Tshepiso Mokoena
Tshepiso Betty Mokoena is the founder and executive director of Tshepiso Mokoena Foundation based in South Africa. Launched in 2012, her Foundation focuses on programs for women and girls. Furthermore, her work is all about fighting for equality and empowerment of the deaf people.
She holds a National Diploma in Translation and Interpreting Specialised in Linguistics of South African Sign Language, which she obtained at the University of Witwatersrand. She has transcribed and translated the life stories of deaf gay and lesbian South Africans, commissioned by GALA (Gays and Lesbians Archives based at the University of Witwatersrand). She then furthered her studies at Regenesys Business School, completed Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management.
She is a recipient of the 2013 Professional Fellows Distinguished Impact Award, commissioned by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S Department of State; a 2016-17 L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth Honouree; and a 2020 Mail and Guardian Top 50 Powerful Women. She is currently a Board Member for Equal Health For Deaf People (Cape Town, South Africa), Immense Grace Foundation (Lagos, Nigeria), and Children of Deaf Adult (CODA) International.