Peggy Ballou: Young women should create vision in their career
Sometimes, busy professionals need specialised one-on-one training to boost their businesses. That’s where the boutique coaching comes in. Boutique coaching is the art of discovering the best in people and getting them to utilise it. In Ivory Coast, Peggy Ballou is at the forefront of talent management and human capital. She is the founder of Social Achievers, a non-profit organization which aims to develop personal and professional skills in high school students in Ivory Coast. Peggy spoke to SLA about young women creating vision in their career while sharing top tips on improving career skills. What does it take to run a boutique coaching and human capital firm? Running a boutique coaching and human capital firm in Ivory Coast is a challenging experience. Especially when only a few have basic knowledge of the services you offer. A boutique firm is one of a small size and/or narrow line of service. In our case, we specialize in career coaching for professionals in their mid-career, on one hand. On the other end, we help SMEs strategically plan and manage their human resources. Our ultimate goal is to provide advisory services on the strategic function of HR as opposed to the traditional view of staff and payroll administration most business owners have. Managing a business of this sort requires experience, innovation, perseverance and excellent communication skills. I personally work from home and my team consists of a virtual assistant and a community manager. Sometimes, I work in a client’s office with other independent consultants. The biggest challenge is to get the first clients, especially corporate ones. I spend most my time educating and nurturing the prospects on the importance of our services to improve the results and performance of their staff. I do this by networking, writing articles in HR Magazines and doing public speaking. How have you sustained your business through the years? I have been in business since September 2013. I started while I was still living in Canada. I was running it in parallel with my corporate job, at nights and during weekends. I a humble beginning, and in 2015, I took a leap of faith, quitting my job. I went back to school to obtain my coaching certification and started working on my business full-time. I am still at the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey and still have a lot to learn. However, I have personally grown considerably over the past few years and learnt a lot on the do’s and don’ts in the process. For 2016, my main focus is to systematize and streamline my business in order to scale it and make it sustainable. What is your model for human capital development? I see the human capital (talent) management as a 360° integrated process as the image below: Very often, organizations, especially SMEs, don’t strategically plan and align their staff with the business objectives. They place less emphasis on employees development. We are here to help in different aspects of the human capital management from the workforce planning to the talent acquisition; from training and development to succession planning. Our vision is to make human capital the most important asset of organizations by maximizing the potential of each individual contribution in meeting the business objectives. Why is human capital the heart of a business? How can young entrepreneurs leverage human capital? Human capital is the set of knowledge, experience, and talent that people have and can benefit an organization. As entrepreneurs, we know how important it is to hire the best employees and put the right persons in the right position. When starting out, entrepreneurs don’t have enough resources to invest in the human capital. But they could leverage human capital by identifying and selecting staff according to the potential and natural talents of each person. They don’t need to rely solely on just past experience. To attract the best people, young entrepreneurs should think of career development and advancement opportunities in their companies. It’s also recommended to invest 1% of the revenues in staff training and development. That investment will improve the overall performance of the organization. How can young women improve on their productivity at work? For me, productivity is the ability to produce the best result possible in the shortest amount of time. As young women, we often have to balance work with family duties. Hence, it’s important that we are organized and focused on productivity. At work, it’s crucial to identify what are the main priorities and focus on what matters the most. It takes discipline and dedication. Productivity also implies systematization. Whenever possible, young women should create systems in their work and personal life (checklists, templates, various spreadsheets, automated email responses, menus, pre-made grocery lists etc.) and establish routines. Finally, it’s important to note that motivation is a driver of productivity so young women should find purpose. They should create a vision in their career and life to stay motivated and keep their productivity level at his best. If you weren’t in your current profession, what would you be doing? I would be a diplomat or an ambassador! Did you enjoy this article? Sign-up for our newsletter to get even more amazing content directly in your inbox. Click here.
