Angela is KWC’s leading lady
Much as she was reluctant to, Operation Bobbi Bear founder, Jackie Branfield had to hand over her Kamalinee Women’s Committee (KWC) Leading Lady of the Year award to Angela Larkan of Thanda After-School at a Women’s Day event at Kamalinee Primary School.
“I have been given awards nationally and internationally, but this award meant the most to me because of the calibre of people giving it,” said Jackie, also congratulating Angela on her win.
Angela (29) founded the Thanda After-School organisation in Hibberdene in 2008 to feed, offer emotional support, education programmes and activities, such as agriculture mentoring and sports to pupils in school buildings once the final bell has rung.
“Thanda fills in the gaps that schools cannot provide,” said Angela, who heads a team of 18 youths who motivate 400 children from grade R to 11. “I prefer to use youths from the area who become the children’s role models. They build up the children’s self-confidence and self-belief and give them a purpose in life.”
Angela was born in Durban, but moved to Johannesburg from grade four to six. She then moved with her family to America and the UK, where she did a thesis and research on orphans and Aids to construct a model to help with the situation in South Africa.
Her organisation also offers workshops and projects to uplift local communities. “A lot of our teachers have come through our programme and went on to study at the University of South Africa. My plan is to expand our programme to more schools and start a crèche in the near future.”
She was awarded the Mzanzi Soul Award for her contributions to South Africa in 2010 and was a finalist for the 2011 Feather Awards for Community Building. She was one of six global pioneers chosen to be part of Levi’s Go Forth campaign in 2011 and was the Fairlady/Clarin’s Most Dynamic Woman of the Year for 2011. Angela has consistently been chosen as one of Mail and Guardian’s 200 Most Influential Young South Africans.
“I was surprised to find out I was nominated as KWC’s leading lady of the year. I hadn’t heard of the KWC before, but this amazing group of women play a similar role as Thanda in the community and the world. The world needs more kind people and that’s what women can teach.”
