Girls and Boys Town CEO champions investing in children

Karen Farred, CEO of Girls and Boys Town South Africa (GBTSA), which operates a campus in Kagiso/ Randfontein, believes one of the most powerful leadership decisions anyone can make is to invest in children.

After nearly four decades working with vulnerable children, Farred said leadership is defined by responsibility, not authority or visibility.

As the world marks International Women’s Day under the theme ‘Give to Gain’, her career is a reminder that giving is not an act of sacrifice, but one of transformation.

Early lessons in care and compassion

Farred’s journey into social work began long before her professional career. After her father passed away, she was raised in a matriarchal household by her mother and grandmother, where care extended beyond family to anyone in need.

“Caring for others was just how life worked,” she reflected.

Growing up in South Africa during a time when justice, dignity, and equality were impossible to ignore, choosing social work was not just a career choice – it felt inevitable. Guided by the principle Non Nobis, meaning ‘not for ourselves’, Farred entered a profession where leadership is measured not by profit or prestige, but by the ability to change lives.

Leading with responsibility and humility

Leading an organisation that supports vulnerable children means making decisions that can influence the course of young lives.

“I approach this work with humility, because what we do today affects both the present and the future of young people,” she said.

Every programme, intervention, and support system has the potential to become a turning point for children experiencing trauma or instability. For Farred, leadership is about stewardship – ensuring the right people, systems, and environments are in place to help children rebuild their confidence and thrive.

Yet the emotional labour of this work is often unseen. Working closely with children who have experienced abuse or neglect can lead to secondary trauma.

“There are moments when you feel a sense of hopelessness,” Farred admitted.

Transforming lives and building futures

Those moments are outweighed by the resilience of the young people themselves.

“When you look at a child who has survived unimaginable hurt and pain, you realise they deserve every opportunity to heal and become the best version of themselves,” she said.

After 38 years in child and youth care, including 27 years at GBTSA, Farred reflected on a career that has given her far more than it has taken. Many young people who participated in the organisation’s programmes have gone on to build stable and successful lives, often returning to share their journeys.

“These moments are deeply meaningful,” she said. “They represent cycles broken, families strengthened, and futures rewritten.”

Leadership as empowerment

For Farred, strength is not found in control or authority, but in resilience – the courage to endure hardship while believing in the possibility of something better.

“The courage children demonstrate in surviving their experiences is extraordinary,” she said. “With the right environment, consistent care, and genuine opportunity, they can transform their lives. When young people begin to believe in themselves again, they shine.”

Her leadership philosophy challenges traditional ideas about power. Rather than leading over people, she believes in leading with them, cultivating what she called ‘power to’ – helping individuals recognise and develop their own strengths.

As British statesman Benjamin Disraeli once said, “The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but reveal to them their own.”

For children often told they are not enough, that shift in belief can be life-changing.

Investing in children is nation-building

For Farred, investing in children goes far beyond individual stories – it is about the future of the nation.

“Early support, stability, and opportunity can interrupt cycles of abuse, neglect, and poverty that might otherwise continue for generations,” she said. “Supporting children is not only a social responsibility – it is nation building.”

As conversations about women’s leadership continue to evolve, Farred believed many women underestimate the power of their instinct to care, lead, and give.

Her advice to those who feel called to serve but worry about the personal cost is simple:

“Embrace it. You will receive far more than you give.”

Perhaps that is the deeper truth behind the theme ‘Where We Give, We Gain’. When leadership is rooted in care, its impact extends far beyond the leader – reaching children, families, communities, and generations yet to come.