Power comes in small packages

Mignon Ludick
“My greatest inspiration is to serve. Serving with love and most important, making a difference. I believe that has been the gateway for me, to achieve a better change.” These are the words of His Worship Councillor Michael Petrus, a current grade 11 student from Windhoek High School.

After a selection process, where all the councillors gave speeches and then voting took place; Michael was inaugurated by the Mayor of the City of Windhoek, His worship Cllr Muesee Kazapua as Junior Mayor of the City of Windhoek at the beginning of this year. Michael recalls the moment as ‘bitter-sweet’. He experienced it in that way, because he felt that everyone had enough potential and a great heart. Nevertheless, at the same time, his heart was filled with joy and gratefulness. It was a moment where he was overcome by humbleness.
Michael describes his drive and inspiration in the following way: “My greatest inspiration is to serve. Serving with love and most important, making a difference. I believe that has been the gateway for me, to achieve a better change. I believe everyone is entitled to happiness and that too is also one of my greatest inspirations, I feel I have a responsibility to serve my city, and country as a whole. I am open minded about anything that could improve welfare of our nation, and most importantly, I am a humanitarian, I love to help people at any level and at any time in my life.”
As the Junior Mayor, he is the chairperson of the Junior Council and its meetings, he does public appearances on behalf of the Junior Council and is the chosen representative to lead and carry out the mission of the Junior Council. Their mission and projects of 2017/2018 include the Cancer Sprayathon, where councillors collect funds for cancer patients by spraying peoples hair. Their core project is breeding a culture of reading in Namibian youth. The Junior Council has realized that Namibia has a very high illiterate rate, thus they want to promote a reading culture, so the youth of Namibia can be informed of the world around them through reading books.
Michael says that having the title of Junior Mayor, as incredible. It has shaped him onto a better person. He truly believes that he has been taught on carrying responsibility and most importantly setting an example in character and in speech for the youth of his beloved country.
“To the youth, develop attitudes that exhibit your growth and begin doing what you want to do now. Take action for what you believe in and remember that ‘Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe.’” – St Augustine. This is the moral and lesson that Michael wishes to plant in the hearts of the Youth of Windhoek and across the rest of the country. With hard work, passion and drive, Michael wishes to keep serving his country as far as possible and with all his heart, as his mantra is: Do it for the people.