Annual Marilyn Lahana Caring Awards takes place

The 28-year-old aspiring nurse was honoured as the overall provincial winner during a gala dinner held at Nutting House last Wednesday.

Her dedication proved to be a cut above the rest, as she received the most votes. She won herself a trophy, certificate, a R5 000-cheque and a blanket.

The runner-ups were Zandile Mhlongo from Nkomazi Sub-district, who holds 32 years of experience in the profession, and Cinderella Mhlanga from Phola Nsikazi Community Health Centre who has been a nurse for the past 26 years. They also won prize money, trophies, certificates and blankets.

These awards are celebrated annually in memory of Marilyn Lahana, a Johannesburg nurse and the first person in South Africa to contract the Ebola virus after having nursed a patient who had been admitted at Johannesburg Hospital from Gabon.

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The awards recognise the outstanding nurses who have excelled in their field of work. Candidates are voted for by fellow nurses, patients and community members, based on their dedication and selflessness.

Besides being a student nurse, Kgoshigadi laMaila runs a number of self-sustaining community projects that fight mental illnesses, including depression and other challenges in her area.

She is also the founder and patron of Depression Awareness South Africa, where she raises issues around mental health.

She is the founder of the First Lady Foundation, which focuses on youth, women and community empowerment, and development and career exhibitions in the deep rural areas of Mpumalanga.

Her business networks with the founders of PrincessD Menstrual Cups; Shamila Ramjawan and Caster Semenya saw her introducing the re-usable menstrual cups made of silicon in three secondary schools around Graskop.

In August she hosted her second annual depression awareness campaign at the nursing college in KaBokweni.

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She also owns two T-shirt brands, Womandla – We Are Here to Multiply, and Amandla – Not In My Name, which she sells to run her projects.

She said, “I feel very honoured, because making a difference is not all about age or qualifications. It is about having a heart that can love and share with everyone around you. I am also glad that I won this award while still a university student. This will motivate future students to make a difference.”

Growing up in a disadvantaged family with a single parent motivated her, hence her desire to make a difference.

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She will represent Mpumalanga at the national Marilyn Lahana Caring Awards, to be held later this year in Pretoria. Kgoshigadi laMaila was also nominated for the Women of Stature Awards in the Women in Healthcare category.

She is a survivor of depression, she trusts God, she loves her culture and traditions and hopes to publish an autobiography in the future.