The Afropole Presents The Wax Print Festival Ghana: June 14 – 16
What does it mean to Build Black Globally? The Afropole, founded by Amma Aboagye has got answers. Amma believes that as the continent’s influence is experienced worldwide through food, music, and fashion, it is no surprise that various sects of blackness such as Africans, Caribbeans, Afro-Latinos, African Americans, Afropeans share similarities. With the objective of addressing market inefficiencies, The Afropole is a brokerage that connects African and Afrodiasporan businesses within the food, beauty, and creative industries. Through events, communications, merchandise, and business advisory, The Afropole aims to build trust and community, develop resources and enrich value chains to Build Black Globally. It has now become more obvious to tap into said similarities and likeness and celebrate our differences while encouraging unity through shared economics. About the Wax Print Festival… The Afropole’s Wax Print Festival is an event that provides an opportunity to showcase the creativity of African and Afrodiasporan businesses across the textile value chain in order to build those connections. The Wax Print Festival showcases all of the elements that The Afropole believes can Build Black Globally. With the recent controversy with Christian Dior, it is reaching a point where Africans and Afrodiasporans are unable to claim ownership or worse still claim inspiration about their own wax print industry: there is a continued surge of big brand names claiming ownership through trademark legalities. African or African-inspired textiles have key attributes that reflect our identity, heritage, ancestry, and dynamic cultures thereby making it hard to pass off these textiles as someone else’s. As it happens, there is an ongoing conversation about wax print that has people asking: Is Wax Print African? Through the Wax Print Festival, we hope to unpack prejudice and uncertainty about the topic, create informative experiences, and encourage new opinions about Wax Print and African textiles overall, in order to foster ownership and coordination in the industry. What to expect… Attendees of the festival should leave the event with informed answers to the aforementioned question that will spur them to take decisive actions to develop and innovate within the local textile space. The Wax Print Festival will be a three-day, cashless event powered by over 30 partnerships meant to add range and texture to the authentic African and Afrodiasporan experience attendees will have. This includes giveaways and other fun activities leading up to the event days. The festival will also feature the following: Exhibitions divided into four bits dubbed, The Past, The Present, Intersections, and The Future. Live demos on kente weaving, batiking and bead making The best food and other vendors across the region within the marketplace Music concerts each night Film The Quick Stitch Station which will be a fashion design kiosk where attendees can have clothing made from a menu within the duration of the time spent on the grounds Open Spaces described as good-natured conversations done in “un-panel style” about the African wax print industry. All this excitement is happening within the milieu of containers that make the artistic setting of The Untamed Empire. It will make its mark as part of the official “ Year of the Return” celebrations being promoted by Ghana Tourism Authority under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and is an opportunity for diasporans to also engage in this meaningful work. The Wax Print Festival will be a positive step and mark made towards Building Black Globally. Need Tickets??? The Wax Print Festival tickets are categorized into three types: Daily tickets, All Access tickets, and VIP All Access tickets. To purchase your early bird tickets please visit Egotickets or Wax Print Fest websites. Get 15% off your ticket purchase to the Wax Print Fest – using our discount code WPFSLA. The SLA team will be at the Wax Print Fest, so ensure to get your tickets now to save big. See you there. Whether the wax print is African or African-Inspired, The Afropole’s Wax Print Festival is an event for Ghanaians, Africans and Afrodiasporans alike to claim and celebrate what African textiles mean for us culturally and economically.
