08 Jun 2026

Girls become catalysts for transformation within their homes, schools, communities and future workplaces, when they are empowered emotionally, spiritually, mentally,and socially.

According to Olorato Taleyana, founder of Empowered Girls Botswana Trust, a youth-focused organisation dedicated to mentoring and empowering adolescent girls and young women, it is essential to empower girls on many fronts including personal development, leadership, mental wellness, confidence building, purpose discovery, career guidance and social impact.

“We recognise that many of the empowerment gaps young women face today are deeply rooted in unresolved experiences from their past. True empowerment, therefore, goes beyond motivation, it requires healing, restoration, and intentional spaces where young women can rediscover their worth, rebuild their confidence, and reclaim their voices,” Taleyana said.

She said the mission of Empowered Girls Botswana is centred on healing young women one gathering at a time, restoring confidence, and creating platforms that nurture purpose, growth, and transformation.

Founded in 2019, Taleyana said the organisation was created to bridge empowerment gaps by providing intentional mentorship, safe conversations, and imparting practical life skills that could help girls and young women to navigate life with confidence and purpose.

The organisation operates through a passionate team of volunteers, mentors, and young professionals who contribute their time and expertise toward empowering young women, with its ultimate goal being to raise a generation of confident, healed, purpose-driven and impactful young women equipped to lead and positively transform society.

“Some are lawyers, teachers, accountants and communications specialists. Additionally, Empowered Girls Botswana relies on a vast pool of professionals who offer mentorship from time to time at our events,” she said.

Recently, Empowered Girls Botswana hosted its first instalment of a series of sessions collectively dubbed the “Empowered Girls Pitso.”

Taleyana said The Pitso, is a call for young women to gather, reconnect with themselves, find healing, and rediscover their identity and purpose and is envisioned as a series of powerful and transformative gatherings centred around meaningful conversations on healing, leadership, faith, wellness, womanhood and personal growth.

While Empowered Girls Botswana has hosted various empowerment initiatives in the past, the Empowered Girls Pitso introduces a more intentional and elevated experience aimed at fostering deeper impact, healing, sisterhood, and authentic community among women, she said.

She said their guests and speakers of the Empowered Girls Pitso sessions were carefully selected based on their authenticity, impact, personal journeys, influence, and alignment with the values of empowerment, healing, leadership, and community development.

She said Tanki Sentsho, one of the speakers and author of the book ‘This Is How You Win’, would be bringing a powerful voice of resilience, intentional living, and personal growth; as her work encourages individuals to overcome life’s challenges with faith, discipline, courage, and purpose, making her message especially relevant to young women navigating identity and self-worth.

Bogadi Serumola on the other hand, has intentionally created safe and transformative spaces for women through initiatives such as Sisterhood Retreats and Mosadi Wa Lelwapa and her work is centered on healing, connection, womanhood, and empowering women to grow emotionally, spiritually, and personally within supportive communities, Taleyana said.

Bridget Siele, yet another speaker, embodies the reality that one does not need to wait until they reach a certain age, status, or level in life to become the best version of themselves.

Like many growing initiatives, some of the challenges they have encountered include limited resources, funding constraints, and securing meaningful partnerships that can help sustain and expand the organisation’s impact.

Additionally, Ms Taleyana, a lawyer, said balancing organisational responsibilities alongside personal and professional commitments can sometimes be demanding.

Despite the challenges, the passion for empowering young women and the powerful testimonies that Empowered Girls Botswana continues to receive from girls whose lives have been impacted remain the greatest motivation to keep pushing forward and creating transformative spaces for healing and growth.

Regarding the last session, held over the past weekend, saw about 60 attendees comprising professionals, students, entrepreneurs, and community members who are passionate about growth, healing, leadership and empowerment turn up. ENDS