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The Citizen
a day ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Women with disabilities still shut out of jobs despite Women's Month celebrations
Women with disabilities still shut out of jobs despite Women's Month celebrations As South Africa marks Women's Month with tributes to trailblazing leaders, entrepreneurs, and historical icons, one group continues to be overlooked: women with disabilities are still left knocking on doors that remain firmly shut. Lungi Mkwani, 27, from a small township on the outskirts of Johannesburg, wakes up every morning to repeat the same routine: search, apply and hope. Despite holding a qualification in Public Relations (N4), call centre training, and experience in business and office administration, Mkwani has struggled to find stable employment, not due to a lack of skills, but because she lives with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, commonly known as brittle bone disease. 'Living with a disability as a woman in South Africa is challenging. Most of our cries are rarely heard,' she said. After volunteering at a local police station between 2022 and 2023, Mkwani hoped the experience would open the door to full-time employment. Instead, she was turned away. 'They used my disability as an excuse not to employ me. We're always told, 'We encourage persons with disabilities to apply,' but the follow-through never happens,' Mkwani said. According to Mkwani, many job opportunities for people with disabilities are limited to short-term learnerships, often with age restrictions and inadequate accessibility. 'These programmes only last 12 months, and once you're over 28, you're pushed out. Some buildings still have stairs, others don't cater for people who are blind or deaf or have other specific needs,' she added. Double disadvantage Lana Roy, Programme Lead for 360: Disability Inclusion at Afrika Tikkun, said that Mkwani's story is not unique and reflects a wider, systemic issue affecting thousands of women across South Africa. 'Women with disabilities face a double burden: gender and disability discrimination. They're often the last considered and the first ignored,' said Roy. Roy noted that when women with disabilities do secure employment, they are rarely offered leadership roles. 'Access and safety at work are major concerns, from restrooms and transportation to being taken seriously in male-dominated environments. They're also more vulnerable to discrimination, exploitation, and gender-based violence, not because of their impairments, but because of how society responds to them,' Roy said. Afrika Tikkun, which supports more than 1 200 children and young people with disabilities, runs a range of programmes from early childhood development to vocational training, work placements, and advocacy initiatives. But Roy said that systemic change is still urgently needed. A call for accountability Roy said that from a policy standpoint, there needs to be far stronger enforcement of inclusive hiring practices. 'Inclusion shouldn't be seen as charity or a box-ticking exercise for BBBEE points, but as a responsibility,' Roy argued. She added that one of the greatest issues is that discussions around disability often exclude the voices of disabled people themselves. We often speak about them, not with them. We must prioritise lived experience. The mantra 'Nothing for us, without us' exists for a reason,' she said. Roy warns that the widespread belief that disability equates to incapacity remains a major barrier. Investing in inclusion At the organisation, the disability inclusion team, made up of administrators, therapists, social workers, and nursing staff, works to ensure every child or young person in their care is included in cradle-to-career programmes. Children and youth with disabilities are engaged in everything from Saturday dance and acting classes to after-school learnerships in hospitality, farming, and vocational training. Afrika Tikkun also runs weekly support groups and an annual Disability Pageant to foster confidence and visibility. The organisation partners with families, schools, and communities to create an ecosystem of support and works closely with government departments to drive policy alignment and implementation. The road ahead Next month, Afrika Tikkun will host the Valuable 500 Summit, a landmark event bringing together government officials, corporate leaders, and civil society to tackle leadership, representation, and accountability around disability inclusion in the workplace. 'It's about job creation for people with disabilities, especially young women. They're often viewed as too vulnerable, too emotional, and too complicated. But these are not reasons; they are excuses rooted in bias,' Roy said. Mkwani echoes the call for action. 'We want to work. We want to contribute. We want to be seen as capable. I don't want to be a statistic but I just want a fair chance,' Mkwani expressed. As South Africa continues to celebrate women during this month of reflection and recognition, it's time to widen the spotlight to include those whose stories remain untold and whose potential remains untapped. For more information on Afrika Tikkun's disability programmes or the upcoming Valuable 500 Summit, visit
