Botswana’s Healing Guru
Mother Masire is a graduate of The University of Botswana, with a BA in Social Sciences, majoring in Sociology and Public Administration. She also did a number of developmental courses including brand and project management to support her marketing and advertising career. As one who is always willing to learn when interested in a subject matter she studied mindfulness over 10 years through online courses, attending seminars, workshops, training retreats etc. Her interest in mindfulness and its benefits grew over the years, so when Dr. Didi Bjorn approached her with the idea to start a sustainable development social enterprise, she jumped at the opportunity, and AfroBotho was born. AfroBotho is a skill-sharing service that fosters mental health and wellness for individuals, organizations, and communities in Africa and the world. Connect with Mother Masire and her business on her website and social media We believe if we are at our best emotionally and mentally we do the best for ourselves and families, workplace, communities, and our world. Why did you decide that there was a need for an organization like AfroBotho? The name AfroBotho was inspired by the African concept of Botho, a social contract of mutual respect, responsibility and accountability that members of society have towards each other. It defines a process for earning respect by first giving it, and to gain empowerment by empowering others. It is all about interconnectedness amongst all people with the realization that ‘I am because you are’. AfroBotho was the brainchild of Dr. Didi Bjorn. She felt that we had an aligned passion for issues of mental and emotional wellbeing and that with the combination of our skills we would be able to add value to our clients’ wellbeing. Dr. Didi Bjorn is a clinical psychologist with a specialization in Disaster Psychology from the University of South Dakota. It was there that she gained expertise in various disaster response and management techniques. During her college years, Didi volunteered at the American Red Cross and later participated in the disaster response following the September 11 World Trade Centre attacks. All those experiences prepared her for AfroBotho, where she seeks to extend all she learned by becoming a Botho Ambassador, healing and reconnecting humanity. As an ambitious, young career-driven Motswana I lived a very busy, unbalanced life when I was employed in corporate environments. Throughout my career I often found myself being the ‘default counselor’ for organizations I worked for. This was heavy for me because I was not a skilled psychologist, and got attached to what was shared with me. I wished for a retreat center within our country that would provide a safe healing space for those seeking reprieve and time out to reconnect with themselves. Dr. Didi Bjorn and I wanted to be the change we wished to see and started AfroBotho in order to share skills that empower people to find peace and harmonious interactions among each other. What are the benefits of mindfulness, and how is it beneficial in the workplace? Mindfulness is ‘present-focused consciousness’, a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, bodily sensations, and the environment without judgment. It’s a state of awareness. Jon Kabat Zinn defines mindfulness as: “Paying attention; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. There are many overlaps between mindfulness and aspects of positive psychology as it applies to cognitive-behavioral therapies. In some of our training, we call ourselves ‘the why and how team’. Dr. Bjorn usually shares WHY people go through the emotions and mental challenges they experience and I share HOW they can access their personal grounding and calmness while they are going through them. Mindfulness can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and conflict, increase resilience and emotional intelligence while improving communication in the workplace. For leaders who are contemplating different strategies to help foster a healthier, happier and more productive workplace, I suggest that they incorporate mindfulness in their organizational culture. Some of the numerous benefits of mindfulness include; a more effective management style, creating a more positive work environment, stronger, healthier team dynamics, better manager-employee relationships, fewer rash decisions that can damage the business, and healthier strategies for preventing or addressing conflict when it comes up. According to a study conducted by The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, more than half of the 550 million working days lost every year from absenteeism are stress-related. Further, 80 percent of employees report that they feel stress at work and need help learning how to manage it. What do your workshops/sessions entail? The way we work with our clients is not etched in stone. We are solution-based in our approach and always strive to get to the root cause of a problem before we even design a program. Each client program is personally designed for them. We believe you cannot prescribe without first identifying the challenge/issue. We have a program called ‘The pulse check’ which we usually start with before beginning any program. This is an exercise that helps individuals to look at their challenge from the inside out. The purpose thereof is to get a deep and clear understanding of our clients’ mental and emotional wellbeing. Once feelings and expressions of negativity have been clearly identified, we work together to actively begin the work of uprooting these often deeply embedded productivity killers. As the termination of the vicious cycle of blame, attack, and accusations toward self and others, as well as the need to constantly live in defence-mode, occurs and is replaced by an all-round healthier and balanced sense of being, they can be – and are – empowered to channel that positivity into their professional life and workplace. After the ‘pulse check,’ we start on a program that addresses the client’s desired objective. What is the future of the workplace, and what role does AfroBotho play in realizing it? The workplace environment as we know is evolving, just like every other aspect of our lives.
