Young girls, just like older women are sources of love and compassion.
This manifested the past Saturday when young ladies from the University of Botswana Women in Business Society (UBWIBS) undertook a positive direction towards fulfilling their mission of empowering the girl child when they engaged graduates of the Tlokweng Save Our Souls (SOS) Children’s Home. They organised and invited a successful businesswoman as the guest of honour for motivational talk.
Using a girl talk approach the UB students sat around the table and chatted with six teenagers over drinks and snacks and discussed everything from family relationships, love lives through to career choices and preparation for future challenges of life.
“We are going to introduce ourselves and say what we like. This is friendly life sharing discussion. I heard you were asking whether it is going to be another workshop. That you have had enough about workshops. Well this is different. You can call it girl talk,” said Glory Powane, one of the organisers who chaired the discussions.
And though they were a bit tense at the beginning, the “SOS graduates” soon relaxed and one of them, the most talkative, expressed how she spent a decade at SOS and had gone through a number of challenges; among them adopting to the new environment and developing a strong skin to resist any mocking – a common experience among some people.
“I personally struggled to respond to people whenever they hurled bad words at me or ill-treated me. But living here has taught me to express myself without fear. As I go out I know I have to face more challenges,” said *Mercy 9not her real name).
She has passion for investigating issues. She is als a writer, already trying some works, including poems.
“I have completed my Form 5 and am looking forward to going home. I am an artist, doing paintings. That’s what I enjoy doing most of the time,” said *Lebo, the shy, rather reserved of them all.
The evidently youngest, *Gertrude, only smiled and explained that she had completed her Form 3, would soon go back to Kgalagadi area where she originates. As for chatting with others, she had the ability to make others laugh with her several facial expressions. She did not know what she would like to be after completing school. But alas and behold, a drama character is there. A camera placed throughout the session would reveal this.
Others from Gabane and Ramotswa want to further their education. The outcomes of the results they are waiting for will determine their choices of career. They have been with “mums” who adopted them there and they have been good girls to date. They hope nothing will change even if they are with their families at different points of the country. The girls have to leave the SOS home because they have exceeded the age of 16. They were accommodated there for various reasons that can not be divulged.
Other WBSA members took time to motivate them, making the girls aware the world’s challenges. They are lucky to have been accommodated there. Many children have been abandoned by their own mothers and did not have any one to turn to.
“It is natural that at some point in your life you fall in love. But you should make wise decisions about whatever you do,” said Chelsea Barbie Sithole, Medicine Student and Public Relations Officer for WBSA.
“Do you have mobile phones?” asked the guest speaker, Atlarelang Mmolotsi.
“Yes!” chorused the girls, all smiles.
“Ok. You should use them wisely. Make communications that will later bear fruits. It is in Form 3 that one’s direction of career manifests. That is if you wish to take the Science route make sure you pull up your while Form 3. If you do badly in Maths, know your chances have gone slim. This, however, should not discourage you,” she said to the attentive “class”.
She told them they should not chose careers just because many speak good of them. She advised them to positively use social media.
The Director at Re a Via Travel Company gave the girls a free lesson to the effect that they might be in love relationship; something that left them with shy giggles. They should have friends who give good advice. They should work hard to be self reliant. They should not have unwanted pregnancies.
“Nowadays the world dictates our destiny. Have positive mind towards other people so they have the same against you. Having failed Form5 doesn’t mean you are finished. Plan your work and have a daily time table. Have educational background of whatever career you undertake,” she said.
Njelo Investment sponbsored the event with and drinks. All expressed pleasure over Mmolotsi’s mentorship. Contacts were joyously exchanged. Mmolotsi promised to invite a company – Progressive Institute – to offer more Human Resources talks to the girls; especially in the field of interview skills and others.
