BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE – A simple braid became a powerful lesson in confidence, independence and hope when young girls at UWC Waterford Kamhlaba took part in an empowering vocational skills session on Friday, 14 August 2026.
Led by Buhle Bakho Tandla Tetfu Empowerment founder Nombuso Dlamini, the hands-on session formed part of the Brave Girl Camp, an initiative designed to equip girls with practical skills while encouraging them to believe in their potential and take charge of their futures.
For Dlamini, teaching the girls how to braid was about much more than beauty.
“When a young girl learns to braid, she learns more than a hairstyle. She learns independence,” she said.
Throughout the session, Dlamini patiently guided the campers through clean parting, sectioning and cornrow techniques. The atmosphere was one of concentration, laughter and discovery as the girls learned a skill that could potentially become a source of income in the future.
“This was yet another great experience teaching and getting to know different girls hit by different circumstances in life,” said Dlamini. “Every girl has a story. If we can give her a skill that restores her confidence and can one day put money in her hands, then we have given her a choice about her future.”
The initiative is part of Buhle Bakho Tandla Tetfu Empowerment’s bigger vision to use vocational training as a tool to create opportunities for young women and girls across Eswatini.
The organisation is now working in partnership with the Deputy Prime Minister’s (DPM’s) Office on an ambitious nationwide programme that will take practical beauty and vocational skills training into some of the country’s most vulnerable communities.
The programme will specifically target vulnerable tinkhundla, identifying young women and girls who have limited access to education and economic opportunities and equipping them with practical, income-generating skills.
“Our goal is to move beyond Mbabane and Manzini and go where the need is greatest,” Dlamini explained. “We want to reach the girl in the rural tinkhundla who thinks her circumstances have decided her future. We want to show her that her hands can build a business.”
The message fits strongly with the vision of the Brave Girl Camp, a flagship empowerment initiative hosted by UWC Waterford Kamhlaba, United World College of Southern Africa.
The camp provides girls with a safe environment where they can discuss their goals, health, confidence, leadership and future plans while developing solutions to challenges affecting their communities.
For Buhle Bakho, however, empowerment must extend beyond inspiration.
The organisation believes that giving girls practical skills and the tools to use them can help transform confidence into economic independence.
As the programme prepares to expand across the country, Buhle Bakho is calling on the private sector, development partners and members of the public to support its mission.
The organisation is seeking sponsorship for learning materials such as mannequin heads, combs, braiding hair, gels, sprays, as well as starter kits for makeup and nail training.
“Every kit we give is a small business in a bag,” said Dlamini. “You can give a girl the tools to start earning. That is how we turn skills into livelihoods.”
The vision is simple but powerful: give a girl a skill, give her confidence and give her an opportunity to build a future with her own hands.
For sponsorship, partnership enquiries and more information, Buhle Bakho Tandla Tetfu Empowerment can be reached through the DPM’s Office or directly through its founder, Nombuso Dlamini, on 78461354.
