{"id":12867,"date":"2026-08-26T08:31:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T06:31:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/?p=12867"},"modified":"2026-08-26T10:42:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T08:42:56","slug":"believe-that-you-belong-in-the-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/believe-that-you-belong-in-the-room\/","title":{"rendered":"Believe that you belong in the room"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

26 August 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not every contribution to science happens in a laboratory, behind a computer analysing data, or through the publication of research. Behind every successful research programme are people who coordinate, connect, organise and create the conditions that allow meaningful work to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Lerato Keemenae Seepamore, that understanding has taken on new meaning since joining the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR)<\/a> and stepping into the world of digital language resources, multilingualism and community-driven knowledge creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a senior administrative assistant at SADiLaR, Lerato provides administrative, project and logistical support to the South African Wikipedia in Indigenous Languages Project (SWiP)<\/a>, where her responsibilities range from coordinating meetings, workshops and training sessions to stakeholder liaison, project documentation, procurement, financial processes and monitoring project activities and deliverables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her journey to SADiLaR has been anything but linear. With qualifications spanning transport economics, logistics management, education and management, Lerato’s professional experience has taken her through supply chain management, project administration, education and project management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than seeing these different paths as disconnected, joining SADiLaR has given her an opportunity to bring those experiences together while venturing into an entirely new field. \u201cI have particularly enjoyed being part of SWiP and seeing how the work connects technology, language and communities,\u201d she says. \u201cIt has shown me that even in a support role, you can contribute to projects that have a much broader impact.\u201d That broader impact is particularly evident in Lerato’s work on the SWiP train-the-trainer programme, an initiative that promotes digital participation, multilingualism and the creation of African-language content in communities across South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the programme’s mini-workshops began in June 2026, Lerato has coordinated eight SWiP mini-workshops and provided administrative and secretarial support for three additional workshops. Behind each one are the logistics, stakeholder engagement, participant coordination, documentation, procurement and reporting that help turn a planned intervention into an opportunity for people to learn and participate. For Lerato, the significance of this work extends far beyond the workshops themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the train-the-trainer model, participants are equipped with Wikipedia editing and digital content-creation skills that they can take back into their own communities and networks. This creates opportunities for multilingual digital knowledge creation to reach remote and marginalised communities that may otherwise have limited representation in digital spaces. It is this potential for knowledge and skills to travel beyond a single intervention that connects strongly with Lerato’s understanding of the 2026 Women’s Month theme: \u201cBuilding Resilient Economies for All\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For her, resilience means creating opportunities for people to participate meaningfully in society and the economy, regardless of where they come from. It also means creating impact that continues long after a project or intervention has ended. \u201cWhen we equip people with skills and knowledge that they can take back to their communities, we create a ripple effect that can benefit many more people,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having joined SADiLaR only a few months ago, Lerato considers successfully transitioning into a new field one of her greatest achievements. Navigating an unfamiliar environment while supporting multiple projects, stakeholders and activities has challenged her to adapt, prioritise and continuously learn. It has also reinforced an important lesson: there is no single way to contribute to science and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether through research, project coordination, administration, training or stakeholder engagement, she believes each role contributes to creating an environment in which meaningful work can take place. It is a lesson she hopes young women and girls will carry with them as they consider their own futures. Her advice is to resist being limited by what they already know or what they believe they can do. Instead, she encourages young women to remain curious, ask questions, seek mentors and be willing to step into unfamiliar spaces. \u201cYou do not have to know everything when you enter a new field. What matters is your willingness to learn, your ability to adapt and your commitment to doing your best,\u201d she says. And, most importantly, she adds: \u201cBelieve that you belong in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead, Lerato hopes her contribution will form part of something much bigger than herself, work that creates opportunities, supports communities, promotes South African languages and helps build a lasting digital footprint for future generations. She continues to be motivated by the commitment of her colleagues and the passion of SWiP participants, many of whom voluntarily contribute their time and knowledge because they want to see their indigenous languages represented online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Lerato, knowing that this work can contribute not only to communities in South Africa but also to the global body of knowledge makes the effort worthwhile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By: Tshego Rapoo-Maloyi<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

26 August 2026 Not every contribution to science happens in a laboratory, behind a computer analysing data, or through the publication of research. Behind every successful research programme are people who coordinate, connect, organise and create the conditions that allow meaningful work to happen. For Lerato Keemenae Seepamore, that understanding has taken on new meaning […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":291,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[733,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/291"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12867"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12872,"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12867\/revisions\/12872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}