“From Surviving to Thriving: How financial independence heals and empowers Women”
Speaker List
B Kate Brim
Managing Director – Sparrow Society
Social Entrepreneur, Gender & Diversity Advocate
Kate is the founder and director of Sparrow Society, a South African empowerment brand that focuses on creating viable economic opportunities for women in a range of industries in order to subversively shift mindsets around the value of women and girls, thus shifting the power differentials that increase gender-based violence and other social inequalities. She leads both from her own experience of domestic abuse and CSA as well as over 10 years of experience working alongside other survivors in their own fight for freedom. She was a finalist in the 2022 Santam Women of the Future Awards, awarded the Elizabeth Arden Community Hero Award, has been a speaker at TEDx, the JD Baqwa Leadership Conference and was a panel speaker at the Expert Symposium on Social Justice, Hunger and the Constitution: A project of the Centre for Social Justice at Stellenbosch University (CSJ) with Thuli Madonsela. She has also represented Sparrow Society when featured on the Expresso Show, Afternoon Express and several radio and magazine features.
Micealah Ford
Program Head
Micealah Ford is a values-driven development practitioner with a strong background in social work, project management, and community empowerment. With a Bachelor of Social Work and a Postgraduate Diploma in Addiction Care from Stellenbosch University, she has dedicated her career to supporting vulnerable women and youth across South Africa.
Currently serving as Program Head and Board Member at Sparrow Society, Micealah leads strategic initiatives such as the Sparrows Rising Project to build sustainable economic pathways for women. Her expertise spans gender-based violence response, trauma-informed psychosocial support, curriculum development, HR leadership, and stakeholder engagement.
She brings a decade of experience across NGOs including Women on Farms Project, Childline, and Philisa Abafazi Bethu, where she has designed and delivered impactful programs in rural, peri-urban, and high-risk communities. Micealah is passionate about systems change, healing-centered leadership, and equipping the next generation of leaders through mentorship and advocacy.
Candice Cloete
Social Auxiliary Worker @ Sparrow Society
Candice obtained her Certificate as Social Auxiliary Worker @ The Institute for Quality in 2014 and later advanced herself in short courses such as Combating Gender based violence,Facilitation and Psychosocial Support.She started her Social Auxiliary worker Career in the field of Trauma and Bereavement Counseling @ Childline Western Cape,thereafter she facilitated behaviour management programs in two Primary Schools in the Mitchells Plain community,she later worked at the Western Cape Metro South Education District in which she headed their Sanitary Dignity Program (handing out sanitary towels to all schools across the Metro South District) ,facilitating programs in menstrual health and hygiene,relationships and teenage pregnancy, co facilitated Positive behaviour,types of abuse,positive parenting,Child Protection and assisting in the CSA programs in the schools enhancing awareness in HIV/TB and Comprehensive Sexual Education.Candice moved into the Statutory sector in Social work whereby she assisted in intakes for foster care and court preparation interventions at Stell Care.
At present Candice works with our survivors of Gender based violence and Human trafficking ,having them trained in sewing to economically empower themselves and provide psychosocial support as well equipping our survivors with the needed access to resources required to further assist them on the Personal Development Journey.
Mihlali Manikivana
Mihlali Manikivana is a passionate Youth Engagement Coordinator dedicated to advancing women’s health and empowerment. She holds a BA in Politics, Women’s & Gender Studies from the University of the Western Cape and a BSocSci (Honours) in Development Studies from the University of Cape Town — qualifications that have grounded her expertise in facilitation, research, and community outreach.
Her previous role at UCT’s Office for Inclusivity and Change involved meaningful contributions to the institution’s restorative justice programmes. Currently at Sparrow Society, Mihlali leads dynamic workshops focused on menstrual health, advancing gender equity and helping combat period poverty. Her efforts sit at the vital intersection of health and social justice, making her a strong advocate for inclusive, sustainable change that uplifts women and girls in underserved communities.