You better get your Hot Girl Summer on, Motherland Mogul
Summer or no summer, you MUST live your best life. You are a boss and keeping up with the trends in the digital world is the major key! You must have come across the term Hot girl summer over the past month. If you’re not sure what everyone is on about, we’re serving you the tea in this article. What is #HotGirlSummer??? The phrase #Hotgirlsummer was coined by American rapper, Meghan Thee Stallion. She used the term to tell women (and men) to be unapologetically themselves and fiercely go after their dreams and goals. It simply means that summer or no summer, you MUST live your best life. The term first appeared on Twitter after one of her fans posted a photo with the caption “I hear it’s a #HotGirlSummer”. Since then, the term has since caught on like bush fire. Men and Women around the world are now posting fun and happy photos of themselves on social media with the same caption. The phrase represents women living out their best lives at their own terms, to make it the best thing to ever happen to them. If you are looking to have your own Hot Girl Summer season like the Motherland Mogul that you are, here are some tips to get you started. 1. Review and Define Your Goals In order to live life unapologetically, there must be a goal or vision that you are looking to achieve. It is important that you have a vision of where you are going and come up with a plan of how you will get there. This may involve improving your current skill set or going back to school. Choose your path and glow while pursuing your goals. 2. Put Your Best Foot Forward Where You are In most cases than not, it will take time to get to your dream job/businesses/bosses and/or clientele. While you are building towards your goals and dreams, it is essential that you grab every crucial opportunity that comes by. The journey to achieving your dreams is a culmination of all the work and effort that you are putting in now. Use your current position to build a richer network as this will make your journey much easier. The phrase, Your Network is Your Net worth should come in handy where you are now and when you finally get to achieve your goals. 3. Put In the Work Nothing works unless you do. To achieve anything in life, you must be willing to put in the effort and work required to get where you want to be. It is also important to ensure that your voice is heard in meetings and in boardrooms. As you put in the work and effort, it is also very important that you are taking credit for your achievements. You are much more memorable when your voice is heard, therefore, going forward ensure that you are the lady who takes credit for her work, contributes ideas and always have engaging thoughts in any meetings and conferences. An organization or client will always value someone who adds value. Your work is then to add value. 4. Have Fun While Doing It Girl, work hard and play hard while you’re at it. Going after your goals and choosing to be outstanding is definitely not always fun. There is a lot of unseen hard work and in some cases, you are your own biggest cheerleader. But, how about making it fun for yourself by having a weekly gratitude list? Each week, write down something you are grateful for and also tick off a goal that you have accomplished. It is the consistent cumulative effort that eventually pays off and keeps a smile on your face. 5.Take a Selfie and Don’t Forget to Hashtag #HotGirlSummer Lastly, while putting in the work and securing the bag don’t forget to take a bomb selfie as you live your best life, on your own terms. It is always relaxing to get the perfect selfie and keep the movement going for all the women who are making it happen for themselves and their communities. Have yourself a Hot Girl Summer. Join our Facebook Live on August 22nd to learn how to drive social change through your business/ Career. Click here to sign up.
Navshika Beeharry: Adding accountability and value to foreign volunteering efforts in Africa
Navshika Beeharry is a British-Mauritian blogger, speaker, and interculturalist. She shares her experience of volunteering overseas and advocates for intercultural awareness to be at the heart of charity and aid efforts to improve foreign assistance in the motherland. In this article, she also provides consultancy for sustainability advice, strategy development and/or content creation. Shika, as she is fondly called, believes it is important for NGOs to develop empowering stories of self-managed income/resources to challenge the mindset that success derives from external donors as opposed to the people themselves. In 2015, when she returned home from a volunteer placement in Tanzania, she founded “Becoming Africquainted” as an initiative to candidly recounting the life-changing memories she made, including some difficult observations of when Western intercultural communication goes badly wrong. Since then, it has grown into a platform of its own that provides discussion and resources to all aspiring volunteers or expats, encouraging them to undertake their service overseas responsibly and respectfully. Shika on Intercultural Awareness For Shika, intercultural awareness is an unmissable step that any foreign volunteer must be willing to take to better know their own cultural limitations and how to healthily navigate new ones. However, this must be reciprocated by host communities within Africa too, by ensuring they take responsibility for their own narrative and how they wish for it to be told and remembered long after any volunteer exchange has ended. It will take time to help visitors to form new associations of Africa they see, but the benefits to sewing two-way intercultural connections are fruitful and increasingly necessary for the prosperity of the interconnected world we live in. To be a successful foreign volunteer, Shika believes it begins with an understanding of