Bertha Ashear Maringi has been married for 20 years. She is blessed with two biological children and together with her husband they have raised 10 foster children who have been successfully reunified with biological families.
Bertha completed a Diploma in Education (High School teaching) from the University of Zimbabwe and a Bachelor of Social Work Hons from the University of South Africa. She holds various certificates in counselling and Child Protection. Currently working on a Master’s degree in Child Protection and Family Matters.
Bertha was born and grew up in a small town in Zimbabwe. She came to South Africa in 2008 at the peak of unrest and economic hardships in Zimbabwe. Together with her husband, they lived at The Methodist Church for six months, a refugee camp that housed over five thousand Zimbabweans. The two survived on selling on the streets and at traffic lights on weekends because they didn’t have legal documents and also had no work.
Bertha became a domestic worker for a family who are members of Rosebank Union Church who became her family in SA and they helped Bertha find a teaching job with the Department of Education and later with Rays of Hope. Bertha joined the Child Headed Households programme as it was starting and helped launch the teenage girls and teenage moms support groups which have grown over the years and have empowered so many young girls in Alexandra.
Bertha has been invited to speak at various women’s and family conferences all over the world on topics such as child protection, parenting today’s teenagers, marriage, mental health and wellness.
Bertha is a Life Coach, Wellness Coach, Parent and family coach, Mentor, Trauma Incident Reduction Counsellor for children and adults, she is also an HIV /AIDS Counsellor. Bertha is also a Program Manager at Rays of Hope working with Orphaned and Vulnerable children in Alexandra township.
Her passion is to mentor and coach young girls and women to become independent and maximize their potential. To connect with Bertha and her ministry, please email her at Bertha@raysofhope.co.za
