my views

Life lessons we can all benefit from Hot off the press, ‘An Ode to My Mother-in-law, Winnie Serobe… a mentorship of love and honour’ written by Gloria Serobe launched on National Women’s Day (9 August 2023) in South Africa. This auspicious date also marks the 10th anniversary of Winnie Serobe’s passing. Gloria’s book reflects on her relationship with her mother-in-law, the lessons Mama Winnie imparted to her and how the application of these lessons has improved the lives of so many people that Mama Winnie has touched. Gloria credits a big part of her success to Mama Winnie’s networks that she exposed her to very early on in her career. And the lessons and learnings around caring for the community, lifting as your rise, the true meaning of living a life of service and asking the question, “Is what I’m doing good for all South Africans?”, is some of the things we can all apply in our daily lives.  In the book, Gloria reflects on her journey with the Serobe family, and they are nothing sh

Beaten but not Broken by Vanessa Govender I voraciously consumed Vanessa Govender’s story ‘Beaten but not Broken’. I hung onto her every word. Vanessa is an amazing storyteller, a journalist by profession, (you will probably remember her as the eTV news reporter). Her story is well-written, eloquently articulated and she weaves the intricate tale with such detail that it transports you to that place and memory, where you feel what she felt and experience her hurt, heartbreak, disappointment and longing for love and acceptance. I saw the book on my friend, Kim Langley’s Instagram post and she offered to borrow it to me. When she handed me the book, I asked her if it was going to bring me down. If it was difficult to read about Vanessa’s experiences even though I had no idea what the book was about. Kim assured me that it would not.  The title alludes to one of abuse but it also speaks to the strength of the human spirit and our innate ability to survive and even thrive.  This is

It’s been a couple of months since I blogged. I’ve been a bit preoccupied. A few weeks ago I attended our company’s awards evening where we recognised the work of our staff volunteers. I was privileged to meet one of the guest speakers, Professor Shirley Zinn, who shared a brief synopsis of her story. She has a book Swimming Upstream, which I read cover to cover on the Saturday after we met. Shirley’s story is both mesmerising and heart-breaking. As the reader you are taken along on her journey which was not easy but her attitude and perseverance resulted in an inspirational tale of how hard work is rewarded abundantly. Here are some of the highlights from Shirley’s book that stood out for me: 1. Where you start out doesn’t have to determine where you end up. You are not a product of our circumstance. Shirley was born in Steenberg on the Cape Flats in the Western Cape. It is an area that is consumed with socio-economic conditions such as gangsterism, domestic violence, poverty,