Victor Mecoamere

Victor Mecoamere

Life goes on for the top 12 finalists of this year's Old Mutual, SABC and Sowetan Community Builder of the Year Awards.

Chosen out of a total of 36 national finalists in the youth, adult, senior and group categories, the finalists represent the cream of a direly needed community development corps that unselfishly shares time and talent to improve the quality of life for others in their communities.

Mary Mhlanga of the Middelplaas Rooftile and Brickmaking Project, Mpumalanga - who was later hailed as the programme's overall winner - topped in the seniors' category. Her runners-up are Limpopo's El izabeth Nkoenyane, who runs the Phakgamang Re Tiisaneng Ba Phaloborwa HIV-Aids Project; and Edna Gazu of the Intuthuko Special School in KwaZulu-Natal.

In the adult category the winners are Sthembeni Vaghan-Williams of the Ingwavuma Women's Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, Irene Fitzi of the Rising Stars - Building A Future (a community youth development project) in Northern Cape, and Simone Aronje of the Limpopo Youth Orchestra in Limpopo.

Limpopo topped in the youth category through Matome Rakgoale of the Mamogwane Farmers' Project. His runners-up are Sedrico Husselman of the Trinity Project and Bongani Diko of the Ikhaya Theatre Company.

Group category winner Caroline Mogoane of the Maano A Basadi (dairy product-making project) in Limpopo pipped John Nxumalo of the South African' Active Disabled People Centre in Mpumalanga and Jonathan Schire of the Vrygrond Community Development Trust in Western Cape.

All nine provincial social services departments are crucial partners in this nation-building project.