During a celebration in Saiva Sithantha Sungum in Westcliff, around 250 women gathered for the 'Together We Rise' event as part of the World Saiva Council Women's Forum. This event, held on August 10th, was dedicated to themes of empowerment, resilience, and sisterhood.
Under the common slogan 'Together We Rise – Breaking the Silence, Embracing Strength and Empowering Every Woman,' the event attracted women of various ages and social strata. It focused on emotional well-being and mutual support among women.
Participants made a tangible contribution to the community by donating 240 packs of hygiene products for women and girls living in local support centers and shelters. PRO Mandy Govender will oversee the distribution of these supplies, scheduled for August 23rd, to help combat menstrual poverty.
Shirin Tanzan, Chair of the World Saiva Council Women’s Forum, explained the choice of theme by stating that many women face personal, social, and emotional difficulties, including gender-based violence, mental health issues, financial hardship, and social isolation.
Tanzan emphasized that the goal was to create a safe and supportive space where women could acknowledge their strengths, support each other, and remember that they do not have to go through their journey alone. The organizers intentionally created a positive atmosphere so that participants could sing, dance, and socialize, hoping they would leave with a feeling of lightness.
The centerpiece of the day was the 'Stone of Empowerment and Reflection' activity. Each participant received a small stone and wrote a meaningful word on it, such as hope, courage, strength, resilience, or self-respect, to take home as a daily reminder.
The program included cultural dance performances by Kaajal Ramnarain from Dance Mahal, musical accompaniment by Kyle Naidu from Studio South, and hosting by Kayurin Govender, who described the atmosphere as unity and sisterhood. Keynote speaker Vino Veez Govender inspired the audience by sharing her personal experience of trauma. She stated: 'One of the most important lessons I wanted women to learn is that the person looking in the mirror has the power to change their life.'