Memoirs from the Forbes Africa Leading Women Summit 2019 – dedicated to women by women
Getting an email that I have been invited to attend the prestigious Forbes Africa Leading Women summit on International Women’s day was everything I hoped for in 2019. I had to make sure that I made the relevant arrangements to ensure that I was a part of this. Forbes Women Africa hosted their 4th edition of their Leading Women Summit in Durban Kwa-Zulu Natal, and the event theme was – New Wealth Creators: the female entrepreneurs who are making a profit from unconventional ideas and industries. In addition to this, these phenomenal women are those who have created an impact in their various spaces by transforming a market or company, or innovating a product or service and are pioneering their organization(s) in generating new untapped streams of income. The nominees will have achieved positive financial results, have adopted sustainable development initiatives, increased shareholder value, created jobs, and have sound management and corporate governance, together with a set of values such as integrity, vision, and leadership. The idea of a new wealth creator, as described by Forbes Women Africa includes emerging industries that are disrupting the global landscape. What was this year’s summit about? The Forbes Africa Women Leading Women Summit 2019 took place on International Women’s Day (Friday, 08 March) at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre and hosted around 500 influential women across the continent. Having been selected to attend last year’s summit with only 120 women at the Hyatt Regency in Rosebank, I was blown away by the platform provided by Forbes Women Africa. I was at an event dedicated to women by women and was taken aback by the caliber of women I got to interact with. Women such as Prof Thuli Madonsela, Vivian Onano, Rolene Strauss and other phenomenal women across various industries. This year, the summit brought together women that are disrupting their industries and introduced them to their first ever Forbes Women Awards. It also celebrated a collection of female entrepreneurs on the African continent running businesses and social enterprises that are new, radical and making an impact on the economy. Women from different industries and sectors and those who are changing the African business and societal landscape. The Keynote speaker was none other than supermodel & activist Naomi Campbell, who believes that Africa is one of the leading continents in the world. “Africa means a lot to me, and right now I feel that it is a time where in my industry that this continent is recognised by the fashion industry in having their footprint here” – Naomi Campbell I totally agree with her and believe that many industries feel the same. Africa is growing and it is indeed where organizations, people and economies should be investing in. My experience at the summit My mentor, Vivian Onano was attending the summit too and we were both taken away by the presence that filled Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre. From women in government, CEO’s from various sectors, women in sport, fashion and television, it was a day worth celebrating. There were great women across the African continent spoke at the event including Linda Ikeji, Simidele Adeagbo, Noëlla Coursaris Musunka, Gugulethu Mfuphi, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and more. The day ended with the Forbes Africa Women Leading Summit Gala Dinner & Awards where remarkable women on the continent who have made significant strides to only change their industry but shape perception of Women across a variety of sectors we recognized, such as Sho Madjozi, Discovery Vitality Ambassador Caster Semenya, Arlene Mulder, and other phenomenal women, full list available here My Takeaways Being a woman in Africa who’s passion lies in women development and empowerment, this summit was the best experience ever. I am committed to being involved in initiatives like this that are dedicated to women in Africa and abroad. It was such a thrilling experience meeting phenomenal women, making life-long connections and being able to be in an environment that celebrates and puts women who are doing such great work in the spotlight. I strongly believe that more organizations should be involved in such initiatives, looking at where women are going, the impact women are having on their networks, communities, industries and the world. Watch the full video here.
Its time to Invest in the African Fashion Industry
“Africans need to put on the clothes made by their fellow citizens as a showcase of support and home pride”. Africa has become a hub for designers unafraid to create fashion statements embellished in colors as bold as the continent’s sunsets and in prints as culturally rich as its people. Their designs are cat-walking across runways both at home and around the world from New York to London to Tokyo. Despite its budding international fame, the African fashion industry has long ways to walk before “made in Lagos” rings the same as “made in Paris.” For the meantime, the paucity of internal and external investment is a barrier frustrating attempts to move forward. In recent times, African fashion has not just dipped its toes but fully plunged into the world’s fashion scene. Anisa Mpungew, a Tanzanian designer and creator of Loin Cloth & Ashes, says “Africa is not afraid of patterns and colors, that’s the one thing we do in our sleep, so we use it to be louder amongst our foreign friends.” Indeed, African designers are making bold fashion statements through the complex patterns and colors they dare to work with. African fashion tells a story — patches of identity are interwoven into the fabrics used and the designs created. According to Bethlehem Alemu, owner of an Ethiopian shoe company soleRebels, “The global consumer today is hyper-aware. They want authentic and innovative ideas delivered from the authors of those ideas.” These consumers want the designs to be creations of the African mind and hands and not replicas produced by Western clothing chains. The fashion industry has the potential to create secured jobs for the African youths of today and tomorrow. High profiled brands in the likes of J. Crew, Burberry, and Michael