SayPro 2025 Mother’s Day Speech By Tsakani Rikhotso, Chief Learning and Monitoring Officer

Date: 11 May 2025
Occasion: SayPro Global Mother’s Day Commemoration

Good day, SayPro colleagues, partners, friends, and to all the incredible mothers joining us from around the world.

Today is a day of gratitude. It is a moment of reflection and deep respect—for the women who have shaped us, taught us, and led us from the very beginning: our mothers.

As SayPro’s Chief Learning and Monitoring Officer, I spend much of my time looking at data, evaluating progress, and asking: Are we truly making a difference? But before the numbers and the systems, real learning starts at home. And the first learning officer in every child’s life—is a mother.

She is the first teacher, long before formal education begins. She teaches without chalkboards. She monitors growth without spreadsheets. She nurtures development through care, sacrifice, and unshakable love. And through that, she builds the foundation of all lifelong learning.

Our 2025 theme, “Empowered Women, Empower Generations,” is not a theory—it is a reality we see every day in our work. Whether in literacy programmes, skills development workshops, or youth mentorship, one common thread emerges: behind every learner’s success is a woman—often a mother—who believed in them before anyone else did.

At SayPro, we measure learning, but we never forget the human story behind every milestone. We monitor progress, but we also celebrate the hands that helped make that progress possible. And so today, we honour every mother who:

• Walked miles to get her child to school.
• Stayed up late to study and rewrite her own story.
• Chose courage in the face of challenge, and dignity in times of hardship.

To the mothers in our workforce, our learner networks, and our communities—you are not just part of our learning ecosystem. You are its backbone.

At SayPro, we will continue to create learning opportunities that are inclusive, flexible, and empowering—because when we support a mother’s growth, we unlock a future for everyone she touches.

To all mothers—thank you for teaching us what no textbook ever could: resilience, compassion, and the power of belief.

Happy Mother’s Day 2025.
You are seen. You are appreciated. You are SayPro.

Thank you.