Women unite at Olu Guest Lodge to celebrate purpose
Women were celebrated and embraced through a Women’s Day celebration.
Women of different ages gathered at Olu Guest Lodge on August 8 to celebrate Women’s Day, aiming to empower and support one another regardless of their personal challenges.
Cynthia Dinalane, founder of Tshegofatsa Rona Welfare and Community Organisation, brought the group together for the Women of Purpose event to mark the occasion.
“The theme was A Woman of Purpose and we were teaching them how to love themselves and to know that in the middle of their situations, they must know that they are powerful, strong and unshakable,” said Dinalane.
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“The attendance was more than we expected. I am happy to see women coming together and celebrate one another.”
Teboho Madihlaba, founder of Talk n Heal, urged the attendees to love themselves, prioritise their well-being, and never allow anyone to silence them.
The attendees showed a range of emotions during her speech and shared that they are working on healing and loving themselves.
“It is always an honour to speak to women; I believe that women have the strength to better the country or the world,” said Madihlaba.
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“Women are the relevant people to work on rectifying anything that might be going wrong, so we can unite as women, work together, and make sure that we build our societies daily.
Photo: Masego Mashilo
“I want women to go back and redefine themselves; I want them to go back and understand why they are women, because we lost it somewhere.
“We are currently letting our society define us. We want to be defined by circumstances and the things that we have, instead of looking into why a woman was given a womb in the first place.
“With the womb and the umbilical cord that was created within us, it seems that we are the ones who carry a lot of love and a lot of care. We need to go back and relook into that and work together as women to build a better country.”
The women attended the event for different reasons but shared the common goal of uplifting and celebrating one another. The event featured two guest speakers who delivered moving speeches that brought many to tears, leaving participants feeling loved, appreciated, valued and favoured.
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“I see many girls my age and older who have been emotionally and physically abused, and I have a lot of empathy for them,” said high school learner Jaydene Vergotine.
“I have seen what is done to other women and how it degraded them in a way, so I have a lot of passion to come to these events and see women open up about it, and hopefully I will do that for others.
“As a young person, seeing other women come together, embrace their culture, and discuss their experiences is empowering for me and other young women my age.
“If you are emotionally and physically abused, you feel ashamed, so I want to help others embrace it. Hearing Cynthia speak about it is very empowering.”
Tshepang Mmusi showed strength and resilience as she shared her personal journey and past hardships.
Mmusi continues to live with a smile on her face as a rape survivor who came close to death. Her story touched the attendees, drawing tears while demonstrating her courage and strength.
After the speeches, the participants enjoyed lunch, sang and danced to show strength, unity, and love.
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“At Citiq, we believe in supporting initiatives that recognise, celebrate and empower women within our communities. Women’s Day provides an important opportunity to acknowledge the contributions, strength, and achievements of women, while also raising awareness of the importance of supporting women in their personal and professional journeys. We were proud to contribute to an initiative that brings women together, celebrates their impact and creates a positive and empowering experience.
“Our sponsorship helped contribute towards making the Women’s Day celebration a memorable and meaningful experience for the women who attended.
“By supporting the event, Citiq was able to play a part in creating an environment where women could connect, celebrate one another and feel valued and appreciated.
“We believe that partnerships such as these help strengthen community initiatives and allow events to reach and positively impact more people,” Citiq marketing and CSI administrator Dineo Makopo said.