Kors oftentimes look to Africa for inspiration and ideas. Nevertheless, the masks, zebra stripes and leopard spots feed into Western stereotypes of Africa, not Africa’s authentic story. With designers and clothes in high demand, the African fashion industry is ripe to reach its full potential. However, a lack of internal patronage stands in the way. Lexy Moyo-Eyes, the founder of Nigerian Fashion Week, acknowledges that “the fashion industry can become a big business in Africa … even more with government support.” For example, according to the African Development Bank, the Rwandan government established a “foundation to establish garment factories and boost the textile and fashion industries.” As governments across the continent follow Rwanda’s steps and begin to esteem the fashion industry, they need to invest in the skills and qualifications of their people. Fashion programs such as LISOF School of Fashion in South Africa and Vogue Style School of Fashion and Design in Ghana need to be in abundant supply, not scarce, across Africa. Furthermore, governments across the African continent should set quotas on the import of second-hand clothing from the West. The goal would be to stop relying on the West and boost local manufacturing and development instead. The East African Community (EAC), composed of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, has gone as far as to propose a ban by 2019. For the meantime, African designers, seamstresses, tailors, and retailers are competing with Western clothes ranging from printed shirts to blouses to leather jackets to sport jerseys. Sylvia Owori, a designer based in Uganda, says that “about 90 percent of the clothing people are buying in the whole country are second-hand clothes — so as a small fish, how are you going to start to compete with that?” These clothes have appeal because they are priced cheaply and allow Africans to emerge themselves in Western culture by dressing the part. A pair of jeans could be sold for as little as $1.50. At first glance, bundles of our worn clothes might seem like benevolent gifts from the West, but they are actually hindering the progress of the African fashion industry and economy. “The fashion industry can become a big business in Africa … even more with government support” – Lexy-Mojo Eyes Andrew Brooks, professor of Geography at King’s College London, explains that “[Western] t-shirts may be quite cheap for someone to buy, but it would be better if that person could buy a locally manufactured t-shirt, so the money stays within the [country]” instead of circulating overseas. As the proverb goes, “charity begins at home.” Not only will they be contributing to the success of homegrown designers but to their respective economy as a whole. According to Ventures Africa, “If there is any time to invest in the African fashion industry, it is now.” Those who invest first will likely be the biggest beneficiaries of them all. According to Euromonitor Internations, “the combined apparel and footwear market in sub-Saharan Africa [alone] is estimated to be worth US$ 31 billion.” Deola Sagoe, a Nigerian designer in the industry for the past 25 years says that this is only a small fraction of what the fashion industry is capable of. It is time to turn this visionary potential into tangible prospects. Omoyemi Akerele, the founder of Lagos Fashion and Design Week, realizes that investing in Africa does not come without its risks; you only need to to read, watch or listen to the news to be reminded of that. But she urges people to take a leap of faith and look beyond the rhetoric of corruption and images of war. She emphasizes that “he who observes the wind and waits for all conditions to be favorable will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” Beyond the glamour of clothes and runways, the fashion industry is a business that has the potential to play its part in efforts to create jobs, especially among young people. Compared to its counterparts, the African continent is home to the world’s youngest population. According to the International Labor office, “youth make up as much as 36 percent of the total working-age population and three in five of Africa’s unemployed are youths.” Furthermore, UNICEF projects that by 2050, African
Meet the 3 Kenyan Women in fashion collaborating for the culture
By Ruth Mbugua In 2009, Nelly Tuikong was a nurse in America but there was something tugging at her heart about makeup for the African woman. Her entrepreneurial instincts kicked in after looking around stores for makeup that suited her African skin and didn’t find any. With no prior knowledge in manufacturing makeup, but armed with a passion, Nelly started her journey that birthed Pauline Cosmetics (named after her mother) after three years of learning, research, and trials. Pauline Cosmetics is a makeup brand that designs, develops and manufactures makeup products with the African woman in mind. The brand has now grown to become an established makeup brand with a line of lipstick, lip-gloss, eye shadow, and mascara. Enter Caroline Mutoko, a celebrated renowned media personality, a woman of her own caliber. With more than 20 years of experience in the media, her name speaks for her in the Kenyan entertainment industry. Caroline Mutoko also has a YouTube channel where she takes the spotlight that is on her and shines it on you. In 2017, she was featuring Kenyan women who were making strides and shattering glass ceilings on her YouTube channel. One of these women happened to be Nelly Tuikong of Pauline Cosmetics. In November 2018, Caroline Mutoko challenged Nelly to work with her to come up with a lipstick line for all the women who are ‘becoming, women in different spaces and phases of their lives and for every woman in you. This brought about the I AM limited edition lipstick. To add more synergy to this powerful collaboration, these two amazing women, Pauline, and Caroline Mutoko, didn’t just stop there. They collaborated with Wandia Gichuru of Vivo Woman to distribute the limited edition lipstick in 8 of the Vivo Woman stores in Nairobi. Wandia Gichuru has rewritten the narrative of modern day fashion. She founded Vivo active wear in 2011 to offer comfortable casual wear for the sporty woman and official clothing for the professional woman. Here are the 5 things I have learned from the partnership of these three glamorous women. 