Remembering our heroes

IN CELEBRATING Youth Day the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation rolled out food hamper deliveries to 240 young women and youth in Zola, Soweto, as part of the foundation’s mentoring and empowering programme for young women.

The event was facilitated by the executive trustee and former first lady Gugu Motlanthe who spent the morning under difficult conditions following the recently announced lockdown Covid-19 level 3.

As the event could not be cancelled at such short notice, Motlanthe handed out hampers to an early group and proceeded with the event when they could comply with Covid19 rules.

With a focus on gender-based violence (GBV), ethical leadership, mental health and issues facing girls and women, the programme of intergenerational dialogues and workshops is a collaborative partnership between the foundation and social work practitioners, to create opportunities for girls to play a role in moving the development agenda forward.

The foundation embraces young women’s heritage, customs and culture as a vehicle to access support for their holistic well-being and community. The morning of dance and singing was inviting and even had the former first lady joining in.

This journey of youth development and positive activism puts young women in control of educating and empowering themselves, to take action on key issues that affect their lives and become catalysts for change in their communities.

In her address, Motlanthe encouraged amatshitshi, as they are known, inspired by Maya Angelo to “dance like they’ve got diamonds at the meeting of their thighs”, and to shake what “your mama gave you”.

She pointed out the need for a mind shift on what a woman was and supposed to be. She said the foundation was also exposing the girls to innovations and solutions of food security programmes as a means to support life, and also as a hobby and way to connect with mother earth.