By the Chief Learning and Monitoring Officer-Tsakani Rikhotso
Good morning SayPro family, partners, and fellow South Africans,
Today, we gather in the spirit of reflection, remembrance, and renewal as we mark Freedom Day 2025 — a day that changed the course of our country forever.
On this day in 1994, millions of South Africans stood up for dignity, equality, and hope. Today, over three decades later, the question we must ask ourselves is:
Are we making that freedom real — especially for our youth?
As the Chief Learning and Monitoring Officer at SayPro, my role is rooted in one simple, powerful idea: We must learn from what we do. We must measure what matters. And we must hold ourselves accountable to the freedom we claim to stand for.
At SayPro, learning is not just a function. It is a value. It is our commitment to doing better — not once-off, but continuously.
So on this Freedom Day, I want to offer three reflections on how learning, monitoring, and accountability help us honour the legacy of 1994:
1. Freedom must be measured by impact, not intention.
We cannot assume we are changing lives — we must prove it. Every programme, every partnership, every policy must be monitored for its real-world effect. Are we building pathways to opportunity? Are we reducing youth unemployment? Are we closing the gaps?
2. Freedom grows when we listen, adapt, and improve.
Learning means humility. It means hearing what young people are telling us — not just in feedback forms, but in their lived experiences. We must design solutions with youth, not just for them. True learning is a two-way street.
3. Freedom requires transparency and truth.
Monitoring and evaluation are not just tools for funders or reports. They are tools for justice. They ensure that no one is forgotten, that promises are kept, and that progress is real — not just on paper, but in people’s lives.
At SayPro, we commit to being a learning organisation — one that grows with its people, responds to its context, and never settles for surface-level change.
Let us be bold enough to ask the hard questions.
Let us be honest enough to face the answers.
And let us be courageous enough to act — because the freedom our elders fought for deserves nothing less.
To the youth of South Africa: we are not just tracking your progress — we are learning from your strength, your creativity, and your resilience. You are the measure of our success.
May this Freedom Day remind us all: freedom is not a moment in history. It is a lifelong commitment to growth, accountability, and meaningful change.
Happy Freedom Day. Let’s keep learning, together.
Thank you.
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