Nthabiseng Nkosi: Working from home is the norm now in South Africa
Ah the dream. Managing a business and team successfully from your home. Nthabiseng Nkosi is living it. Together with her husband, Nthabiseng built and now runs a proudly South African design agency called Jutsu Design. Even though Jutsu’s first clients were friends and family, the agency now offers services ranging from web design, digital solutions, mobile apps to photography. SLA caught up with Nthabiseng to learn more about Jutsu and managing a business from home. Nthabiseng, tell us, how did Jutsu Design come about? Jutsu Design started out as a concept to build a small design agency that would offer affordable designs through the line services for SMME’s. My then boyfriend, now husband, and I worked on building a name for us – Jutsu. The name ‘Jutsu’ came about as a result of the team being avid anime fans. ‘Jutsu’ is a Japanese word meaning technique or skill. Once the name was decided on, the company was then officially registered in 2011. Friends and family were our first clients and we grew from there. Fast forward to five years, the company offers web design, digital solutions, mobile apps as well as photography. Jutsu also developed our first two title sequences for e.tv’s Heist and SABC 1’s Dreamworld. How large is the Jutsu Design team? What are the challenges of managing your team? Jutsu Design is a team of a husband, wife, web developer, PR manager, freelance writer, and photographer. The team was initially made up of four members when we started out in 2011. Two members left to pursue other career paths and the rest of us continued with business. One of the major challenges we face at Jutsu is keeping up with the workload. Most times, it gets a little too much to handle, but we try to meet deadlines. In the earlier years, it was difficult, but every project has been a learning curve. Did work from home from the start? How did you manage that? Being a micro- enterprise, Jutsu Design has always operated from home. We are able to save money that would otherwise have been used for rent. We keep costs at a minimal because our company is small. How do you create awareness or reach clients for Jutsu ? The funny thing is, we don’t. We get new clients through word of mouth from our loyal clients. We have a website up and that too has been working for us. Active promotion of our company might mean getting extra hands and moving to bigger premises. How do people react to your working from home? I think working from home is the norm now in South Africa. Some people can be a little envious, but it takes a lot of self-discipline to be self-employed. You may think you have all the time to just chill and work later, but you actually don’t. How do you draw the line between work and running a home? At first, it was extremely difficult working from home. I used to want to make excuses with that, but with deadlines closing in on me, my head would spin. So, I have learnt to be a lot more disciplined. If possible, I work half days on Mondays to Wednesdays. Thursdays and Fridays, I do house chores; laundry, cleaning etc. This schedule works for me as I do not have a housekeeper. But if things get too hectic, with meetings and events to attend, I leave house chores to the weekend. What’s the best way to unwind when your office is also your home? My husband and I sometimes, go on dates, engage in fun activities and fetch our little one from the crèche. I have my spa days and he has his boy’s night outs with his friends. We try to do this once or twice a week. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Princess Odiakosa: I’ve dreamed of becoming a chocolatier
The cocoa bean may be indigenous to the Americas but these days its home is in West Africa. West Africa produces nearly 70% of the world’s cocoa yet we’re not renowned for making luxury chocolate ourselves. Princess Odiakosa wants to change that. She is a chocolatier that works exclusively with Nigeria cocoa and has plans to make Nigeria “the sweetest place in Africa”. Here, she shares with SLA the challenges of being a Nigerian chocolate maker and why her company is called Kalabari Gecko. How did you find your way into making chocolates? I have always had this love for chocolate. I think it was as far back as when I was a little girl and being ascribed to as having a chocolate complexion. Also as a child, my sister planted a cocoa tree in front of our house all on her own. There is something very compelling about the visual structure of chocolates and its formation in a box. There is the mystery embedded in the interiors of its inner cavities, and the burst of polyphenols, a reward your brain is always thankful for. Whenever I travelled outside Nigeria, people would request I come back with chocolate. That used to get me upset. My response sometimes would be, “But we have cocoa, why don’t we make ours?” It was even sadder when visiting friends or family abroad, I had nothing to offer as gifts from my beloved Nigeria. So, you can say it was a two edged-sword. Thinking about Nigeria and the cocoa we have motivated me to stop talking and start creating. I’ve had this dream of becoming a chocolatier since 2010, but didn’t know how to go about it. There were no chocolate making schools or classes available anywhere in Africa. I had to head North of Europe to learn the art of bean to bar. My passion is for the Nigeria cocoa bean. You probably don’t know that our cocoa gets a lot of bad press for its distinct character. My Kalabari Gecko is 100% single source Nigerian chocolate. My chocolates are made from our locally farmed cocoa bean into tasty, satisfying treats. I want to change all that and make Nigerian chocolate an acquired taste. Something we can call ours. Why Kalabari Gecko? What’s the story behind the name? Initially, I had another