Be a first girl child: Transnet helps little girls sparkle a little brighter

The girls with guest speaker Anele Mdoda, Masego Khutswane Senior Manager: Brand & CI, Transnet and Dr Daphney Ramaphosa, Executive Manager: Social Capital and Sustainability Reporting

Opportunities afforded to women often pale in comparison to their male counterparts. With the theme of Sparkle a Little Brighter, Transnet wanted to introduce young girls to the various opportunities open to them - and not just encourage - but show them that they can achieve even that which seems impossible.

The objective of the graduation ceremony activation was to inspire the girls, motivate and empower them with information and foresight to create many firsts in their generation. The idea was to plant in them the seed of courage to do the unforgettable by doing the unexpected.

A key part of the activation was using a simple yet effective innovation which allowed the girls to visualise their future selves. Before the girls began shadowing their mentors at Transnet for the day, they made their way to the “Future Booth” where they took a few pictures and recorded a short video introduction on who they are, and which careers they would like to pursue in the future.

Transnet strives to be an invaluable contributor to the South African economy, and it is evident in the growing women leaders within the organisation. To show the young girls the infinite possibilities that await them, Dr Daphney Ramphosa, Executive Manager: Social Capital and Sustainability Reporting was a motivational guest speaker for the day. A headstrong, accomplished and determined individual, the Dr talked to the girls about perseverance and being focussed about achieving one’s dreams.

Acting Group Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Mahomedy urged the girls to aim to be great in all that they do. He also encouraged the girls to focus on their studies so that one day they can lead big organisations like Transnet.

“It is important for Transnet to participate in initiatives such as Take a Girl Child to Work Day and this particular one goes a long way in empowering a girl child, as well as nurturing and helping groom and develop confident female leaders of tomorrow. As Transnet, we saw it fit to encourage girls to celebrate their individuality, strive for excellence, face their fears and embrace ambition by striving towards being future leaders who will be significant contributors to our economy, through their chosen career paths”, said Mr Mahomedy.

Special recognition goes out to the team at Transet & Brave Group, who proved that teamwork is key to producing truly meaningful and memorable moments.