Soweto women turn action into change

Across South Africa, ordinary women are quietly making a difference in the lives of others through acts of kindness, activism and community service.

As South Africa commemorates Women’s Month, Urban News shines a spotlight on two women who are making a difference in their communities, using their voices, resources and personal experiences to uplift and empower others.

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Spokesperson for the Tshegofatso Foundation and GBVF activist, Botlhale Modisane is making a meaningful impact in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV), while working to ensure that women’s voices are heard.

Behind every GBV statistic is a woman whose life has been changed by violence. This makes the fight against GBV more than just a campaign, but a matter of survival.

Through the work of activists such as Modisane, more women are finding their voices, speaking out against abuse and ensuring that their experiences are heard.

Modisane told Urban News that she was inspired by the strong women around her who chose action over simply speaking out.

She drew inspiration from women across different generations, including her grandmother, aunts, Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela, her friends and others who pushed through difficult circumstances to create positive change.

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For Modisane, the fight against GBV is personal; she said standing next to the casket of Tshegofatso Pule, a 28-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant when she was murdered in June 2020, made her reflect on painful experiences from her own past that she had previously “swept under the rug”
Modisane said the moment made her realise that, had it not been for God’s grace and mercy, she could have lost her life without anyone being held accountable.

“That propelled me to take action and to stop being an audience to my reality,” she said.

She said the fight against GBV remains difficult due to a lack of safety and protection in some spaces, inadequate policing, and challenges within the justice system, poverty, stigma and the underreporting of cases.

According to Modisane, more resources are needed to better support survivors, including fully resourced shelters, properly trained victim-friendly personnel, safe reporting systems, quicker investigations and additional forensic laboratories to address backlogs.

“One of the biggest challenges faced by the foundation is the high number of communities seeking assistance while the organisation itself remains under-resourced,” she said.

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She said it is difficult to be seen as a source of hope and justice while the foundation has to rely on an unstable justice system.

Modisane further added that one of the biggest fears for survivors is speaking out and then having to face the consequences alone.

She said they always assure them that they will walk every step with them till they reach the result.

She also called on families and community members to report incidents of GBV and avoid protecting perpetrators simply because they are family members.

“Families should allow their loved ones to return home from abusive relationships without compromising them as a trade-off for groceries and estates just to impress neighbours,” she said.

Modisane said she believes that if communities work together to make small areas safer, those efforts can eventually spread to neighbouring communities and, ultimately, across the country.

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Her message to women is simple but powerful: “Speak up so that tomorrow you may live to show your scars instead of dying silently with your wounds.”

As South Africa commemorates Women’s Month, Modisane said the occasion should also remind women that they have the strength and ability to lead and create change.

“This is a reminder that while this day is commemorative of strong female pioneers from yesteryear, it is still us, women, who are qualified to lead fearlessly from the front without losing our softness and kindness. Our fight and mission are not in vain,” she said.

For Modisane, knowing that people trust the work of the foundation keeps her motivated, while every arrest represents one less perpetrator in the community.

She also stressed that GBV does not have a specific face, colour or gender, and that anyone who experiences violence can be a victim.

Maureen Chauke

Entrepreneur and CEO of The Home of SchoolWear, Maureen Chauke, is giving back to the Soweto community by supporting families with school uniforms.

The Home of SchoolWear is a local school uniform supplier and manufacturer based at Protea Glen Mall in Soweto, providing quality uniforms to learners and supporting families in the community.

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Beyond running her business, Chauke is committed to supporting the Soweto community by donating school uniforms to schools and partnering with NPOs on initiatives that support families in need.

Speaking to Urban News, Chauke said her business is a family legacy inspired by her mother, who taught her how to knit and sparked her love for business.

She said this motivated her to grow the business, continue her family’s legacy and use it as a way to give back to the community.

“When serving the community through the work we do and visiting schools, I saw that there are a lot of children who come from underprivileged families who cannot afford school uniforms, so as a company, we decided to show our support by donating uniforms and we continue doing so, because the more the company grows, the more donations we make and the more children we can support,” she said.

Chauke said she has donated school uniforms to more than 21 schools across Soweto.

She added that her goal is to ensure that every child has a school uniform and feels equal to their peers, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.

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She said seeing children dressed alike and not being defined by their circumstances brings her joy.

Chauke said it is important for her to support children with school uniforms because they are the future and need support to achieve their goals.

She believes that providing them with uniforms can also help them feel confident at school and encourage them to continue with their education.

According to Chauke, one of the challenges she faces as a businesswoman in Soweto is that customers often want high-quality products at very low prices, while the lack of business space and understanding within the community also makes it difficult for her business to grow.

She added that, as the owner of a private company, she funds the donations and community work herself without receiving financial support from any organisation.

“If the government can assist me with funding, I can do a lot more. I can create employment opportunities for young people because unemployment continues to affect our communities. I can also reach more schools and support more learners who are in need,” said Chauke.

Chauke committed herself to continuing her support for the community, ensuring that no child feels less than others because of their family’s financial circumstances, while also working to create employment opportunities for young people.