#BeautifulNews: This is how our leaders are getting in line

Behind the boasts of drums, rows of straight-faced schoolchildren stand tall. This marching squad is in formation and they mean business. For Athrah Lakay, it’s a place of comfort beneath the tough veneer. In the face of uncertainty, the routine of the drill helps the 15-year-old pupil gain confidence in her next step.

Marching bands are well-loved within schools in the Mitchells Plain community. It’s a celebrated tradition in the Cape Flats, commemorated in the annual Kaapse Klopse festival. At Spine Road High School, Lakay and her schoolmates assemble every week to practise.

Read Athrah Lakay's full story here.