NPO hopes to empower others

With the hope of empowering the youth and inspiring young people to follow their dreams, Greenstone resident Shirley Nhlengethwa is on a journey to assist as many talented leaders of tomorrow as possible.

Shirley, the founder and chairperson of the non-profit organisation Focused Network, is on a mission to assist young adults to unleash their full potential by taking a journey of self-discovery with the NPO and other like-minded young individuals.

The NPO was founded in 2017 after Shirley saw the need for a “focused culture” among the youth.

Before starting the NPO, Shirley worked for multinational corporations across diverse industries.

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Shirley said growing up in Alexandra, she was an optimistic and curious child who looked up to her parents.

Raised in a supportive home, both Shirley’s parents were businesspeople and inspired her to always follow her dreams.

Shirley believes that with focus and discipline, anything can be achieved and challenges can be overcome.

She explained that her ‘aha’ moment came to her when she was asked by her former University of Johannesburg marketing lecturer Prof KM Makhitha to speak to third-year students and share her journey with them.

Shirley described the experience of speaking to the scholars as the moment she discovered her purpose.

“The feedback I received from the discussion inspired me, it made me believe that I could make a difference in somebody else’s life.”

After hosting a workshop shop in 2017, the NPO was registered in 2018. It started with 10 girls and has since grown.

She said she formed the NPO in response to the number of young people falling through the cracks of society because of poverty, lack of education and unemployment.

“Focused Network aims to identify young women from disadvantaged environments, help them transition to adulthood and offer a positive support system to avoid the pitfalls that can derail their lives.”

Shirley said many of the women the NPO help are between the ages of 15 and 22 and are often from areas like Alexandra, Thembisa or Soweto.

Besides providing a sisterhood for those it helps, Focused Network provides mentorship programmes, psychotherapy mental wellness sessions at Huddle Park, career guidance and financial education.

The main themes, which the NPO focus on promoting include exploring learning, playing and growing.

Shirley explained that when a school or organisation contacts the NPO, it will ask it to speak to young women to motivate them.

“When we host a workshop, we will call on experts to talk about a specific theme and then do an activity related to that theme,” explained Shirley.

Shirley said she is excited about what opportunities the future may hold for the NPO.

“We don’t want to restrict ourselves, we want to dream big and revolutionary ideas that will uplift the lives of young women and the community.”

For more information about Focused Network, visit its website.

To support the organisation and the work it does, community members can purchase a Focused Network T-Shirt at www.focused network.co.za.

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