SE5/EP 48:Conversation with Gugulethu Makhari an entrepreneur and immigrant from South Africa on her Traumatic Childhood Experiences

Gugulethu Makhari is an entrepreneur and an immigrant from South Africa. Gugu as she prefers to be called is a business person in many avenues and also and she is whom I would call a global activist for Women’s rights, Human rights, and Youth advocacy. Gugu and I recently met when I attended the African Animation Film festival hosted by one of my previous guests on this podcast Prof.  Boukary Sawadogo. I was impressed by her community and global engagement in human rights activism, and her positive and warm approach. I couldn’t resist but invite her to be a guest on Pansa Pansa Podcast as the first South African on the podcast and I appreciate her coming on to talk about her experience as an African immigrant in America and her unfortunate traumatic childhood experience growing up in South Africa. 

Bio:

Gugulethu Makhari Global Sustainable Development Goals Inc NGO: *Chair Commission on Women's Rights, Human Rights and Youth Council for March for our Planet: *USA National Organizer and Coordinator for "March for Our Planet''. Also, global coalition. Studied health & skincare (Somatologist) or an esthetician and graduated from the International Academy of Health and Skincare. She studied Business Management at Millpark Business *and Project Management at Regenneys Business School. She is a qualified peer training worker from the Alliance for Positive Change. Gugu studied Fashion Marketing at New School and she studied Retail Management at Lisof Business School Entrepreneur: She is a cook and her food recipe was listed on Wood Spoon. She is an artist, a painter, a dancer, an actress, and a model. She is a mother of a 16-year-old son and she has been married twice.

During our conversation, we talked about Gugu’s experience as an African immigrant in America and her understanding of racial inequality in America as a South African who was raised in apartheid, South Africa. We talked about what surprised her most about racial discussion in American society. As a South African immigrant in America, it is easier for her to understand the racial struggles in America and the continuous institutionalized racism. The question was if she was able to connect more with African Americans' struggles due to some shared experience of living in a racialized country. 

The bulk of her conversation focuses on Gugu’s traumatic childhood experience and forced marriage at an early age. Gugu gave an account of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and early forced marriage that led to her addiction to alcoholism and how these unfortunate experiences have driven her interest in Women’s rights, Human rights, and Youth advocacy. She shared the circumstances surrounding her early marriage and how it was arranged against your will. Gugu talked about her initial reactions or thoughts when she first learned about forced marriage, what reason your parents gave you surrounding their decisions and many more.