My name is Dikeledi Seleka. I am the co-founder of Sisters Empowerment Circle (SEC) an NPO; and Dynamic Timz Coaching Pty. Ltd. Growing up, in the village, my parents had a number of businesses, which meant we always had people at home. As a result my parents and the children never lacked help, we always had people to babysit whenever my parents traveled to neighbouring villages for one occasion or the other. In essence, I was raised by the village, and my quest to help and uplift others was, I believe, instilled in me then.

SEC is a not for profit organisation focused on developing rural-based communities, through the development of entrepreneur skills, women empowerment, youth empowerment and capacitating women-founded corporatives and civil society organisations. Because of this mission, we set out to work with rural-based communities businesses and organisations and helped them survive during covid but also for them to be sustainable beyond any program, funding or sponsorship and be able to compete in the corporate market.

Letlotlo la Botshelo Foundation and Ramokoka Primary School were one of the projects we identified in 2021. We started working with them in January 2021 to date.

(1). Ramokoka Primary School, in Ramokoa-stad village, Rustenburg, Northwest Province, RSA
“Loeto mmogo – Journey with us” program
Workshop: Stay Connected
The workshop is part of “Loeto mmogo – Journey with us” program – a dynamic quality after-school
educational transformation program, that we designed for the rural-based learners. With an objective to give them access to the world they ordinarily wouldn’t have, give them access to education other than just curriculum-based education, as this is the only form of education
they receive, and ultimately broaden their vision for their future self. We have been conducting a workshop with the school called “Stay Connected” – its objective is to create a safe space for learners to talk about their new experiences as a result of covid and how it’s affecting them. The workshop is interactive and fun. This was also designed after we received a call from the school principal then, Ms. Molefe, who was concerned with the school performance rate dropping. Learners were not performing well since the pandemic, they were attending 2 days a week, which meant they were given remainder work to do at home. This was a challenge as most learners did not have literate parents or siblings to help at home, most of these learners come from granny and or child-led homes. Since the inception of these workshops, learners’ performance has improved, they communicate more and parents are also happy with their children kept at school productively. The workshop was facilitated by myself (Dikeledi Seleka) and my colleague and SEC Director (Sindiswa Tilane).

2. Letlotlo la Botshelo Foundation – Ramokoka-stad village, North West Province, South Africa

Rural community development and women empowerment
Review Branding strategy session (RBSS)

We visited Letlotlo la Botshelo for a review of their strategy. We facilitated a strategy session, sharing the values of having a good strategy and implementing it. Letlotlo la Botshelo foundation is a healthcare-based foundation with a focus on creating awareness around dementia and promoting health and healthy living. It was after our intervention that the foundation started home gardening to generate revenue during the pandemic, the objective was to create income to sustain them but they have since evolved and manifested themselves into creating an effective ecosystem value chain – now supplying the community with fresh vegetables, selling to local entrepreneurs to re-sell, they have also created learning space for schools, and also serve as a safe space and place of calm to relax and keep busy for dementia suffering grannies, and many more activities.

Letlotlo la Botshelo Foundation seeks to create awareness and address dementia and other unknown sicknesses in the village. Dementia is often confused with or tagged witchcraft, which therefore forces families to be secretive about it, stigmatisation, and not seek help. One of the patients the foundation was helping, is an old man diagnosed with dementia and only living with his mentally disturbed son.

Letlotlo la Botshelo Foundation was founded by Keneilwe Moatshe, and members Bonolo and Relebogile