name for my company. But one day I was conversing with a friend’s brilliant mum about my plans for the business and she advised me to change the name to a more Nigerian one. It was from there, the name Kalabari Gecko emerged. Every time the thought of my chocolate business came to mind, I always had a picture of this pretty rampant gecko in my head. This image started invading my dreams and I chose it as my logo. What do you do for a living? Do you have any plans to move towards making chocolates full time? I work full-time at a financial consulting firm, dbrownconsulting. We are into financial based training, consulting and outsourcing. I manage the Training and Marketing department. I love my job so much, and my boss has been really supportive of my business. It can be really hectic juggling both, but for now I try to find time in the early mornings to make chocolate, or after work, most especially weekends. I try to make my passion fuel me, and my dreams take me there. I would love to make chocolate full time and I am working towards that goal. How do you plan to take your chocolatier business to the next level? I have often heard about the difficulty of acquiring a start-up loan from the banks; that it’ll be easier bringing Steve Jobs back to life, than get a loan from one of the banks. So, I am investing most of the money I take home to my chocolate business. I see my factory producing high quality affordable chocolate for Nigerians and the people they love all over the world. I want to make Nigeria the sweetest place in Africa. To get there, I am taking things one step at a time and right now, trying to put everything in place. If you could eat only one kind of chocolate for the rest of your life? What would it be? It would be the darkest of the dark, or any flavor enrobed in dark. I love the honesty the dark chocolate has. I even find myself popping freshly roasted cocoa nibs into my mouth whenever I roast. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Rosie Mashale: Life in the townships is filled with entrepreneurial energy
Rosalie “Rosie” Mashale was born in a small village called Kgubetswana, Matatiele in Eastern Cape. There, she studied and trained for thirteen years before moving to Khayelitsha. Trained teacher and care worker, Rosie founded a community-based project Baphumele, a crèche along with a group of women from her community. Writer Megan Gieske visited Khayelitsha and spoke to Rosie about Baphumele. She shares what she found with SLA. Langa Township is the oldest township in South Africa. Langa is a suburb in Cape Town established in 1927 after the Urban Areas Act. It is one of the many townships in South Africa designated for Black Africans during the Apartheid era. Since the 1960s, when the forced resettlement of the Apartheid era began, the people of Langa have wanted privacy and a sense of ownership. Rosie remembers being disturbed by seeing township kids sorting through rubbish dumps in search of food while left unattended by their parents. As life in the townships is filled with entrepreneurial energy and community spirit, Rosie knew she had to do something. Born and raised in Kgubetswana, Rosie was described feeling very shocked and puzzled when she arrived in Khayelitsha. “I opened the doors to take care of the orphans, for me it is a calling to do what I am doing”, Rosie says. She responded by taking children into her home, and together with a group of women from the community, began looking after these unsupervised children. This group later went on to found Baphumelele Educare Centre after moving to Khayelitsha in 1989 with the aim of providing a safe environment for township kids. From the first week, Rosie and her partners cared for thirty-six children. The name given to this project was Baphumelele, a Xhosa word meaning “you have progressed”. From these humble beginnings, Baphumelele Educare Centre was founded, which today is an established community crèche and Grade R (preschool) caring for roughly 230 children aged three months to six years. While the Educare Centre had developed a reputation for looking after children, Rosie also felt a calling to reach out to orphaned children in the community. To that end, Baphumelele Children’s Home was created as a place of safety for abandoned, abused, neglected or orphaned children, many of whom have been affected by the HIV/Aids pandemic or have HIV/AIDS themselves. Now, Rosie acts as Baphumele Organization’s managing direction and founder. From her initial idea, Rosie now permanently employs 204 people while 60 earn stipends as paid volunteers. Rosie aims for Baphumele to be a beacon of hope in Khayelitsha. Even though Rosie has received 28 local and international awards —and been visited by Nelson Mandela—, she says her greatest reward is the kids she works with. “The children who have been here at Baphumelele are progressing. Some are social workers, accountants, etc. They do not forget where they come from. My real motivation is that. At heart, I am very gentle, impressionable, receptive, a dreamer and visionary.” On the high wall that surrounds Baphumele’s many Educare centers, there’s a world map painted in bright colors. Many of the buildings on Baphumele’s campus have plaques recognizing local and international support. Baphumele Children’s Home is a demonstration of what a community, local and international, can achieve when everyone works together. “I am a person who supports change, innovation, and human advancement,” Mashale says, “I am strongly committed to a humanitarian cause and social improvement. I wish to contribute something of value to the world, or at least to my community.” You can read more on Mashale’s “success” on the website: www.baphumelele.org.za
Christine Kanana Mukira: Passion, the secret ingredient for a yogurt-making startup
