LELO LUKHELE – DIRECTOR

Ever since 2002, when he finished high school, Lelo has been passionate about youth development and loving people in real and practical ways. Just after school, Lelo partnered with a friend and started a program to help feed street kids and give them clothes and shelter. Later that initiative changed to reconciling many of them with their families and finding homes for those who had no families.

In 2003 he achieved an AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) Diploma at Oxford College. In 2004 he joined Youth For Christ where he grew in his understanding of God, ministry, and calling, which is where his passion for youth and people grew stronger.  In the same year he met many people, like Bruce Wilkinson, Seth Barnes and Flaps Van Der Merwe, who helped him guide and develop his dream.

In 2005 he was recruited by C-Kruis (who later changed their name to 13thFLOOR), a performing arts ministry for both his talents as a performer and his passion for God and people. Here he met Brandon Hofer who helped mentor and shape the dream into practicality and reality. Selected as a leader he led a touring team through South African schools and communities as well as in Namibia and Swaziland. In 2007 he became part of the Management Committee of 13thFLOOR for one of their Touring Teams.  That same year he toured Europe doing performing arts and helping train young people in their knowledge of God and of the arts.

In 2008 Lelo founded Core Art International, a performing arts ministry, with an emphasis on the art of dance, to addresses the prevalent issues of youth, including hopelessness, purposelessness, idleness, and lack of knowledge of God and of self.

Lelo’s passion has seen Core feed and make amazing Christmas parties for over 1 000 underprivileged kids in Swaziland. It also saw young people adopting over 20 orphans to mentor and care for.  Core Art has ministered to and served over 73 000 locals in just a period of two years since it started.

With a bit of support Lelo has pushed and is still determined to push with the strong Vision of changing lives and bringing purpose to the Swazi Nation and he still continues to grow in influence in the church and in the country with his passion and heart for change by touching people’s lives.