Meet Hlengiwe Sibanda

Hlengiwe Sibanda

We would like to introduce Hlengiwe to you, and for you to get to know the journey that led to her becoming part of the Catalyst Foundation – S.H.E Programme, a little bit more. Hlengiwe joined the Catalyst Foundation – S.H.E Programme in 2021, as one of our beneficiary’s from the Tsholotsho district in Zimbabwe. Before joining the S.H.E Programme, Hlengiwe experienced numerous barriers that prevented her from going to school and attaining an education. Her mother sadly passed away when she was still an infant, and she lives with her grandmother, who tried her best to provide for her family, but she struggles to fully provide Hlengiwe’s basic needs, and they can barely make ends meet daily.

As a result, Hlengiwe would sometimes go a few days without any food, and she was unable to consistently go to school, as her school fees were often not paid. However, the times when she was able to go back to school, which wasn’t very often, she did not have any stationery supplies, textbooks, school uniforms or even sanitary wear. As a result of all these challenges, Hlengiwe did not dream much about her future, as she was not sure of what her future entailed. 

After meeting Hlengiwe’s teachers at her school, we found out that she was intelligent, despite her grades being average, due to her missing numerous days of school. Nonetheless, Hlengiwe’s teachers all believe in her and with enough support, they are confident that she has the potential to greatly improve her grades over time.

Through our holistic support provided to Hlengiwe, we were able to remove all of her barriers, allowing her to go to school and continue with her education. Our health check examinations carried out, identified a few health issues that Hlengiwe had. From this analysis, we were able to address all of her health issues, and thankfully, she is now perfectly healthy. Hlengiwe’s family now has peace of mind, knowing that Hlengiwe needs are taken care of by the Catalyst Foundation. 

Having been part of the S.H.E Programme for a few years now, Hlengiwe has transformed into a more confident young women, and is motivated to complete her studies with flying colours. Once she finishes her secondary schooling Hlengiwe has dreams of going to university to become a Dentist.

We asked Hlengiwe to share with us in one sentence what the

Catalyst Foundation – S.H.E Programme means to her:

“Wearing my brand-new pair of school shoes and school uniform made me feel very smart and confident when I am school!”

Are you interested in becoming a sponsor? Contact us today to make your impact

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Your donation provides a Christmas hamper filled with food, essentials, and festive treats – a gift that lights up not only Christmas Day, but a child’s belief in her future.

A small act from us.
A brighter tomorrow for them.
A shared impact we can all be proud of.

Together, we light up lives.