Ladies dressed to the eights, nines and tens along with their elegant hats to match. This is simply a brief description of how beautiful the ladies looked at the women’s high tea event hosted by the Wits Golden Key Chapter.
The event, being the first of its kind for the Chapter, was themed “Hear my voice, see my life, know my story.” There was even a dress code which went by the title “Smart with a hat,” the ladies adhered to this in true style. It was the key note speaker, Media Mogul and host of the TV show Motswako, Ms Penny Lebyane, who captivated the audience with her story. As a leading lady in the South African media industry, she had lots to share about her personal experiences.
Ms Lebyane encouraged our guests to rise above their circumstances with her childhood story and offered words of wisdom in her speech titled ‘I fly because I have wings’ urging young ladies and gentlemen alike to strive for their goals and stay focused. She also related to the young women as their ‘older sister’ when she gave guidance and advice during the question and answer session.
Ms Sade Giliberti, a young and accomplished TV personality shared her experiences and her recitation of a portion Maya Angelou’s ‘Phenomenal Woman’ captured the essence of the event. She was not only a charming master of ceremonies, she too gave a touching personal account of her life story. This of course revealed a side to her which was not seen during her presenting days on the small screen. The interaction with the audience from both women was in perfect unison. The generation gap had been filled with laughs, thoughts and some tears. As the topics ranged from academics, boys, life after university and the roles women play in each other‘s lives.
On a lighter note, the entertainment was in the form of smartly dressed males. Amo Manganyi, a Wits Golden Key member himself, shared a soulful poem in tribute to the ladies. His words certainly resonated with the ladies. It was the male a cappella group, Ocean Acoustics, which had the ladies dancing on their heels. The networking was abuzz as students interacted with staff from the SDLU (Student Development Leadership Unit), Wits marketing and the Vuvuzela newspaper.
Also in attendance, were Golden Key honorary member Professor Katherine Munro and Ms Hope Khoza from Golden Key South Africa. Our hats must be taken off to the Wits Golden Key executive committee and their chapter advisor, Mrs Lamese Abrahams along with her team at the SDLU for organising the event. It certainly proved to be a success as ladies left with some gifts of appreciation for their attendance.
The high tea also created a platform for a much needed and appreciated intergenerational conversation amongst the women of our country. I believe that this event is the catalyst of many more tea parties to come with conversations of substance and none of the gossip of old-fashioned tea parties. So raise your tea cups to the next generation of contemporary tea parties with added value.
