Jeanette Theu: When you try to be like someone else you limit yourself
Women in tech will likely remain a buzz word for a while. Tech is one of those industries that everyone would like to see more of a gender balance in. Jeanette Theu is one woman trying to correct that balance. The marketing manager for MTN Business Private Sector, Jeanette has experience in both the enterprise and startup worlds. In her pursuit of greatness and helping more people, she started a non-profit organization, GirlCode with her best friend. The organization aims to help bridge the gender gap inherent in the IT industry. Jeanette shares with SLA her non-profit startup, GirlCode, and her thoughts on women in the tech industry. How did the idea of GirlCode come about? GirlCode was originally the idea of my best friend, Zandile, who organized the first GirlCode hackathon in 2014. I helped with the arrangements and onwards, we started brainstorming on how we could turn helping women through hackathons into a non-profit organization. The idea materialized in 2015 when we registered GirlCode as a nonprofit organisation. The idea has grown since we first started. We now see GirlCode not only as a vehicle for empowering young women through hackathons, but also a vehicle for creating programmes to teach young women how to code. We’re also planning on growing our brand to start having corporate challenges, and implementing the Women Go Digital initiative. With the hackathon happening this year, our aim is making it bigger and better. We’ve enjoyed sponsorships from great partners like Standard Bank, Entelect, MTN, and Microsoft. Also, JoziHub has granted us their co-working space to hold the hackathon. What is it like working with your friend? I think being co-founders with my friend is not such a bad thing as we get to spend a lot of time working together. We understand each other, but working a full-time job in addition to running GirlCode can get a bit daunting. So, it’s important working with people who can constantly motivate and push you to do better. I feel very motivated working with her. We’ve known each other for over a decade which makes it easier to be transparent. What are some of the challenges that GirlCode faces? The main challenge we faced at the beginning was trying to get sponsorships. People get excited at the fact that it’s an initiative for women in the IT space. But it’s a bit challenging getting them to actually put in the extra effort to help. However, it’s been great having people actually wanting to help with the initiative. Some of our partners have been involved in trying to get our next hackathon off the ground. Some others are helping to get more girls in the IT industry. It’s been inspiring to see these companies making a difference in helping girls bridge the gap. How do you approach corporate organizations? Do you go in directly or approach the right person to help? For us, it is finding that one person within a company that would be our ambassador. Someone who would be our voice within the company and fight for us 100%. We’ve been fortunate to have a couple of these people in the various corporates we’ve approached. They believe in what we do and try their best to help us. What has been the motivating factor in making sure that GirlCode becomes a success? It’s about making a difference in someone else’s life and bringing each other up. It’s all about using the knowledge we have for the greater good. What are your thoughts on the level of involvement of women in technology in Africa? How can we get more women interested in technology? We are making small strides but still have a long way to go. We have powerful women in the tech industry and I think they can also give back in some way. More women in the industry need to pull some of the girls up by offering advice. We need mentors. We need women to empower young girls. We try our best at GirlCode but we need the seasoned/successful women to guide young girls in pursuing this career. More women should work on making a change in their respective fields and encourage other women. Any advice you’d give to young women/girls wanting to join the tech industry and becoming the next Jeanette? In terms of wanting to be the next Jeanette, I’ll paraphrase something I heard Shonda Rhimes say, ”If you try to be like someone else you will always be second best, but you can always be the best you.” When you try to be like someone else you actually limit yourself. Yes, it’s important to aspire to be like someone, but always be true to yourself. We want to know about women in your communities doing amazing things! Tell us about them here.
