TIMELESS BEAUTY WITH BUSINESS BRAINS
This week we do a brand new business feature that is meant to promote women in business. We are featuring the Ekurhuleni born Leah Khumalo who is the emerging Event Master of Ceremonies and She also shares her strong views on Gender Based Violence Writes Thulane Madalane
Thulane Madalane : who is Leah Khumalo and where were you born and raised?
Leah Khumalo: I was raised by a single mom, I am a mother, a leader, a strong ambitious, goal driven, focused and hardworking person. I am 46 years old, yes 46 its sound like many years ago hahaha, I was born and raised in Tsakane though I moved around the places after my parents got divorced but I remained in Tsakane till this day.
TM: What kind of family do you come from?
LK: I come from a unity oriented family that is deeply rooted in African cultural and spiritual beliefs . My mom was a traditional healer and she was a serious cultural practitioner, she instilled these values in us that for every achievement or when a child is born kuyabikwa kwaba phansi ( we appease our ancestors).I grew up in a close knit family environment, my siblings and I we had a strong bond which was cascaded down to our children, we were so amazingly close to each other and there was no love lost amongst us, we shared food, clothes, shoes and we had same taste in music. We had a solid support structure, whenever one of us was in trouble we will stand up as family in support of that individual.
TM: Who was your childhood role model and why?
LK: My mother was my childhood role model and I still look up to her even today. I come from the family of nine members seven of those were children of school going age and my mom was unemployed but we were clothed and fed like other children . My mom had a little formal education however she was an intelligent selfless hardworking woman. She would cook lunch in big pots not only for us but She will dish for everyone who was in need of food at that particular time, she believed in sharing what she had even though sometimes she didn’t know where the next meal would come from. She took care of many children. She was a disciplinarian and a firm leader who understood where she comes from.
TM: What challenges did you face both at school and in your neighborhood as a young person and how did you overcome them?
LK : I had a pleasant childhood, one of my fondest childhood memories was that bengiphapha and highly opinionated yet I was smart and I was always amongst the top three achievers in my class. The only challenge was that my mom sometimes she could not afford to buy us civvies as part of school fundraising sometimes we were expected not to wear school uniform but that didn’t affect me that much because I understood isimo sase khaya and my mom was open and upfront about these kind of issues she emphasized that we should do well at school in order for us to afford buying things on our own after completing our studies and I am grateful for this because she taught us to appreciate small achievements .
TM: What was your dream career growing up and did you achieve that dream
LK : My dream was to become a teacher hahaha after completing my matric I went to University of Fort Hare instead of pursuing my first love which was teaching I studied Politics and Public Administration.
TM: What is your current occupation?
LK: I work as a Court Interpreter.
TM: what advices would you give to someone who wants to pursue the same career as you?
LK: You must know your languages, have self confidence and be passionate about your work, to top it all you must love being the interpreter and the mastery will come automatically when you have developed these qualities.
TM: You work in male dominated environment and how did you find a way to build a name for yourself?
LK: I am one of the best court interpreters in the country that’s one of the reasons why I came highly recommended as one of the interpreters during the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into allegations of State Capture. I believe interpreting it’s art, it’s a gift. Like I said you must exude self confidence and have love for it. I gave it my all and I was trained by the best and seasoned interpreters in the business the late Mr Joja and Mr Aaron Ndubata. I owe my allegiance to their selfless guidance in their honor I will maintain my high ranking standards and train the new kids on the block.
TM: You do lot of community work how do you find a balance between your work and these community initiatives?
LK: I use my spare time to do community work on weekends or during public holidays, it’s my free time I use that time to do the work that uplift our communities.
TM: Gender Based Violence is rife in our communities what do you think should be done to build safer communities for both women and children.?
LK: As women need to be empowered through education and we must be afforded equal economic opportunities on merit just like our male counterparts. Men should be at the forefront of initiatives that are against Gender Based Violence. I believe a boy child should be treated the same way as the girl child.
TM: This week we mark the end of Women’s Month, what has been your highs and lows during the month that is meant to embrace and celebrate the excellent work of our women?
LK: My Low moments is that we are still experiencing high number of gender-based violence daily at an alarming rate and the high level of unemployment can be intertwined with GBV because most men are expected to provide for their families then when a breadwinner loses his job the pressure can be too much and if not properly handled it could fragment the family unity and cohesion. My high moments is that we see lot men organizations that are Championing a cause against gender-based violence which is encouraging, we need men and women to join hands in fighting this scourge .
TM: To those women who are suffering in silence what tips can you give them to stand up for themselves and their children?
LK: They are not alone all they need is to speak out.There are many government facilities and non profit organizations created specifically to deal with these challenges. As a court official I can also help with guidance to the relevant government departments that provide help and offer victims support.
TM: Recently you have ventured into a business of Events Master of Ceremonies ( MC) what motivated you to do this both formal and professional and how long have you been doing this ?
LK: I have been a Master Of Ceremonies for a while now however I started doing it professionally while I was still working at Benoni Regional Court, the overwhelming positive responses from my colleagues after presiding few programs as the MC inspired me to pursue this professionally and I started getting bookings for weddings, funerals, birthday parties, memorial services and work related outreach activities.
TM: Who is your target market ?
LK: I am ready to service every client that will respect me and pay for my services.
TM: Which Prominent gig have you done so far?
LK: Recently I was the MC at the Women’s day celebration in Tsakane and at the anti GBV event which was organized by one of government departments.
TM: South African entertainment calendar has many big events like South African Music Awards, Metro FM Awards Miss South Africa and many more, which one do you aspire to host in the near future?
LK: Ooh I love music so much I would be honored if I can host South African Music Awards in the near future.
: How do you market your services?
LK: I market my services through social media and through clients referrals.
TM: Lastly how can your prospective clients get in touch with you ?
LK: My Facebook handle is Leah Khumalo or I can be contacted on 0844992895 and thank you very much for the opportunity to profile my business services. GOD BLESS YOU,KWANDE.
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