Around the world, conversations about social development and inclusion increasingly highlight the importance of creating systems that support vulnerable communities in more sustainable and human-centred ways. As societies continue to confront inequality, limited access to opportunity and long-standing social barriers, there is growing recognition that meaningful change requires collaboration, empathy and long-term investment in people and communities.
Kate Modingoana, Recruitment Specialist at Kestria South Africa, interviewed Cwenga Kotu-Rammopo, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Talitha Together, whose work is helping reshape the way adolescent mothers are supported across South Africa.
Drawing from her experience working directly with young women and vulnerable communities, she reflects on the human realities behind teenage motherhood, the resilience many young mothers carry despite immense challenges and why long-term, dignity-centred support is essential to creating meaningful and lasting change.
What are the biggest gaps in support for teen mothers today?
One of the greatest gaps is the lack of truly holistic support systems that meet teen mothers where they are, not only as young mothers but as girls still navigating adolescence, identity, education and emotional growth. Too often, support is fragmented and focused on one need in isolation when, in reality, teen mothers require integrated services that respond to their academic, economic, psychosocial and material realities at the same time.
A major gap is access to academic support and meaningful pathways for reintegration into education. Many teen mothers want to return to school but face stigma, administrative barriers, inadequate re-entry support and a lack of flexible systems that allow them to continue their education with dignity.
Another critical gap is access to monetisable and entrepreneurial skills development opportunities. Teen mothers need practical and future-facing skills that can open pathways to income generation, entrepreneurship and long-term independence. Without this, many remain trapped in cycles of poverty and economic vulnerability.
There is also a serious gap in access to essential resources. Many teen mothers are raising babies while facing poverty, food insecurity, a lack of baby supplies, transport barriers and limited psychosocial support. When these basic needs are not met, it becomes far more difficult for them to thrive, heal and rebuild their lives.
Which solutions have proven most effective in your work so far?
In our work, we have found that the most effective solutions are those that are community-rooted, collaborative and designed for scale. Partnerships with strategically aligned implementing partners have been invaluable because they allow us to combine strengths, reduce duplication and extend our reach more effectively.
We have also seen the immense value of building a large volunteer base to support operations. Volunteers allow us to meet immediate needs, mobilise quickly and create a sense of collective ownership around the work. When properly trained and empowered, they become not only helpers but also advocates and ambassadors for impact.
Social media and digital marketing have also proven to be powerful tools for visibility, awareness, community building and mobilisation. They allow us to reach people beyond physical boundaries and connect with supporters, beneficiaries and partners across wider geographies.
Another effective strategy has been running campaigns around strategic calendar dates, which helps us align our work with moments when public attention, advocacy and generosity are heightened.
Finally, one of our strongest approaches has been training volunteers and former beneficiaries to replicate the model within their own communities. This creates a ripple effect of empowerment and ensures that impact does not remain concentrated in one place but spreads organically through lived experience, local leadership and peer-led influence.
What prevents these solutions from scaling across regions?
The biggest barriers to scaling are funding constraints and limited team capacity. Meaningful expansion requires not only vision but also the financial resources and human capital needed to build systems, maintain quality and sustain implementation across different regions.
Another challenge is brand visibility. To scale effectively, organisations need to be visible enough to attract partners, donors and stakeholders who can help advance the work. Without strong visibility, even impactful work can remain under-recognised and under-supported.
In addition, meaningful engagement with provincial governments remains difficult due to limited access, bureaucratic red tape and the complexity of navigating public systems. Yet government partnership is essential if we are to create sustainable, province-wide and eventually national solutions. The opportunity is there but the pathway often needs to become more accessible, responsive and collaborative.
What do NGOs often misunderstand about supporting adolescent mothers?
One common misunderstanding is that supporting adolescent mothers is simply about responding to a single crisis. In reality, it involves supporting two generations simultaneously: the young mother and her child. That work is complex, demanding and resource-intensive but it is also deeply transformative when done well.
NGOs also sometimes overlook the fact that these are still teenage girls. They are not only mothers; they are young people who are still growing, discovering themselves and longing for the ordinary joys of adolescence.
They need space to experience girlhood even as they carry the responsibilities of motherhood, whether that means breastfeeding, bonding with their babies, washing clothes or ensuring their children are cared for.
Perhaps most importantly, many adolescent mothers are not lacking potential; they are lacking belief in themselves. Their confidence, identity and self-worth are often deeply wounded by stigma, abandonment and social exclusion. Real support must therefore go beyond service delivery. It must restore dignity, rebuild confidence and help them reconnect with the greatness that already exists within them.
What kind of leadership is needed to scale real impact in this space?
This space requires servant leadership, ethical leadership and thought leadership. It needs leaders who are not driven by ego but by service; not only by ambition but by responsibility; and not only by compassion but by strategic action.
We need young leaders who are equipped with the tools to lead, the heart to serve and the courage to transform the trajectory of our generation and our nation.
Leaders in this space must be values-driven and purpose-driven. They must be rooted in integrity, guided by compassion and empathy and committed to building systems that are both scalable and sustainable.
Scaling real impact will require leaders who understand that adolescent motherhood is not just a social issue; it is a development issue, an education issue, an economic issue and a justice issue.
The leaders we need are those willing to confront complexity, collaborate across sectors and champion solutions that restore hope and unlock potential.
About Talitha Together
Founded in response to the growing crisis of adolescent pregnancy in Africa, Talitha Together is a South African non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering teenage mothers through holistic support, education and skills development. The organisation provides antenatal and postnatal education, academic support, entrepreneurial training, mental health assistance and essential resource donations to help young mothers continue their education and rebuild their futures with dignity and confidence. Rooted in collaboration and community impact, Talitha Together works across vulnerable communities in Southern Africa with a mission to break cycles of poverty, restore hope and create sustainable opportunities for both young mothers and their children.