yourself / skillset and a genuine desire to be of service to someone. Such a person is often thought to be self-sacrificing with care for their wider community and an unrelenting passion to contribute to a cause bigger than themselves. However, to be able to add accountability and value to foreign volunteering efforts in Africa, one needs to; 1. Have a good knowledge of the country and organization whose aims you would like to champion. Each summer in Africa, this ‘higher cause’ has all too often displayed itself as ‘saviourism’, ‘privilege’ and ‘Western ideas’ – to name a few. What usually begins as a selfless summer trip quickly manifests itself into self-serving behavior when culture shock takes over, conditions become unfavorable to live in and personal expectations are not met. These circumstances fuel a type of instinctive desire to fix things that do not exist ‘back home’. Though the intention may come from a good place, the means by which it is executed becomes misplaced and frequently results in misunderstanding and conflict. Why? A lack of intercultural awareness. A large number of young people in the West – diaspora included – are conditioned into thinking that volunteering overseas is a worthy extra-curricular life experience or a means of personal development. These reasons are problematic because they refer to an underlying tone of personal gain that volunteering is based upon. The emphasis is rarely ever to learn about culture itself – something which really should underpin any healthy volunteer exchange. 2. Acquire traits that enable you to observe, recognize, perceive and positively respond to new and unfamiliar intercultural interactions. Some markers of intercultural awareness within international development are: Humility – being receptive to, and accepting of, new and unfamiliar situations Patience – in recognizing that positive outcomes take time to reveal themselves Humanity – acting humanely with a trusted concern for the community being served. These traits are not something we can quantify or expect anyone to learn quickly in a crash-course. But volunteer exchanges can be measured by the quality of relationships being built, along with their participation and respect for our cultures once they arrive. One indication of this lies in how well volunteer behaviors are recognized and reciprocated by the communities which they serve. 3. Volunteers should be given guided self-reflection time. This is to serve like one-to-one inductions in a paid workplace where their observations and experiences are discussed to foster a dialogue which enables them to explain their realities so that they can be better understood. Doing this not only prevents them from distancing themselves from problems they see by claiming ignorance, but it also provides a space for healthy goals to be set, contributions to be assessed and accountability to take place. This is important to help redefine the negative African post-colonial perceptions that many foreign volunteers have unconsciously grown up with. After all, what better way to rewrite the story than if told it ourselves to those who do have a desire to listen, by virtue of visiting the continent first-hand? A good start for non-profit-organisations is to offer their own guides into standards of behavior that outlines an interpretation of volunteer ideas and expectations during their stay. This formalizes the process whilst mitigating the risk of volunteers unhelpfully referring back to their (often biased) perception of problems and methods of solving them. Join our Facebook Live on August 22nd to learn how to drive social change through your business/ Career. Click here to sign up.
FACEBOOK LIVE WITH JUDITH OWIGAR: HOW I BUILT MY BUSINESS TO DRIVE SOCIAL CHANGE (AUG 22)
What impact does your business have in your community? It’s no news that companies take Corporate Social Responsibility very seriously. It’s like a magic door that opens up more opportunities and this is why. The world is ever-changing and businesses are looking for more ways to connect with their customers. As a BOSS Lady, beyond making the $$$, you need to look at the bigger picture on how you can create a positive change in your community. Firstly, when your business is seen making an impact, it shows that you have an interest in social issues which will help raise your company profile, attract new customers and/or identify new opportunities. Ain’t that the goal? Remember, being socially responsible is good for the bottom line. If you want to learn how to create, craft and manage social change strategies, join us on Thursday, August 22nd, for a Facebook Live with Judith Owigar, founder of JuaKali Workforce, who’ll be dishing out tips to help your business aim for change. Some of the topics we’ll cover: How to discover what social issues are most relevant to you and your community. 5 different ways your business can create a positive social change while you make profit. Finding purpose and grit in social projects. Impact vs Sustainability. Facebook LIVE details: Date: Thursday, August 22nd, 2019 Time: 12PM Lagos // 1PM Joburg// 2PM Nairobi Watch Facebook Live with Judith: About Judith Judith Owigar is passionate about initiatives involving youth, women and all things technology. With a Masters in Applied Computing from the University of Nairobi, she’s the founder JuaKali Workforce, an online micro-jobs platform that connects young people to short term jobs in Kenya’s informal sector. In 2015, Judith shared a panel with President Barack Obama of the U. S. and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. She is a 2015 East African Acumen Fellow and a 2014 international Focus fellow. She has been named as one of the Top 40 under 40 women by the Business Daily newspaper in Kenya and has been recognized with the Anita Borg Change Agent Award by the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology.
