Thuso lays blueprint for change in girl’s education
By Thoboloko Ntšonyane
MASERU
Born and bred in the southern district of Mohale’s Hoek, Sebongile Kolobe-Thuso, a young global leader, carved her path through community service and volunteering.
Even as a university student during holidays she would always make time to attend lipitso community gatherings where villagers discuss issues affecting their communities.
She never imagined that those acts of service were preparing her for a greater calling.
Today, Kolobe-Thuso has been appointed a member of the steering committee of the African Union International Centre for Girls and Women’s Education in Africa (AU CIEFFA).
It’s a position she takes with deep pride and purpose.
This is the AU institution charged with championing girls’ and women’s education, hosted in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
“I always wanted to do something for women and girls,” she said. “I grew up seeing girls going to school, but some could not make it to the finish line as something went wrong. I saw teenage pregnancies deferring the dreams of young girls.”
Her parents were adamant that she takes her studies seriously.
Her leadership had often been evident, even during her days as a journalist at the Lesotho National Broadcasting Services (LNBS), where she reported for Lesotho Television.
She gravitated toward community impact stories because she wanted to drive change using the power of the microphone.
How she ended up in community service and volunteering is interesting.
One day, while walking in Mohale’s Hoek town, she was approached by someone from an organisation working on HIV/AIDS, inviting her to join them.
From there she never looked back.
Now a passionate, award winning journalist and communications speacialist, Kolobe-Thuso holds an Honours degree in Broadcasting and Journalism from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology. She joined LNBS soon after graduating.
“Joining LNBS was God coming through for me and saying, ‘My child, this is how I have designed a path for you,’” she reflected.
Last year, she earned a Master’s in Global Media Communication from one of Ireland’s top universities, the University of Galway.
Long before the spotlight, she was already working in the trenches to influence change. She and fellow volunteers would visit communities to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS and promote healthy lifestyles.
She recalls some of those places, like Ntšekhe Hospital.
At some point, she also joined Methaka from 2015 to 2017 under the now-defunct Participatory Initiative for Social Accountability (PISA), a civic education programme that promoted informed and active citizenship on governance issues and demanded accountability from office bearers.
Being part of this programme helped hone her public speaking skills, as she would meet councillors and chiefs, engage them on leadership issues, and stand before the people to speak.
She carries the dreams of thousands of African girls who just need a door opened.
She credits her strength to a circle of love around her father, who has been a pillar of support throughout her educational journey, and her husband, who never lets her shrink.
In a continent where many girls and women are still confronted with challenges to learning, she is not just raising awareness but laying a blueprint for change in African girls’ and women’s education. She aims to dismantle barriers and leverage her position to build opportunities for them to access education with as much ease as their male counterparts.
In her words, “If you educate a girl or a woman in the community, the effect is rippling.”
“You see, in communities, there are more women than men, as men are mostly out searching for economic opportunities. But sometimes, you hardly notice men’s absence because women bring about so many changes in their communities.”
Fueled by purpose, she said this appointment is both an honour and a responsibility that speaks directly to her advocacy in communication.
She shared a story from an assignment in one of the country’s far-flung areas, where she met a young girl trapped in child marriage.
“She told me she had her first child at 13. At 17, she now had two. She once left that ‘marriage’ but returned due to the tough situation at home where the family was struggling financially.”
While in Namibia as a fellow of AU CIEFFA, she was inspired to see young women her age with a good education and bright futures. Upon returning home, she resolved to seek opportunities to further her studies.
She attended seminars about scholarships until a friend sent her a link to Galway University. She dedicated herself and was eventually admitted into the Master’s programme, from which she graduated last year.
When the call for interest in the AU CIEFFA steering committee was issued, she, along with other alumni, applied and she was proud to be among those selected. This is the first cohort of the committee members; they are pioneers.
She promised to work closely with the alumni to advance AU CIEFFA’s mandate.
As a Communications and Marketing Specialist, she said she will ensure alumni are connected to board activities and will collaborate with them to implement projects based on their strengths and capabilities.
As education has opened doors for her, she is now holding the door open for others.
Asked what legacy she would want to leave at the AU CIEFFA? She said: “I want to be remembered as a woman who became a voice for many on the continent through championing education access.”
She is disturbed by poor infrastructure in some schools, where weather “controls” attendance.
“Even good infrastructure can serve as motivation for children to attend school,” she added.
She also highlighted the issue of period poverty, saying it interferes with the dreams of many girls. “Some suffer academically. I once met a girl who told me that for at least four days a month, she misses school due to lack of access to sanitary towels. Imagine how many days she misses in a year. These organisations supporting girls may not always know just how much impact they’re making since lack of access to sanitary towels even affects their confidence.”
According to a World Bank report, although primary education in Lesotho is free and all children enrol in grades 1 to 7, many do not complete it.
There is a significant decline in attendance at lower secondary level (grades 8 to 10), with numerous children unable to continue their education. In 2018, only 32% of students from poorer households reached Grade 10, compared to 66% from better-off families.
The report further highlights that boys were less likely to reach Grade 10 than girls, with just 34% of boys doing so, compared to 58% of girls. The gender gap in secondary school enrolment remains notable.
Among the key drivers of school dropouts in Lesotho are poverty and orphanhood.
Kolobe-Thuso’s work is at the intersection of these realities, and her efforts could prove to be a lifeline for many. She believes that access to education must not depend on geography or gender.
She commended development partners and the private sector investing in education.
“The truth is, they can’t reach everyone, but their efforts go a long way,” she said, urging other corporates to consider such investments.
She has called on government of Lesotho to invest heavily in infrastructure, citing evidence of the digital education divide, especially for schools in far-flung, underdeveloped areas that do not have the same technological tools and infrastructure as those in urban areas.