• October 24, 2008

She has graced television screens and magazine covers, written columns on the Web and given advice over the radio – and now Lebo Ramofoko, fondly known as Sis’ Lebo, 46664’s agony aunt, is off to Harvard! 

The oldest of three sisters, Ramafoko is the senior executive for media at the Soul City Institute for health and development communication.

A scholar of note, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from the University of Witwatersrand, and was recently awarded the Mandela-Rhodes scholarship, and was accepted into the prestigious, Ivy League Harvard University in the United States.

At Harvard Sis’ Lebo will be undertaking the Mid-Career Masters in Public Administration. This intensive eight-credit programme is designed for individuals who have accumulated work experience and want to prepare themselves for leadership positions in the public sector, such as government or non-profit organisations. 

Ramafoko says she knew that the universe was leading her next level of growth when she saw the scholarship advert in the paper.

“It was pure coincidence,” says Ramafoko. “I had reached a crossroads in my career and at the same time the advert was in the press. I just knew that the universe was leading me to my next level of growth in my career. I submitted my application and, as they say, the rest is history.”

Ramafoko, who has spent her working life in the developmental sphere, says she plans on augmenting her leadership and governance skills while at Harvard. Asked whether she believes leaders are born or made, Ramafoko says she believes leaders are born, but added that they need to be honed through experience.

“I think people are born with certain leadership qualities, but if those qualities are not backed by experience they can be very dangerous. Personality is not everything in leadership. I know, for instance, that there are particular personal traits that I have that might stand in my way in terms of becoming a great leader. Therefore, there is a lot that I must still learn and additional skills I must acquire to deal with my weaknesses as a leader.”

Being a Mandela-Rhodes scholarship recipient is something everyone dreams of, according to Ramafoko.

“It is a great honour,” she says, “there are plenty of others who deserve this scholarship. I firmly believe that the scholarship brings with it an enormous amount of responsibility; once you have been afforded such an opportunity, you should be prepared to return to South Africa to apply your skills for the betterment of all.”

Sis’ Lebo has been an agony aunt in various guises since 2002 when her colleague (Harriet Perlman) talked her into becoming an agony aunt for a youth programme on SABC Education.

“I must have done something right, because since then I have played this role on and off screen on a variety of different topics. I do not know what makes me a good agony aunt but what I do know is that I am passionate about the role. If my advice helps just one person then I know that I have left a legacy. I also believe that no matter what you do, if you feel that it is in line with your purpose, you will do it well.”

Helping people has been in her blood from a very young age and she expresses her gratitude to her caregivers who always encouraged her to help people, as well as to her father for a great upbringing.

“I have memories of my father sending money to World Vision and reading me stories from the Reader’s Digest about people in Somalia and Ethiopia,” Ramafoko recalls. “This influenced me to think about others and to always feel a sense of responsibility about helping others. I think being an agony aunt is the same. You are simply being a guide to someone else.”

But not everyone can be an agony aunt, warns Ramafoko.

“You need to have compassion,” she says. “I also think that it helps to walk the talk. I think the best healers are wounded healers and I think I am one. My own struggles as a black person growing up during apartheid, as a woman, and as a young person (some time ago), have shaped who I am and have helped me to at least understand where someone else is coming from.”

She adds that she uses every experience, especially the painful ones, as lessons for herself and others.

“I think that these lessons are important in terms of how you help other people to deal with their issues. I also think it’s important to love what you do and to treat your work as a major responsibility,” Ramafoko adds. “I sometimes take days before I answer a question because of the sheer responsibility the task requires. I ask myself, ‘what if this is the only piece of advice this person gets? Have I chosen my words carefully? What if it were me? Would I follow this advice?’”

During her time as an agony aunt she has had various experiences dealing with HIV-positive people, but the most eye-opening experience she says, was being educated about what it means to live with this disease.

“I have known people who are in denial and who refuse to seek treatment, even when it is available. I have been angered by their attitude and have even witnessed some succumb to HIV/AIDS. I also know people who have turned their lives around and have really done a lot for the country as a result of their great advocacy role in fighting HIV. I also know people who fight a day-to-day battle; taking treatment, having children, finding love and just being ordinary people who have an illness,” she says.

46664 would like to congratulate Sis’ Lebo on being awarded the Mandela-Rhodes Scholarship. We wish you all the best in your future studies!