities. We are given opportunities every day, sometimes we just don’t see it realize it. Grabbing this opportunity with RLabs has already changed my life and I’m so thankful for it. And, the advice I can give to the youth is to always look forward, think about your future. Question yourself, and ask if your decisions are going to benefit and make you grow in your future. Finally, to work hard, to give it your all. Simple sayings, yes I know, but think about its meaning in depth. What you put in, is what you’ll get out. If you work hard and put in the effort, you will surely become successful and get big results!
To me, Youth Month means the appreciation or celebration of all young people. The power lies within the youth to bring the status of our country higher. We have the ability and opportunities to enhance our country, to become successful. So, it’s important to recognize our youth that matters, because it plays a huge role in our future together. This month also shows the dear appreciation of back then, when the youth fought and stood up against apartheid. Their sacrifices are shown today, our freedom and right to equal education.
