This article will discuss "reflections" by six youth activists in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, who were interviewed for an international collaborative research project which explored civic forms of youth-led activism which could lead to social change. The aim was to investigate different forms of civic engagement and youth activism in situations where the youth had been traumatised due to past or ongoing structural violence. This article reflects on the findings of the study and makes connections between activism, learning and knowledge production. The research methodology was initiated as a participatory action research project and six activists were interviewed by youth researchers from the NGO Equal Education. Critical findings were that the activists felt that the youth were the entry point to building powerful communities and improving the quality of life in the townships. Personal experiences shaped their choice of activism and social justice projects; this study demonstrates as Choudry (2014) argues that young people gain critical awareness through their own education and cultural practices and in this process new knowledge is produced.