Christine Kanana Mukira is a young entrepreneur with an academic background in law, business administration, and office management. Kanana quit her NGO job to start a yogurt-making business in Nairobi, Kenya. Maureen Murori, our SLA contributor paid a visit to an enthusiastic Kanana who shared her dream of having a one-stop shop for fresh, natural, products straight from the farm to her clients’ kitchens. It’s early Saturday morning. After beating the Nairobi traffic, I head to meet a lady whose yogurt business is gaining roots. She had promised to let me in on what keeps her going even when business goes south. Christine Kanana Mukira meets me at the entrance to an estate in Ngara. It is situated on the outskirts of Nairobi central business district. We sit outside her shop, which she co-owns with another business owner. While Kanana’s specialty is the production of natural yogurt, her friend makes fresh fruit juice. “I don’t think I’m an entrepreneur,” Kanana worriedly tells me as she settles into a chair opposite mine. After pleasantries and small talk to break the ice, she relaxes and takes me through her entrepreneurial journey. Kanana had always had an entrepreneurial spirit, way before her current yogurt business. Back in 2013, she used to own a poultry business but had to leave Nairobi when she got a job with an NGO. She worked in the social development world and enjoyed helping community members. But this was not to be for long, she wanted something different. “I needed a new challenge”, Kanana told me. After three years, she had had enough of being an employee. She quit and went back into running her own business. This time, it was yogurt making. Why yogurt? “After some research, I was concerned about the ingredients used in making yogurt, things easily found in supermarkets like milk powder, lots of sugars and flavours,” Kanana says. “I wanted to create a product that used purely natural milk and natural sugars.” According to Kanana, her yogurt is made of pure milk, natural vanilla plant, strawberries, and natural sugars. Her six-month-old business which started with just three litres of milk has since grown to over forty liters a week, and demand is still growing. ”To get to forty liters a week was not easy”, Kanana admits. She said were it not for her passion, she would have given up a long time ago. When she first started out, she was fortunate to not only find a reliable and affordable fresh milk vendor but also customers who believed in her new product. Without prior knowledge or skills, Kanana says she had to practically do everything from sourcing for milk, collection, producing yogurt, and even sales. However, she learned quickly how to get some of the workloads off her shoulders. With the increasing yogurt demands, she was able to convince her vendor to deliver milk at her shop once a week, or as demand increased. The challenges so far No sooner had she tackled the delivery challenge than another popped up. She realized that sometimes, customers did not drink as much yogurt as she had produced. Because she didn’t use preservatives, by the end of a week, she had to give out yogurt for free before it could go bad. The weather can also be a challenge for her business. “When it is cold, as it is now, not many customers drink yogurt. They prefer hot beverages,” Kanana said. She has since reduced the number of litres she makes per week especially during the rainy season in Nairobi. Is she seeking to become wealthy from the business? Although she acknowledges that capital can be a challenge for some entrepreneurs, she quips “a business idea is capital in itself.” “Wealth is the ultimate goal for every entrepreneur,” Kanana states, “but passion is the driving force, and love for the business makes it even easier and more enjoyable!” She cautions entrepreneurs not to be in haste to make profit from a startup. Business is a risk and stability usually begins between the sixth month and the first year, and for some, even longer. Eventually, only the passionate and patient remain strong enough to watch their business take shape. Future plans Kanana wants to expand to the sale of more natural products so she can encourage people to adopt healthy lifestyles. Since her business is located within an estate, she hopes to be the source of all natural products for homes within the locality. “My dream is to have a one-stop shop where I can sell fresh, natural, products straight from the farm to my client’s kitchen,” says the enthusiastic entrepreneur whose inspiration comes from her entrepreneurial parents. Kanana believes that natural products will help fight some of the nutrition-related chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, among others. Kanana says that customers often ask for fresh milk, and she is thinking of diversifying into that direction. Although many supermarkets have introduced milk dispensers, Kanana says this is not a challenge for her. After all, the stores specialize in skimmed milk, while she will go for whole milk which she says has more nutritional values for children, pregnant women and the elderly. Advice for other entrepreneurs Kanana urges upcoming entrepreneurs to ensure the right location for their businesses. This way, customers can easily access your product. And also, you’d enjoy proximity to raw materials needed for production. As for friends, the young entrepreneur says, “in business, you will lose or gain friends. Some will support you, and others will not even want to be associated with you.” How it all ended One good thing about interviewing entrepreneurs is that you get to taste their products or to take souvenirs home. I was in luck today. I was served some natural strawberry yogurt. It was thick, smooth, fruity and delicious! Tell us what amazing entrepreneurial things women are doing in your communities here.