How Tamiko Cuellar monetized her gift and launched her business
Tamiko Cuellar is the CEO and Founder of Pursue Your Purpose LLC, – a global coaching, consulting and training firm for emerging entrepreneurs, corporate intrapreneurs, and leaders. She spends at least 6 months each year traveling throughout the continent of Africa where she speaks, coaches, and trains leaders, entrepreneurs, students, and women. In addition, Tamiko was appointed as a mentor to emerging entrepreneurs in Africa as part of the Tony Elumelu’s Entrepreneurship Programme in 2016. Tamiko has been a guest contributor on Forbes, The Huffington Post, amongst other publications. In this article, Tamiko shares with us her journey to becoming a smart boss lady, and how she’s helping ladies on the continent do the same. What made you decide to launch your own business? There were multiple catalysts that compelled me to launch my own business I had survived three rounds of layoffs (retrenchments) at my corporate job in the United States as a result of the 2008 economy. My job was becoming more stressful and adversely impacted my health, and I was only given a $700 bonus after helping to acquire a $30 million client for my company. Besides all of that, I felt that my potential was being stifled and I was not fulfilled. I then decided to monetize my gifts and skillset on my own terms, by launching my business to help other women transition from corporate and grow their businesses. On your journey to becoming a Smart Boss Lady, What are some exciting things while launching your business? Since there weren’t many coaches that were doing what I was doing when I first started, I looked for as many existing coaches as a template and tried to emulate them. I later realized that it was my uniqueness that caused my brand to soar internationally. I would encourage aspiring and emerging boss ladies to harness what’s unique about you. That’s your sweet spot. People don’t need a clone. They need you to show up in your authenticity What are some of the common problems entrepreneurs hire you to solve? The most common problems that women hire me for are helping them to narrow their focus, defining their target market, creating/refining a brand that attracts their target market, and also how to sell and make money consistently Established larger organizations usually hire me to develop their leaders. Why did you choose the business name – Pursue Your Purpose LLC? My company’s name was birthed from a common answer to a question that I would often ask people, which is, “What would you be doing if you could do something other than your current job?” The answer was always something different than what they were currently doing! Then my follow-up question would be, “Then why aren’t you doing that?” This was usually followed by a blank stare because people didn’t know why they weren’t getting paid to do what they love. It was then that I realized that most people that are working are doing what they have to do rather than what they want to do. I’ve mastered a system that creates entrepreneurs who get paid to do what they love and I simply coach others on how to profit from their God-given purpose. Tell us about your experience working almost exclusively on the continent of Africa. I absolutely love it! I am called to Africa. The Africa I see is very different than the Africa that is portrayed in the media. Africa is rising It’s ripe with potential because the majority of the population in many African nations is very young (ages 15-25) and emerging leaders are going to be at the helm of solving Africa’s problems very soon. Someone needs to develop and train these emerging leaders. I also feel a deeply personal and cultural connection to Africa being an African-American women of the Diaspora who can also bring a high level of skills to the continent that I’ve acquired in the States. Who is your dream client/partner? First and foremost, my dream partnership would be with SLA in some way to build capacity in its community of professional business women from a global perspective. As a former Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management in the U.S., I also love working with Universities throughout Africa on entrepreneurship curriculum development as well as being a guest lecturer to business and entrepreneurship students. Additionally, I love working with agencies and the Ministries of Trade & Industry to teach sub-Saharan African businesses on how to export their products into the U.S. duty-free. Lastly, I love training corporate leaders and HR managers on how they develop innovative entrepreneurial thinking in order to be on the cutting edge of what the rest of the world is doing. I would love to do more of these three types of training and coaching. I’m very open to being contacted by your readers for partnership and speaking opportunities throughout Africa. What’s the most exciting project you’re currently working on? I’m very happy to say that my fourth book, “Cultivating An Entrepreneurial Mindset” should be out by the fourth quarter of 2019. This will help thousands of aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs both inside and outside the classroom to develop the right thinking that leads to having successful, profitable and sustainable businesses. My calendar for 2020 is filling up quickly with organizational partnerships, speaking and training opportunities with universities, corporations, and government agencies throughout Africa, so I welcome as many strategic alignments as my company can accommodate. I am also adding new Global Brand Ambassadors to my team all over Africa who are highly influential and can help us impact more people. This article was put together by Lungiswa Mzimba
6 ways to break down boundaries to becoming a successful entrepreneur
