This Women’s Month, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and potential of young women – and the spaces that help them grow into who they are meant to be.
For Qhama, that space is Crown Sisters. “I love the Crown Sisters program,” she says. “We are taught responsibility. How to take care of ourselves as young girls.”
Qhama speaks openly about the challenges many girls in her community face, including pressure, manipulation, and the difficulty of standing firm in situations where it’s easier to stay silent.
“People take advantage of us because they think they can manipulate us into doing things we don’t want to do,” she explains. “So, we are taught to set boundaries. No, I’m not going to do this now.”
Through Crown Sisters, Qhama has found something deeply important: a safe, supportive environment where girls are encouraged to speak, to listen, and to grow together. “In Crown Sisters, you feel like you’re in a safe place. You’re surrounded by people who understand and people who are going through the same things as you.”
It is in this space that girls learn not only to express themselves, but also to hold space for one another. When someone shares their story, the response is simple but powerful: we see you, and we support you.
Alongside these moments of connection, there is also joy, laughter, games, and shared experiences that build trust and confidence over time. For Qhama, this journey has led to a deeper understanding of herself. “Being part of Crown Sisters has helped me understand myself as a young girl, in a way that I should take care of myself, because no one will take care of myself for me.”
That understanding is the foundation of something greater: confidence, self-worth, and the ability to make choices that protect her future.
This Women’s Month, Qhama’s story reminds us that empowerment doesn’t happen in isolation. It is built in safe spaces, through consistent support, and within communities where girls are encouraged to find their voices and stand in them.