We had the privilege of meeting with Temieke Streicher, the founder of Power to You Foundation and the Courageous Girl Project. On a chilly Monday morning, we met up at a local favourite coffee shop and talked about her inspiration behind the foundation, her achievements and dreams for the future.
Founding & Vision
During her Psychology studies, Temieke realised and started to recognise some issues in her own life which she was totally unaware of. Their slogan reads ‘Bringing visible change to invisible challenges’, referring to mental health specifically. “People carry invisible scars and when we don’t deal with them, these scars tend to surface not only when we least expect them, but also in a way we never anticipated.” With the Power to You Foundation, Temieke works on three principles:
Educate - to spread awareness and share knowledge with others
Empower - to empower individuals who struggle with mental health. She wants to let them know that they are not alone nor defined by their circumstances
Equip - equipping individuals with the much needed tools and skills in order to heal
With these three pillars in mind, the Courageous Girl Project was born. After experiencing her own struggles, both physically and mentally, when it came to that time of the month, Temieke decided that something needed to change for the better; not only in her life, but in the lives of every girl going through the same struggles. One of the goals with the Courageous Girl Project is to create a ripple effect. By educating, empowering and equipping one girl, it can lead to her assisting someone else going through a similar situation, and so on and so forth.
Impact & Achievements
The success of both the foundation and Courageous Girl Project is measured by the amount of people whose lives are impacted by this initiative. This impact is not only a financial one, “sometimes one sentence has a significant impact on a person’s life or simply the fact that you show up. I want these girls to remember that when they think nobody cares, I care.” Temieke further mentioned that one should never underestimate the power of a small gesture; “wherever I go, I want to make an impact.” If there is only one person who can learn how to go through a healing journey, and they were a part of her foundation, she’d be over the moon.
Significant moments
Her most significant, personal accomplishment is the knowledge that she gained, both during and after her studies, alongside the rapid growth of her foundation. What started as a humble beginning, has boomed into a whole movement and the troops are rallying from all over. She mentioned that she worked alongside Zoalize Van Rensburg, Youth Development Advocate and President of Never Too Young To Advocate, and that their professional relationship has transformed into a personal friendship and they look forward to working together again in the near future. The foundation has grown at such a rapid speed over the past two years, so much so that Temieke has expanded her Courageous Girl Project to the suburbs of Johannesburg. Despite the rapid growth, the focus remains on the community of Potchefstroom, seeing as Temieke is a local and already has her roots firmly planted within the community.
Programs & Initiatives
When asked about how she identifies needs within the community she serves, she took a sip of coffee before answering, “That’s quite a difficult question to answer, seeing as mental health needs are those invisible scars I talked about earlier.” She completely relies on the knowledge she gained these past few years and her experiences thus far to ‘identify’ certain needs. Due to the fact that she is so involved with the schools and being a female, she knows what the mental health needs of the schools are. She would like school curriculums to integrate mental health to really educate and empower students and not only use it as a buzzword.
The projects never cease to amaze her
Her previous Courageous Girl Project was very well received by the community and a huge success! Some of the schools in and around town are fired up from the get-go and are open to ideas and suggestions; some even educate the girls after Temieke and her team paid them a visit. On 28 May, South Africa recognises Menstrual Hygiene Day, and there have been various visits to townships and the stories and circumstances that some of these girls are put in, are horrendous. The amount of girls who suffer in silence month after month, is a sad and shocking statistic. To make things worse, girls get bullied at school when they are on their period - this worsens their already traumatic menstrual cycle, especially on a mental level. This initiative aims to plant a seed and really make people think about these needs.
Challenges & Solutions
As with any non-profit organisation, there are always some challenges - especially when it comes to sponsorships and funding. “But there is always a plan”, Temieke said hopefully, with the biggest smile. One of the lessons she’s learned these past few years and during her challenges, is that there are a lot more people who care than what you originally thought. “When you mention it to them or start talking about [these issues], it’s really a standstill moment for them.” It’s not always the big, grand gestures that make the biggest impact or difference in someone’s life. “You work with what you have, you don’t need a large platform. You have to be a voice of reason and focus on the individual.”
