It has been 128 days since President Ramaphosa placed South Africa on a national lockdown to flatten the curve of the coronavirus. At the time it was announced, few of us could have imagined that we would still be at home so many months later.
So, in the run up to #MandelaDay, we are using this platform and our voices as the women, mothers, daughters, sisters of victims and survivors of #genderbasedviolence to call for collective action against such violence. #GBV is a social problem and it will never stop until there are social solutions. So we’re going to be sharing ways in which you can help spot and stop GBV in your own community and resources with which which you can support survivors of GBV.
But I hope you, fellow mother, know that you are a part of an incredible community and we see you – ALL of you – and all your struggles and your triumphs and the roaring strength and beauty of what you are achieving each day, against all odds.
Motherhood is everything. To quote Tess Guinery, I am totally ‘into it’ and so ‘over it’, so alive and so tired, so hopeful and so unsure, so brave and so afraid, so confident and so crazy, so purposeful and so aimless, so intentional and so ‘go with the flow’.
Nevertheless, throughout my motherhood journey, I have learned that my daughter Oyisile Murhangeri (whose names loosely translate to victory and leader) moulded me into the person that I was destined to become. She has made me understand the true value of life and taught me how to persevere regardless of challenges, a trait that I could have possibly ignored if she was not here.
If there is one small mercy for mothers as a result of this pandemic, I pray that its’ a deep acknowledgement of the role that mothers and mothering plays in our society. The world hasn’t stopped in lock down. The economy isn’t ruined. It ticks over in the stabilising force of mothers showing up for their families in their homes – doing important, life-affirming work to steady little children who will grow up to do great things.
This piece is featured on Bhekisisa and appears in the 3 May edition of the Mail & Guardian. Women – many of them mothers – constitute more than half of the population. What should moms think of before casting their vote? Unlike Mother’s Day, elections don’t
We’re looking for a Communications Strategist! Embrace is an emerging national movement with an ambitious goal – to ensure every mother is supported from the start. This is achieved through inspiration, mobilisation and building meaningful connections for mothers. Whilst the movement is national, our hub
We’re hiring! Join our small team of passionate change-makers, working to ensure every mother in South Africa is embraced from the start.
It is with the greatest joy that I write this first post from the newly rebranded and re-energised Embrace. You may have noticed our new logo creep up on our social media accounts, but today is the day we launch our new website with everything you need to know about who we are, what we believe, and what we do.