This week we shine the spotlight on Lusanda Msebi, Head of Hope, Wellness & Empowerment Programmes at CATCH Trust.
Lusanda’s work is rooted in a powerful belief, young people cannot be developed in isolation.
Through her work in youth development, community development, leadership and women’s empowerment. she creates spaces where young people can learn, reflect, build confidence, discover their purpose and develop the skills they need to lead.
For Lusanda, the Hope, Wellness and Empowerment programmes are about much more than delivering workshops and activities. They create intentional and safe spaces where young people can be heard, supported, encourages and equipped to navigate life with confidence.
“For girls especially, these spaces are important because they affirm that their voices matter, their experiences matter and their futures matter.”
The purpose of this work is to build confidence, strengthen resilience, develop agency and open pathways to opportunities.
When girls and young people are given the space to understand their value and potential, the impact extends far beyond the individual.
“When we invest in girls, we strengthen communities.”
One of the most powerful outcomes of empowerment, according to Lusanda, is the transformation in how young girls and young people see themselves.
Lusanda adds, “When a girl or young person is given a space to express themselves, opportunities to lead and people who genuinely affirm their potential, they begin to see themselves differently.”
That transformation can be seen in the way young girls begin to speak with greater confidence, participate more actively, set goals and make decisions. They begin to understand that they have a voice, and that their voice deserves to be heard.
For Lusanda, this is the heart of empowerment. Moving from “Can I?” to “I Can.”
Moving from waiting for permission to taking initiative. Moving from doubting potential to recognising capacity. Every young girl deserves the opportunity to experience that transformation.
Lusanda believes that young people cannot be developed by focusing on only one area of their lives. Academic achievement matter, but so do emotional wellbeing, confidence, relationships, leadership, health, aspirations and a sense of purpose.
“Holistic development develops the whole person”
This approach equips young people with the knowledge, skills, confidence and emotional resilience needed to navigate both opportunities and challenges. For Lusanda, youth development is not simply about preparing young people for employment. It is about preparing them to participate, lead, make decisions and shape the communities they are part of.
A successful youth programme therefore does more than transfer knowledge. It helps build capable, confident and purpose -driven young people who understand that they have a role to play in shaping their futures.
Lusanda’s passion for this work is deeply connected to her own journey. She is an inspired youth leader, community development practitioner, professional speaker, personal brand facilitator and founder of CYDA Africa, proudly from Motherwell in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.
Her journey has been shaped by resilience, purpose and a deep belief in the power of young people, particularly young women. To lead and transform their communities.
Through CYDA Africa, Lusanda has championed youth-centered environmental conservation and initiated Scholars for Change UWC, a sustainability focused programme empowering students to use education, innovation and community action as tools for social change.
Her leadership journey has also included serving as Treasurer General of the UWC Student Representative Council and Chairperson of SWEEP UWC, where she advocated for gender equality, women’s empowerment and inclusive leadership.
As a Professional Speaker and Facilitator, Lusanda creates spaces where young people can learn, reflect, build confidence, discover their purpose and develop the skills to lead. She is particularly passionate about nurturing young women to recognise their voices, embrace their potential and lead with confidence, authenticity and purpose.
Her work at CATCH Trust builds on this passion by creating opportunities for girls to develop not only as individuals, but as future leaders who can contribute meaningfully to their communities.
For Women’s Month, Lusanda shares a powerful message for young girls and women:
“You are capable, you are worthy and your voice belongs in every room where decisions about your future are being made.”
She further encourages young women not to shrink themselves to make others comfortable. Instead, Dream Boldly, Lead Courageously, Speak Confidently and Take Up Space.
For Lusanda, Women’s Month is not only about celebrating the women who came before us. It is also about recognising our responsibility to create wider pathways for girls coming after us.
“When you find yourself in a position of influence, reach back and bring another girl with you.”
This, she believes, is what true empowerment looks like. It is not simply about how far we go as individuals. It is about how many people are able to move forward because we chose to open the door.
Lusanda’s journey from Motherwell to leadership spaces has reinforced her belief that where you come from may shape your story, but does not determine how far you can go. That belief is one she carries into her work with young people.
She wants girls to understand that their circumstances does not have to define their futures, and that with confidence, support, opportunity and purpose, they can become the women who shape the future.
Lusanda celebrates the women who have poured into her, opened doors for her and reminded her that she does not have to shrink to make spaces for others. Every girl who is discovering her voice, every young women who is stepping into her power and every women who continues to create opportunities for others.
She leaves us with a powerful reminder:
“The future is not something we wait for. We are raising the women who will shape it.”
Lusanda’s work embodies the belief that empowerment is not a once-off intervention. It is about creating consistent space where girls can learn, lead and thrive.
We celebrate Lusanda Msebi, not only for the work she does, but for the pathways she continues to create for the young women who will follow.
