With National Youth Day celebrations still fresh in memory, we now have National Women’s Day coming up on 9 August. This day dawns on a weekend and it is remarkable that there have not been demands for the Friday preceding and/or the Monday following to be declared a public holiday.

But perhaps optimism should be reserved until proven justified.

What do we achieve with these national celebrations? They take children out of school, workers out of the workplace and give politicians a platform from which to launch their hot air balloons of rhetoric.

Actions speak louder than words. If we as a nation want to improve the life conditions of the youth or women of this country, rolling up our sleeves will achieve more than all the words rolling off opportunistic tongues.

An example would be the dedication of the Milnerton Aquatic Club (MAC) in getting more young people involved in the heal?thy occupation of sailing. By putting the club’s facilities at the children’s disposal, training and encouraging them to become competent and confident on the water, the MAC is making a difference in young lives.

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