Lillian Achom: Using technology to revolutionise report cards in Uganda
Say yes if you recall the days of paper report cards in primary and secondary school. It may not have been a big deal to some, but to Lillian Achom the inadequate procedures of schools cost her to enter university a year late. Information Systems was a new one for us. Yet there are even brilliant entrepreneurial ideas in the education sector. Lillian is one woman tapping into this is. Lillian is an Information Systems Professional that provides university information to students in and out of Uganda. Tell us about your startup. What societal challenges do you hope to address with it? Throughout my primary and high school, we used to be given hard-copy, class results to take to our parents. However, by end of the year two or even year one, there would be no records of all the previous results for comparisons with current results. As a result, it was difficult to rule out where my strengths and weaknesses were in the different subjects. When I joined Advanced Level, at the time for applying to join university, we were given information about the available universities courses, their entry requirements among others. I was seeing these for the first time so everything looked new to me. Besides, my performance in my subject combination at A level was way below the entry requirements I was seeing. The lack of prior knowledge of university entry requirements and poor choices I made affected my studies. I never got admitted in any university that year. However, I managed to join a tertiary institution one year later. What I experienced years back in my high school are what the majority of students are still experiencing today. Schools use manual systems to provide information about public universities to students. Students receive hard-copy performance results. Some students make changes and provide wrong results to their parents. Very few parents are able to keep track of the student’s results slips from previous years and monitor the child’s performance as the paper reports get misplaced. Some students or parents have to travel long distances to respective universities in order to access information on admissions to universities. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information System, I had the passion to startup something and put it out there for people. The above was what motivated me to focus on building an Information and Students Performance Evaluation Tool, GradeScore. What does GradeScore do? GradeScore is an online platform for evaluating high school students’ performance as they work towards joining university courses of their choice. It allows easy access to crucial information about all universities in one portal. Information such as minimum entry points for each course at university and subject requirements for each course at respective university. The platform is also aimed at providing an electronic version of students’ performance records. This is accessible privately by the student or his/her parent/guardian. Would you say you’re fulfilling your passion? Yes I am. To me, the input from users (teachers, students and parents) and the subscriptions are some of the indicators that there was indeed a gap and the product is much needed. How do you go about achieving your business goals? We involve the users, students, teachers and parents, who have greatly contributed to what the system is to-date. Also, we are in partnership with Education Secretariats who recommend our product to the schools. One of the challenges we have experienced in schools is where the teachers in charge of career guidance feel that the project will render them jobless. We managed to bring them on board when we explained that the system is for them to use. It actually simplifies the work guidance counsellors do, the existing manual system is tedious and time consuming. What has been the best moment of your career so far? When I got a scholarship to upgrade my Diploma in Information Technology to BSc Computer Information Systems at Africa University, Zimbabwe. You mentioned you volunteer. As a volunteer, what advice will you give other young women looking to start volunteering? Volunteering is not for people who place importance on financial gains. There are lots of passive benefits attached to it. It should not been seen or treated as if you are doing the organization a favor. Once you commit to volunteering your service somewhere, put in your whole because you just never know who is watching. What is your favourite life quote? This is one of them, “Keep away from people who try to belittle your dreams. Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you feel that you, too, can be great”. It’s from Mark Twain. Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Nontobeko Tshabalala: Working towards being a woman worth watching
