What would she do?

Gold Star

There are so many women who are inspiring, and who make's you question your own life - your existential existence. (Said with a wry smile.)  I know it's not good to put a person on a pedestal, as we are surely to be disappointed. But I find myself regularly asking myself: What will she do?

Grooming female scientists and engineers of the future

Parktown Girls

Stories about inspiring women and girls are always great to share! We got an email about Parktown Girls who are grooming female scientists and engineers. We have a Miss that only has a few years (3 years eeek!) before she also has to decide what direction she is going to go with regards her career and her subjects. How do we prepare girls like her to choose a career in STEM?

South Africa is in desperate need of qualified scientists and engineers. Compounding this, only 11% of engineers globally are female according to an article published by UNESCO in October 2017.  This is a worldwide phenomenon, despite a rising global demand for qualified science, technology, engineering and, maths (STEM) professionals.
Tracey Megom, Principal at Parktown High School for Girls, says the idea for a Science Centre was born 15 years ago, but the school initially struggled to come up with the money to build it, so parents started fundraising and looking for partners. Anglo American helped them with their dream by a multi-million Rand investment that is already impacting this skills gap.

Following Anglo American’s contribution, the construction of two conjoined laboratory and classroom facilities for life sciences, physics and chemistry began in 2015 and the science centre was opened in late 2016 to the school’s 1 100 pupils. Its effect was almost immediate: 30% more Grade 9 girls chose the sciences as matric subjects.

Parktown High School for Girls is a government high school in Johannesburg that serves a diverse grouping of girls across class, race, and culture, and happens to be one of Gauteng’s province top-performing schools. It boasts a consistent 100% matric pass rate and achieved a 97% Bachelor Degree entrance rate in the 2017 matric results.  The school has been acknowledged by the University of the Witwatersrand as its top feeder school.

Tracy Megom answers a few questions, about herself and how to inspire young girls.

Disrupting the norm at the 2017 Leading Women Summit - Clare Vale

The Leading Women Summit was held last Wednesday on the 8th of March, coinciding with International Women's Day! It is a day that should be marked in our calendars. I got so much inspiration from fellow South African women!

Very cool Lumi app for events

All the speakers are "disrupting the norm", and at the forefront of their specialties! I can rave about each and every one of them that was there!

Clare Vale

Clare Vale is one such inspirational woman! She calls herself First Lady in Racing.
She started at age 41 with Drifting Motorsport, and at age 54 she is at the top of her game! Is that not gob-smacking awesome?

Clare Vale

She also implores women to learn how to change their own tires, and to learn how to drive in adverse situations!

(She "speaks" to me, because I was just so trusting on the car salesman that I took my car in for it's 15 000 km service, when in fact it was very far from that 15 000 km mark. Just because I did not check my odometer reading from moment I got my car! *SMH* Now they could not service my car this week when I took it for the real 15 000 service...)

You go, girl! (Speaking to Clare Vale)


It was a day well spent!



Leading Women Summit 8 March 2017 #LWS2017

Disclaimer: I got a free ticket to attend!

Most mothers are an inspiration, but some even more so

"Dr" Erika!

I am always inspired by mothers and how they are juggling their lives with kids and work and everything else. It's not easy, and sometimes s*t hits the fan, and we don't always see the light at the end of the tunnel.

15 years back I was going through an awful divorce, being a single mom to a Grade 1 girl and trying to keep everything together during the legal proceedings. At that stage I felt overwhelmed and did not know how we would get unscathed through it all.

But here we are! Happy, fat and going on with our lives with new beginnings and new challenges! And that life seems like just a nightmare that happened to somebody else in a different timeline...

That's why I am sharing the story of Erika who is also a mom who had to go through a difficult custody battle for her children. She exhausted all her funds in the custody battle, and now she is not able to afford the final stretch for her doctoral degree. She has reached out to me on the MomAgain@40 Facebook page.

Erika, hats off to you! I love the fact that you call yourself "Dr Erika" already!

My name is Erika, and I am a mother of two amazing girls, a teacher, a coach, and a doctoral candidate. It is a lot to be at one time, but I love it all.  

In the middle of my degree, I got a divorce. I had to use all of my savings to ensure full custody of my two little girls when their father decided to move out of state. I am thrilled to have my girls with me every day, but lawyers are expensive. The money I planned on using to finish my degree went to the custody hearings.  

 The financial realities of a divorce are harsh. I don’t have the space for one more student loan. I wish it were that easy. Instead, I am stuck right at the place where I can see the finish line. Can you help me get there? 

All I would ask is that you help me finish my last semester, so that I may be an example for my daughters, students, and athletes, and complete the degree I have worked so hard for. This is me, showing these young ladies that nothing should stand in their way.

Click here to support her doctorate - Erika Rak Zeidler