I am a young African woman born and bred in Lesotho. My parents separated while I was still quite young, and my brother and I were raised by a single mother. She defied the odds by attaining a degree in civil engineering. I commend and respect her so much.
At age 21, I became a single mother while I was a junior at university, pursuing a degree in social work. This became a challenging time for me. Raising a child alone can be mentally, emotionally, and physically draining. However, I gathered the strength and courage to complete school. These experiences led me to birth my purpose, forming my dream of emancipating the women in my country, especially single mothers from rural communities.
Out of 750 million illiterate people in the world, nearly two-thirds are women. Also, it noted that 62 million girls around the world are not in school, and millions more are fighting to stay in.*3 Girls being out of school can bring dire consequences, such as teenage pregnancy and child marriage. Lesotho has a high number of early pregnancies among girls, but there has been little support, knowledge, or resources made available to help them live healthy lives.
I aspire to create an initiative that assists young mothers in becoming self-reliant by helping them learn about farming from experts in agriculture and through vocational training. Also, I want to provide them with positive parenting skills, peer-led and therapist-led support groups, and sanitary towels, as lack thereof can become a barrier to education. This will enhance the status of women and girls in my country, socially and economically, fast-tracking gender equality.
“The best judge of whether or not a country is going to develop is how it treats its women”—Barack Obama
My future vision is that more women, especially single mothers, will become independent. As women serve and impact both socially and economically, children will see us as heroes, and be inspired to become the next generation of leaders.
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