As South Africa celebrates Women’s Month this August, Bavaria magnifies and highlights the vital role that women play in society: the mothers who raised us, and the daughters who continue to bind families together. Women are a source of power and a symbol of progress. Indeed, they are the very fabric that weaves our great nation together.

Women often embrace several critical roles simultaneously: wife, partner, mother, worker, director, nurse, disciplinarian, teacher and leader of the family unit. Apart from all of these, women assume a key function in the socio-economic development of society. Most importantly, it is from the mother that the child learns the use of language, the ability to trust, cultural values, and social norms. Mothers sacrifice much of themselves for their children – and often, this goes unacknowledged.

To celebrate women as everyday heroes, Bavaria threw a surprise baby shower for Itumeleng Nyathi, a Zimbabwean woman who left her country to pursue a brighter future in South Africa. In doing so, she had to walk away from her family and existing support systems. While in South Africa, Itumeleng met her husband Larry and they are now expecting their first child together, a baby girl arriving in September.

Itumeleng received a bumper supply of gifts at the event, courtesy of Bavaria and a Johannesburg Mom’s Group – who banded together to provide her with a stroller, car seat, cot, feeding chair, baby bath, bouncer, booster seat, and more. An extra special surprise awaited Itumeleng as she was reunited with her mother, whom she hadn’t seen in several years.

This heart-warming story has been turned into a special, shareable video for Women’s month.

Happy Women’s Month from Bavaria!