There is nothing women can’t do. Surely, there are so many hindrances that women in business face. However, when it comes to race, the number of black women entrepreneurs have greatly increased over the past decades. According to the Census Bureau, eight million businesses in the United States are owned by people from minority groups, and 2.5 million of these are owned by African-American (which makes them the only racial or ethnic group with the highest number of business ownerships). Also, in the very recent State of Women-Owned Business Report, the number of firms owned by black women grew by 164%. We all know it, there is nothing women can’t do. While the stakes are higher, you can break down the boundaries and become a successful entrepreneur. How? 1. Embrace diversity Before you make other people believe in you, you first have to believe in yourself. Instead of seeing it as a barrier, you have to embrace your diversity and use it as a competitive advantage. Take note that diversity goes beyond gender, nationality, color, or race. We have to embrace our uniqueness, be proud of our strengths, and turn our weaknesses into opportunities. 2. Be passionate about what you do When you love what you are doing, you gain the courage to look past the challenges and the discouragement from other people. To succeed in business, you’ve got to have a strong mission. Why do you want to start a business? Successful entrepreneurs have many things in common. One is their sense of purpose. Of course, an obvious reason is to gain profit. But there certainly has to be a reason much higher than that which motivates you to pursue what you do. 3. Accept that failure is part of it You’ve heard stories about business tycoons bouncing back from their failures and have turned out to be better entrepreneurs. You won’t believe how founders of giant companies like Twitter, Huffington Post, LinkedIn, and PayPal all went through massive failures, costing them millions of dollars. Here’s the thing – 75% to 90% of all startups fail. It only shows that failing in business is normal. At some point, you will commit mistakes, you will make wrong decisions, and you will fail. The secret is to never give up. 4. Plan ahead Behind a successful business model is a solid plan. You don’t jump into the river without knowing how deep it is. Create a detailed business plan. Identify pain points. Pool your resources and know your options. For example, where will you get the funding? Will it be from your savings or through business financing? Will you still need investors? How will you reach out to them? List down all your ideas. Do your research. Invest in knowledge. And be ready to start something. 5. Embrace Change No matter how comprehensive your business model is, at some point, you will have to make adjustments or perform a total shift. Changes in business are inevitable. Market demands and trends change from time to time. It is scary to confront changes. That’s a normal reaction. But you have to be flexible and adaptable. Otherwise, you could be left behind. 6. Don’t Forget that You Are Human too As you establish and grow your business, you will find yourself devoting most of your time to it. You will miss some important family affairs for client meetings, endure sleepless nights for endless paperwork, and forego weekends to beat deadlines. The key is to strive for balance. Drink your water. Eat your veggies. Sleep. Pamper yourself. Get your hair done. Go for a mani-pedi. For you to keep up, you have to be physically and mentally healthy. Becoming a businesswoman is not an easy feat. Striving for success is much more challenging especially when people kind of judge you for your race or gender. But don’t let anything or anyone stop you from becoming a top-notch entrepreneur. Remember, in business success, there are no boundaries. This article was written by Lidia Staron Lidia Staron is a part of Content and Marketing team at OpenCashAdvance.com. She contributes articles about the role of finance in the strategic planning and decision-making process. You can find really professional insights in her writings. Need some more FREE downloadable guides from SLA? Click here.
Top 5 technical and practical skills you need to land a job in the Communications Industry
Because I know how to write convincingly, speak in a clear, concise and catchy manner and make pretty lifestyle aesthetics— I made £800.00 one week in one of Africa’s poorest capital cities — Freetown, Sierra Leone. As long as capitalism reigns free— the comms industry will always be hiring! The word “communications”, is a broad umbrella term for many specific roles and jobs that all revolve around conveying information. If you like to talk a lot, love pretty looking things, and a fast-paced lifestyle— this sector is for you! It’s the digital golden era, and many African millennial women are turning to this sector. This is an industry that underpins the side hustle of many resourceful sisters with a side hustle. From selling home-blended essential oils on ‘the gram’ to vlogging about sexual and reproductive health. According to Biz Community Africa, trends in advertising across the continent show an increase in market competition across African markets. Nigeria, Kenya and Ivory Coast have joined South Africa as large regional advertising hubs. And though the rise of middle classes across the continent remains contested, the market strategy has been heavily sought after in the telecommunications, financial, FMCG and transportation industries. Despite literacy and digital literacy rates varying greatly across the continent— the comms industry is on the rise! The communications industry spans a wide range of sectors including television, film, radio, media and digital design, marketing, advertising, branding, public relations, and promotions, publishing, journalism, consulting and more recently social media. There are broad communications skills that every communications professional should have to be successful in each of these sectors. And, there are also specific technical and practical skills that will set you apart from others when applying for jobs in specialized departments at corporations, consultancy firms, creative agencies, government ministries, NGOs and all other organizations that have a communications department. Here are five skills, I’ve found essential for a comms professional in Africa— specifically if looking to focus on marketing, branding, and advertising. Market analysis and strategy If you can evidence this on your LinkedIn and CV then you’ll get an interview. Companies want to know that you understand that the main reason they even have a communications unit— is to sell things! You are essentially the new fancy term for a marketer! Since door-to-door sales do not work anymore, you need to find out what does! Market analysis means knowing your target market, analyzing their consumer behavior and their psyches, and then developing strategies to make them believe they need to buy into the lifestyle and ethos (the brand) of the company. If you can throw around the term ‘customer psychographics’ and actually know what you’re talking about, then your interviewer will hire you! To develop this skill you can take an introduction to marketing class on Coursera. No funds? No problem! I once took a class for free on Coursera by applying for their course scholarships. All you have to do is fill out a form that states you’re “kinda broke right now, that’s why you need courses and