Getting To Know Tlalane Mokhesi

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Tlalane Mokhesi

Would you believe it if someone told you that a girl could be feminine and still win in a world that has been wrongly labeled as a man’s world? What if I told that the virtues of femininity are actually meant to bring balance in the world?

As hypothetical as all these sound, they are all true because it took one person to break the stereotypes around femininity in Lesotho. This young woman is no one other than Tlalane Mokhesi.

Miss Mokhesi started her journey of leadership as a Head Prefect in Holy Family High School. Many can attest to her fearlessness in leadership. They can testify to the fact that there is no one who came after her who did half of what she was able to do in less than a year.

Holy Family remembers her every year when a new head girl is crowned. She was not only a fearless leader but also one who spoke for the rights of students while respecting teachers. Her public speaking skills, wit in the classroom as well as love for fun helped her live every moment to the fullest. These remarkable qualities are what have made Tlalane Mokhesi one of the best Student Leaders Holy Family has ever seen!

After successfully completing her Grade 12 at Holy Family, she went on to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree at the National University of Lesotho in Economics. She is currently the Coordinator of Youth for Tax Justice Network, a Non-Profit Youth Pan-African Organization that strives for youth engagement and participation in influencing the financing of the Development Agenda.

In Miss Mokhesi’s words, “Youth for Tax Justice Network is currently training political leaders under the topic Domestic Resource Mobilization.” She secured the role of Coordinator in the year 2017 when she went to perform in Uganda at a Youth for Tax Network event.

Tlalane is also a poet whose performances have left many in awe because of the excellence with which she performs. She has recited her pieces in many events but one that she says will forever be her favorite was when she performed at the 7th Pan African Conference on Illicit Financial Flows and  Domestic Resource Mobilization in 2019. This experience taught her that nothing is impossible if one’s passion is backed up by hard work.

Tlalane Mokhesi is also the Founder of OaRateha Afrika Designs, an online wig brand. She creates the very best synthetic wigs. Whether you are looking for a professional looking straight cut, a bob or even a big afro wig, Tlalane Mokhesi is your girl.

Every girl can agree that renewing your hair every month can be a drag because first you need the right hairpiece, then you need the right hairdresser and then you need a cupboard full of products to maintain hair that will only last for a month.

When Tlalane Mokhesi realized that wigs are convenient, she decided to start a business that will help many women save the money required for a salon appointment every month.

Why did Selibeng choose this young lady to be the Face of #doitfeminine? The truth is, it is hard to find females who still love their femininity in the 21st century. The majority view their God-given virtues such as emotional sensitivity as a weakness.

It is difficult to find a female who loves the very qualities that make her a nurturer and it is worrying because the next generation might have mothers who fight instead of fixing. We need more females who are transparently female and do not see that as a weakness.

We need more females who are brave enough to walk away from relationships that destroy  their feminine virtues. Most of all, we need more females who discern when it is time to fight and when it is time to talk.

Tlalane Mokhesi is exactly this woman! She is a female, with emotional sensitivity and she is brave enough to walk away when this very virtue that makes her the nurturer she is born to be is unappreciated.

She uses the things that make her female such as love for outward beauty to help other women to feel good about themselves through the OaRateha Afrika Designs. She uses her ability to express herself to bring healing to the world through her poetry.

Most importantly, she knows that she has a heart of gold but her strong intuition always helps her discern when she does not need to place it in the hands of people who have only handled glitter.

The #doitfeminine campaign was successful because it had Tlalane Mokhesi as its face. As this campaign comes to a halt, we hope that every female who sees Tlalane Mokhesi’s face will always remember to be unapologetically female!

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Grace Makwaza
Grace is an uprising youth activist who uses her voice to inspire and inform. She has worked internationally as the Deputy Secretary General with Model UN Impact. This is where she advocated for youth inclusivity in the implementation of the SDGs and further launched projects such as PHAHAMA MOSALI. She is currently the youngest SDGs Ambassador for the internationally renowned Global Citizens Innovative Solutions SDGs Challenge.