At 18, you are deemed legally old enough to decide what political ideals you stand for, by voting. You are seen to be fit to choose to change your parent-given name. And you can change someone's life by donating blood. These activities can change your life. But more importantly, they can impact so many more lives.
It is this impact that resonates with Kaya FM as we turn 18 this year.
Kaya FM is not the usual 18-year old. Yes, we have many friends with whom we party and have fun, however we are different in that we've gone out of our way to learn from those who have gone ahead of us and pioneered this road of independent commercial radio by defining our role in society and being true to our identity early on. We did not wait until we 'came of age' before deciding who we are.
This may sound like extremely mature musings for an 18-year old to have; however when I think back to my 18th year, I remember the heady feeling of power that came with the arrival of independence and adulthood. I remember making some very mature decisions, with such confidence and authority.
In retrospect, I am surprised at that ability to be so clear and fearless, which possibly comes with the naivety of youth. It's like a bee, which I am told shouldn't physically be able to fly because it's body mass outweighs the capacity of its wings. However, because no one has ever told the bee that he should not be able to fly - the bee flies.
The ignorance, powered in determination, accomplishes the impossible!
If we look back at Kaya FM's adolescent years, we, like the bee, have done some courageous things, like believe we can influence a whole generation. Yes, we've made mistakes, but we have learnt from them. What remains is that we've acted boldly. And I believe we can be proud of that.
As an 18-year old brand, we have a mature soul, but that does not stop us from being fun-loving. At the core of radio is entertainment and we dare not lose the free-spiritedness, in the name of adulthood. So we will party to celebrate our 18th birthday - that is guaranteed!
One of the most important things we have done is take the principles and values taught to us by Afropolitan greats like Nelson Mandela, and apply them to our work daily, to make sure we are making every day a Mandela Day. We are running our annual Kaya FM 67km Relay this September, in memory of Nelson Mandela. Our teams are already training - and you can feel the competitive energy in the passages at Kaya House - it's electric! Yet there is something special about this year's race.
It is particularly symbolic to us, not only because it is our third relay race this year, but because, as we reflect on our road so far, we see the significance of the relay itself. The race is about people, in the way that our business is about people. We broadcast freely, because of the sacrifices of Madiba and many others like him. Therefore we run for Madiba - for what he lived so passionately for.
We run a relay, because that is what life is - a relay of sorts. We each get our turn to run the race, in whichever industry we work in and then at the end, we must pass the baton onto the next person, hoping our performance will give them the boost they need, to stay ahead of the pack.
As in life, the combined performance of the team determines its success. We run for each other, and not for ourselves. In the team of ten who make up a relay team, runners are paired up. No one person runs the race alone, because we all need the support and encouragement that comes from team-work. Each of our presenters has no less than five people working on a show across the station, and similarly, each runner has a running partner, and together, they navigate the route to complete their 6.7km, and hand the baton to the next team of two.
In the same way that a radio team has listeners who are actively involved in each programme, albeit on the side-lines, the relay teams have supporters and spectators, watching their every move; listening to their breathing; giving them water as they run by; and screaming for them to keep at it, and keep going, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
This symbolism is what we will keep with us, long after the relay race has been run. We will work as a team in our growth, and support each other. We will keep moving - one broadcast after the other, until we reach our next milestone. And we will stay true to our Afropolitan roots, ensuring our listeners are informed and entertained daily.
Our responsibility to our Afropolitan listenership is beyond just the audio experience that listening to Kaya FM is. We want our listeners to go about living their lives, knowing that we remain with them, because the content they have heard on our station resonates with them.
That for us, as we turn 18, is the true measure of impact.
For more information on registration, visit: http://kaya67relay.co.za/
