When the boys left the classroom, the silence broke. “I saw the shift instantly,” says Larona Bi-nang, describing a mentorship session at Keb-onang Secondary School. “As soon as the boys were gone, the girls leaned in, raised hands and asked the questions they had been holding in.”
That moment led Binang to formalise something she had long considered. She named it For Ba-setsana, a platform rooted in her belief that any foundation she built should benefit girls and young women. Basetsana means “girls” in Setswana.
“I’ve always known that if I was going to build any-thing, it had to be for them,” she says. “This is not
just about giving information. It’s about showing girls how to use it.”
Larona, a third-year student studying towards a BA degree in humanities with English, and a former Miss North West Exclusive semi-finalist, began shaping the project while conducting research and a mentorship initiative on teenage pregnancy and education.
“When we started with mixed-gender sessions, I noticed the girls were reserved. They were quieter, less eager,” she said. “It wasn’t ignorance. It was hesitation. It was a shame.”
Larona Binang’s mentorship experience sparked the creation of a mentoring platform for girls - For Basetsana.
IMPACT@NWU July 2025
Agency rather than access
The turning point came during a collaborative ses-sion with Shout It Now, a non-governmental or-ganisation. When the boys were asked to leave the classroom before the final period, something changed.
“That’s when I understood. The gap is not access. It’s agency,” Larona says. “Girls are in the room, but they’re not stepping forward. Not because they can’t, but because they’re waiting for permission.”
The platform draws from her own experiences growing up without a big sister figure and wish-ing someone had offered her more than advice: a model of boldness.
“I want to be what I need. And I want to give others the space to do the same,” she says. “This is for any woman who wants to show up for a girl.”
Going digital for wider reach
“To scale For Basetsana, I plan on forming stra-tegic partnerships with schools and organisations,
developing digital platforms (active social media accounts and a website) for wider reach and es-tablish training programmes and mentors for the girls.”
Larona believes community engagement fosters networks and support groups, which is essential in expanding For Basetsana and exploring funding opportunities to ensure sustainability and growth.
The message is one of ownership. “Life is for liv-ing,” Larona concludes. “And you only start living when you decide your life is yours.”