Young people hold the answers to achieving sustainable development in Africa. These wise words come from Nontobeko Tshabalala. Nontobeko is from Swaziland, she is a journalist, blogger and social media extrovert. She believes that good writing enhances the experience of life and is working towards fulfilling that. Nontobeko is passionate about the youth and their involvement in making worthwhile contributions to the discourse around issues such as gender disparity, Afrocentricity. Nontobeko talked with our SLA contributor, Itumeleng Mphure on becoming a woman worth watching. How did you get into journalism? For the longest time, I wanted to be a lawyer but when I got to grade 12 I didn’t think that I would be happy as a lawyer in 30 years’ time. Then I had a conversation with my father and he told me that there can only be satisfaction in a salary if there is job satisfaction. So I applied for journalism at the Durban University of Technology because I love reading and writing. I went to a Technikon where they teach practical skills. What lead me into journalism is actually the reason why I wanted to be a lawyer for the longest time. It is because I can make strong arguments and find evidence to back it up. Which publications have you written? Before I moved to Ethiopia I was working at the Swazi Times as features editor and I am still a weekly columnist for Swazi News. I have also worked at the Sunday Tribune (Durban) and Soul Magazine (South Africa). What’s the best you have written so far? Every time I write an article I write it as though it’s the best I will ever write. When Lupita Nyongo had just won an Oscar and received a lot of publicity I wrote a piece about how it’s important to see dark girls in the limelight so that girls who look like that know that it’s okay to be dark. I wrote this article because there was a big debate over Lupita’s dark skin. Makila James who is the US Ambassador to Swaziland took that article back home for her family to read because she felt that it resonated with every black person. It is time for Africans to accept their different tones of their skin colour. What are you most passionate about? I want to lend my voice to the continued liberation of women. I don’t have a definite plan of where exactly I see myself in the future but I know that my passion will lead me to a place where I can advocate for women. What’s currently on your mind? Furthering my studies. My professional experiences surpass my academic qualifications and that makes me feel uncomfortable. Right now I am at the African Union (AU) and the tables I am sitting at require me to further my studies. What lead you to joining the AU? I have the constant desire to be better and improve myself so when the call for the African Union Youth Volunteer Programme came, I applied and now I am serving as the Special Assistant to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. I was chosen as one of the Media Institute of Southern Africa’s (MISA) Women to Watch in 2014 but I am constantly working towards being a woman worth watching. What’s your fondest beach side memory? It was in Mozambique. I went to apply for a visa to France and I had lunch by the sea side. It was a very stressful day but I eventually got my visa. I had lunch at the seaside and also took a walk. It was so calming and that’s what I remember most about it. Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Atti Worku: I wasn’t smarter than them, I just had more opportunity
Former Miss Ethiopia and Columbia University alumni, Atti Worku started Seeds of Africa Foundation (Seeds) as an afterschool program in the backyard of her childhood home in Adama, Ethiopia. Eight years later, the program has evolved into a full-time school which serves 114 children from poor families (with plans to serve over 150 students from September). Seeds’ model is a far cry from the traditional ‘chalk and talk’ methods in most Ethiopian schools with project-based learning forming the base for all learning. In addition, Seeds runs complementary community development programs including a microloans program for women to start or grow businesses, adult literacy training and health and gender workshops. Seeds of Africa plans to expand to a full pre-K to 12 program through its Dream School Campaign to purchase land and build a state-of-the-art education and community hub. SLA contributor, Liz Moran, who just so happens to be the Country Director of Seeds, recently chatted with Atti about Seeds’ origins and visions for the future. Where did the idea to start Seeds of Africa come from? You know, in the neighborhood where I grew up, most of the kids who lived nearby went to public school. I was lucky to attend a good private school. By middle school many of my neighbors were dropping out of school. Boys would drop out and work in the informal market while girls were getting pregnant. You could see all of the issues associated with poverty. I didn’t fully understand what it all meant at that time but as I got older I realized that I wasn’t smarter than them or anything. I just had more opportunity. Seeing these issues firsthand left a great impact. It was people I knew and grew up with and once I had that understanding I knew I wanted to do something. You started Seeds as an after-school program which later evolved into a full-time school. When you were laying out your plans for Seeds, how did you want it to be different from other schools in Ethiopia? When I was conceptualizing the program, I wanted to focus on quality. At that time elsewhere, there was a huge focus on numbers. The big push was to put kids in school rather than looking at what they were learning or the learning outcomes. I wanted to provide opportunity for students to reach their potential. I know this is cliché but I didn’t want kids to be limited by what was around them. I also wanted something that focused on the whole family rather than push kids away from