Carpe diem- seize the day
“There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” – Edith Wharton
Mbatha is the Media and Marketing officer of Incema Non- Profit Organisation. She joined the organisation in May 2022 when the organisation saw a gap for her skills and qualifications. She has a Bachelor of Arts Honours qualification and is currently studying towards her Master of Arts degree. These are necessary as she tackles the organization’s new social media accounts, shoot and edit programs hosted as well as getting the organisation as much media exposure as possible. Mbatha brings with her previous experience working with different small businesses doing media and marketing for them as well as countless hours on numerous film sets working behind the scenes.
“I was introduced to the organization in 2019 during my Honours year when one of our actors for our student films mentioned Incema.” The organisation was looking to do a documentary and we were looking to add hands-on experience to our theory as the Honours Film class. We were interested in the work the organisation did but were never able to edit the footage we took for the documentary due to the year ending and us no longer having access to the Film Lab. 2020 brought covid-19 and we were further restricted from accessing the footage we had shot.
“I continued to follow the organisation on social media platforms as I was really interested in the work that they do.” Incema NPO doesn’t just provide assistance for an individual but also their family, school and community and that was partly one of the reasons the organisation stuck in Mbatha’s mind.
In 2022, the organization saw a need for a Media and Marketing Officer post and Mbatha was selected to apply for the post. “I was nervous for my interview but I was also excited at the prospect of working for Incema NPO.”
“I started working on the 15th of May 2022 and I am truly grateful for this opportunity.” Mbatha started by realizing that there was a problem with accessing the organisation’s social media accounts. “I seized the opportunity to bring a solution to the issue being faced Incema as I am a person who takes initiative.” After consulting with management, she was able to start all the organisation’s social media accounts from scratch. Under her guidance, more people are now aware of the organisation and the work they do.
“I enjoy being a part of Incema NPO because they bring light to people’s lives no matter how hopeless they might think their situations might be.” Mbatha has been involved in many of the organisation’s programs since she joined the team in May. “Each program is another opportunity for me to learn more while also playing my part in trying to help Incema NPO do what they do.”
“I always seize the moment by learning as much as I can from my colleagues as well.” Mbatha works closely with the programme manager and director of the organisation,who have experience doing social media for the organisation and have attended previous communications training workshops. “Attending the Women’s Voice and Leadership communication training workshop for 2022 opened my eyes to even more than I had previously known before but I will forever be grateful to my colleagues for showing me the ropes in the beginning.”