An Interview with Charlotte Nkabinde
“Instead of letting my pain consume me, I decided to use it as a driving force to help others.”
Charlotte Nkabinde
Introduction
In this heartfelt conversation, Joyce Chiamaka Nwezeh speaks with South African author, diversity manager, and community leader Charlotte Nkabinde, a nominee in the Creative Industry category for the 2025 awards.
Through the session, Charlotte opens up about her journey through grief, her work with widows and young boys, her book, and the powerful community initiatives born from her personal experiences.
Charlotte Nkabinde
My name is Charlotte Nkabinde, a South African widow and an award-winning author. I am a manager for diversity, and I am also the founder of Boys Foundation, where we mentor young boy children to keep them in a safe space where they know how to behave.
I am also the founder of Widows Struggle Foundation, where we give widows skills to empower themselves and maintain their families while their spouses are no longer with them. So yeah, I’m a mother of four boys with three grandchildren.
And again, thank you so much. I’m actually honored for this award and thank you very much for affording me this opportunity.
What Inspired Her Work
Joyce Nwezeh
My first question is: What inspired you to pursue the current career you are in, particularly as an author and creative? What was the moment that made you decide this is what you want to do?
Charlotte Nkabinde
My inspiration for starting Widow’s Struggle came from my personal experience. I lost my husband in 2021. That experience completely changed my life. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced emotionally, mentally, and financially.
In my area in Soweto, I saw that my story wasn’t unique. Many widows around me were going through the same pain, struggling to feed their kids and trying to survive with no support. I saw women who once stood tall now broken and without hope because their source of income and security was gone.
That was my turning point. Instead of letting my pain consume me, I used it as a driving force to help others. I founded Widows Struggle Foundation to give widows hope, skills, and opportunities to rebuild their lives and support their children with dignity.
With Boys Hope Foundation, I started it in 2015—actually 2014. What happened is also personal. When you turn 40, you start asking yourself what your purpose in life is. I was working in corporate and felt like this was not what God wanted me to do. I resigned.
Two months after, my son was in a school fight. The situation became chaos—police were called. Afterwards, during a meeting with parents and children, I noticed disrespect among the boys. I asked the principal to let me speak with them. The boys explained their home situations—parents drinking, fighting—causing rebellion.
They thanked me for listening, saying no one had ever heard them. That moment made me realize boys also need an ear. That’s how Boys Hope Foundation started.
My book Mama Gains a Daughter began during my grieving journey. After work, I’d sit in my bedroom writing journals because the family I had been part of for more than 30 years suddenly turned against me. Reflecting became healing.
Those journals eventually became a memoir. I’m proud to say my book is a two-time award-winning book, and the Department of Arts and Culture has adopted it for their library.
That is why I do what I do for my community.
Impact and Community Contribution
What meaningful contribution or impact have you made in your career, particularly in driving change or uplifting others?
Charlotte Nkabinde
Since founding Widows Foundation, our main focus is skills development. Many widows have been housewives and never worked. When their source of income stops, they face very difficult situations.
We empower them with practical skills that generate income—beaded bags, eco-friendly bags, fascinators, nail work, hairdressing. These are things they can do at home to support their children.
We also run business incubation and cooperative development, helping widows form groups to produce, sell, and grow together.
The transformation is incredible—women who once felt hopeless are now business owners and community leaders. Some can send their kids back to school, pay rent, and mentor others. Seeing that ripple effect is what drives me.
PAWES 2025 Award: Her Vision
If you win the Power 2025 Award, how would you use this platform to influence others and drive change?
Charlotte Nkabinde
Winning the PAWES Award would be more than recognition. It would give a voice to thousands of widows who are often forgotten.
It would allow me to advocate for widows’ rights and push for greater inclusion in social and economic programs across South Africa.
My goal is to expand my work beyond Soweto—to create empowerment centers where widows can access training, emotional support, and opportunities for growth. I also want to collaborate with other women leaders and organizations to reach more people.
Through PAWES, I hope to inspire women to turn pain into purpose.
Growth Strategy and Sustainability
Charlotte Nkabinde
Our growth strategy is centered around empowerment, partnership, and sustainability.
First, we empower widows to become self-sufficient through income-generating skills.
Secondly, we build partnerships with NGOs, private companies, and government agencies for resources, training materials, and funding.
Thirdly, we ensure sustainability through cooperatives and mentorship—widows who complete our programs return as trainers.
Our long-term dream is to establish a widows’ empowerment hub where widows can access training, counseling, and cooperative support.
We believe that when widows stand together, they rise together.
In closing…
In closing, I want to say: my journey started as a mission of hope. Widows may lose their partners, but they must never lose their power. Through empowerment, we help them rebuild their lives and their children’s future.
We may be widows, but we are not without strength and together we shall rise.
Thank you so much for this opportunity.