homes. I knew I didn’t want a boarding school. Finally, I wanted to create a place where both boys and girls got the opportunity to learn together. We definitely need a push for girls’ education but I also believe that if boys and girls are in same space and learn to collaborate as children they can work better together as adults. I know that you recently returned to Ethiopia after several years abroad. How did it feel coming back and what changes have you seen in the country? The population growth is intense. You read about it but then in person you are confronted and think, “Holy cow, that is a lot of people!” The difficult thing is that the poverty is still there. The economy is growing but the population is growing even faster. On the positive side, the infrastructure has really improved which is necessary for development. Mostly, I was struck by how a lot of younger people are working now. People are very entrepreneurial. Growing up there was always a sense that people had lost hope. It just seemed insurmountable. People didn’t know where to start so they didn’t. I loved seeing the hustle of so many people –especially women– going to work in the mornings. With Seeds, seeing everything after so many years was really incredible. The kids are unbelievable. They are so smart, and inquisitive; so confident! When you think of the backgrounds they come from it is really a testament to the work of our team. They really understand why this work is important and treat the kids with a lot of love and respect. I also loved seeing the women whose businesses our microloans program has helped start or expand. It is actually changing the quality of people’s lives. I know this is probably hard but if you had to pick a favorite moment from your trip to Adama what would that be? So many but I really loved break time when the kids would all be jumping around. Everyday, I was secretly waiting until they’d come out of class. For me to be able to play the games I played when I was a kid with them was really great! I was also really touched when the mothers organized a coffee ceremony for me. They took initiative on their own. Oftentimes people think that if you’re poor, you’re helpless but that could not be further from the truth. They made that very clear when they collected their own money to have a get together and talked about wanting to give back to Seeds and contribute. They would say, ‘Tell us what more we can do.’ I really appreciated that! Looking towards the future, tell me a bit about the Dream School Campaign and Seeds’ plans for expansion. Currently, we have been renting facilities for our current campuses which is difficult. I believe that environment is a big part of learning. If you learn in a well-designed environment, you learn better and, more importantly, you see what is possible. I want to build something that our students and the community are proud of. In addition, the new facility will not only be a school but also a space that the community can take advantage of. We want to create a hub for other organizations to provide service and collaborate. We want to create the first public library in Adama and establish a model of how
Lornah Achieng: What it means to be a Christian fashion blogger
The faith industry is large and booming but it’s not limited to the pulpit. We have Christian books, a growing Christian movie industry and also Christian bloggers. Born and raised in Kenya, Lornah Achieng is a faith, fashion and lifestyle blogger. She says she started the platform to share life experiences and discoveries from the Bible -which she considers the core of her foundation. Through her blog, Lornah aims to inspire people to learn more about God, modest fashion, and inner beauty. SLA contributor Zipporah caught up with Lornah to uncover the inner workings of a faith blogger as well as other projects Lornah is involved in. Why the Cherries Vineyard blog? What inspired you to start? Cherries Vineyard was inspired from the book of John 15:1-8 which describes Jesus as the true vine. We are the branches and God is the vine-dresser. Actually the name came out when I was contemplating which blog title to use, and my mind landed on “Cherries Vineyard”. At first, I thought it was a captivating sweet name but through the years I’ve come to understand that it is a spiritual process. It was after that realization that I got the scripture, it is really amazing how God orchestrates things . When did your interest in fashion and blogging start? Honestly growing up, I was never keen on details and fashion per se. My sister is the one who made me realize the passion within. She used to correct me on the combination of clothes I wore and she still does once in a while. Through her, I was able to discover my love for fashion. What have been your greatest achievements? I can say being able to come out as a Christian blogger! Because I realized my passion is writing and being able to share the truth on my blog is quite daunting! You know people can at times be scared to speak the truth for fear of being rejected. Also through blogging, I have been able to grow spiritually. Like I said before, to me blogging is a spiritual process where I am able to learn more about being authentic. I can’t take people from where I have not been, I have to first be that which I encourage my readers to be. This has pushed me to mature and grow. To me that is an