Is There One Small Thing You Can Do to Help Change a Life?

I started typing that I'm grateful to have not experienced gender-based violence. Then I was horrified that it's even one of the things I feel I need to be grateful for. It should be a right and a given, not a constant background fear.

I spent Saturday morning with a group of Grade 11 and 12 girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. They're part of an amazing initiative run by Great Girls. These girls are mentored and coached through elements like confidence-building, interviewing, CV writing, to name just a few. Myself (and around 80 other interviewers) ran mock interviews and each of us got to meet 5 girls, ask them questions, get to know them and help them develop their confidence in speaking about themselves in an interview setting.

To say I was blown away by these young women would be an understatement. They were poised, confident, smiling and determined to make their dreams come true. They have visions for their lives and for making South Africa a better place. I was never that clear when I was in high school; it took me years to figure out some of the things these girls were confidently explaining to me at their ripe ages of 16, 17 and 18.

They are all from disadvantaged backgrounds, so they don't have the easiest home and school lives. I left there inspired at their resilience, but also shaken by some of their personal stories. On the back of the news about Rebecca Cheptegei, I'm both heartbroken and furious, and I'm grieving along with millions.

I can't fix the gender violence problem, but I can do something small to help change the circumstances of some of these girls. Each of them are capable of changing the world, but they need support. Mentors. Champions. Hope. From both men and women. Right now, they need the skills and resources to take them a step closer to fulfilling those big dreams.

Great Girls is an awesome starting point if you're like me and wanting to make a difference.

Is there just one small thing you can do to help make a difference? Our small individual acts form a powerful collective that can literally change the course of a life.

#givingback #inspiringwomen #stopGBV #empoweringwomen #empoweringgirls #education #lifeskills #careerskills