Up lifting

Pretoria and Francistown. Some would later share that when they heard that Dambuza was speaking in Gaborone, they just had to hit the road and be part of this show as most of her shows in South Africa are always sold out. This particular one was also sold out, and guests maintained the intimacy of a small manageable of 50 guests which added to the whole allure of the day.

Dambuza, who loves dancing and is passionate about each and every aspect of her life, is very open about her not so rosy upbringing. Taking to the stage, she shared that one of the key things she picked during the previous months of battling and dealing with the Covid- 19 pandemic was that people yearned for authentic stories to escape the dark places that some found themselves in. She also asked that while it was fun to share glam stories on Instagram and social media, people also needed to share and paint a picture of where they come from. “Our stories matter,” she said.

She further said that one of the toughest lessons from the pandemic was how previously society thought that they were the Gods of this earth, untouchable but that everything changed with the pandemic. The confidence disappeared, and most of our insecurities unravelled and society was forced to rebuild our lives from start. Seeing Dambuza standing there all confident in her simple but glamorous shorts and matching shirt, showing off a sexy body, you would be forgiven for thinking that she had an easy childhood or that she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she had a tough upbringing, and like some in her circumstances, she had a chance to wallow in self- pity, and turn to the dark side of this world or simply roll with the punches, dust herself and find her way out of her unfortunate circumstances. Her life is immortalized on her book, Baked in Pain, where she chronicles the pain of growing up in an environment filled with abuse. Growing up, she only got to meet her mother who worked in Johannesburg when she was about six years old. Her parents had gone separate ways, and the only way for them to stay together had been if Dambuza was born a boy. The youngest in a family of three, she didn’t know or ever had any relationship with her father who abandoned the family. Her mother left her in the Transkei where abuse was part and parcel of her daily life. Uncles physically abused her, and one even sexually abused her. She had to learn from a young life that no one was coming to save her. “I was constantly reminded that I would amount to nothing,” she said. At thirteen, she thought things would change when she moved in with her mother. But her joy was short lived as she was shipped off to Lesotho where there was a supposedly good boarding school. That too turned into something else, as the school could not accept her as she was speaking Xhosa and did not know a single word of Sotho. Her mother would later come and take her back home where she had to navigate her way around life. She also shared that education was the key to her success. “Nobody knows your pain. Learn to heal yourself and rise above that pain,” she advised noting that her book, Baked in Pain was written in order to give her mother an insight about what she went through. Dambuza further said that those with stories to tell need to share them instead of keeping them to themselves. Sharing pearls of wisdom about some of the life lessons that she wants the audience to take from the conversation, she advised them that they need to remember that their wellness matters as they climb up the corporate ladder. “Your mindset and attitude about life sets you apart,” she said. She also highlighted the need for women to embrace triggers that might remind them about their past, and see these triggers for what they are. “Anticipate and be intimate with your triggers. Remember that it is ok to feel pain,” said Dambuza. She also added that they must always remember to focus on themselves, and their needs. And most importantly, that they must never stop trying. Speaking at the event, host Mganga, shared that they have been planning the event for the past two years. She said that it is always beautiful to see that which you plan or talk about come to life. The purpose of this brunch, she said is to set aside just one day to come together and just be uplifted from all circumstance that the audience have faced, especially taking into account the fact that all of us have all been going through a hard time in the past 2- 3 years. “Some of us have suffered loss in one shape or form, whether be loss of a loved one or job loss. Today we are here to heal from those circumstances and situations, I would like you to think of this day as an encounter and not an event, when you think of it as an encounter, you will open your heart and mind to the moment, don’t let this encounter pass you by,” she explained. She explained that she came to learn about Dambuza by chance.

A few years ago, she was browsing through Carol Bouwer’s page when she came across a comment by Dambuza about business funding. “When I saw the comment, my mind took a complete shift because I was one of those girls who did not believe in funding, I had always believed that, if you are going to start a business, save up some capital, start small and grow big. But it was in that moment when my perspective changed, so much that I went back and told my husband that we can consider funding for a business venture we had in mind, let us say the rest is history, the business got funded,” she shared. These, she said are encounters that she is talking about, where she had an encounter with that moment I saw that comment and opened my heart and mind to it. “My husband did not live to see the business open its doors, but God has it all figured out, my children and I call it a legacy business that my husband left us with. That is the kind of speaker we have today in the room, someone who has impacted my life in that magnitude. She has not only impacted mine, she has done the same for many others, today is your day to encounter her,” said Mganga.

Dambuza is an author, based in South Africa. She is a married mother of three children who lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is the author of, Therefore I Rose and Baked in Pain, a memoir about how she rose above her circumstances to become a globally celebrated business woman and humanitarian. She has also authored the children’s book, A Brave Girl named AYAH, an educational story that tackles various topics and gives hope. She is also the CEO of Uyandiswa and other accolades includes being featured in the Top 30 women you need to know and applaud, by Leadership Magazine.