1. Collaborate instead of compete An African proverb says “If you want to go fast if you want to go far, go together”. Nothing is better than working with other women who get your perspective and challenges you face as a woman in business. 2. Have a defined purpose and vision When you have every partner pulling in different directions, there is bound to be no progress. To collaborate, you need to have a clear and shared vision and an agreed direction on how to achieve it. 3. Bring a unique value Each partner should bring a differentiating factor into the equation. This helps to ensure that you do not view each other as competition. 4. Have mutual benefits The partnership should be beneficial to all partners. This removes the perception that one person is bearing a bigger load than the other. 5. There is room for more than one queen There is no winner takes all award in entrepreneurship. As women, we need to get over this attitude and view women as a community to help each other grow and not competition. “My advice to girls is always this: Be supportive of each other. I can’t say this enough. We have to be our best friends, each other. That means we cannot be catty, we cannot compete and see one person’s failure as our success. We can all rise together, we can all win! We’re sometimes taught in our societies that we have to compete and we have to hold each other back in order for one of us to succeed. That is not true. We need each other. And all over the world, we have to be a team of women and girls who love each other and value each other and cherish one another. Because if we don’t cherish each other, no one else will,” – Michelle Obama
She Means Business 2019
She Means Business is back for the 2nd year in a row! And we are super excited and pumped because this year, we are doing it bigger and better! Wondering what we’re on about? #SheMeansBusiness is a FREE Digital Marketing training offered in partnership with Facebook. This training will teach you how to utilize digital resources to help you take your business online and compete in a global marketplace. So what are we doing differently this year? In addition to training our boss ladies (female entrepreneurs), we will be bringing the training to some campuses all around Nigeria! University Tour The She Means Business training will kick off with the campus tour starting from The University of Lagos on Thursday May 16th! What To Expect… High-level digital marketing and business strategy skills training to get your current side hustle to the next level. Energetic training from our seasoned trainers to get you thinking about launching your business while in school. A day to hang out and network with your fellow schoolmates and the SLA Team A chance to win some Facebook swag souvenirs Light lunch A certificate of attendance distributed post training… and so much more! Check out the FULL schedule of the #SMBCampusTour & the list of Universities we’ll be visiting… Thu, May 16 University of Lagos Sat, May 18 Obafemi Awolowo University Mon, May 20 University of Ilorin Wed, May 22 University of Port Harcourt Thu, May 23 University of Nigeria Sat, May 25 University of Abuja Mon, May 27 Kaduna State University Tue, May 28 Ahmadu Bello University Thu, May 30 University of Ibadan Spot your Uni above? CLICK HERE to sign up. The training is completely FREE but you must sign up to secure a spot! Entrepreneurship Trainings Motherland Moguls get in here! We’re kicking off our nationwide entrepreneur trainings in Lagos on Jun 1st. What To Expect… Learn new ways to use Facebook tools to either start that dream business or take your current business to the next level A breakdown of online marketing, content creation, social media hacks for business and much more! Your fav business moguls and guest speakers sharing their journey to building their existing businesses using these tools A day to hang out and network with fellow boss ladies A chance to win some Facebook swag souvenirs A certificate of attendance distributed post training… and so much more! Check out the FULL schedule for the #SMBEntrepreneur & the dates we’ll be in your city… Abuja – Jun 14, Jun 15, Jul 4, Jul 27 Abeokuta- Jun 29, Jul 26 Benin – Jul 6, Jul 27 Calabar – Jun 21, Jun 22, Jul 24 Enugu – Jun 19, Jun 21, Jul 5, Jul 13 Ibadan – Jun 27, Jun 28, Jul 19 Jos – Jul 13 Kaduna – Jun 29, Jul 19 Kano – Jul 6 Katsina – Jul 20 Lagos – Jun 1, Jun 17, Jul 11, Jul 27 Port Harcourt – Jun 7, Jun 8, Jul 17 CLICK HERE to sign up to save your spot. ** Please note that dates on the sign-up form will include later dates as we cross cities off our list. The training is completely FREE but you must sign up to be admitted! Make sure you sign up today so you do not miss out on this opportunity! FAQs: What are the venues for the training? You will receive a reminder email the week before your selected training date asking you to RSVP to confirm your spot. The first 150 people to RSVP will receive an email with details including location, time and what to bring. What if I am not one of the first 150 people to RSVP for training? If you are not one of the first 150 people to RSVP, we will ask you to please re-register for another available date. We are doing our best to accommodate absolutely everyone who wants to participate, but due to high demand, spaces on a first come first serve basis. What time will the training start? Training will take place from 9:00am-5: 00 pm. Why can’t I see previously listed dates for my city? While we’re doing the best we can to accommodate everyone who would like to participate, unfortunately, spaces at each training are limited and sign-ups are therefore first come first serve. The dates you see on the form above are those that still have space. Will there be more dates added to the registration form? We will inform you if that happens. Watch your mailbox and keep checking back. How much is training? Training is FREE! Is there anything given to me as proof that I attended the training? Yes, you will receive a certificate of attendance after you’ve completed the participant survey post training. ***If your question is not answered above, please email ore@sheleadsafrica.org.
