I was just a young girl when my mother disappeared from my life, a faceless absence that left me with a void I couldn’t comprehend. Raised by my grandmother, I grew up without the warmth of a mother’s love, her absence like a silent echo in the background of…
Kedibone Mahlatsi is a remarkable young woman and a mother of three children who lives in Hoopstad, a small town in the Free State province of South Africa. Amongst many other things she does, she is a passionate advocate for tree planting and storytelling and is already making a…
My father was a tailor, and I followed in his footsteps. One day when I was still a teenager, a woman, claiming expertise in fashion design, asked for permission from my parents to stay with me and teach me the craft while working for her. Unbeknownst to me, she…
My name is Mantoa Takalo, also known as Matseleng, and I grew up in Steynsrus, Free State, South Africa, during the 1990s. My childhood wasn’t all sweetness and light, but it wasn’t marked by extreme deprivation either, for which I am profoundly grateful. Throughout the early years of my…
Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o is an incredible force reshaping Hollywood’s landscape and influencing how African women are seen in the global entertainment industry. Born in Mexico City to Kenyan parents, Lupita’s journey has become an inspiration for women across Africa and beyond.
Raised in Kenya, Lupita was instilled with…
I remember the first time I set foot on that luxurious yacht, feeling the salty breeze of the ocean against my skin. Growing up in Kenya, I never imagined I’d find myself amidst the opulence of private yachts, but fate had its own plans.
I was always drawn to the…
When we are children we are told that we need to go to school and university in order to succeed. It was advice that I took to heart throughout my life even when going to university after finishing school was not an option due to lack of finances and…
If you want to see change in the world, it should start with you. Then, you can even influence the community as a whole. I believe you decide what you want in life. I was raised in the Free State with my grandparents.
I didn’t receive much love from my…
For several months now, I have been carrying a burden that I haven’t shared with my family and friends. I’ve kept this to myself in an attempt to spare them from heartbreak. However, I know that the time will come when I won’t be able to keep it hidden…
My name is Phumeza, a 29-year-old mother of one daughter. I was born in Thembisa Hospital and raised in Orange Farm, Johannesburg. I grew up with two older sisters, and our childhood was not as easy. But despite all the struggles, my mother worked tirelessly to ensure we had…
