FABSA envisions a future where every woman fifty and above will enjoy life in all its fullness, taking her rightful place as a leader, a mentor and a learner.
FABSA believes in co-leadership between youth and adults, with the former leading from the front and the latter shepherding from the back. It is this duality of leadership that FABSA subscribes to. FABSA’s mission is to connect, educate and support women fifty and above, and inspire them to use their knowledge and experience for their own benefit and that of their broader communities.
At the heart of FABSA’s mission is the belief that it is within intergenerational conversations that learning occurs. The cross-pollination of ideas; mentoring and reverse mentoring leads to a common strategy and a realization that we indeed are in this together. Someone described us as the first generation of older persons, who have to teach our children and learn from them at the same time. Youth teach as much as adults do, and they have as much to learn as the adults have.
As FABSA states: “dynamic leadership is born when youthful courage meets the wisdom of old age. It is only when we open our eyes and ears to one another that we will truly see and hear each other’s perspectives“.
Outreach program ROSA: FABSA is currently piloting an outreach programme, Reach-out-SA (ROSA) in Johannesburg. It focuses on the development of school-based family and community programmes that support teachers and learners, focusing mainly on psychosocial issues. The program is rooted in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development (SDGs). Through ROSA FABSA uses the skills and experience of retirees who are keen to plough back and be of service to their communities. Also, FABSA serves as a catalyst for galvanizing communities to be part of the societal change they desire, through homegrown solutions that get community members involved.
Contact: Maud Motanyane, chairperson, info@fabsa.co.za
Published: October 2018