Meet Sebabatso Tsaoane, the warrior behind Black Woman Arise

When Sebabatso Tsaoane became the caregiver in her adolescence age – something strange for ordinary child to be, she didn’t anticipate that she would wake up as a health professional who cares for the well-being of the needy.

At just 27 years, Thaba Nchu native is redefining sexual reproductive healthcare as she’s championing the spear for women to have access quality healthcare despite their financial circumstances.

Through her love for taking care of the needy more especially for underprivileged women, this has stimulated Sebabatso to be an advocate of women’s right as established an NPO – Black Woman Arise Women’s Health Foundation, an organisation that fulfills the mandate of empowering women’s physical and mental health.

Sebabatso hails from a small township, Sediba-Skema in Thaba-Nchu, and comes from a very fortunate family background, as both her parents played a significant role to shape her life into righteousness.

She says her parents played a pivotal role during her upbringing, however, her father sadly passed away before she could make him proud. .

The compassionate caregiver who holds an honours’ degree in nursing attained from University of Free State, she’s currently pursing her masters degree.

Sebabatso says before she studied nursing, she was enrolled for a social science degree in 2012, as she wanted to become a psychologist, after realising that becoming psychologist will require an PhD that the course doesn’t offer, she then switched to nursing in 2013.

Speaking to Kasi Voice News, Sebabatso revealed that, during her third year in varsity, she was diagnosed with endometriosis and underwent a laparoscopy – a surgical diagnostic procedure used to examine the organs inside the abdomen.

This is where she decided to take an active role and participates in events that speaks of sexual reproductive health.

“I started to have conversations about sexual reproductive health with other women around me, and that is when I realised that many women suffer from serious ailments in silence,” she said.

Sebabatso says this is where she wanted to demystify sexual reproductive health for women.

Through her hard work, Sebabatso has grown her NPO into a thriving organisation, where it has attracted international recognition, and securing a whopping sponsorship deal to uproot inequalities that hinder black women and young girls from accessing quality sexual reproductive health information.

She says that through setbacks and constraints, she managed to bolster her organisation, and today, Black Woman Arise Women’s Health Foundation works hand-in-hand with the Free State department of Health to help those in need.

“Sexual reproductive health has a significant impact on a woman’s physical and mental health, and this affects how women show up in the world.

“For example, many young girls miss school because of period poverty and older women tend to miss work days due to health challenges caused by endometriosis, fibroids and polycystic ovary syndrome, to name but a few,” says Sebabatso.

In 2019, she was chosen for one of the ten midwifes by the international federation of midwives, they chose her to participate in leadership programme, “This is where I learnt more of being in the leadership, advocacy for women’s rights and the NGOs,” Sebabatso said that’s where her leadership skills were strengthened.

Touching base on the life threatening disease, cervical cancer, Sebabatso says her organisation is hanging on a tight rope to combat the deadly disease.

“Our focus is also invested into cervical cancer, because is the leading killing cancer, mainly in black women. It can be prevented if women are cleaned earlier and taken care of.

In Free state, the level of screening is low, and others are living far from clinics, that’s why we embarked on this project to even stretch a hand to those in need,” she said.

Their mobile clinics focuses pilots across three townships in Mangung Metro, and she says her vision is to stretch out their service in the whole province at large.

During a sit-down with the people’s Ultimate voice of community, Sebabatso said Women’s month marks a significant observation period in the South African calendar.

Sebabatso’s engagement comes at a critical time where the country has themed this year’s commemoration as “Women’s Socio-Economic Rights and Empowerment: Building Back Better for Women’s Resilience!”

This year’s Women’s month calls for action from civil groups, society and the government to take tangible steps forward in responding to the most persistent challenges affecting the lives of women and girls.

“There’s been so much about women empowerement, but there has been a little said about women through health care, I want to encourage women in taking care of their bodies, make sure you build a relationship with your health care,” said the vibrant and charismatic Sebabatso.