The Citizen
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Afrika Tikkun celebrated its talent day at DP World Wanderers Stadium
Smiles, cheers, and jubilation filled the DP World Wanderers Stadium on July 26 during Afrika Tikkun's talent day. The talent day is a chance for 3 000 children from different Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres around Gauteng to come together to show their talents. Afrika Tikkun is a South African non-profit organisation transforming the lives of children and youth from cradle to career. Also read: Scouts welcome Johannesburg Children's Home for weekend of fun and friendship The talent day was made up of sporting activities, including netball, soccer, running, and dance competitions. Afrika Tikkun's CEO, Marc Lubner, explained that although there were prizes for winners, every single child present would receive a prize. 'The Talent Day Initiative started approximately 12 years ago; we were a much smaller organisation. We've got a new group that's here today from Marikana, which is part of our latest outreach programme.' Lubner added that the NPO has begun to engage with children with disabilities in an inclusion programme. 'So rather than keeping the disabled children separate, we involve the children in mainstream.' Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
The Citizen
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Giving Back in Blairgowrie, Sharleene's efforts bring joy to the community
After losing her husband in 2020 and suffering a mental breakdown, Sharleene Jones refused to let adversity stand in the way of her dreams. A mother of two, a daughter and a son, Sharleene found purpose in their presence after the loss of her husband, who had battled illness for some time. Her children became her reason to rise above her grief and rebuild her life for the betterment of both herself and those around her. Read more: Afrika Tikkun hosts its first pageant 'I faced a period of immense anxiety and emotional turmoil. The weight of my responsibilities as a single parent and the grief that I carried were overwhelming, leading to a mental breakdown and forcing me to step away from my job,' said Jones. Raised by her grandmother, Sharleene sought healing through acts of service. She found comfort in helping the elderly and feeding the homeless – a way to escape the darkness and find purpose in uplifting others, especially her children. In May, Jones entered the Mrs Global Universe Africa competition, held online, and was selected to represent the African continent in the international event in Singapore. Contestants were chosen based on the impact of their community work. Fikile Motaung, a close friend and founder of Mrs Esoweto, shared her admiration: 'Having seen her at her worst and seeing her take her pain and turn it into something beautiful has been nothing but an amazing journey to watch. She has blossomed into something wonderful and is ready to help the community.' Sharleene is also the founder of the Sharleene Jones Cares Foundation, an organisation that supports women dealing with gender-based violence, divorce, or widowhood. 'I want every woman out there to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel and [they] should not give up on their dreams,' she said. 'Modelling has always been something that I'm passionate about, so to me it doesn't even matter that I'm doing it in my 40s. This is just to show that dreams are valid for as long as we do not give up on them.' According to Jones, this is only the beginning. While she's excited to represent Africa in Singapore, her heart remains with her foundation, which was officially registered just two months ago. Upon her return, she plans to dedicate more time to its growth, continuing outreach to old-age homes and supporting the homeless; acts of kindness that helped shape her journey. Sharleene's story is a powerful reminder that even in our darkest moments, we can choose to rise, and that choosing to rise often inspires others to do the same. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
16-07-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Smile Foundation's 25 years of changing lives
