Breaking New Dawn is an initiative that was started by our founder Ntathakusa Portia Nkehli in August 2020. The purpose of this initiative is to help Christians figure out the daily practicalities of how to be impactful ambassadors of Christ in industry, society and in living intentional lives. Portia started this initiative by facilitating a public broadcast of bible readings on the YouTube platform and has since expanded this initiative to offer a broader set of programs centred on the practice of reading and studying biblical scripture. She believes that such small changes in our daily lives can positively shift us towards achieving our destinies.
Today, Breaking New Dawn offers bi-weekly broadcasts of scripture readings focused on monthly thematic areas; a kid’s bible reading program; and personal and spiritual development programs designed for women and men. In 2023, Breaking New Dawn will begin to offer off-site wellness and goal setting retreats as well.
The name Breaking New Dawn is the prophetic translation of Portia’s first name NTATHAKUSA. Portia was named Ntathakusa by her late father who declared that her birth would be the beginning of the end of apartheid and inter-political violence that was taking place in those years in South Africa and in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Her father was personally involved in this dawning era of our beautiful nation, and as symbolic of soldiers who fight and die in war – he sadly did not make it to see the new Republic of South Africa that he so hoped, prayed, and fought for.
In her life, Portia has grown to find that even the literal translation of her name bears fruit. That though she was also (quite prophetically) born literally at the break of dawn, that the point is that in life there is always an opportunity to start anew. There is a Zulu saying that says “Nala kungena qhude khona kuyasa” meaning even where there is no cock to crow, the sun still rises in the morning. Portia has leaned on this translation as an anchor to always remain hopeful and expectant of the dawning of a new day - the beautiful promises of tomorrow.
Last, but certainly not least; as a passionate, intentional, and practicing Christian, Portia has further found that her name is an affirmation of God’s creation and the promise of our salvation. Not only do we learn in the Book of Genesis (Gen 1 : 1 – 5) about God’s creation of heaven and earth and the dawning of the very first day; but we are further affirmed by the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians (2 Corinth 5 : 17) where he teaches us that “… so whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” This is the translation of Portia’s name that is the driving force towards her creation of this BREAKING NEW DAWN initiative.
NTATHAKUSA is an isiZulu word meaning DAWN in English.
NTATHA is a Zulu pro noun from the word THATHA meaning TO TAKE.
uKUSA is a noun meaning MORNING.
NTATHAKUSA therefore, in our translation, means BREAKING OF A NEW DAWN.