Kenim Obaigbena: on becoming a Media Mogul – woman in film
“I wanted to tell stories that matter”. Kenim Obaigbena is a Nigerian-British-American filmmaker and entrepreneur. With a background in fine art painting, creative writing, photography and photoshop editing, Kenim began her film career in 2007, now she’s focused on her production vehicle OVG Media where she produces and directs films, documentaries, drama series and other scripted content for broadcast TV and digital media. She was raised in the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Togo, and the USA. She has lived in many cities around the world, making her both a true global citizen and a versatile filmmaker. At the age of 15, Kenim founded Scoop Magazine with her two sisters, the teen publication was distributed across Lagos, Nigeria. While she formed a lucrative business in three years, she decided to focus on her studies and attended Tufts University. At Tufts she discovered her love for filmmaking and spent her summers interning for music video directing legends Chris Robinson and Benny Boom as well as the production company Anonymous Content. By her junior year at Tufts, she was producing and directing music videos for her fellow schoolmates and billboard artists like Timeflies and All Out. In school, she also covered high fashion events like Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and global music festivals, including ThisDay Music Festival, which brought in pop stars like Beyonce and Rihanna. Graduating from Tufts in 2011, soon after the versatile filmmaker worked on big budget film sets, some including ‘Selfless’, and ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’. For several years, she produced live news coverage and documentaries for the 24-hour news network, Arise News, and worked on various projects with high profile global leaders, from former US Presidents Obama and Clinton to Nigerian President Buhari. Kenim has dabbled in other business ventures from real estate investing, to tech and her pop-up bus service, Rainbow Shuttle. Now she is focused on her production vehicle OVG Media where she produces and directs films, documentaries, drama series and other scripted content for broadcast TV and digital media. [bctt tweet=”Making a film is like starting a new business – Kenim Obaigbena: @ovgmedia” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]” Tell us a little about your background. Did you study filmmaking? I studied communications and media studies. But I did start making videos in college. I’ve been in film for 12 years and 14ish years in media. I’ve done every type of filmmaking under the sun, from News to music videos, commercials, Promos, docs, dramas, and even artsy film, you name it. Right now my focus is on docs, tv dramas, and features. A few years ago, I came to the realization that I wanted to tell stories that matter. Stories that inspire a progression of nature in people. That could be a documentary, a sci-fi, a drama, whatever it is, it hopes to inspire people to be better in their lives. Has filmmaking and storytelling always been your passion? How long have you been in the industry for? I’ve always loved telling stories. I started young. My sisters and I started a magazine when I was 15. I’ve also always done creative writing as a child. It runs in the family. When I was in high school I started taking painting seriously, it then evolved into photography and photoshop editing. But I wanted more so I moved into film. I’ve been in film for 12 years. As a filmmaker, do you always have a full picture of what the story is going to be at the start, or does it reveal itself to you along the way? It always starts out as a clear vision, but as I develop the story the vision can change, or become a more tangible version of its original state. With documentaries, it’s a bit different. Yes, the story reveals itself along the way. But with a doc its important to be focused. Have a hypothesis and stick to it as much as possible. Otherwise, you can easily fall into the trap of making a film for 10 plus years/. Your recent documentary – This is Nigeria, highlighted Nigeria’s culture of corruption and election rigging. Why did you decide to investigate such a sensitive socioeconomic topic? In Nigeria the poor are invisible. They are neglected, underpaid and mistreated. I wanted to give them a voice. I also feel we live in a demokery, and more people in the media need to speak out. People should be encouraged to vote for who they believe in and not who they think everyone is going to vote for. It’s the only way to make real change in this country. What motivates you? How do you come up with ideas and stories to tell? Purpose. My best ideas come in intense and vivid dreams. I give God all the credit for that. [bctt tweet=”In Nigeria the poor are invisible. They are neglected, underpaid and mistreated. I wanted to give them a voice – Kenim Obaigbena: @ovgmedia” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Besides -This is Nigeria, what other documentaries have you created? At this stage, I’ve created so many for broadcast tv and youtube. I’m always creating digital content as well which you can find on my YouTube channel. How do you go about funding your films/ documentaries? And what advice do you have for others wanting to fund their projects? Keep making DIY content until you either create enough wealth to self-fund or get someone to believe in your talent and business structure (because every film is a business) to invest in you. If you are creative and lack business acumen, partner with a solid producer that can bring in financiers. I’m designing an online course that goes into the practicalities of independent filmmaking. How to get funding, how to make films on a budget etc. I will announce it soon, but for now, I have a series on my youtube channel called ‘The DIY Filmmaker’, which also gives practical filmmaking advice. With a lot of Nigerian women in film coming out to create and show their talent, do you think the filmmaking
How to gain global work experience as an International Student
Having the opportunity to pursue your studies abroad affords you many advantages. In addition to the fun of being able to explore a different environment and culture, you can also build your CV. This is vital because the work experience you gain will help you after graduation. It helps you to set yourself up to have options for employment. Here are some of the ways you can do that: [bctt tweet=”The best way to start building your work experience while studying is to take internships – @isireflectdaily ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Visit the College/University Career Center It’s important you endeavor to visit your college’s career center in order to be informed and equipped about opportunities you can explore not just as a student but specifically, opportunities and resources for international students. Any information you receive from your college career center will help you to make the right decision on how to proceed to start building your CV. Take Internships that Are Related To Your Field The best way to start building your work experience while studying is to take internships. Even though you are an international student, you can still apply for and have paid internships while studying. This is truly necessary as it helps you build experience, learn and develop skills needed for the workforce. Also, it will help you confirm if what you’re studying resonates with the work you want to do because you will be in the environment to access things for yourself. Also, even after you graduate, for international students in the U.S. you can continue to build up work experience through applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT). This will enable you to extend your visa for a year in order to work. The OPT visa is not as complicated as the U.S. H1-B work visa process. Therefore, it is easily obtained after studying for students that want to work for a year. Volunteer For Causes You Care About Volunteering goes hand in hand with internships. Though you might not be getting paid to volunteer, you are still building your experience through it. This is because volunteering requires you to use your skills to make an impact. [bctt tweet=”You can put your volunteer causes in your CV as it will help future employers to know what causes you care about and how you want to make an impact – @isireflectdaily ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Build Your Online Portfolio While Abroad While studying abroad, it’s not only about taking fun pictures of parties, selfies with roommates and pictures of events happening on campus. You can start building a professional online portfolio while studying. You can create a LinkedIn profile and a website where future employers know who you are and what you offer. Post things that pertain to the skills you have. You can discuss the networking events and conferences you attended. Building an online portfolio will help you build your work experience because employers can reach out to you through your website and LinkedIn for internships, part-time/freelance work. If you’re set to travel abroad for studies, make sure you make the most of it by utilizing the vast resources and opportunities you have to build your work experience. Got a story to share with us? Click here to share.
