Seipati Mokoka, from Kliptown in Soweto, is in her final year of high school and plans to continue her studies in civil engineering at university in 2003. She is active in the Kliptown Children and Youth Club, an organization which encourages youth to work for their community. Seipati is also involved in the Klipriver Project which aims to challenge government and industry to rehabilitate the polluted river that flows through Soweto, so that local residents will be able to use the river for recreational purposes. Many people in the area live in informal housing and depend on the river for water for consumption and household purposes. She participates in the Soweto chapter of the national South African Reparations Movement (SARM).

Madintja Elisa Hlongwane is an enthusiastic 23-year old woman and a well respected African National Congress (ANC) youth member in the ANC Youth League in Zamdela in Sasolburg. With the Sasolburg Environmental Committee, Elisa has been actively involved in community empowerment and environmental justice projects and campaigns against the pollution chemical industries and petroleum refinery. Fluent in Afrikaans and English, Elisauses her excellent communication skills to help the Zamdela community understand the implications of industrial pollution in the area. Her political connection with the ANC motivated her to seek justice in this community and focus on environmental justice. She is athletic and endeavours to make the Zamdela air clean enough to breathe in while playing sport. Elisa's religious involvement with the Methodist Church of South Africa has influenced her outlook on environmental and social justice in Zamdela, Sasolburg.

Muzikanyise Patrick Duma is a seasoned activist in the Embalenhle area in Secunda, where he has led many campaigns since 1995. In school, Patrick developed skills in Afrikaans, accounting, business economics, economics and mathematics. He also assumed leadership positions as class representative, an active member of the school governing body, and as chairperson of the young entrepreneurs association. Patrick has been responsible for a number of social and environmental projects that have influenced the youth to broaden their focus on environmental injustice practices in the area. He is the Deputy Chairperson of the Highveld East Local Environmental Monitoring Association (HECEMA), which has empowered the Secunda community by taking water quality samples to prove their exposure to toxic chemicals from the surrounding industries in Embalenhle. Patrick's role as Recycling Project Manager in the area and his involvement with the Ward committee in Embalenhle have aided in his development as a responsible leader and activist.

Thulisile Ngcobo is a vibrant 17-year old young woman who is fluent in Zulu. She is presently in Grade 11 and has thusfar achieved commendable credits for her initiatives in the environment, local elections and HIV/ AIDS peer counselling. Born and raised in Embalenhle in Secunda, an area affected by environmental and air pollution, Thulisile was inspired to join the Youth Environmental Committee. As the committee's elected chairperson, Thulisile's work strongly supports the community's struggle for a cleaner environment. She has been proactive in social and environmental issues from an early age and represented her school last year in the provincial speech competition. Thulisile is also a respected member of the K.I. Twala debate society, where she is the chairperson.

Caroline Seipati Ntaopane is a dedicated 24-year old Zamdela resident with skills in mathematics and business economics. Seipati is fluent in English, Sesotho and Afrikaans and is an avid reader. Her concern for the environment was highlighted when her child began showing signs of respiratory illnesses. Her activism focuses on the environmental pollution caused by the petroleum refinery and a number of chemical industries surrounding Zamdela, Sasolburg. She is now a member of the Sasolburg Environmental Committee, a treasurer of the ANC and a secretary. Her religious commitment to the St. Peter's Anglican Church has greatly encouraged her to fight against environmental injustice in Zamdela and Sasolburg.