Teen moms came together to
talk about the challenges they
have faced and gender-based
violence against women and children.
They gathered outside Mitchell’s
Plain library in Town Centre on Friday August 21 for the event themed
“fixing my crown”.
Ntombi Basso, 40, from Mandalay, who is the founder of the
Teen Mom organisation, said it was
important for young women to come
together to celebrate how far they
had come.
The recent gathering was all the
more significant as it took place during national Women’s Month.
“It is never too late to fix your
life and pick yourself up from your
challenges.
Some of these young
mothers had to go through so much
and we are here to remind them
that they can revive their dreams
and make their lives better for their
children and themselves,” she said.
Ms Basso had been a community outreach worker with a project
called Girl Power at the University
of Cape Town (UCT) before joining the Human Sciences Research
Council and is currently enrolled
in a postgraduate programme in
Library and Information Science
at UCT.
She started Teen Mom in 2018,
with four clubs in Delft, Mitchell’s
Plain, and Khayelitsha Site C.
Kim Wagenstroom, 21, from
Woodlands, fell pregnant at 19 and
was disappointed at first but the
Teen Mom programme gave her
hope and the women made her feel
like she is part of a family, she said.
“This is like a sisterhood, it is
uplifting to be with them. We are
learning to move past our mistakes,”
she said.
Guest speaker, Luzuko Tafeni,
25, from Khayelitsha, said it was a
blessing in disguise to be the man
speaking at the women’s event.
“As a man, we gain perspective
on their experiences. Fixing their
crowns is a journey. I know it’s a journey that won’t happen overnight.
“The right approach on gender-based violence is not only trying to
understand it but responding to it,”
he said.
Milisa Masiso, 22, from Samora
Machel, said when she became a
mom, she had been scared.
“I didn’t know what to expect but
I was hopeful for a support system. I
am grateful for the help we receive
from the organisation,” she said.
Teen Mom will host its next event
on Sunday October 11 at Westridge
Gardens.
For more information about the
organisation, email ntombi.basso@
gmail.com or call Ms Basso at 072
343 9435.