Mpho Mathiba is passionate about advocacy work for the LGBTQIA+ community, which she executes with diligence and consistency.
Mathiba (29) has LGBTQIA+ stories that would shake even the most battle-scarred soldier. She’s been exposed to people who lost their friends and acquaintances to suicide because of discrimination by society.
She’s also seen the LGBTQIA+ community displaced, fighting their way out of poverty, and some even begging to be locked up because they don’t have a place to stay.
Instead of turning a blind eye, Mathiba started an NGO, Bontle Ba Lefatshe, to help empower and support the LGBTQIA+ community. Bontle Ba Lefatshe can be loosely translated as “the beauty of the world” in Setswana.
Her commitment towards the LGBTQIA+ community in Ivory Park, northern Johannesburg, is unrivalled.
“I don’t think people realise what not having a family means, because you’re thrown out into the lion’s den to fend for yourself, with no social support,” Mathiba says of the vulnerability of most LGBTQIA+ people.
She says she didn’t have it easy growing up in Soweto. She now tries her best to make a living from the funds from her small business while at the same time providing financially for the five-year-old NGO.
Dressed in a grey sweater and orange pants, with silver earrings and a watch as accessories, Mathiba speaks passionately about Bontle Ba Lefatshe, as though she’s talking about a young baby she’s nurturing. “There are several displaced LGBTQIA+ people within society. People of my kind are just going through a lot,” she says using hand gestures.
Seeing all the displaced people in the LGBTQIA community inspired her to start something that would ensure a better future for them. She registered Bontle Ba Lefatshe in 2016. She says its primary mission is to promote the spirit of social entrepreneurship through community development.
Bontle Ba Lefatshe is an all-inclusive organisation that not only advocates but lobbies for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, orphans, and disadvantaged and disabled people. Mathiba uses entrepreneurship to address wider societal issues such as food poverty, social housing, and environmental matters. A project in the pipeline is to educate people on how to feed themselves by farming in their backyards.
“We are an entrepreneurial accelerator and community development initiative that focuses on LGBTQIA+ inclusivity and equality, as well as general community development. We’re founded on the principles of entrepreneurship. Giving people a means to make a living through social entrepreneurship,” she explains.
Mathiba studied Human Resources, completing a B-Tech in Industrial Relations at the University of Johannesburg. She also has online marketing certificates and is well versed in the insurance industry. “I’m a survivor, a creative and innovative individual,” says the owner of a printing business in Tembisa.
Bontle Ba Lefatshe has been surviving with Mathiba’s financial support, both emotionally and financially. She says the NGO requires financial assistance or collaborative support and interested parties are welcome to get on board. Mathiba can be reached on WhatsApp at 061 903 7744 or via email at Mathiba @hallelujahindustries.co.za.
She believes including the LGBTQIA+ community in social policy will improve their acceptance in society. She suggests the government employ a mediator to function as a liaison between the state and the LGBTQIA+ community and incorporate their needs into community-based planning and other policy frameworks.
The City has made strides in ensuring the LGBTQIA+ community is included in the drive for equality through the support of the Soweto Pride in September last year. This was followed by the signing of an official memorandum of understanding (MoU) between pride organisations and the City of Johannesburg.
Written by Brümilda Swartbooi
22/2/2022