Travel Hacks For The Budgetnista in You
Travel has become part and parcel of a millennial’s life. We prioritize traveling a lot more than we did over a decade or so ago. Why? Because travel life is the best life that’s why. Visiting new places, experiencing new cultures, new cuisines and making lifetime memories while you’re at it? What could be better than that? That being said, the jet set life isn’t something people willingly get into because of the cost. SLA has a few tips and tricks on low budget travel that can possibly help change your mind… 1. Save Smart It goes without saying that if you want to travel, you need to save for it. Travelling requires sacrifice and compromise and good financial management. So if it means ditching your daily coffee run and carrying your own lunch to work for three months then so be it – every little bit counts. We spend so much on little luxuries that we can actually do without if we think about how much we can save in the long run. If you have a financial goal to meet by a certain time – you will need to cut out some unnecessary spending habits. Save and save diligently. 2. Visas Check whether the country you are traveling to requires a visa on arrival or one to be acquired before travel or none at all. In regards to visas on arrival, be sure to check with the country’s consulate directly and not just Google. For example – I was travelling to Mexico last year and being a Kenyan, I immediately knew I needed to get a visa and when I checked the requirements on the consulate’s website, the list mentioned that if you have a current US visa, you can still get entry into Mexico – no need to apply for a visa. I called the consulate to confirm this and they did confirm it. Saved myself the process and the coins and had I not checked, I’d have paid for a visa I didn’t really need. Please do your research when it comes to visas. The UK visa, for example, gives you access to England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The US, Canada, and UK visa do also offer visa-free access to plenty of other countries with an entry of up to 15 to 180 days, depending on the country. You do have to check whether your passport is eligible for such access though. All this helps you void visa fees and the entire process altogether if necessary. Some consulates require confirmed flight and accommodation bookings when applying for a visa. A trick to get around this – book your accommodation through booking.com, this site lets you book a hotel room without any payment required and you can cancel the booking within a particular timeframe. This helps you get through the visa process without losing any money in case you aren’t successful in the visa interview. You can also reserve tickets without paying immediately with some airlines or travel agencies. 3. Best Time to Travel It is always cheaper to travel during off-peak periods. Traveling during the holiday season such as Easter and Christmas will cost more than any other time of the year. The Summer season is also an expensive travel period especially to countries in the west. Here in Africa, peak times depending on the country. For example in Kenya, excluding the holiday season in December, other peak seasons include April (Easter holidays) and August (when the cold season here ends). Any other time of the year is off-peak season so perfect for traveling here. In Europe, off-peak times include January – March or September – Early November. For countries in South-East Asia like Indonesia and Malaysia, the best time to travel would be during their monsoon season, which starts around November until March. The weather is still hot and humid, just mixed with showers of rain from time to time. The best days to travel in terms of affordability are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Majority travel is done from Friday to Monday so those days will have more costly travel fares. For holiday travel, it would be wise to book a flight scheduled for a week before the actual holiday, i.e. a week or two before Christmas week or if you can’t leave that early, traveling on Christmas day is another option. It’s not ideal but it will be the cheapest ticket you get. Flying on Christmas day or Thanksgiving day will give you the best rates on the low. 4. Flight Hacks Searching for cheap flights is really an extreme sport sometimes but if you’re keen on various airline trends, you can find a loophole. First tip – when looking for flights, browse using an incognito/private window. Websites track your searches and you will always see the same rate on several different sites because they have picked up that you are looking. Either use a private browsing window or clear your cache every time you search so the sites have nothing to pick up on. The best time to search for flights is a good three months in advance, the rates go up the closer you get to your departure date. Flights with one or two stops tend to be cheaper than direct flights. As convenient as direct flights are, they tend to cost so much just because of said convenience. Picking a flight with connecting flights saves quite a bit of money and for some airlines like Emirates, if your layover is 10hrs or longer, they automatically give you a transit visa which allows you to get out of the airport and put you up in a hotel for that duration before your next flight. Join ALL the miles programs. Most programs are partnered with more than one airline, for instance, Delta SkyMiles program is partnered with KLM, Air France, Kenya Airways, Korean Airlines, Alitalia, China Airlines, etc… So you can get miles from any of these airlines and use them on