Collaboration & Success/Solutions
Sponsorships make up a very big, important part of the foundation, especially for the Courageous Girl Project. Temieke mentions that there are so many people who are willing to help and she is very grateful for each and every contribution. A special thank you to the following organisations:
*Golden Hearts- Girl Power (biggest sanitary pad sponsor)
*Bochum South Africa (roll on sponsor)
*Lief Creations (bathroom bags sponsor)
Future Goals
The future is bright for Temieke and everything her foundation does! Exponential growth is in her long term vision for Power to You Foundation, and she would love it if this can become a place that people turn to for support and knowledge in terms of mental health, coping mechanisms and life tools. She dropped a small easter egg that one-on-one sessions and mental health workshops might also be in the pipeline.
Big, big plans
When it comes to Courageous Girl, she wants to see this project grow and reach the entirety of the country. She wants to tweak the whole school system (to the best of her abilities) - whether it be mental health or menstrual issues, children need the knowledge and resources. School is after all the place where children spend the majority of their time. “Everybody starts somewhere, even if you only begin with the basics”, Temieke mentioned. These ‘workshops’ she has with the teenage girls provide a safe space for them to voice their opinions and it’s here where they are truly heard.
Mental wealth
Her biggest revelation came when she recognised the trauma in her own life; it isn’t just a one time thing. “We need to learn how to constantly process our mental scars, and our behaviour is an indication of those things we need to work on.” Temieke expressed her gratitude toward technology, as this opens a whole new world of knowledge regarding mental health and how to cope with these issues. “If you can learn how to look after your mental health and work through your issues, you’ll be the richest person.”
Exciting projects to keep an eye out for
Power to You Foundation is currently working on their We Care Project. This project aims to collect funds to assist women who have experienced trauma and send them to counselling, by collecting and recycling cans. This project is currently being run on a small scale, as it’s only Temieke at the helm at the moment.
Inspiration
When the going gets tough, Temieke reminds herself of those she’s already had the privilege of helping and working with. The difference she’s made in the lives of other girls is also a big driving force, along with the fact that there are still so many learners who need her help. “You need to constantly remind yourself of your purpose and focus on what you still want to do.” Further, she mentioned that you have to start with yourself, “prioritise the relationship with yourself before assisting someone else, you can’t pour from an empty cup.”
Reflection & Advice
Looking back at where she started, there are a few things Temieke would’ve done differently. Laughingly, she said she would’ve asked for help sooner and not try to do everything on her own. Ever since starting the foundation, she also learned to let go of her perfectionism - “even that is linked to trauma”, she informed. Through all the ‘winging it’, she learned to have more grace with herself on this journey.
Most rewarding aspect
This is another one of those tricky questions. “It all comes down to the impact you make, it’s not just temporary, it has a permanent, lasting effect.” Another rewarding aspect of her work is learning from different cultures and how they view these aspects (menstrual issues and mental health) and gaining knowledge in that aspect as well. By gaining insight into different perspectives, she has the ability to educate the different communities regarding these issues. “Sometimes it only takes one person to listen to you or for you to share a word of encouragement.”
How to get involved
Anyone who has an idea or initiative, is welcome to reach out to them. For instance, let’s say there is a bead shop and they would like to sponsor bangles for each girl’s bathroom bag, the foundation would be more than open to that initiative. Financial donations and supplies for the care packages are always more than welcome and very much appreciated. To make a contribution, either financial or by sponsoring products, get in touch with Temieke via the following platforms:
Reach her via email on powertoyoufoundation@gmail.com or visit her social media pages on Facebook or Instagram.
Temieke Streicher is making waves by changing the way the greater community views and perceives both mental health and menstrual struggles. It’s a fantastic initiative and we are rallying behind her 100%!
Johané van Dyk - Potchefstroom
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