Yoliswa Cele: To improve your career, absorb everything like a sponge
So, you want to know about working abroad, embarking on a new career or being a currency exchange entrepreneur? Look no further, we have someone who knows a lot about all three. Yoliswa Cele is a South African-born entrepreneur. She is also the co-founder and CEO of Ndosi Strategies, a start-up firm based in New York. Through Ndosi Strategies, Yoliswa provides accessible development services, curating partnerships, and international platforms. The firm presently enjoys relationships with partners and clients in the US, UK, and across Africa, specifically, South Africa. Here, Yoliswa answers questions on improving your career born from her years of experience. What challenges should one prepare for when venturing into either a known or new field of business? The spirit of self-sufficiency and triumph over adversity is the core of entrepreneurship. That spirit is innate in Africans, particularly its women. Jumping into a new territory will always require a certain level of research, strategizing and guts. These days, via social networks, and the general internet, we all have the capacity to research. Do a research on your field of interest. Learn about the dominant figures and trends. Attend related events to familiarize yourself with the network. Always be available for networking events, panels and receptions. Once there, interact with people on all levels within that space, from interns to Directors. During the learning process, everyone has something to offer. Make a strong impression by asking thoughtful concise questions that project your own interest in expanding in the industry. Most importantly, show the desire to learn. Follow up with emails, connect on LinkedIn, pay attention to the types of news/articles circulating around the field. Make contacts and seek mentorship if need be. Work to build a support network within the industry to ensure that you make the best decisions, and are included in any opportunity circulations that can further facilitate your professional development. What advice would you give a young professional woman looking to being a currency exchange entrepreneur and having to move to a different country? The international exchange rate is significant to doing business abroad. Benefits are real and most likely will be the incentive to move to foreign job markets. In that kind of situation, it’s important to maintain your awareness of the focus on bettering your circumstances. Make sure that your own goals or purpose for emigrating in the first place, aren’t lost in any romanticized fantasy about doing business abroad. Going into more wealthy economies can be distracting because the lifestyle and environment are new. But don’t get distracted with the flash. Be focused and committed. Business is subject to rules, regulations, and the financial terms that exist in each location. Internationally, you have to make yourself aware of the differences between African economies and foreign ones. This will help you take advantage of the ways they complement, or conflict with, each other. Use your purpose and observations, to strategize the best course of action for each stage of your business growth. Utilizing the huge amount of affordable/free businesses development resources at our disposal —from free social media marketing, to website domains that are the price of a Starbucks latté, to make real growth in your presence, profile, profit and notoriety. There are tons of stepping stones for aspiring entrepreneurs. Social media is a virtual bridge connecting all corners of the world. For example, if you are getting into the global market with the hopes of selling a product, a better first step economically, might be to opt for an e-commerce vs. attempting to rent a psychical shop, and taking on a hefty rent bill every month. Working around the currency difference takes a thorough analysis and resourcefulness. What should an intern or a professional pre-empt in terms of applying skills rather than just knowledge? I don’t know if there are exact or specific skills one should possess when starting out. But I would say, be a sponge. Absorb everything around you during your internship. Work hard, but also work smart. This means asking questions, showing interest, and being consistent in your work. Go over and beyond to stand out in an internship environment. It will without a doubt bring you strong skills and relationships when moving forward professionally. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lisa Chiriseri: Some people get offended at my confidence in reaching goals
When you’re a young, black woman trying to make a change in the world, there will be people who don’t take you seriously. If you’re petite and are blessed with that strong melanin that makes you look ten years younger than you are, chances are you’ll be taken even less seriously. This is a problem Lisa Chiriseri has had to deal with often. Lisa is a Zimbabwean social entrepreneur who has run social initiatives since she was in university. Now back in Zimbabwe, she’s running several projects and a start-up. Here, Lisa tells us about her social initiative program – Street Exit Strategies and her energy project for women. Lisa also lets us know why women need to support each other and why she returned to her country to help in the re-building process. Most young Zimbabweans who study abroad don’t come back because of the issues at the homefront. Why did you come back? I had so many reasons to come back home. In my first year schooling abroad, I started a social initiative in Zimbabwe which I ran from school. But I always came home during the holidays to help the team on ground manage it. Secondly, though Zimbabwe wasn’t out of the woods economically at the time I graduated, there were prospects of improvements since we had just dollarized. The economy seemed to be stabilizing and we had the GNU (Government of National Unity). I was determined to be a part of my country’s rebuilding process and I’ve stuck it out for the past 5 years since I returned. How were you able to manage this social initiative in absentia? I believe in the indisputable synergy of a passionate team. When you have committed team members like I had, things tend to go well. Also, while away, with online communication, a good friend literally ran the initiative. Tell us about this social initiative. What was it about? It was called Street Exit Strategies, which is actually the name of my current registered trust, under which I run lots of other projects. It was basically a soup kitchen and rehabilitation centre. We focused on teens and young adults, especially those who were kicked out of homes and centres once they turned 16. So, we focused on rehabilitating them, reconciling them with their