Life coaching for young sisters is taking off
IT WAS the passing of her mother that inspired MoTsha Teen coaching, a not-for-profit organisation that Duduzile Tshabalala – a life coach from Soweto – started in 2016.
MoTsha Teen coaching seeks to help both underprivileged and privileged teenagers get through life’s challenges.
Tshabalala said it was the transition of having to take on the role of being a mother to her teenage siblings after their mother passed away in 2013 that inspired her to establish the non-profit organisation.
She realised there were many teenagers who go through similar difficulties after losing a parent, but don’t have the mental support and coaching to deal with this sudden emotional upheaval in one’s life.
After she studied life-coaching and got certified as a coach, she chose to impart her knowledge to boys and girls in their teens, because she believes they are the ones who need it the most.
“It started off as just an idea of being a mentor to teens in my area. And as I continued to expand my horizon, I was exposed to the various challenges teens face in terms of education and everyday life.
“I felt the need go beyond adolescence and from just helping them with basic coping skills, but also other life challenges in the best way I know how,” Tshabalala said.
She collaborated with her friend Pretty Kekana, a psychology student who shares the same interests. The pair started classes in Soweto and Heidelberg, with 30 teenagers attending.
“We realised that the most important phase in one’s life are the teenage years. This is where a young person gets to make it or break it, and we saw it fit to be the ones to guide, nurture, coach, expose, support and also mentor them,” Tshabalala said.
“Our aim is to empower youngsters from diverse backgrounds to step up as leaders and strong individuals in their families, schools, communities and society at large, through inter-generational mentorships and programmes that we have created to teach them self-confidence, resilience and leadership skills that are needed to achieve their goals,” she added. Speaking about the community’s response to their teen-coaching programmes, she said the response had been positive; parents had been very welcoming and had shown overwhelming support.