Girl Unlimited’s high tea sparks conversation about education and health
Over cups of tea and powerful dialogue, the Girl Unlimited annual high tea fundraiser brought together changemakers, mentors, and young women.
China clinked and tea was drunk at the Girl Unlimited high tea event at the Inanda Polo Club. Co-founder Portia Nondo opened the event, on September 27, by emphasising the dual nature of the organisations work: Bridging academic support with essential life skills. “Our theme for this year is: Sip with Purpose. It’s a combination of sipping tea, while our true purpose is to raise funds for our girls.
“We focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects, along with life skills, like entrepreneurship, design thinking, financial literacy, and tech, so our girls not only dream, but access tertiary education with confidence.”
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One of the event’s most impactful moments came from Dr Lisa Mulenga, country director of Girl Effect, who offered a sobering reminder of the challenges many girls face. “In South Africa, one in seven girls, aged 15 to 19, have been pregnant. In 2024 alone, over 2 000 pregnancies were recorded in girls aged 10 to 14.”
Her powerful keynote traced her journey from a young medical graduate in Germany, returning home to confront the HIV crisis head-on. “I was on my knees, examining patients during the HIV pandemic. That reality shaped my life. It’s why I focus on sexual and reproductive health and mentorship for girls today.”
She stressed the urgent need to destigmatise conversations around sex and reproductive rights. “We have to normalise these discussions in our homes and clinics. Girls are already having sex. Some are getting pregnant at the age of 9. Let’s equip them with the right knowledge and support.”
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Mulenga also addressed the recent withdrawal of international HIV funding, warning that: “South Africa may see up to 300 000 new HIV infections next year if we don’t act fast
“It would break my heart if a girl we’ve mentored contracted HIV under my watch. That’s why I do this. That’s why this work matters.”
Regional vice president Southern, Eastern, and Central West Africa Candy Kasonkomona, who works in the male-dominated aviation industry, shared her mission to mentor girls beyond textbooks. “We’re not taught how to say no. How to walk in a room with confidence. I teach time management and what it really means to be judged as a woman in professional spaces.
“I am that aunt who talks to them about things they can’t ask their moms. From how you dress, to how you speak. These things define how the world receives you.”
Kasonkomona also reminded guests that the girls attending the event are still navigating unfamiliar terrain. “We have to ask ourselves, as we sit here dressed up, are we adding to their confidence or subtracting from it?”
Alumni of the programme, Nokubonga Ngobese, shared bold visions for change. When asked what she would do if she was appointed President of South Africa for one Day, Ngobese said she would fix the education system. “Public schools aren’t giving us the tools we need to succeed. I would create opportunities, especially extracurriculars, that help us understand the real world.”
With a vibrant turnout and generous support from sponsors and community partners, Nondo said the event went beyond their expectations. “The conversations today have been outstanding and deeply aligned with our mission to create a holistic ecosystem of support for girls.”
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