COUNTRY: SOUTH AFRICA
Edwina is an entrepreneur, a motivational speaker, a disability activist, and most importantly a mother to two adorable boys. Miss Edwina is the founder and Managing Director of Thusanang Enabling Support Services (Pty) She is also the CEO of a non-profit organization Thuso Ke Botho.
Edwina sit on the board of SpesNet Global Group as Non-Executive Director, the company provides leading-edge healthcare solutions for healthcare providers, medical insurers, administrators, and managed care organisations using a combination of technology solutions, healthcare intelligence, and artificial intelligence. Being the Wings for life world run ambassador Edwina dedicates time for the international not-for-profit foundation which has one mission only – to help scientists find a cure for spinal cord injury.
100% of the entry fee and donations go directly to cutting-edge research projects worldwide. The founder and managing director of Thusanang Enabling Support Services has been Nominated the best Social entrepreneur with a disability by the Gauteng government Disability Excellence Awards 2019 in the Premier’s office. Edwina Makgamatha has in addition been awarded a 100-bed acute hospital license, to build a hospital that will fully accommodate persons with disabilities across the board. The motivation is to adopt the universal design standards which will accommodate all with or without disabilities.
Furthermore, Miss Makgamatha’s work has been celebrated in most social media platforms (TV, Radio, magazines, and newspapers). Edwina’s life journey has been one with challenges that are now motivating the nation, because giving up is not an option. My company Thusanang Enabling Support Services( Pty)Ltd has empowered fifteen employees and we have our second branch in Mokopane Limpopo bringing our services closer to the people. Miss Makgamatha is not only a businesswoman, amongst other things she is a student at the University of South Africa (UNISA) studying Industrial Organizational Psychology so as to advocate for disabled individuals’ rights in the workplace.
Women with disabilities need to step up into leadership, they must have the ambition, and be prepared to work exceptionally hard, and demonstrate to others that they are entrepreneurs first and foremost and successful at what they do, and NOT use the disability as a barrier to success. It’s important to remember that, no-one owes you anything, so don’t expect anyone to do favours for you – take ownership of your life!” if I can do it – you can too.