a job”, and through this form, you’ll be applying to take a course on Coursera for free. Good luck. The ultimate wordsmith A comms professional is ultimately someone who can convince men to buy tampons, using three words. If it’s in marketing, publishing or PR— you’ve got to be able to create and/or spot powerful work that will have your desired impact on audiences. Basic rules for writing include: know your medium (are you writing for TV, radio, social media, an advertisement, a sales pitch, a newspaper?), know your audience, and lastly— be clear, concise and striking. There are a million ways to write a million things, that fit into the right boxes for the right type of comms. When you decide what your niche of comms is— take the correct writing class for it! Whether you are pitching, writing or selling— your job is to tell a story. So tell the best damn story there is! Basic media design skills Today everything is digital. Everything is visual and everything is about aesthetic. Design is key, especially with the rise of social media. When starting off as a comms officer, assistant or freelance consultant, you will not have the budget nor the authority to outsource to a creative agency. This is not relevant for working in PR, nor radio— but in the world of advertising and branding, you will first have to make various media content yourself. Basic free online software like Canva and Mavis should be good enough to start with. Of course, you will need a decent enough camera, but luckily these days everyone has a smartphone! Most smartphones today have cameras that can substitute for a DSLR and can download multiple media editing apps. Wipe your camera lenses, download a bunch of apps, gather a wealth of media content of the specific things needed for your industry (e.g. a bunch of foodie pics, or the hottest tourist spots in your city, or natural landscapes)— and develop a website (use Wix) or some social media platforms— may be even a podcast! You can submit this with your CV to work in the following roles: the communications officer for the ministry of tourism in your country, the contributor of an online art and culture journal, or the strategic communications assistant at a company/creative agency. For those looking to go into something highly specialized like graphic design, you might want to take an online or university course on Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Premiere Pro. Companies and creative agencies are always looking to hire graphic designers (freelance or in the house) and this is usually a fun and exciting job. Creativity and originality Know your country, know your industry, know your market— then do and be different within context! Remember you can be a comms professional within any other industry from agriculture to mining, financial/banking, government, or retail. The industry you’re in will most likely have an institutionalized way of reaching
The Queen of Representation – From Botswana to the world
“The A-Girls are exceptional, black vinyl dolls that appreciate the African girl of today, with all her versatility and diversity”. Dolls are part of a girl’s introduction to what is considered ‘beautiful’. According to Bakani, creating the brand was essential in order to excavate and resuscitate what African beauty is. Until August 2016, Bakani July Johnson was a Lecturer at the University of Botswana (UB) in the Social Work Department. She holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work and has worked intensively in the psychosocial field since 2004, gaining experience with Botswana Baylor Children’s Clinic as a social welfare case manager. Prior to that, she worked with the Government of Botswana as a Social Welfare officer. After years of ideating, planning and testing, Bakani left the UB and started her doll-making business. Bakani is a social entrepreneur and is constantly looking for ways to enhance the lives of others. She is also a founding trustee of Musani Family Care Foundation, an organization that focusses on the restoration of Botswana’s family unit, and offers accommodation to families in transition, mostly caregivers of hospitalized patients who come from far off villages. Musani Family Care Foundation seeks to bridge the gap by providing temporary housing and support for these families who need it most, at no cost. Connect with Bakani and her business on social media. Why it is important for me to make the dolls… I have always loved children. I am forever looking for ways to enhance their wellbeing and this led to the realization that there were no black dolls to use during clinical sessions with my little patients. As a social worker, dolls are some of the symbolic tools used for communication during sessions. However, more often than not, the dolls that were donated looked nothing like the children I worked with. This became a query, to manufactures and it was not a pretty feeling as it was seen from the point of exclusion. I realized that I could continue with the feeling of being ‘left out’ as a black African girl, or I could do something about it. The research allowed me to see that I, and others like me, were never a concern for doll-makers; they had their own market and concerns. Whatever I could find was by sheer luck. I refused to use divisive story-telling or to accept that it was ‘someone else’s fault’ that as Batswana – and Africans – we don’t have black dolls. The more I searched, the more I was challenged to create the doll I was looking for. I worked from thought to product, beginning in 2007. The effect representation has on young Batswana /African girls… We have for the longest time been portrayed as ugly, and not a representation of beauty. If you research dolls throughout history, you will not like what you see. We have been ‘caricatured’ through the years and our features ridiculed. Our natural hair is still a full-on debate today. With the dolls, I am simply excavating and resuscitating a black girl’s beauty. The idea of the dolls was to trigger an emotional response and to ensure that we put African girls faces on beauty, with a clear understanding that it is our responsibility to raise a new, confident African girl. The development of The African Girls Dolls is a winning communication tool targeting children. These are one-of-a-kind vinyl dolls that appreciate the diversity of African girls and were created with the realization of a lack of representation both commercially and in messaging for African children. Most props and toys used are of girls and boys are not of African descent. Through the African girls’ collection, I am constantly helping organizations to create a unique