She Showed Up for Them — and Found Herself

Fellicia Xoli Nxumalo is 25 yaers old and lives in Zonkizizwe, Katlehong, a township in Gauteng, South Africa, where many communities continue to face deep social and economic challenges.

She describes a community where many teenagers face violence, crime, and teenage pregnancy, alongside high levels of poverty and unemployment. In a place like this, girls often carry adult pressures too early, and it can be hard to find safe spaces to speak openly about what they are going through.

In South Africa, the Graça Machel Trust delivers the Pan-African Adolescent Girls’ Movement through its implementing partner, the FutureLift Foundation, providing technical support and ongoing guidance as the learning programme is rolled out.

Fellicia joined the Movement as a mentor, also known as Eagle Sister or Nurturing Eagle, after a friend introduced her to the programme. “I got hooked,” she says, because her friend “laid out the perks that come with the programme,” and she realised the platform speaks to her and the support girls need.

For Fellicia, the programme became a space where she could contribute and grow. She says one of the biggest lessons she took from the programme was learning not to dwell on past mistakes. “Mistakes are indeed our greatest teachers,” she explains. Over time, she saw that growth manifest in practical ways: she became more confident in how she raised issues and shared concerns. In her words, growth became visible in her “voicing my concerns in a very mature manner.”

Her turning point came when the programme gave her more responsibility. One of her key moments was stepping into a facilitation role, and that trust helped her see herself differently.

“That’s when I realised that when you put your mind to it, you can do it,” she says. For her, leadership did not come from being labelled a leader. It came from showing up, preparing, and learning how to hold space for others. In facilitation, she learned to guide conversations, encourage quieter girls to participate, and create a respectful environment where girls could speak without fear of judgment.

That growth carried into community action. Fellicia was part of the girls’ march against crime and violence in Katlehong, where adolescent girls stepped forward to speak about safety in their community and to call for change. For Fellicia, this was not only a public moment. It was a clear example of what the Movement is building: girls who can organise, speak with confidence, and engage community leaders on issues that affect their lives. Being part of the march affirmed her role as a mentor and showed her the power of girls speaking together, with supportive adults and older young women walking beside them.

Fellicia is clear that she did not grow alone. She credits mentorship and support as a major part of her journey. “Princess Tshepi Motloung, the Founder of FutureLift Foundation, had a strong impact on my journey and growth,” she says. Fellicia adds that this support helped shape her into the young woman she is today.

Fellicia’s story is a reminder that the Movement is not only about adolescent girls stepping forward. It is also about the older young women who stand with them, mentors who help keep the space safe, consistent, and caring, while also building their own confidence and leadership through service. In Zonkizizwe, where many girls are expected to stay quiet, Fellicia chose to show up for them. And through that choice, she found her own growth, too.