Joanna Steele: 2019, my year of return – from London to Equatorial Guinea
I was born in London in the 80s to Jamaican immigrants who arrived in the UK as young children in the 1950s. My mum studied and worked as a nurse for the NHS (UK’s national health service) specializing as a midwife before becoming a health visitor. My dad was a Ph.D. educated engineer, physicist, and researcher working for MI5 (the UK government security and intelligence agency). He was also an Open University lecturer. My early ambition was to be a lawyer. I began a Law degree at London Metropolitan University but discovered pretty early on that it wasn’t for me. I changed to Marketing and Spanish with the ultimate aim of working internationally. After university, I worked in a number of traditional PR and marketing roles and in the early 2000s, transitioned to a more digital focus. More recently I have been making my mark within the UK digital retail space leading award-winning teams, projects, and campaigns. I developed the content for the Mothercare (UK Mother & Baby Retailer) app – Winner of Best App at Paypal E-tail Awards – 2013 & 2014. I managed the social media team shortlisted for Best Social Media. In 2017, I was a Tech50 Women award nominee which acknowledges emerging UK female tech talent. “But I’m leaving London for Equatorial Guinea”. Why Leave? In 2014, I met my now fiancée – a self-taught digital designer and animator who had worked for companies including Google and Amazon. We would often get requests to design leaflets and websites – many from DRC and Angola where my partner originates. There was a clear demand for digital and design services but no-one local to fulfill. My partner went to DRC to explore the market and landed an opportunity in Equatorial Guinea where he teaches animation at a local school, has built their website and is working on other marketing collateral. Africa’s potential as a global leader in the world’s digital economy grows significantly every year. A growing population, increasing internet penetration and mobile adoption, already goes a long way towards overcoming infrastructural barriers to digital transformation and connecting people and services online. That’s why we’ve created Dimax – a digital agency helping businesses in Western Africa become more digitally focused to drive growth. [bctt tweet=”Relocating and establishing a business is exciting, but it is hard work – @MissSteele” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How am I preparing for such a big transition? Here are my top 5 ways to prepare for a huge transition such as this… 1. Visit the region multiple times. Read, research and understand the cultural and business landscape. Upskill if necessary. Current reads: “How We Made it In Africa” – compiled by Jaco Maritz & “Africa’s Business Revolution – How to succeed in the world’s next big growth market” by Acha Leke, Mutsa Chironga and Georges Desvaux. I’m also a student at the Oxford University Fintech Programme learning about how technology is disrupting financial markets. 2. Network. Get yourself known. I attend at least 2 networking events per month and am working on elevating my online personal brand 3. Get your finances in order. Reduce expenditure, increase passive income and have a plan for how your assets will be managed whilst you’re away 4. De-clutter – I didn’t realize how much stuff I had – most of which I don’t need or won’t be able to take with me 5. Focus on your physical and spiritual health. Your mind and body will be tested with all that you have to do, so step up your exercise and healthy eating regime. What am I looking forward to? Playing my part in Africapitalism. Driving financial returns and long term sustainable economic growth with social and environmental responsibility, education and community enrichment at the core. Living and working side by side with my partner in life and business Sounds cliché, but the weather – anyone who has ever lived in London knows the struggle! I will however definitely miss my family, friends and the fast-pace of London. Looking to make a similar transition? Follow these steps… Preparation is key. I’ve hired a business coach to help me plan and prioritize which has been so helpful because at times I get overwhelmed with what I need to do including holding down my day job whilst I’m still in the UK! Be patient. You’re going to want everything to happen quickly – know that everything will happen when it’s meant to. Allow yourself to be vulnerable: No need to always know your next move. Whilst we have short, mid and long-term goals, we still don’t have everything figured out. It helps not to overthink things. Once we made the decision to make the big move, things just started to fall in place. Tell people about your plans: you’ll be surprised how many people are willing to help you or connect you with someone that can. Be flexible: Whilst I aim to be in Equatorial Guinea by the end of 2019, nothing happens before its time. Following my most recent visit, I have been invited back to host a workshop and participate on a panel at TegCampus – an annual tech initiative for young people organized by telecommunications company GITGE in May. So, I will be back sooner than I had anticipated. Watch this space! Follow my journey on Instagram and read more about Dimax here: www.dimaxdigital.com Got a story to share with us? Click here to share.