families and helping them continue with their O levels and tertiary education. We’ve got several inspiring stories to tell of our efforts. One of the guys we took off the streets and helped through O levels just completed his secondary education. Another is concluding his Master’s program at the University of Western Cape. And oh, there’s still another who just completed his degree in Political Science at the University of Zimbabwe. Do you still run the soup kitchen? We run it on a case by case basis because, in 2013, organizations running soup kitchens reached a collective decision to stop supporting people on the streets. More people just kept cropping up on the streets. Struggling people who had homes starting showing up on the streets looking for support and we needed to be more accountable. It felt like we were forcing people to go to school, forcing them to attend rehab sessions and peer mentorship programs. However, we continued with referrals to drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres and also providing family planning advice. What other projects are you currently involved with? I’m currently working on a gas-related project called Women in Energy. It’s a known fact that for a resource that’s mainly utilized by women, the energy sector is a rather male-dominated industry. Women need heat to cook, and some walk for kilometers to get firewood. Imagine the energy and time wasted! Exposure to fumes from unsafe firewood and paraffin also have adverse health implications. In the rural areas, you find women with gray films over their eyes, cancer of the lungs and other ailments that could have been avoided. I’m out to change that by providing clean, safe and affordable energy sources to these women. As a young girl, did you always know this was something you’d do? I’ve always been passionate about helping the disadvantaged. I didn’t know it was something I’ll be doing full-time. Actually, it only dawned on me recently, when I tried working a full-time consultancy job and I hated it. I realized it wasn’t for me, I simply couldn’t work at something that benefitted someone I didn’t even know, or whose objectives I knew nothing about. I always knew I wanted to help people and I’ve always had a way of balancing several projects at a time. What would you tell that young woman who’s involved in a career she’s not too keen on, but also afraid to venture out? I would say reach out, it’s really surprising how useful people can be if you tell them about your passion. Ask for pointers and referrals, but be very selective on who you talk to about your ideas. When you get the opportunity, introduce yourself and exactly what it is you want to do. Networking is also very important. Who you know is everything! The world has evolved and people are much more open to helping young women. There are organizations, groups, and activities making access to information and networking easy. Take your time, get as much information as possible then confidently step out. There’ll never be a perfect time so you’ve got to start anyway.
Dzivhu Precious Tshiwalule: I know and understand my own purpose
Dzivhu Precious Tshiwalule, a Dietician and co-founder of UPower Africa is one woman who makes being a superwoman seem easy. She attributes her balance in life to knowing and understanding her life’s purpose. As a wife and professional, she refuses to be limited by just her talent but strives to break new grounds. She is also the author of an informative book on eating right, ”Shaping your Attitude towards Healthy Eating.” Lerato Motshana, our SLA contributor had the chance to talk with this awesome and passionate woman. Tell us about UPower Africa UPower Africa is a youth development initiative focused on developing disadvantaged students, especially in remote rural areas. We help them gain access to basic information and education. So far, we have branches in Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Zambia. And in South Africa, every province has a UPower Africa manager. How did you become a part of UPower Africa? Co-incidentally, my husband is the founder of UPower while I am the co-founder. My husband grew up in poverty and so naturally, he feels obliged to help kids in rural areas who are going through what he had experienced first-hand. Aside being a co-founder, what are your other roles in UPower Africa? In addition to being a co-founder, I am also a member on the UPower Africa board. We are currently involved in a couple of projects, but I’ll mention a few. We donate computers, school shoes, online university applications and motivation to students in schools. I oversee these projects, liaise with provincial managers, and provide assistance where necessary. UPower Africa is not a typical NPO. How were you able to achieve that? I am inspired by the evident success and progression of those we’ve been able to help and motivate. Meanwhile, UPower Africa is just three years old but we’ve recorded successes in helping people get into universities. Let’s talk about your book, what’s it about? I wrote a book titled “Shaping your Attitude towards Healthy Eating”, and it extensively addresses the attendant health consequences of not eating right. The book is significant to me because as a first-year student in 2005, I was diagnosed with a brain tumour. As a Dietician and from the knowledge gathered, eating right contributes so much to good health. I never got to know the cause of the tumour but through research, I have come to believe there was a link to the kind of food I ate. So, I decided to write a book, highlighting the importance of healthy eating and how to keep chronic health conditions like cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetics at bay. Is healthy eating the ultimate solution to chronic health conditions? Evidently, food plays a huge factor but there are other factors like smoking and so on. Let’s move on to less serious stuff. What do you do for fun? I am usually so busy and actually don’t relax much. I do a lot of seminars on purpose discovery and the like. I am also involved in a lot of church activities, indoor exercises, and travelling. Obviously, I don’t engage in a lot of what people qualify as fun. UPower Africa, book-writing, being a Dietician, a mother, how are you inspired? I am excited and driven by my life experiences and the need to be of help to the next person. What would you say to an African young woman who views marriage as the ultimate life goal? Marriage can be beautiful if you are married to the right partner. My husband and I enjoy a unity of focus and that has helped our marriage. Notwithstanding, I don’t believe marriage is the ultimate life goal. A purpose-driven life should be the goal for everyone, man or woman. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here