# Gogontlejang Phaladi
## Biography

Gogontlejang Phaladi (born 1995) is the founder and executive director of a non-profit-making non-governmental organization called the Gogontlejang Phaladi Pillar of Hope Project.
She founded the organization more than 10 years ago[when?] in response to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children affected and infected with HIV in Botswana. She is currently a Board Member of the Global Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health, National Children’s Council, and a member of the National Vision 2036 Council.

## Quotes

* Stand up, rise up and push forward for a better Africa. Nobody is going to do this for us. We need to do it for ourselves”.
* “If you don’t have a seat at the table, you will sit on the floor.
* “Stand up and take action. Refuse to be silent.
** Gogontlejang Phaladi: A social change activist” April 2018-July 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
* “We cannot wait another 25 years. We need to push for accountability to make sufficient progress in addressing the current government deficit to deliver on the sexual and reproductive health and rights commitments for women.”
** "UNAIDS, Young women demand accountability at Women Deliver", 5 June 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2021
* “We children have been missing from the picture for more than two decades when talking about issues of HIV/AIDS.”
** 2662002 "Speech by Gogontlejang Phaladi: The 17th ICOWHI Congress 2008" —Wednesday, 9 July 2008, (Taylor & Francis Online) Health Care For Women International, Published 6 February 2009, Retrieved 30 October 2021
* “Every child has the right to be educated. Education in Botswana must be compulsory.”
** "Speech by Gogontlejang Phaladi: The 17th ICOWHI Congress 2008" —Wednesday, 9 July 2008, (Taylor & Francis Online) Health Care For Women International, Published 6 February 2009, Retrieved 30 October 2021
** “I believe that I have to uphold my social responsibility as a responsible citizen, that of contributing positively towards the Development of my country no matter how little or insignificant the contribution may be. If we all did this, collectively we would achieve massive impact. We need to be a Nation that takes initiatives as opposed to waiting for someone to come up with an initiative and jump on.” Gogontlejang Phaladi Interview Retrieved 2 November 2021
* “I value conversations with people who come from a different background from me. There is a lot of humility you learn through listening to others and allowing yourself to be guided by the wisdom of others. This also helped me a lot professionally, personally and socially”. Gogontlejang Phaladi, Gogontlejang Phaladi: Where there is passion, there is an undying spirit of persistence by Nonofo Nkwe.
* “To the girl child i want to say you are amazing. The world is really unfair but it owes you absolutely nothing. Every rejection that is thrown at you, use it to build your own strength.” Gogontlejang Phaladi, Powerful women in Botswana , YouTube (25 February 2017). Retrieved 24 November 2021.
* “Recommendations are there we already know what needs to be done. What we need is action, action and more action. We need to make sure relevant stakeholders are involved, young people need to be on the forefront.”
* “In Africa culture plays a significant role in molding our society because we have a deeply rooted cultural background. We need to to be able to eliminate the good and the bad from our cultural practices and see how we can encourage good practices such as breast feeding and see how we can talk against early child marriages and genitalia mutilation.”
** Gogontlejang Phaladi, Chat with Gogontlejang Phaladi at the Youth Pre-Forum #PMNCHLive Youtube( 30 June 2014) Retrieved 24 November 2021.
* “Being a humanitarian or an active agent of change is not an activity you will one day outgrow, its also not a job that you can retire or resign from. It is part of who I am, My purpose”.
* “The two biggest challenges that i face all my life as a young leader has always been my age and gender. Coming from an exclusively patriarchal or masculine society rather l have always been perceived to be a bit of a wrong gender to achieve and reach certain milestones and a bit too young to dream, to be ambitious to be an active agent of change and a catalyst of development.”
** Changemaker 24: Gogontlejang Phaladi - Executive Director Pillar of Hope Project,Youtube (16 May 2016) Retrieved 25 November 2021.
* “Ladies and gentlemen let us understand that political will and commitment is just not in signing treaties and attending high level meetings.It is increasing National budget for the health sector. It is in having adolescent and gender responsive policies and programming.”
* “I find something interesting in my country that Agricultural demonstrators from the Government go to the cattle post, the farms and rural areas to give the cows their bolus but we don't have health care workers who do such health outreaches to immunize babies.”
** Gogontlejang Phaladi‏ PMNCH Adolescent & Youth Constituency Board Chair, Youtube (27 October 2017) Retrieved 25 November 2021
* “It is important to appreciate that there is value in listening to others’ opinions. Even if you may not agree, they bring the much-needed objectivity to your point of view.”
** Gogontlejang Phaladi: Where there is passion, there is an undying spirit of persistence by Nonofo Nkwe retrieved 9 June 2022

## External links

* "She.Leads.Africa, Gogontlejang Phaladi: where there is passion, there is undying spirit of persistence by Nonofo Nkwe" Retrieved 30 October 2021
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7w5t4DpGI4
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tm2V1rVBXk
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkwBMUOBpvA
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNMSxi9u6to

## References

* ↑ Ephraim Modise (10 March 2021). Five African women leading the way to COVID-19 recovery in Botswana. World Bank. Retrieved on 16 November 2022.