The Top 100 Influential Women for 2022 were awarded by Big M Productions on Saturday, 11 June, at Sibaya’s iZulu Theatre. The annual awards are aimed at recognising unsung heroines for their influential work in various communities, from all walks of life. The Springfield Weekly Gazette invited Roshini Pakkiree for an On the Couch interview to get to know them better and get insight on the work they do in their communities.
Crowned the Top Influential Woman for 2022, former police officer, Roshini Pakkiree, is one of the directors of Thohoyandou Beer Distributors, the founder of Sanjit Train of Hope Foundation, a published author and the main sponsor of this year’s awards.
Springfield Weekly Gazette (SWG): Please share what you felt after being called up on stage as thee Top Influential Women for 2022.
Roshini Pakkiree (RP): There were many mixed emotions. I was elated to have been crowned, also because everything I do or every blessing I have is because of my late son and we believe he is living vicariously through my husband and I. The event was amazing, all the influential women recipients were well deserving of their recognition and awards. I really felt honoured and very emotional as Big M Productions paid tribute to my late son.
SWG: Tell us about Sanjit Train of Hope Foundation.
RP: The foundation was established to provide hope for the hopeless. Train of Hope has done projects targeting rural areas where there is a need such as a crèche where the young kids were without cooking facilities to help feed the kids. Train of Hope provided stoves, fridges, mattresses and other cooking equipment to keep the facility open. The foundation also provided menstrual cups to keep young girls in school and equipment, like gardening and kitchen items, to old age homes to feed and maintain the homes. It was founded by myself in 2019, established in memory of my late son who passed in 2017. He was 16 years old at the time of passing and since he was a giver at heart, I thought it best to continue his giving nature through the foundation which is non-profit and purely funded by my family business.
SWG: You were announced as one of the main sponsors for the Influential Women 2022 Awards, why did you choose to sponsor the event?
RP: We sponsored the event in light of the fact that Pinky Mothie uses this platform to uplift women. Women are always doing so much in their personal and professional lives and my husband and I felt that our contribution could help many other influential women get the recognition they deserve. Pinky Mothie also plays a huge role in youth development and we are pleased that our contribution will help her use the platform to get more influential women involved in youth development.
SWG: What keeps you going as a woman living in SA and if you could change one thing what would it be?
RP: My goal in what I would call the rest of my life, would be to ultimately help inspire women to never give up, never back down when challenges are met. Nothing is hopeless and nothing is impossible as long as we breathe. If I were to change anything in SA, it would be to join forces with all the citizens of this country to fight for a common goal – to help sustain a peaceful life by helping each other grow in health and education.
