Fifty-five years ago, as a 12-year-old girl living in the Netherlands, I did a school project about South Africa. It focused on apartheid and the injustice I saw. Even then, I dreamed of creating greater equality and peace in South Africa.
At the time, I had no idea that one day South Africa would become my home.
Life moved on. I finished school, qualified as a teacher, and in 1984 moved to Lesotho, the small mountain kingdom completely surrounded by South Africa. Living there gave me a much deeper understanding of the country’s complexities. I realised that the situation was far less straightforward than I had believed as a child. Yet one desire remained unchanged: I hoped that, in some way, I could contribute to creating a more equal and peaceful society.
That desire became even stronger after I moved to South Africa at the end of 1997. To this day, I proudly call South Africa my home.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of working in South African townships, facilitating personal development programmes that encouraged people to look within, strengthen their self-esteem, take greater responsibility for their lives, and discover possibilities where they had previously seen obstacles.
Those experiences, together with more than 30 years of coaching, eventually led me to write my book, Bitter or Better, I Decide. In it, I share what I have learned about forgiveness, personal responsibility, and how the way we respond to life’s challenges shapes not only our own future, but also the lives of those around us.
Again and again, I have seen that lasting change begins within us. When people change the way they see themselves, they change the way they relate to others. Families change. Communities change. And that is how a country changes.
Fifty-five years after that school project, the dream of a 12-year-old girl is beginning to come true.
Recently, I was interviewed by Bonsai Shongwe. For the first time, I had the opportunity to share this vision with a wider audience and talk about how introspection, personal responsibility, and forgiveness can contribute to lasting change in South Africa.
I hope this interview is only the beginning. If enough people are interested, it could lead to many more conversations about creating a stronger, more united South Africa.
That is where I would love your support.
If the message resonates with you, please watch the interview and click Like and Subscribe on the YouTube channel. Every like and subscription increases the chances that these conversations will continue and reach more people.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we can encourage a conversation that begins within each of us and has the potential to make a difference far beyond ourselves.