It hurts to hear, it hurts to know
Women and children all over the world,
Having their lives cut short, don’t you know?
Murdered, abused, their voices silenced each day
A pain that echoes, in every way
Girls, each day, lost to violence and pain
Their futures stolen, their dreams in vain
It hurts, it aches,…
Gardening has always been a significant part of my life and family story. When I was growing up, it provided us with food security and became a source of income for my mother, who sold vegetables to support our household. Later, it played another meaningful role in my family…
I became my mother’s caregiver when I was just four years old.
My mother was from Opuwo, in the Kunene region of Namibia. When I was four, she became very ill. In our area, people strongly believed in witchcraft. They thought her sickness was caused by something supernatural, something that…
A soul so bright,
Torn apart by darkness and endless fight.
Bipolar disorder’s waves crash on her shore,
As schizophrenia’s whispers echo evermore.
Her loved ones, they couldn’t understand,
The turmoil raged like a stormy land.
They rejected her with words that cut deep,
Leaving her to face the demons, asleep.
Her thoughts, a jumbled mess, like…
It’s past midnight.
I’m on the edge of my bed.
The only sounds…
my pounding heart
and my grandmother’s
ancient clock.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
It’s almost deafening.
Maybe I should sleep.
But what if I don’t wake up?
I can’t close my eyes.
My mind is just dancing to fear.
I’ve given myself a racing heart
just by thinking.
I wish I’d said nothing
when…
To smile when your bones hum with ache,
to laugh even as your hands tremble
not because the hurt is gone,
but because you’ve made a pact with the light
to outshine it.
To dance when the sky splits open,
not in spite of the storm,
but because of it
to let the rain baptize you
into something…
My name is Thandi Promise Mashaba, I am 31 years old, a phenomenal woman and the founder of Focus Mamelodi Community NPO—a certified life coach and life coach for kids. I am fearfully and wonderfully made – a truth. I didn’t always believe in myself.
Growing up, life was not…
I am Joyce Mojapelo, 33 years old, and my life’s journey has been shaped by both deep loss and incredible restoration. I grew up in a warm, loving home with both my parents. My father was gentle and kind; my mother was strict yet deeply caring, generous, and protective….