By Nothando Yolanda Tshuma
Born in the capital city of the Northern Cape – Kimberley, Thando Kema, now a mother of three, matriculated in Kimberley and moved to Rhodes University for her tertiary studies.
Today, she holds both a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Postgraduate Honours degree. After completing her studies, she moved to Johannesburg, worked there for some time, and eventually moved back to Makhanda.
The Solace Sisterhood is a support group Kema started in Makhanda. The group aims to bring support to women and also encourage women who are facing different life challenges. She says this will be achieved by having group discussions and providing love and empathy to everyone. Kema hopes that, although Makhanda is a small place, people can speak out without fearing being judged by others.
“When I was a student, I had a support network,” she said, referring to her friends at her school residence and friends she met through societies at Rhodes University and church.
After she moved back to Makhanda, she realised that her support system was no longer there because they had graduated and moved to different places across South Africa. “As women, we have similar issues that we are dealing with.” These include juggling work and children, says Kema.
That was when she realised that “there is no support system for women that just want to come together and vent about similar issues, and importantly, I realised upon talking to another person that they had a solution to my problem,” said Kema.
This was when the idea of bringing women together came about. With that, women can collaborate, connect and empower each other using their experiences to find solutions and help each other.
“As a woman, you are also entitled to have time for yourself; it is imperative that you make time for yourself; as women, we make time for our jobs and children, but we fail to make time for ourselves,” said Kema.
Speaking about her children, she says, “I always encourage my children to confide in each other.”
She says this is because, growing up, speaking out of your family was not encouraged, so she believes that people “have to encourage conversations to happen, not only with our inner circle but with other people.”
Kema views this support group that she is starting as part of an investment in her life. This is not the first time she has created a support group. Kema mentioned that she has opened a support group everywhere she has lived, as this is a space where she can also confide in people other than her close circle of friends.
