Fihliwe Klaas was born and bred in Botshabelo in the Free State. She was raised by her grandparents, who she says are her roles models. Fihliwe attended primary school at Ntateleng Intermediate School, which is in Botshabelo then went to Bloem South High and then Hoerskool Louis Trichadt which is in Venda.
Fihliwe is currently doing her final year BSc Applied Statistics and Psychology and she is also part of Young Driven Ladies as their Head of Organization and hand of the Director.
“I always say I am an advocate for women. I plan events for YDL, workshops and meetings. We have our annual Self-Love Seminar and Sow Seeds Picnic where we teach women the most important seeds they have to sow in their lives. We also do sanitary pad drives.
I recently registered FihliM Foundation, which I am working on now with the Power Breakfast that happened in March which was a Women Empowerment. We are also due to host the Power Unlocked Breakfast, which is a Youth Development Event. This particular event is not for females only because I realized that we empower women and leave men unempowered.”
Fihliwe’s vision is to create safe spaces for women, help young girls become driven ladies that love themselves fully. “I also want to challenge our youth to realize that we need to start using our gifts to pursue our purpose and that also we need to develop ourselves enough to create employment and help stabilize our economy. I would like to challenge them in how they think, by always creating platforms where they can be motivated and uplifted, also by sowing seeds in their minds that will allow fruitful trees to grow and help us in building a better and stable community.”
She grew up in a family where her grandparents have always believed in her and she was taught that she is created in God’s image, so she believes that if He could create everything then there is nothing impossible for her to achieve. Fihliwe grew up in a community where the youth abuses alcohol and she always told herself that she would set the bar higher and help everyone else start dreaming bigger.
Fihliwe’s proudest moment would be having the learners from Moemedi High School want to become better because of the seeds of wisdom she planted in their minds. Becoming the Head of Organisation and Head of the Director of YDL is also one of her proudest moments. “I think I’m a women that rocks because I want to change the nation. I believe that through my voice and writing I will reach the world and make a huge impact in the lives of women and the youth as a whole.”
“In the next 5 years I want to be a qualified Life Coach and a Clinical Psychologist. Under my foundation I want to own a Coffee Shop that has a book store as well that is only for females, where there will be monthly talks and a book club in order for women to have a place to run to when they want to vent or relax. I also want to see YDL grow globally and I want to be an Ambassador for the United Nations.”