LIGHTING UP LIVES

STAR TURN: Oscar-winning South African actress Charlize Theron and comedian and TV star Trevor Noah paid a surprise visit to excited Kwetyana residents outside East London yesterday, accompanied by Small Projects Foundation members

OSCAR-winning actress Charlize Theron told excited Kwetyana villagers outside East London yesterday that most of the challenges the world faced could be easily solved by women.

The actress and international comedian Trevor Noah paid a surprise visit to villagers, accompanied by members of the Small Projects Foundation.

The media was not allowed to take photographs or conduct interviews.

However, Noah posted a video of Mzonkeshe Primary School pupils on his official Instagram account.

He wrote: “We start the day in East London with an amazing group of young women who are working to break the cycle of poverty, abuse, and HIV infection.

“Black women are the most vulnerable, but also most resilient.”

Theron told an audience inside the community hall that the world needed more women leaders.

“You deserve better. Today I see a community of women who are supporting each other,” she said.

“When a woman stands with another woman you see leaders and that is what we need all over the world, we need female leadership.”

The Italian Job actress said: “The end with all of the big issues in the world lies with women.

“If we empower women, we can end a lot of what is wrong in the world.”

Theron hugged villagers and said: “You are the ones who change things for the next generations.”

Avela Blayi, 22, said they did not know about the celebrities’ visit.

“We were told by people at our clinic that we must come here today, but we did not know that Trevor and Charlize would be here,” he said.

“We were all surprised to see them, we never expected to see them in our village. We were moved and motivated by their speeches.”

Blayi said the two inspired his dream of following the arts. He is a member of the Amandlambe Performing Arts Group.

“They [Noah and Theron] have made my dream of joining the arts and media industry seem more possible,” he said.