•Women urged to step beyond emotional pain and discover their purpose
•Sisterhood creates a safe space for women to share, heal and grow
•10th edition set for 22 may 2027 under “fully persuaded”
BY NELIWE NGUBANE
MBABANE— Sometimes, breaking a shell does not begin with a loud declaration. It begins with a woman sitting among other women, hearing a story that sounds painfully familiar and realising she is not alone.
That was the spirit behind the 10th Edition Break Your Shell Mother’s Day Celebration, whose organisers, speakers and beneficiaries used its media launch to reflect on a decade of sisterhood, healing, faith and women discovering the courage to step beyond the limitations that have held them back.
The celebration, scheduled for Saturday, May 22, 2027, will be held under the theme “Big Hat, Big Energy — Feminine Elegance”, with the motto “Fully Persuaded”, drawn from Romans 4:21: “Being fully convinced that God had the power to do what He had promised.”
At the media launch, Break Your Shell founder Phiwie Mabuza said the movement was created from an understanding of what women experience when pain, social expectations, disappointment and fear become so familiar that they begin to feel like safety.
Mabuza said Break Your Shell began in 2018 with 68 women, initially creating spaces where women could share their experiences and find encouragement. What started on a smaller scale continued growing into larger venues and cross-border collaborations, particularly with women from South Africa.
She described the growth as a journey of grace, saying the movement has continued to expand through the support of women who have remained committed to the vision since its inception.
For Mabuza, the central message remains simple: women must come out of the shells they have built around themselves.
“We are saying, come out of that shell, break that shell, because God has not put you to be defined in any way you fit yourself,” she said.
One of the most powerful testimonies came from Letsiwe Gama, who reflected on her own journey with Break Your Shell and how listening to other women helped her find strength.
Gama recalled initially questioning whether she could openly share what she was going through at home, at church or elsewhere. She said the stories shared by women within the movement eventually helped her realise that she was not alone in facing challenges.
As women spoke about their experiences, she began drawing strength from their journeys.
She said the experience transformed her emotionally and gave her a network of women who welcomed her without judging who she was.
For Gama, Break Your Shell became more than an event.
It became a place where she found peace.
She encouraged more girls and women to encounter such spaces earlier in life, saying many people carry emotional wounds for years without knowing where to find support.
Her testimony reinforced Mabuza’s broader message that sisterhood can become a powerful source of healing when women are given room to speak, listen and encourage one another.
South African author and speaker Nozibele Qamngana-Mayaba also used the launch to speak about the importance of women seeing other women as examples of what is possible.
Mayaba, who was born and raised in Gqeberha and now lives in Johannesburg, said she accepted the invitation because she was drawn to the idea of women celebrating women.
She reflected on her understanding of God’s heart for women and pointed to Mary Magdalene being the first person Jesus revealed himself to after His resurrection.
For Mayaba, the biblical account demonstrates that women have an important role in carrying messages and influencing others.
She said she wants more girls to see women succeeding and ask themselves: “If she did it, why can’t I do it?”
Her message was also deeply personal.
Diagnosed with HIV at the age of 21 in 2013 after taking an HIV test during a workplace wellness event, Mayaba eventually turned her experience into a public testimony against HIV stigma. Her story has since seen her become known as an author, speaker and HIV activist.
She has openly spoken about living beyond an HIV diagnosis, including marrying an HIV-negative man and becoming a mother after her diagnosis.
Mayaba described this part of her life as evidence of restoration, saying her testimony demonstrates that a diagnosis or painful chapter does not have to determine the rest of a person’s story.
The Break Your Shell journey has also developed into a cross-border sisterhood.
Mabuza recalled how a group of eight women from South Africa visited the programme in 2024. Their involvement grew into collaboration, with women from both countries travelling across borders to share experiences and empower one another.
She said the movement has continued to grow, with increasing numbers of women attending its gatherings and women from Eswatini also travelling to South Africa to participate in programmes there.
Mabuza said the organisation’s journey has been shaped by partnerships, faith and women who have continued to believe in the vision.
She also acknowledged members who have remained part of Break Your Shell since 2018, saying maintaining sisterhood over many years has required forgiveness, understanding and a willingness to work through disagreements.
As Break Your Shell enters its 10th edition, Mabuza said the motto “Fully Persuaded” reflects lessons gathered throughout the organisation’s journey.
She urged women to leave behind fear, worry and self-pity and to believe that their circumstances can change.
She referenced Romans 4:21, saying women should be fully persuaded that God has the power to fulfil what He has promised.
The organisation is also encouraging women to “rise to your story”, with Mabuza stressing that one woman’s testimony can become a source of strength for another.
For the 2027 celebration, the message is therefore not only about dressing up in big hats or bringing big energy.
It is about the woman underneath the hat, her story, her healing, her faith, her sisterhood and the courage to step outside the shell.
The 10th Edition Break Your Shell Mother’s Day Celebration will take place on Saturday, May 22, 2027.
The theme is “Big Hat, Big Energy — Feminine Elegance”, while the motto is “Fully Persuaded”, inspired by Romans 4:21.
Early-bird tickets are E800 from July to December, while late registration is E1,000 from January to April.
Tickets are available through SmartTicket, with registration and contact information for Eswatini listed as +268 7642 1328 / 7608 6317.
The 10th edition is positioned as a milestone celebration of the women, stories and relationships that have shaped Break Your Shell since 2018.
And if the testimonies shared at the media launch are anything to go by, the biggest celebration may not simply be the event itself — but the women who will walk into it carrying stories they once thought they could never tell, and walk out believing they can.
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