My name is Khensani Moagaesi, and I am an award-winning speaker from Thembisa.

I am a two-time graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, where I obtained a BA in psychology and geography and an Honours degree in psychology.

I recently completed my postgraduate certificate in education and am a Master of Education (educational psychology) candidate.

I am a philanthropist and founded the Humanity and Humility with Entirety NPO.

I am a certified Daddy’s Girl facilitator and a leader at heart. My leadership journey began when I served as head girl at Nyiko Primary School, president of the Representative Council of Learners at Thembisa Secondary School, president of the Golden Key Chapter, and later as a graduate advisor for the same chapter.

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Born in 2002, I have lived in Thembisa for all 23 years of my life.

One of my favourite memories in Thembisa is quite recent. A few months ago, I volunteered with the Give a Girl a Pad NPO to help clean the grounds for a fundraiser.

Their goal was to collect 2 000 sanitary pads before the end of the year. Instead of asking for money, they hosted a soccer tournament where the “entry fee” for teams was a packet of sanitary pads. That moment reflected the true power of community, unity and service.

It also reminded me how friendships are formed and strengthened when people come together for a shared purpose.
People often assume that identifying strongly with the township means romanticising struggle or celebrating poverty. For me, it means acknowledging that the township shaped me.

It taught me resilience, strengthened my character and built my courage. Despite the hardships many face daily, people in Thembisa wake up each morning and confront life head-on.

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We have young people running chess clubs to promote critical thinking, organising pad drives, building clothing brands and using creativity as a tool for community development.

Thembisa is filled with talent, and with a bit more support from the outside world, many young people could go even further while still returning home to uplift the community that raised them.

I am not someone who goes out often, but my go-to place for food is Etsa Haholo, just down my street.

Beyond the food, I go there to sit and talk with the owner, who has become a mentor to me. Our conversations range from philosophy to personal and professional development.

Through these interactions, I have learnt to recognise my potential, confront my biases and grow.

Another place that holds special memories for me is the Ethafeni Park. When they still had the big screen, my friends and I would go there to watch cartoons. Those moments remain some of my fondest childhood memories.

One of the most defining moments of my life happened in primary school, between grades R and Two. I was playing with friends when a glass bottle cut my palm so badly that I lost consciousness from the bleeding.

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I remember being carried home by a neighbour and hearing women in my community panicking because they thought I would not make it.

My parents were still at work, but my community showed up for me. Some gathered to pray while waiting for someone with a car to take me to the hospital. The scar on my palm today reminds me that community saves lives, literally. If it were not for them, I might not be here.

One major challenge I have seen in Thembisa is the overconsumption of alcohol. The township has more taverns and drinking spots than entrepreneurial hubs.

While people drink for different reasons, alcohol has become a default coping mechanism for many who lack safe spaces to express their struggles.

The solution is not necessarily to shut down clubs, but to address the root causes. We need more mental-health-conscious environments, spaces where people can talk openly without judgement.

For example, instead of Mogodu Mondays, clubs could host Mental Health Mondays, with soft background music, round-circle discussions and conversations about issues such as GBV, coping and community healing.

If we create non-judgemental platforms for vulnerability, people will not need to drink their pain away.

Honestly, everyone in Thembisa inspires me, from the women selling amagwinya at dawn to the shoemakers on street corners.

People outside the township often assume residents are lazy, but they do not see the resilience, grit and dignity behind the hustle.
Many wake up at 03:00 to prepare food to sell.

Others run vegetable stalls despite the risk of robberies. Young people start clothing brands, shoe-washing businesses and various side hustles, even while unemployed. Everyone is trying. Everyone is fighting. That inspires me deeply.

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I would describe Thembisa as resilient, goal-driven and filled with people who value togetherness.

One thing people may not know about me is that I can sing and rap.

I want to promote mental health and a culture where vulnerability is not seen as weakness. People should feel safe to open up, because strength often begins the moment you allow yourself to be honest about how you feel.

One quote that guides my life was shared with me by my father on January 8: “Loko u endla nchumu hi ku rhandza, u ta humelela.

Xikwendu xa yi pfula ndlela, ku tika na vevuka, xi ta yi pfula.” (When you do something wholeheartedly, you will succeed. God will open the door, in discomfort and in ease, He will open the door.)

They say hell is a place called home, yet at the same time, there is no place like home.

Thembisa may be filled with challenges that keep you awake at night, but it is also the one place where I always find rest.

Home is chaotic; sometimes we fight with siblings, but it is also where we return when life becomes overwhelming. And for me, that place will always be Thembisa.