BY LINDELWA MYENI
MBABANE– Fifty-four high school girls from across Eswatini are gaining practical skills, career exposure and confidence through the Brave Girl 2026 empowerment programme currently underway at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa.
The six-day residential programme, which began on Monday, 10 August, is bringing together the girls for a week of learning and personal development, with the programme set to culminate in a graduation ceremony on Saturday, 15 August.
The positive impact of the programme is expected to deepen this week as participants move from orientation and skills development to real-world career exposure through Work Experience and Job Shadowing scheduled for Thursday.
During the opening day, the participants took part in sessions covering health and safety, music and robotics, giving them an early opportunity to explore both practical and creative areas beyond the traditional classroom environment.
Waterford Kamhlaba Eco-Estate Manager Steve Maguire also equipped the girls with essential safety knowledge, taking them through emergency procedures, fire and lightning safety, evacuation routes and designated assembly points.
Maguire encouraged the participants to remain calm during emergencies, follow instructions and prioritise their safety, stressing that personal wellbeing should always come before possessions.
Brave Girl Waterford support team member Lungile Sihlongonyane said the team was pleased to welcome the participants and had been looking forward to their arrival.
The programme, established at Waterford Kamhlaba in 2017 as a student-led gender-equality initiative, has grown into a comprehensive empowerment programme covering education, career planning, financial literacy, sexual and reproductive health, mental health and wellness, sports, arts, sisterhood and self-defence.
A key feature of this year’s programme is the inclusion of robotics, through the Young Women’s Empowerment Consortium’s coding and robotics initiative, which seeks to expose girls in Eswatini to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) opportunities.
The programme’s Work Experience and Job Shadowing Day on Thursday will further expose the girls to professional environments as they visit organisations and businesses along the Manzini-Mbabane corridor.
Brave Girl is now part of the broader Young Women’s Empowerment Consortium (YWEC), launched at Waterford Kamhlaba in 2024 under the motto ‘Beyond Limits, Beyond Labels.’
The initiative seeks to create opportunities where young women can broaden their horizons, challenge limiting expectations and make informed decisions about their education, careers and future.
The 2026 programme will conclude with a graduation ceremony on Saturday, bringing together participants, their families, schools and members of the Brave Girl community to celebrate their achievements.
With 54 girls participating this year, Brave Girl continues its mission of creating a supportive environment where young women can develop confidence, discover new interests and gain exposure to opportunities that can shape their futures.
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(Courtesy Pic)
