Name: Ntswaki Tiisetso Malebo
Age: 25
Life quote: Ke ka mohau wa Madimo (it’s by God’s grace)
What does it mean to be a woman (in this day and age) and what is the most important thing to you as a woman? A woman is a dignified being. She is a support system/structure to family and friends. In this day and age, she is liberated, she has high self-esteem, she embraces her flaws, she is love, she is independent and she is equipt to tackle life’s challenges. A lot of things are important to me as woman, but peace with myself and others is most important at the end of the day.
What is self-hate to you? And have you been a victim of it? Self-hate is not accepting one’s strengths and weaknesses, constantly comparing yourself with others. Self-hate is basically self-emotional abuse. I was a victim until I realised that we are flawed and we ought to love and embrace imperfections.
Do you still have issues with self-esteem? And what helps you snap out of it? Insecurities rather, they are a hard thing to come by. So I deal with them in two ways.
Long term – I meditate lol, through star gazing. This gives me a deeper connection with myself (mind, body and soul) and the universe. Short term – I tell myself it doesn’t matter what others think of me.
When did you learn to start loving the woman you are? When I was told “ha hona motho ya tla orata wena osa ithate” by my mother, this was during puberty. It didn’t make sense, all I knew was I have to love myself.
What do you think has influenced your confidence? My mom’s words influenced my confidence. Once I understood what she meant.
What are your passions and inspirations? I’m passionate about cooking. I try to cook an amazing meal at least once a month (lol month end). I am inspired by open-mindedness, knowledge, education, and broad human experiences. Unapologetic people also inspire me, (unapologetically African, unapologetically Free, etc)
Do you have any fashion/beauty icons, if so who are they? The Quann twins are my icons, Takenya and Cipriana. Because hair 😍
If you could meet your younger self, what would you say to her? Melanin gives black people superior physical, mental and spiritual ability. Your dark skin is melanin. Stop being inferior.
If you had to tell one thing to every little girl in the world, what would it be? Never let anyone define you.
Where can we find you on social media?
Facebook @ Tiisetso Darkie
Twitter @ntswakii
Instagram @tii.malebo
