Activator Women of Worth #PayingItForward

By Kay-Dee Mashile

As Easter concluded International Women’s Month and National Human Rights Month, we say hello to the month where we celebrate and promote the Freedom of South Africans. With the 24th Anniversary of the Democratic Republic of South Africa, we reflect on the freedom of contemporary South Africans and, in this case, South African women (especially women of colour). Not only is it befitting since the whole world pressed for change last month, but even more so because Activators are #CommittedToChange all year round!

#PayingItForward in the area of Women Empowerment are KZN based Co-Founder of Women of Worth Movement Society and 2016 Activators Nomfundo Msomi and Nompulelelo Khati. Through Women of Worth Movement Society, Activators Nomfundo and Nompumelelo, as well as their partners, strive to improve the lives of women holistically by promoting the emancipation and empowerment of women as participating citizens in the building of a non-sexist, egalitarian society. Nomfundo chats to Kay-Dee about the organisation and the freedom of women in contemporary South Africa.

In a nutshell, Women of Worth Movement Society (WOWMSoc) is a registered women empowerment non-profit organisation (NPO) which works with women of all ages through a holistic approach which aims to improve their quality of life.

Upon realising that the issues faced by women go way deeper than what is seen on the surface, Nomfundo took up the challenge to find the root cause of the various issues that women (and other members of society) are faced with and affected by. While this was motivated by her curious or inquisitive nature, it led to the birth of the organisation as it unveiled the many challenges that women encounter and are often unable to voice out.

In November 2016, during Nomfundo’s ACTIVATE! Home Task assignment, Nomfundo and her Co-Founder and fellow Activator Nompumelelo Khati hosted a Women Empowerment Dialogue at KwaMashu F Section, KZN, where the day-to-day issues of womanhood were discussed. Among the day’s topics was the question, “What does it mean to be a woman of worth?” Needless to say, that dialogue was the birth of WOEMSoc as it unpacked so much and clearly showed that there is a definite need for a continuation of the movement…

At that time, Nompumelelo was working with a group of women in the community. Upon brainstorming about the home task dialogue, Nomumelelo and Nomfundo did a brief needs analysis of the women that Nompumelelo was working with. During the brainstorming session, the two Activator ladies identified various challenges such as single parenthood and unemployment, among others, as common amongst the women in their community. This then led to the idea of hosting a dialogue which would dig deeper into the root cause of the challenges faced by the women in question. One of the motivating factors for the birth of the organisation also stemmed for Nomfundo’s upbringing and personal experiences. It is also noteworthy that she finds working with other troubled women as a platform to heal and be healed.

WOWMSoc then began as that single event which led to various events and a social media campaign which finally led to its registration as an NPO. The Organization strives to improve the lives of women holistically using psychological methods including that of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in the following manner:

  • We want to see Psychological and Emotional wellness among women,
  • We want women to look at themselves in the mirror and see beauty!
  • We want them to Flourish and Prosper!
  • We want them to gain self-confidence
  • We want them to gain skills such as Financial skills, Entrepreneurial skills, Educational, etc.

The WOWMSoc team is looking for Activator collaborations in the fields of youth and women empowerment. The team desires to expand the initiative to other parts of the country and thus call out Activators with projects and originations in these fields to reach out and partner with them so as to maximise their iMac in society.

On the 16th of June 2018, WOWMSoc will be hosting Pietermaritzburg Youth Month Celebrations where they will invite school kids to attend a career expo where various companies will be invited to exhibit and share information with the learners.

The objectives of the event are:

  • To empower and develop the youth while motivating them to stay away from drugs, alcohol and unwanted and unplanned teenage pregnancies.
  • To enhance women empowerment by promoting the importance of self-love, values and integrity.
  • To host a cultural exchange programme.
  • To promote the importance of healthy eating and leading a healthy lifestyle.

In addition, the event will also empower and educate the youth on:

  • Entrepreneurship,
  • Different career options and sectors,
  • Social and economic empowerment, as well as
  • Recruitment and empowerment opportunities.

For more information or possible collaborations, contact the WOWMSoc Team on the details below.

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