What began with a mother's letter to Nelson Mandela has grown into a legacy of free life-changing surgeries, helping over 1 500 children smile with confidence. Smile Foundation director Marc Lubner, left, 17-month-old Zaylin Jantjies, with mother Amy, and the first beneficiary of the Smile Foundation Thando Manyathi. Picture: Michel Bega Twenty-five years ago, Thando Manyathi's mother wrote a letter to former president Nelson Mandela asking for help with her seven-year-old daughter's lower facial paralysis. Manyathi suffered from moebius syndrome, which left her without any facial expression. The beginning of the Smile Foundation Mandela reached out to philanthropist Marc Lubner, who at the time was with the Young Presidents' Organisation. The two intervened and after much research and investigation, decided rather than sending Manyathi overseas for surgery, it would be best to bring the world's leading surgeons to South Africa and, in turn, help train local medical professionals, which would see this become an ongoing effort. The face of a national legacy Today, Manyathi smiles readily and confidently holds a receptionist job at the Smile Foundation. After going through various medical procedures Manyathi completed a number of administrative courses and computer skills training programmes. She also worked through a number of different departments within the Smile Foundation and Lubner's other charity, Afrika Tikkun. Spending time in the presence of Manyathi, Lubner and his associates recognised that she possessed a lot of love and joy and realised that Manyathi would be ideally suited to being 'the face' of their company – at the helm of the front desk. Thousands of lives changed She is among about 1 500 beneficiaries of the Smile Foundation's 25 years of efforts to provide life-changing reconstructive surgery to underserved communities. This week, as part of Smile Week at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital where it all started 25 years ago, 14 children will receive surgeries that will give them new smiles, fresh confidence and a hope for the future. ALSO READ: Baby girl's life saved by surgery One mother's emotional journey to hope Among them is 17-month-old Zaylin Jantjies from Fochville, who is receiving cleft palate surgery. Mother Amy Jantjies said being a beneficiary of the Smile Foundation is life-changing. 'These operations are so expensive and I'm really grateful for them,' said Jantjies. When describing what it was like finding out her baby had a cleft palate at birth, Jantjies said: 'It was heartbreaking. It was traumatising. It felt like my world did crash. I lost a lot of weight.' Jantjies goes on to explain how the surgeries have not only helped Zaylin, but also her mental state as a mother. 'After Zaylin's first operation, I started gaining weight again. I feel like my heart is clean. I do still cry about this because it's heartbreaking but at the end of the day, it's also tears of joy because I never thought it was possible for her to become more beautiful than she already was to me. I'm relieved that now no-one will be able to tease her when she grows up.' Eleven-month-old Gorataone Modise and mom Kgothatso at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital during Smile Week. Picture: Michel Bega A mother's gratitude Lubner is quick to point out that the Smile Foundation is just a facilitator of this programme and that it's the surgeons at the hospital that deserve the recognition for their time and skills. Additionally, Lubner thanks the Vodacom Foundation that has supported the initiative from the start. Looking back over the 25 years, just before Mandela Day, Lubner recalls how he and Mandela's dream came true. 'This is proof of what's possible when people come together to make a difference, and it's just the beginning of the next chapter.' *Smile Foundation is a South African non-profit organisation dedicated to providing comprehensive health care for children and families affected by facial conditions and burns. NOW READ: Smile Foundation give little Caroline a reason to smile
The Citizen
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Afrika Tikkun hosts its first pageant
Afrika Tikkun joyfully hosted its inaugural Disability Empowerment Pageant, Beauty in Ability, on July 11 at The Cirk in Cresta. This historic event honoured the skill, strength, and self-expression of 20 youngsters with disabilities, providing a compelling counter-narrative to stigma and silence. The 20 candidates, comprising 10 boys and 10 girls, shared the stage, displaying their bravery and beauty in front of an audience that screamed for them and the judges. Lona Roy of the organisation explained that at first, she didn't understand the pageant idea when one of her staff members approached her. 'I couldn't understand until she sent me a concept note of why it was so important. These young people never get the chance to shine; they never get to be in the limelight. People look at them and they say, oh shame, but no one looks at them in the sense of how empowered and how talented they are.' Also read: Blind runner Louzanne Coetzee encourages others with disabilities to be active The pageant allowed the participants to be just like everyone else, to be beautiful and talented. Roy said that this wasn't about beauty as in the outer appearance, but about ability, and to show people how important it is to acknowledge everyone in society. She added that the event was more than a success. 'This was our first, and we didn't know what would come out of today. But I was blown away. The confidence, the smiles on their face when they walked out, I was so proud. 'I could have cried through the whole event, but it was one of those days that we're just so proud of our young people and our candidates with disabilities,' said Roy. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
