Woman giving back to the Meadowlands Community
“I lost my brother who was an Umkhonto Wesizwe member when I was 12 years old and when I was 16 I lost my father."
Sebenzile Shabalala is known in Meadowlands for the amazing work she does for the youth as well as disadvantaged families.
Born Sebenzile Priscilla Shabalala in Meadowlands, Shabalala attended school at Entandweni Primary School and progressed to Bopasenatla High School.
“During my school days, I was a Student Representative Council (SRC) and also a Congress of South African Students (COSAS) member growing up.”
Shabalala lost her brother and father at a younger age and had to be responsible from a younger age.
“I lost my brother who was an Umkhonto Wesizwe member when I was 12 years old and when I was 16 I lost my father.
“After matriculating I had to go and look for a job,” she said.
Shabalala then worked at Chemvuc Marketing as a quality controller and in 2012 she was approached by Pan African Genesis (PAG) a company dealing with military veterans as she worked there for a year as a transcriber.
Through her love for the youth, Shabalala establishes her own Non- Profit Organisation (NGO) known as Siboniso the Vision.
“The organisation deals with service users (drug users) by identifying them and refers them to rehabilitation centres. The organisation also provides aftercare and counselling to families.”
She hosted Mr and Mrs Mokgome Senior Secondary School in Meadowlands Zone 7 and in 2016 she hosted Mr and Mrs Drug Awareness.
Shabalala is also the deputy chairperson of Meadowlands Local Drug Action Committee.
The love Shabalala has for the community was noticed by the community when she was elected as the ward committee member directing the sector of community development 2 under the councillor Happyboy Molobye.
“The sector deals with NPO’s, churches, kinder garden, families and poverty alleviation. Growing without a brother was a lesson to learn and to love everyone around me.
“Women are not empowered enough because we are still struggling to get recognition. My passion is to have a drug free society and see the youth more involved in sports, arts and culture and other activities.
“As a woman education must be your mother, father, drugs and friend. Always bear in mind there are no limitations to being a visionary,” she said.
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