Founder of local organisation gets international recognition

Ncazelo Mlilo, a narrative therapist and psychosocial specialist based in Randburg, Johannesburg, and founder of the Phola organisation, was welcomed at the O.R. Tambo International Airport on April 9 after winning three awards in London, United Kingdom.

Mlilo won the People’s Choice award for non-profit and social enterprise, the Women in Therapy and Counselling Services award, and the surprise Golden Heart award, which is believed to reflect her compassionate nature.

These awards are a significant recognition of her pioneering work in mental health, specifically her development of Afrocentric, culturally sensitive narrative methodologies.

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Her efforts have empowered individuals and communities across the world, particularly those affected by trauma, HIV/AIDS, GBV, and poverty.

Mlilo stated: “My belief is to support people who are dealing with challenges they face in life. People inherently posses the skills, power, and capacity to overcome and become great.

“That is what we strive for: greatness in Africa, greatness in our children, our women, our families, and our societies as a whole.

“When we are traumatised, feel hopeless, and stuck in a victim mentality, it hinders development and progress, both personally and collectively.”

Judith Mthombeni, a chief social worker at Phola, explains that Ncazelo created culturally sensitive programmes to help children connect with their heritage.

However, her work revealed a disturbing trend of gender-based violence among children.

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In response, Phola launched initiatives to teach boys to respect girls and empower girls to build confidence, using innovative approaches like the “Bottom Outraged” and “Blossom” methodologies, to promote positive change in schools across Johannesburg.

“We were not expecting her to come home with three prizes, but this shows that her work is impactful and the world is recognising her work, and that the footprint of Phola is not only recognized in South Africa but now is growing all over the world,” said Thamsanqa Mlilo, who is involved in partnership management at Phola.