Fostering youth leadership and advocacy

Makhosi Mandy Chili: DDP Associate Facilitator

Nomali Mandy Chili is a member of Ubuhle Bentsha Development Centre

An NPO which works to create and implement holistically developing programmes for children, youth and the greater community. Their focus is in schools and school going youth, they foster leadership and advocacy programs, art and creativity, peer education, career guidance, poetry, sports and lay counseling. This organization works with communities eThekwini and surrounding areas in facilitating dialogues and programs on health related topics,  Civic rights and education as well as fundraising.

Chili is a DDP Associate facilitator.

What does women month mean to you?

For me womens month is an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements and the important roles that women of all races and religions have played and continue to play in South African society. It is the one month in the calendar which creates a hype and platforms solely for women.

Why is celebrating women’s month important to you?

Celebrating it is important to me because the historic march led by women to the union buildinh created a turning point in the role of women in the struggle for freedom and the society at large. Since then women from all walks of life became equal partners in the struggle for a non-racial and non-sexist South Africa. Thus, August is marked as the most important month to remember all work done by women and to celebrate women of all walks of life.

What concerns you the most about politics in South Africa?

My greatest concern is the undermining belief that our country can not be successfully run by women. Looking at politics in general our country speaks of women empowerment and 50% women position, yet women are seen occupying positions with less power or those positions which do not fully give us leadership flexibility. Looking at political parties, majority of leading affiliations are run by men, because our people do not as yet have faith to trust a women with power to run the country without a man pushed in the forefront. I am very concerned that up until date we still need a month like August to be the time to highlight and celebrate women achievements. I speak not on a competitive point, but it is troubling that our country doesn’t have a month celebrating achievements by men but automatically most successes are assumed to be men. It is disturbing that as women we can not just achieve and be recognised and celebrated in any month or time that is fit. It takes a month like August to know of the amazing work done by women in engineering, in accounting or in any profession.

However, for me being a women is amazing and still something I am proud of. For me women are one of the strongest beings in mankind. I say this cause with all obstacles and challenges we encounter we still manage to penetrate and make the best of the work we are given. We still give birth, groom and build other human beings to be better leaders, doctors, builders etc, even if they grow to be better than us. We may face political issues in every dimension of our lives but we never lose our Womenness. We strive to succeed for ourselves and for those that are dependant on our success and achievements