Ermelo teen uses her traumatic past to inspire others

A young woman who was raped by an unknown man when she was 15 aims to create a safe environment for children to flourish without fear.

Lerato Tsotetsi (19) chooses to not let her past trauma define her, but directed the pain into something that assisted her with healing and growth.

She has poured her emotions into writing poems about healing since the ordeal and now has an anthology to be published soon.
She said the poems are based on the her personal experience on sexual assault, feeling unsafe in her community and finding healing and forgiving as a child.

ALSO READ: Bushbuckridge musicians dream of partnering with Kaizer Chiefs

“It was not easy being positive about life after that incident, never mind speaking about it. Writing down my emotions was easier and helped me to create the person I wanted to be.”

Tsotetsi’s greatest ambition is to give back to her community. She is registering a non-profit organisation called the Lerato Tsotetsi Foundation, which aims to host events and initiatives that promote awareness about gender-based violence and mental health. She wants to create a safe space for individuals to share their stories to find, heal and empower one another.

ALSO READ:Miss Bushbuckridge 2025 crowned in style

Her passion for writing and speaking led her hosting events which included those addressing gender-based violence.

“I am committed to using myself as a platform to raise awareness about gender-based violence and other societal issues that hinder a lot of young people from achieving their dreams,” she said.

 

 

In the dream to create safe spaces for children, she wants to use her Bachelor of Education degree for good, especially for initiatives in the early childhood development sector.
She describes herself a goal-driven woman and has quite a list of career aspirations as a writer, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and model.

ALSO READ: Pageant queen representing Mpumalanga crowned the new Miss Inspire

As a model, Tsotetsi has participated in several pageants such as Miss Teenager Mpumalanga and Miss Teen Remarkable South Africa, and wishes to take her modelling career to greater heights such as Miss South Africa.