MBABANE – The young girls gathered at UWC Waterford Kamhlaba on Friday, 14 August 2026, learning how to braid was more than mastering a hairstyle. It was a lesson in confidence, independence and the possibility of earning a living with their own hands.
The practical vocational skills session was led by Nombuso Dlamini, founder of Buhle Bakho Tandla Tetfu Empowerment, as part of the Brave Girl Camp, an initiative aimed at equipping girls with practical skills while encouraging them to take ownership of their futures.
Dlamini believes that teaching a girl to braid can open doors far beyond the beauty industry.
“When a young girl learns to braid, she learns more than a hairstyle. She learns independence,” she said.
During the session, the girls were introduced to clean parting, sectioning and cornrow techniques. The hands-on training created an atmosphere of concentration, laughter and discovery as participants worked to master a skill that could potentially become a source of income.
For Dlamini, the value of such training lies in giving young women choices.
“This was yet another great experience teaching and getting to know different girls hit by different circumstances in life,” she said. “Every girl has a story. If we can give her a skill that restores her confidence and can one day put money in her hands, then we have given her a choice about her future.”
The session reflects the broader mission of Buhle Bakho Tandla Tetfu Empowerment, which seeks to use vocational training to create opportunities for young women and girls across Eswatini.
The organisation is now working with the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office on a nationwide programme aimed at taking practical beauty and vocational skills training to vulnerable communities.
The programme will target vulnerable tinkhundla, identifying young women and girls with limited access to education and economic opportunities and equipping them with practical, income-generating skills.
“Our goal is to move beyond Mbabane and Manzini and go where the need is greatest,” Dlamini said. “We want to reach the girl in the rural tinkhundla who thinks her circumstances have decided her future. We want to show her that her hands can build a business.”
The approach complements the vision of the Brave Girl Camp, hosted by UWC Waterford Kamhlaba, United World College of Southern Africa. The camp gives girls a platform to explore issues including health, confidence, leadership, career aspirations and challenges affecting their communities.
But for Buhle Bakho, empowerment cannot stop at motivation.
The organisation sees practical skills as a bridge between confidence and economic independence, giving girls the ability to turn what they have learned into potential livelihoods.
To expand the programme, Buhle Bakho is appealing to the private sector, development partners and members of the public for support. The organisation is seeking learning materials including mannequin heads, combs, braiding hair, gels and sprays, as well as starter kits for makeup and nail training.
“Every kit we give is a small business in a bag,” Dlamini said. “You can give a girl the tools to start earning. That is how we turn skills into livelihoods.”
As the programme looks beyond the country’s major towns and towards communities where opportunities are often limited, its message is straightforward: give a girl a skill, give her confidence and give her an opportunity to build her future with her own hands.
For sponsorship, partnership enquiries and more information, Buhle Bakho Tandla Tetfu Empowerment can be reached through the DPM’s Office or directly through founder Nombuso Dlamini on 78461354.
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