5 Local Ladies Making a Difference
Mothers, daughters, wives, sisters and friends are celebrated and appreciated through the month of August to show gratitude for the role that they play in the lives of their families and communities.
To further celebrate the influential, honourable and powerful women in South Africa, we want to take a look at and honour five local ladies that have been working hard to make a difference in our communities for the betterment of all.
1. Sally Petersen
Sally Petersen is the owner of the AWOL Tours tour operating business based in Cape Town which specialise in private hiking and cycling experiences with a twist. These tours are also encourage genuine and real interactions between the local communities and tourists.
Sally got the idea for the touring business after cycling through African in 1998. She remarks that during her trip she received much hospitality from the communities she encountered and decided to commit to helping the communities in Cape Town.
AWOL works hard to give back to the communities and has done so for over twenty years.
In Sally’s words: “Find your passion and develop a strong and supportive community to share your enthusiasm.”
Image Credit: Facebook.com
2. Lady Skollie
Laura Windvogel, better known as ‘Lady Skollie’, is an artist and activist originally born in Cape Town but not based in Johannesburg. After studying traditional art forms at the Frank Joubert Art Centre in 2009, she went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in History and Dutch Literature.
Lady Skollie quickly deviated from the traditional art scene and began to focus her work on concepts of gender, desire, intimacy, sexuality and consent in South Africa challenging sensitive topics in South Africa.
Her art is reflective of her feminist values and tell stories of gender issues, human connection, violence and abuse with the goal of discussing topics that are difficult to talk about.
Image Credit: Facebook.com
3. Ramona Kasavan
According to recent statistics, the average South African school girl misses approximately 384 days of school throughout her educational career because she cannot afford sanitary pads. These shocking statistics spurred Ramona into action where she started the Happy Days Foundation.
The foundation aims to empower young women residing in rural communities by providing them with cost-effective, high-quality sanitary pads. Through sponsorships and collaborations, the organisation aims to bridge this gap through a direct selling model operating through rural agents also helping to reduce unemployment.
Image Credit: Facebook.com
4. Maria Uys
Maria Uys, a graphic designer from Cape Town, is the owner of AfriGarde. AfriGarde is a jewelry line based on the Ndebele Culture started to empower domestic workers and unemployed women. By affording these women the opportunity to gain new technical skills that can be used to earn a living, AfriGarde also works to alleviate unemployment in South Africa.
AfriGarde’s brand quickly started making waves having exhibited at numerous trade shows abroad and even in Berlin Fashion Week driving high demand from Namibia all the way to New York.
Each piece of jewelry is upscaled from recycled material and then finished in Merino Wool which is hand-felted.
Maria dreams of an Africa where we are over cultural bias and can dress as we were meant to in Africa.
Image Credit: Linkedin.com
5. Mogau Seshoene
Mogau Seshoene, better known as ‘The Lazy Makoti’, is a big fan of South African food and a firm believer in teaching young South African women how to cook giving them the skills to host their own cooking classes.
Mogau was inspired to start her business when a friend approached her seeking cooking lessons for traditional South African cuisine after being unsuccessful in finding any classes in her community.
After offering a few lessons, Mogau was inspired to pursue a different career stepping away from the corporate world and into her own company. Now her cooking classes offer more than just the opportunity to learn how to cook local cuisine, but also to repurpose leftovers to avoid food waste.
Image Credit: Facebook.com
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Do you know of any local ladies that are working hard to make a difference in your community? Be sure to let us know in the comments on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages.
