Hayley Philander

I am a wife, and mom of two. I am also a woman of colour born into a time where your value and worth was determined by the colour of your skin, but I had the privilege of having been taught by teachers who did not stick to curriculum prescribed in my “gutter” education, and their investment ignited in me curiosity and a love for learning. I entered the University of Cape Town (UCT), as South Africa was on the cusp of democracy, and where opportunities for people of colour were no longer limited. I graduated in 1996, with a Psychology and Law Degree. I knew I wanted to help people, but I no longer believed that law was the vehicle to do so. And for the next few years, it felt as if I was bouncing from one career to another, in my pursuit of answers to the question “Why am I here?”

My purpose became clearer with each step I took out of my comfort zone, and sometimes with the risks I took, motivated by the underlying conviction that there has to be more to my life than a career. With each step I took into the “unknown”, my purpose came into the light as. I followed the clues that have always been lurking in the shadows - my dissatisfaction with the status quo of inequality and unfairness and human suffering as a result of injustice.

A dissatisfaction that resided within me, due to the fact that things weren’t as they should be. For me, the articulation of my purpose required imagining what could be. What have I been given to build this country that I imagine? What do I need to invest, how do I need to invest? In light of this, although my purpose is personal, it was also very intrinsically weaving my life into the lives of others. 

Young women from marginalized Cape Town communities are amongst the most marginalized, and are at risk of incomplete schooling, teen pregnancy, substance abuse and unemployment. As a woman of colour and my connectedness to marginalized communities of our city, I am acquainted with the invisibility, and the pervasive narratives that define young women in these communities. But I also knew the impact of “being seen”, of having my value and worth affirmed, of being encouraged to dream. I had been supported by older women throughout my life, accessed privilege through my family of origin and my access to education, and this is what I wanted for the next generation of young women living in marginalized communities. 

With the support of my husband, Alistair, and my adult children, Gabi and Aaron, I have the privilege of living out my purpose, in my role as co-founder and Director of IseeU - inspiring and equipping young women to pursue their dreams, explore possibility, and mobilizing a village of supporters to help them realise their future visions.