language of truths, trust, and symbols as part of visual storytelling and visual messaging. I understand that symbolically, images help us to understand abstract concepts that cannot always be translated into words and dolls have throughout history been symbols to communicate, appreciate and represent. Dolls are part of a girl’s introduction to what is considered ‘beautiful’, and speaking to that aspect we want to be able to say ‘she is so pretty, just like a doll’ – and actually talk about a doll that looks like her. Children are visual beings. They connect to things visually and will remember things seen more than things said. They connect with objects or pictures from memory. Africa and Botswana are about symbolism, or what things represent and communicate. If you listen in on doll play, your child communicates with what she sees. If her dolly is wearing beads she will have a conversation about that. The idea was to have dolls that are relevant to the children, thus when one looks at the dolls, they will realize that some have tutu skirts and modern symbols which represents a ‘modern girl’ whereas others are dressed in traditional Tswana regalia. Great dolls bring the thought of history, self, and admiration. Children from different ethnicities benefit from playing with dolls that are a different skin tone, make and versatility. Though dolls are not photocopies of the individual, we believe that to a small child the most important thing is that her little dolly is beautiful just like her, validating who she is and how she relates to herself. The role I see my dolls playing in a Motswana girl’s life This product, created by an African woman for African children is girl-centered for now and is self-esteem/self-efficacy based. More than play, the dolls are seen as communication tools that instill gender and ethnic pride as a foundation for social skills. What you see and is preached becomes a norm. If everyone talks about ‘light-skinned’ being better, children will want that. I want parents to hand the dolls to the children without influencing the children’s taste about them. I have involved a few people in the crafting of the dolls from those that design the clothes to those that do the hair and packaging. I am
4 ways to Deal with Stress as at work
Our work lives can bring along a certain level of stress upon us. The stress could come from dealing with expectations from bosses or supervisors. There might be nerve-wracking deadlines that you have to meet up with. Or you could find yourself in a co-working space that makes it difficult to get work done. All of this could lead to stress. Stress is not something that should be taken lightly, as it takes a negative toll on your body and mind. It can cause you to either gain or lose weight, or result in physical symptoms such as having backaches or pounding headaches. Stress also leads to a negative mindset. You can feel moody, or disturbed about your life. Needless to say, stress does no good. Do not get overwhelmed by your To-Do list. It is necessary to find ways to reduce and relieve yourself from it. I have some tips from my experience on how to find ways to deal with stress from work. 1. Prioritize and Delegate As ladies, we often love to pride ourselves on multitasking. Multitasking is alright, but always trying to do too much all at once can lead you to severe stress or worse, a breakdown. That’s why I’m all about prioritizing. You can still be productive by focusing on the most important things first, then, set aside time later or another day for other tasks. Also, if you feel that too much is on your plate, don’t be afraid to speak up. Don’t get caught up in wanting to be the “superwoman” but feeling completely exhausted. In a workplace, there are often others around that you can lean on to carry some load off you. If there are members of your team that you can shift some responsibilities to, then pass on the information. If you are a one-woman team but feel that there is too much going on, have a conversation with your boss. You might need to get an assistant or intern to help you accomplish all the duties. 2. Take that lunch break with Your co-workers When the work seems to be pilling up and overwhelming you, having a fun conversation with your co-worker might feel like the last thing you want to do but it could help. Having amicable connections with your co-workers could ease the tension and stress you feel from work. Socializing with co-workers serves as an avenue for you to take a little break from work while still at work. Your co-workers could even provide solutions to the stress you feel by offering their input or strategies to help you tackle a difficulty you might be facing. So do not spend your entire workday glued to your desk and laptop. Look around at the people you work with, take a lunch break with someone. 3. Use Music to ease the tension Music can bring some inner calm when work makes you want to pull your hair out. If you have a favorite artist and songs that will get you going, then have that playlist on your phone. You can get your earpiece and tune into your favorite songs to help you get motivated or simply in a better mood. If you’re not the type of person that can work with music on, then consider a short break from your desk. Often times, if we become too glued to a screen, it can cause headaches. Get up from your desk and maybe stretch for a few minutes. Or get up from your desk and take a short walk outside the office building. After some time away from the desk, you could find yourself in a better mood. You could figure out a solution to tackle the task at hand. 4. Get your body moving to chase the worries away Taking up a physical activity can be what you need to take your mind off the duties in the workplace. It can help you to feel better because of the endorphin that the body produces while working out. Exercise can have numerous benefits. It not only keeps the body fit and healthy but it helps in the mindset. When I graduated, left school life and started my first job, I had some level of stress. I had to get used to working structures, responsibilities and finding a work/life balance. What helped me deal with the stress was keeping up with my exercise routine from university days. Exercising was my outlet to not get so worried about whether I was doing things right. Exercise is was what boosted my mood to feel confident that I was capable of handling new responsibilities. If you are not already taking up a physical activity, yet you have stress from work, then making time to workout matters. You could workout before or after your work or during the weekend would be helpful.