achievement. Tell us more about your interest in digital marketing I studied a Bachelor of Business and Information for my undergraduate and that is where my interest in marketing was cultivated. Currently, I do marketing and work with different brands offering them digital marketing strategies. What defines modest clothing to you? Personally, modest clothing is more than just a mere dress code. It not being religious or old-fashioned, rather, it is a way of expressing true love towards God by aligning ourselves to His standards –holiness. When we get to understand that our beauty doesn’t come from outward adornment of fine clothes but inner disposition of our heart, then dressing modestly becomes a matter of our relationship with God. With God there is purity and a renewed mind, this is automatically reflected in how we dress. Describe your style Simple, modest, elegant and classy if that is not mouthful. Who are your favorite icons that embody modesty? I’ll say the women of the past. First look at Peter 3:5 then, anyone whose modesty comes from within. Nash Amber of Set Apart style is also one among many inspiring bloggers who are ambassadors of true modesty. Do you have any future plans? My future plan is to impact lives with values and spread the truth about modesty. I want people to know that true modesty starts with the heart first before the clothing! Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Aina Fadina: I wanted to see a change in mainstream media
In a time where virtually anyone can discovering their production skills using their mobile phones, webseries have become a means to address the lack of diversity in mainstream media. I for Africa is one such series that features and celebrates African-inspired innovators across different industries. Its founder, entrepreneur, fashion model and creative director, Aina Fadina recently chatted with SLA about the series, which is now in its third season. What was the spark that leads you to create I for Africa? Living in NYC, I was surrounded by so many talented and innovative creatives, entrepreneurs, and innovative thinkers inspired by Africa, and I thought they needed to be celebrated. As I traveled around the world, I noticed the same examples. I realized there was something here. I felt that it was important to change the narrative of what mainstream media was reporting about Africans and immigrants. It’s important to change the narrative of our stories and the people telling African stories around the world. With so many web series, how do you stand out? The engagement with guests on the show is in a very relaxed format that draws the viewer in to the conversation. It is a conversation between two friends talking about what inspires them and motivates them to be pursuing their ventures. Additionally, the program highlights the transatlantic journey of people from different ports inspired by Africa. What defines someone inspired by the African continent? How do you brainstorm episodes and people to interview? Have you faced any difficulty finding personalities to talk to for the series? Someone inspired by Africa is in the manner in which they choose to celebrate the continent through their creative ideas. It’s the connection of the heart and soul to the continent. With coming up with episodes, I reflect on who I am inspired by personally and professionally. My finger is always on the pulse of what is happening, so it makes it quite easy to think about who to interview. Finding someone to interview is actually quite easy for me. I have a lot of friends who have recommended other creative friends. People have been very kind to say yes. There are so many dope people doing phenomenal things, so brainstorming is quite easy. An interview depends where I am, if I am able to connect to the people, and if they have a project coming out. Overall, coming up with a list of people isn’t challenging at all because there are so many creatives inspired by Africa. Did you have to learn any new skills to host a web series? I have experience modelling international. For modelling, I took commercial acting classes, which allowed me to transition to hosting. I have developed an acute understanding camera presence, engaging with people in the same space and how to engage with the camera. What has been the one I for Africa episode that stands out to you? They all stand out for me, every person I have interviewed has inspired me in so many ways. If I had to choose, perhaps it’ll be the first ones I shot in South by South West. Once we were done, I realized this is what I wanted to do. It also showed me that the path of content production wasn’t an easy one, but I wanted it. I wanted to see a change in mainstream media, rather than complain about it, I needed to create a solution. Taking that first step to create something is what stands out to me. Starting something isn’t hard; the challenge is how you chose to continue. As someone who travels a lot for work, which African city holds the most cheerful memories for you? Tough one…I have loved every African city for various reasons. Lagos fills the core of my existence. Cape Town challenged me the most from a psychological perspective. It was there that I met two friends —who became brothers— who welcomed me with open arms. Accra speaks to my soul. Cotonou brings beautiful childhood memories. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.