23/09/2026
GOSA Girls on Fire Goes “Safari Chic” in Letsitele
Empowering women, supporting CANSA and taking our message of preparedness to the farming community
This past week, GOSA Girls on Fire had the privilege of travelling to Letsitele, Limpopo, after being invited to participate in a very special fundraising event hosted by Mrs South Africa 2026 finalist Aleche Landman in support of CANSA.
It was a Girls on Fire range day with a difference — and quite possibly the most glamorous range gathering we have ever been part of!
The theme for the day was “Safari Chic,” and the ladies certainly embraced it. Beautiful outfits, stylish hats, elegant décor and attention to detail created an atmosphere very different from the shooting ranges we normally work on. Yet underneath all the glamour was a serious purpose: women learning practical skills that can help them become more aware, confident and prepared.
Girls on Fire in the Platteland
Girls on Fire was represented by Lynette Oxley and Michelle van der Merwe, both nationally qualified Senior Range Officers and fi***rm instructors, together with Keo van Niekerk and Candice Allison, both nationally qualified Range Officers.
From the moment we arrived, we experienced the wonderful friendliness and hospitality for which farming communities are so well known. Our host, Aleche Landman, had put tremendous effort into creating a beautiful event that brought women together while raising funds and awareness for CANSA.
The training took place on CLB Farm, which provided us with a very different environment from the formal shooting ranges where Girls on Fire normally conducts its programmes.
And that was precisely what made the day so valuable.
Your First Line of Defence
Before anyone moved onto the practical fi***rm component, Lynette Oxley and Michelle van der Merwe presented a session on situational awareness.
At Girls on Fire, we continually emphasise that your first line of defence is not a fi***rm — it is awareness.
This is particularly relevant in rural and farming environments. Farms are homes, workplaces and businesses, often covering large areas and situated some distance from immediate emergency services. Women living and working in these communities therefore benefit from recognising what is normal in their environment, noticing when something changes, communicating effectively and having plans in place before an emergency occurs.
The message was not about living in fear. Quite the opposite.
It was about being prepared, not paranoid.
Situational awareness gives us the opportunity to identify potential problems earlier and make better decisions before a situation escalates. It is something every woman can practise, whether she lives on a farm, in a suburb, an estate or an apartment.
From Awareness to Practical Skills
Following the discussion, it was time to move onto the range.
Under the supervision of the Girls on Fire instructors and Range Officers, the ladies were introduced to safe fi***rm handling and participated in several shooting exercises.
They had the opportunity to shoot a Howa .223 manually operated bolt-action r***e at distances of up to 150 metres, as well as several 9mmP handguns, including a G***k 19 and Springfield Hellcats.
For some of the women, this was a completely new experience.
That is one of the things we love most about Girls on Fire: watching the uncertainty at the beginning of a session gradually change into concentration, confidence and, very often, an enormous smile.
Our objective is never simply to put a fi***rm into somebody's hands. It is to introduce women to responsible fi***rm handling, safety, knowledge and competence in a controlled environment under qualified supervision.
Yes, You Can Be Feminine AND Capable
There was also something wonderfully symbolic about this particular event.
The ladies did not have to exchange their femininity for capability.
They arrived dressed beautifully for a sophisticated Safari Chic event and then stepped onto a farm range to learn practical skills. The two worlds were not contradictory at all.
Women do not have to fit a particular stereotype to become more capable of protecting themselves and their families.
You can enjoy beautiful clothes, flowers, elegant tables and a glamorous gathering — and still understand situational awareness, fi***rm safety and responsible self-protection.
Strength and femininity are not opposites.
Together We Are Stronger
This weekend also reflected something that has always been central to GOSA Girls on Fire.
We believe strongly in collaboration.
No single organisation, instructor or community can address every challenge facing women in South Africa. But when people with different skills, experiences and platforms are prepared to work together, our reach becomes so much greater.
An event that began as a Mrs South Africa finalist's CANSA fundraiser became an opportunity for women from a farming community to come together, support an important cause, learn about situational awareness and experience responsible fi***rm handling.
That is what community should look like.
It is also why Girls on Fire continues to work with women and organisations from many different backgrounds. We may arrive from different places and for different reasons, but we can still share knowledge, support one another and leave stronger than when we arrived.
Together we can be stronger. Together we can make a difference.
Our sincere thanks to Aleche Landman for inviting GOSA Girls on Fire to be part of this beautiful event, and to the ladies of Letsitele for welcoming us with such warmth and enthusiasm.
We wish Aleche every success as she continues her journey in the Mrs South Africa competition, and we applaud her for using her platform to support CANSA and bring women together for a meaningful cause.
For Girls on Fire, we returned home with wonderful memories of a very different kind of range day — Safari Chic, platteland hospitality, beautiful women, serious skills and plenty of laughter.
And perhaps that is exactly the point.
Empowerment does not have to look only one way.
GOSA Girls on Fire — transforming victims into victors.
Lynette Oxley
GOSA Girls on Fire
[email protected] or WhatsApp 072 244 8262
