Swazi Observer

FULL STORY

A JOURNEY FROM REJECTION TO EMPOWERMENT

By Sifiso Nhlabatsi | 2024-11-23

Life took an unexpected and challenging turn for Siphosethu Mamba (22) when she decided to come out as a transgender woman shortly after completing Form Five in 2020.

What she had hoped would be an important moment of honesty with her parents, became a source of deep personal struggle.

“I thought I was doing the right thing by being true to myself,” Mamba recalls, “but my parents couldn’t accept it. What made things worse was that I didn’t perform well in school.”

Her parents’ struggle to come to terms with both her gender identity and her academic results complicated matters. Mamba still owed school fees, which she couldn’t afford.

This made it impossible to retrieve her Form Five certificate, leaving her future uncertain.
The strain of this situation led to a significant rift within the family. Mamba moved out of her parents’ home and stayed on her own for about three months.

When she moved back home in honour of her parents’ request, the situation remained tense. Her parents called her names and eventually disowned her altogether. Now on her own and without a source of income, Mamba faced the harsh realities of homelessness.

“I had nowhere to go and no steady work,” she said, reflecting on those difficult days. Mamba tried to get by with small, informal jobs, but nothing seemed to provide the stability she needed. Just when she thought her options had run out, a friend’s mother welcomed Mamba into her home.

“A Good Samaritan took me in when no one else would. She welcomed me into her family, even when others around her were uncomfortable with my presence,” Mamba said.

acceptance
Mamba found not only shelter, but also acceptance in this new home. While there, she started attending sessions hosted by TransSwati, a transgender rights organisation in Eswatini.
TransSwati organises a support group where trans people meet regularly to share their experiences and coping strategies.

“They also offered therapy and psychosocial support, which really helped me process everything I was going through,” Mamba said

She shared her story at one of these meetings, which is when TransSwati’s executive director Pinty Dludlu learned of her plight.

Dludlu said most trans people cannot live openly as trans in Eswatini due to stigma and discrimination, as there is no legal support or recognition of gender-diverse people.

“We have high numbers (of trans people) dropping out of school due to discrimination. Some end up in substance abuse and risky behaviour while some are homeless,” Dludlu stated, adding that local trans programming and funding is limited and often directed to broader LGBTQ+ organisations led by men who have sex with men (MSM). “This silences trans voices and erases their visibility, resulting in an increase in abuse.”

In 2023, TransSwati created an opportunity for its members to apply for funding to pursue skills training. Mamba, with a passion for beauty and creativity, applied and was accepted for a course in makeup artistry.

“TransSwati paid for the course, and at the end of it, I received a makeup kit,” she said. Armed with new skills and the tools to start her own business, Mamba began a journey toward financial independence. She started by advertising her makeup services on Facebook and was soon generating enough income to meet her basic needs.

“Great work you are doing babe,” one client wrote on Facebook. “Your prices are very reasonable my sister and your work is beautiful,” another added.

With renewed confidence, Mamba set her sights on expanding her skills. She applied for another course through TransSwati, this time in nail technology, and successfully completed it. “I also received a nail tech kit, which has been a huge help in growing my business,” she said.

Now Mamba is focused on expanding her business even further, hoping to start her own salon where she can offer her services in a more professional setting.

Her perseverance and determination have turned what was once a struggle for survival into a sustainable livelihood.

While Mamba’s professional life is flourishing, she is also slowly mending her family relationships. “I’ve been in touch with my parents, and my dad and brother are becoming more accepting,” she said. Though her ultimate wish is for full acceptance from her family, she said the progress she’s made so far is significant.

Dludlu said TransSwati is working with Home Affairs, police officers, healthcare workers, parents, the trans community, and religious leaders to sensitise the public about trans lived realities.

Their human rights trainings with the police have helped reduce intimate partner violence among trans people and their work with parents has helped strengthen relationships with their trans children.

Dludlu said TransSwati’s makeup classes and nail training build skills and encourage a sense of independence. TransSwati is now organising a beauty pageant that will aim to increase visibility and a healing space of empowerment where trans people can hear from “motivational speakers who have been at their low but picked themselves up again and moved on,” Dludlu said.

Reflecting on her journey, Mamba shares, "I’ve learned that acceptance starts from within. Even when the world rejects you, you have to believe in your own worth and fight for your dreams. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and I know the future holds even more possibilities."

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