What went down at Face Africa’s Annual WASH Gala – March 19′
Rewriting The Story of Africa through water. – Adebola Williams The narrative of Africa is changing, and (we) the offspring are joining hands in numbers, working towards a better tomorrow for generations to come. Africa has and always will be one of the richest places in the world with resources that can build many nations, nurture and develop talent in various sectors of life and most importantly provide clean water systems in every home and community. Having clean water may seem like the most accessible thing that everyone should have in 2019, but unfortunately, it is a struggle that millions of people are still facing. Like any math problem, the goal is to find the answer by solving an equation. Saran Kaba Jones’s answer to contaminated water in Africa is creating access to clean water systems for everyday people through FACE Africa. Saturdays are usually for Aso-Ebi, headwraps tied in perfect origami style coupled with highlights, contour, and lashes that completes the ultimate glam. Well, this Saturday was different. The African culture graced Guastavino’s with couture dresses, hand-stitched suits and ties made from fine textiles for the most prestigious event of the year, FACE Africa annual WASH GALA. The WASH GALA was an evening that captured and honored voices that want to and are changing the narrative of what home really looks like and their trials and tribulations in home improvement. FACE Africa’s keen eye to detail and prestige was felt from the moment people walked up to the stairs and through the doors of Guastavino’s. Africa is home when you invest your mind and soul the journey is built brick by brick with our hands and not by the colonizers. FACE Africa’s journey to supply clean water started 10 years ago and of course, it was no easy task raising hundreds of dollars in the beginning to now raising millions in its 10th year. There is power when we join forces to enhance our resources. Aqua blue, forest green, these colors illuminated the entire venue creating the vibe of taking in the fresh air that trees provide and drinking crisp water through clean water. What a feeling. This year’s WASH GALA honorees are Didier Drogba, Nomzamo Mbatha, Mr. Eazi, and Bozoma Saint John. Nomzamo Mbatha Rising Star Honoree Nomzamo Mbatha acceptance speech was filled with cries, laughter and the room responded with a standing ovation. “The credit and the bragging is so different nowadays. It is not about what designers you have, or the different houses you may have across the world. It is how many people that are on your payroll, and how many organizations we have started to make sure that the blood of our ancestors that were used as fertilization to grow the natural resource, and that the natural resource that we have as the African continent is not just the resources as gold or diamonds, it is us. Those that are scattered across the world”. Nomzamo told her story in a room that felt like home because home is where her heart lives. We all come from different sectors of the continent, some experiences different from others but we share a common fight, developing Africa. Adebola Williams Adebola Williams CEO of RED Media and WASH Gala Co-Chair touched on many successes on the continent such as three major banks in Nigeria having women as chairman and President Sirleaf paving the way for women in politics. But still, many women face challenges and are slowed down by fetching water when this energy can be put to good use by doing other things in society. Williams continued by shedding light on new millennial problems in the world. Back-aches and hands aching him from long texting, but Africa is still dealing with about two million water-related diseases. Bozoma Saint John A room full of advocacy, people who want to do better for our continent. We were reminded about the importance of voice by Bozoma Saint John CMO at Endeavor and WASH Gala Voice of Change Recipient. “Once you have been silent, you have been forgotten, it is important to use our voices to change the narrative”. Bozoma demonstrated what it meant to lead by example and using her voice for change and impact by sharing the stage and honorable moment with her daughter Lael Saint John. Didier Drogba Like the good old saying “If not us then who” exuded the room by Didier Drogba who was WASH Gala Humanitarian recipient. Drogba was unable to attend the gala in person due to an emergency in Côte d’Ivoire but left us with a beautiful video message. “It is our responsibility to bring awareness and change in Africa. Water is life, so invest in clean water for the community,” he said Caroline Wanga Caroline Wanga, Vice President of Human Resources at Target Corporation and WASH Gala 2019 keynote speaker commended all attendees in the room and noted that “Guastavino’s ain’t neva have these many Africans in here before”. For those that know the upper east side of New York City, the upper class and diplomats fill the area where the average rent is $2500 – $3000 a month, just imagine how much hosting an event on that side of town would be. Wanga key points were the importance buying and labor market, “ Africa Immigrants are the answer to developing our nation, rent to pay, Louboutin’s to wear, outfits to make, either way, someone somewhere does not have clean water”. Wanga also implored everyone in the room to “Get this Shmoney” and invest in Africa. Every day is another opportunity to be better and do better, technology has increased the number of collaborations between people and spreading awareness to causes at a fast pace. I can just imagine the impact and change that will occur between now and five years with FACE Africa clean water initiative. We are definitely on our way to a clean and thirst quenching society. Got a story to share with us? Click here to share.