That's A Wrap Folks!

Ashley Thaba | Monday August 24, 2020 12:38

We have enjoyed the journey of hearing thousands testify to how the show has positively impacted their lives and families. For that, we truly praise God. We self-sponsored this show because my husband and I genuinely wanted to encourage Batswana with practical tips on how to enrich their marriages and families. From Gumare, to Bobonong, to Maun, to Gantsi, to Tsabong, to… you have called us and told us of how your families have improved.

We have heard countless testimonies in Rakops about how GBV cases have decreased as they have formally used the show and the marriage workbook we wrote to have discussion groups. These discussion groups have offered an outlet for people to openly discuss issues that were previously kept quiet. We have heard of groups consisting of over 400 singles around the country who have said that doing this marriage workbook along with watching the show has challenged them to think seriously before getting involved in relationships. They are learning practical tips on how to build strong foundations for marriages which will go the distance. They have been excited to meet others who are like minded in saying we don’t want to do marriage the way we have seen it be done. We want to have happy healthy families where we commit to one another. Many youth have confided in us that they had given up on marriage because they had not seen in modelled in such a way that they wanted to be a part of that institution.

We have heard stories of how relationships with in-laws have been improved due to us opening up about the problems we have had with our in-laws and how we worked those out.

We have heard of many men saying they are now using some of the techniques Percy talked about and are being more helpful in their homes. We even got a text from a man watching the show to say he and his wife have decided to let their house helper go so that he helps his wife with all the chores and they said they are really enjoying the intimacy that is bringing to partner on household duties. We have heard of families who have been set free from years of suffering in silence as we openly talked about our struggles with substance abuse on the show.

I could go on and on with testimonies. We are so happy and so humbled. Something that started out as a dream to produce a show that could make a specific measurable positive impact has now become a reality. We have God to thank and are so grateful for this opportunity we had to open up our home and our marriage and encourage you. Everything we are and everything we have has come from God so all glory and any praise really is completely due to Him! We are just excited we got to be vessels to teach the Truths He has taught us over the 16 years of marriage we have enjoyed.

Going forward we would love to produce a Season 2 to deal with more general family issues like parenting, healthy habits in the home, and how to live lives of integrity which affect us in the home and the workplace. Please pray with us that someone who saw the value in Season 1 would come forward to sponsor the production of a Season 2.

 In the meantime, you should be aware that we did print a marriage workbook with every question which was asked on the TV show and our answers. If you liked the show and would want basically the script of the entire 13 episodes plus more information and interactive questions, that workbook is available at our office in Phakalane for P100. You can contact me at  askthaba@gmail.com or on our Facebook page Talking with the Thabas.

Our prayer is that this is just the beginning of wonderful national conversations towards us seeing less victims of gender-based violence as men and women learn more practical tips on communication and conflict resolution and less divorce rates as men and women learn tips on how to deal with financial issues and decrease extra-marital affairs. We believe that strong families are the key to a strong nation. My husband and I want to avail ourselves to be used in any way possible to see this vision become a reality on a national level.

*Ashley Thaba is a popular motivational speaker, team building facilitator, author and the Producer of a hit TV show offering practical advice to strengthen families and improve marriages! Episodes of her show can be downloaded from her website – www.ashleythaba.com.You can view some of her work on her YouTube channel: Ashley Thaba. You can buy three of her books, Dive In, Making Marriages Fun, and Conquering the Giants, on her website. You can email her at  askthaba@gmail.com or follow her on Facebook at: Talking with the Thabas