i-LEAD, a self defense training initiative for women and youth, is the recipient of Brand South Africa award for Women Empowerment -as part of the inaugural Play Your Part Awards.
The awards aim to give recognition to women empowerment programmes that seek to uplift, protect and empower women mentally, physically and socio-economically.
Based in Muldersdrift, in the outskirts of Johannesburg, i-LEAD Self Defense excels on all the above mentioned fronts.
Their programmes are designed to help those affected by gender based violence and human trafficking overcome trauma, with the end goal of equipping them to re-enter the world with confidence and strength.
Elated at winning the award, i-LEAD founder Risha Patak-Harie said the recognition will go a long-way in allowing them to reach more women and children. “It matters to every one of them that we take the power we have and use it to create change,” she said, adding that there are two upcoming events in October that i-Lead is facilitating in order to combat gender-based violence.
Play Your Part, which turns 10 this year, is a nationwide programme created to inspire, empower and celebrate active citizenship in South Africa. It aims to lift the spirit of our nation by inspiring all South Africans to contribute to positive change, become involved and start doing.
As part of its 10th anniversary, the inaugural 9-category 2021 Play Your Part Awards recognises and celebrates every month citizens who have made an impact in the following categories: Youth Empowerment, Poverty Alleviation, Women Empowerment, Nation Pride, Job creation, Innovation, Social Cohesion, Education and the Environment.
Nominations in the Nation Pride category are now open, and if you know someone deserving of this honor, this is your chance to nominate them. For more info on how to do so, click here.
*For more courageous stories on what corporate South Africa is doing to empower communities, visit our EmpowerSA page regularly!
