{"id":21273,"date":"2025-09-11T13:37:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T11:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/?p=21273"},"modified":"2025-09-22T10:19:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T08:19:02","slug":"echoes-of-courage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/archives\/21273","title":{"rendered":"Echoes of courage\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"21273\" class=\"elementor elementor-21273\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-69a32eb e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"69a32eb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9b35838 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"9b35838\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h5 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">On 9 August, we celebrated South African National Women\u2019s Day, paying homage to the heroic actions of 20 000 women in the 1956 march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, and celebrating how their courage still echoes in the lives of our countrywomen today.  <\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-123767f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"123767f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW98716631 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW98716631 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"paragraph\" data-ccp-parastyle-defn=\"{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;aaed607e-c2a3-5841-9fb4-41037bfa0faf|1&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[201342447,&quot;5&quot;,201342448,&quot;1&quot;,469777841,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469777842,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469777843,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469777844,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469769226,&quot;Times New Roman,Aptos&quot;,268442635,&quot;24&quot;,469775450,&quot;paragraph&quot;,201340122,&quot;2&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;paragraph&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,335559705,&quot;2057&quot;,134233118,&quot;true&quot;,134233117,&quot;true&quot;,469778324,&quot;Normal&quot;]}\">The peaceful 1956 protest to oppose apartheid-era pass laws reminds us that the fight for gender equity is far from over, and that women are a pivotal force in societal progress.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW98716631 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-63aac1b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"63aac1b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Addressing persistent inequalities <\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9c8bea7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9c8bea7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW114150284 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW114150284 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"paragraph\" data-ccp-parastyle-defn=\"{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;aaed607e-c2a3-5841-9fb4-41037bfa0faf|1&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[201342447,&quot;5&quot;,201342448,&quot;1&quot;,469777841,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469777842,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469777843,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469777844,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469769226,&quot;Times New Roman,Aptos&quot;,268442635,&quot;24&quot;,469775450,&quot;paragraph&quot;,201340122,&quot;2&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;paragraph&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,335559705,&quot;2057&quot;,134233118,&quot;true&quot;,134233117,&quot;true&quot;,469778324,&quot;Normal&quot;]}\">In Africa, women play an integral role in driving the economy, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW114150284 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"paragraph\">participating<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW114150284 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"paragraph\"> in formal industries and informal markets alike. Many also shoulder the mantle of family breadwinners, contributing significantly to household welfare and community vitality. Despite these remarkable contributions, African women often face systemic challenges such as wage gaps and limited access to economic resources.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW114150284 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW207147772 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW207147772 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"paragraph\" data-ccp-parastyle-defn=\"{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;aaed607e-c2a3-5841-9fb4-41037bfa0faf|1&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[201342447,&quot;5&quot;,201342448,&quot;1&quot;,469777841,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469777842,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469777843,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469777844,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469769226,&quot;Times New Roman,Aptos&quot;,268442635,&quot;24&quot;,469775450,&quot;paragraph&quot;,201340122,&quot;2&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;paragraph&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,335559705,&quot;2057&quot;,134233118,&quot;true&quot;,134233117,&quot;true&quot;,469778324,&quot;Normal&quot;]}\">This year\u2019s Women\u2019s Day theme, \u201cBuilding Resilient Economies for All<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW207147772 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"paragraph\">\u201d,<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW207147772 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"paragraph\"> emphasi<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW207147772 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"paragraph\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW207147772 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"paragraph\">es the untapped potential of inclusive growth, focusing on empowering women as key agents in creating sustainable economies. By integrating women more effectively into all sectors, as we do at <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW207147772 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"paragraph\">AfroCentric<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW207147772 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"paragraph\">, we can ensure better livelihoods for families and stronger societies.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW207147772 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f450d55 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"f450d55\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e531fc5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e531fc5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Supporting Black women entrepreneurs <\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-83200ac elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"83200ac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"301\" src=\"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3-ladies-1024x301.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-21326\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3-ladies-1024x301.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3-ladies-300x88.jpg 300w, https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3-ladies-768x226.jpg 768w, https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3-ladies-1536x451.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3-ladies-2048x602.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9501ea6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9501ea6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Women in South Africa face numerous challenges in entrepreneurship, influenced by historical disparities that still hinder Black, women-led ventures. Despite small businesses significantly contributing over 40% to South Africa&#8217;s GDP, women entrepreneurs grapple with limited funding, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of operational support, all of which restrict their growth and opportunities.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">AfroCentric, through our enterprise development strategy, is addressing these issues by aiding three impactful enterprises:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Oratile Kids (Naledi Baby Brands)<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: Founded by Tsepiso Malo Monamodi, this business specialises in soft baby shoes and skincare tailored for babies with sensitive skin. AfroCentric&#8217;s assistance allowed the company to invest in new equipment, boost production, and reintroduce its skincare line, paving the way for both local and international expansion.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Eluthandweni Maternity Service:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Initiated by Sister Nonina Diphoko, this vital service offers round-the-clock maternal care and community education. AfroCentric has enhanced their efforts with over R9.1 million in funding, facilitating clinic construction, acquiring ambulances, and fostering community healthcare projects.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Mommy Bear Women and Baby Clinic:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Led by Sister Buhle Khumalo, this initiative provides comprehensive antenatal and postnatal care, breast-feeding guidance, and infant wellness to underserved communities. Our R1 million investment upgraded clinic facilities and expanded service delivery, enhancing lives in culturally informed ways.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">These collaborations showcase our commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs, catalysing lasting economic and social impact.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW253508169 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW253508169 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"paragraph\" data-ccp-parastyle-defn=\"{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;aaed607e-c2a3-5841-9fb4-41037bfa0faf|1&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[201342447,&quot;5&quot;,201342448,&quot;1&quot;,469777841,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469777842,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469777843,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469777844,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,469769226,&quot;Times New Roman,Aptos&quot;,268442635,&quot;24&quot;,469775450,&quot;paragraph&quot;,201340122,&quot;2&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;paragraph&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,335559705,&quot;2057&quot;,134233118,&quot;true&quot;,134233117,&quot;true&quot;,469778324,&quot;Normal&quot;]}\">To read more about the three initiatives we are supporting, <a href=\"https:\/\/afrocentrichealth.sharepoint.com\/sites\/GroupCommunication\/ConneXion%20Weekly%20newsletter\/Forms\/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FGroupCommunication%2FConneXion%20Weekly%20newsletter%2F2025%2FSeptember%2FFrom%20Policy%20to%20Possibility%2Epdf&amp;parent=%2Fsites%2FGroupCommunication%2FConneXion%20Weekly%20newsletter%2F2025%2FSeptember\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">click here<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW253508169 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div style=\"display:flex; gap:10px;justify-content:center\" class=\"wps-pgfw-pdf-generate-icon__wrapper-frontend\">\n\t\t<a  href=\"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21273?action=genpdf&amp;id=21273\" class=\"pgfw-single-pdf-download-button\" ><img src=\"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-content\/plugins\/pdf-generator-for-wp\/admin\/src\/images\/PDF_Tray.svg\" title=\"Generate PDF\" style=\"width:auto; height:45px;\"><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 9 August, we celebrated South African National Women\u2019s Day, paying homage to the heroic actions of 20 000 women in the 1956 march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, and celebrating how their courage still echoes in the lives of our countrywomen today. The peaceful 1956 protest to oppose apartheid-era pass laws reminds us [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":21274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[351],"tags":[346],"class_list":["post-21273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-our-business-afrocentric15","tag-afrocentric15"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21273"}],"version-history":[{"count":73,"href":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21934,"href":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21273\/revisions\/21934"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}