The Tourism Queen of Botswana
Reinventing tourist experiences in Botswana Cynthia Mothelesi is blazing a trail and carving out a unique space with bespoke experiences in the tourism landscape of Botswana. She is somewhat of an ‘evolving soul’, constantly seeking out ways to deepen her life experiences and provide an opportunity for others to do the same with her travel agency, Happy Soul Adventures. Trained as a graphic designer, she spent three years lecturing before deciding to expand her horizons. She applied for a job at the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), where she served as Marketing Manager for seven years. Her experiences at BTO were an opportunity for her to travel, sharpen her marketing and PR skills and forge valuable relationships. She then realized that there was a gap in the tourism sector, which became the catalyst for her foray into business. Cynthia Mothelesi uses her creativity and business savvyness to create bespoke experiences that allow her guests to engage with the soul, beauty and people of Botswana in an unimposing, intimate way. Connect with Cynthia and her business on her website and social media What inspired you to go into tourism? I saw so many opportunities and I realized that there were a lot of gaps in the industry that we were not tapping into. While I was at BTO, I followed the AirBnB culture because I love hosting. Then in 2017, I decided to venture out on my own because I realized that I could grow. It could be enough for myself and I could do more with the experience and passion that I have. How did you come up with the idea for Happy Soul Adventures? I began by focusing on my Airbnb listing, and every week I would have guests from all over the world coming to stay with me. Most times, I would host them at my house, but I didn’t just want to give them accommodation. I wanted to tell them my Botswana story, especially in terms of our people. Not wanting them to just see Botswana as wildlife and safaris, but rather for them to come away knowing that we were more than what the Western media depicts us to be. That experience taught me a lot and I decided that I would focus 100% on Happy Soul Adventures. What kinds of tours / experiences do you offer? Sometimes I take my guests on a city tour. It would include going to nightclubs like Zoom, or to a local pub, George’s, for karaoke night. We may go to Kilimanjaro, which has a place that sells really amazing local food. I also have clients who come to learn how to milk a goat or bake bread the traditional way. Guests can learn how to do pottery or make a tapestry. It really goes to show that we have a beautiful story to share and that there is value that can be found in it. What do you keep in mind when you design your tours? I really want my guests to immerse themselves in our stories. I feel like we Africans can do more to celebrate who we are as people. We tend to shun our own culture and I want to rather celebrate what makes us unique. Happy Soul Adventures also engages with communities. I don’t want to run a company that is only about me making a profit. So it is more of a collaborative effort. With collaboration, we are able to build and grow more. Happy Soul Adventures is about connecting people. What is the most important thing that you want your guests to take away from your tours? I want my guests to be able to experience this. I realized that people are looking for something new for the soul. People love simple, soulful and enriching experiences and I am happy that the responses have been great. What does Botswana have to offer the world that is unique? I realized that what we at home think is ‘backward’ or ‘unsophisticated’ is actually something that is unique about us. The fact that we take things slow, and keep things organic is something that people actually love about Botswana. Guests who visit Mogobane village for example, really love the peace and quiet because it isn’t something that they get to experience often. They really get time to connect with themselves. So, the most unique selling point about Botswana is that we are very peaceful, quiet and laid-back. It gives people the opportunity to reconnect with their soul and really get to love themselves even more. Botswana is one of Africa’s success stories, from one of Africa’s poorest countries to a vibrant, developed, middle-income African state. Sponsored Post