Amandla Ooko-Ombaka: Ask for forgiveness, not for permission
[bctt tweet=”We need people who can walk between the worlds of business and government @AmandlaOO” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] When you’ve graduated from not one but two Ivy league schools it’s safe to say you are one highly educated individual. Amandla Ooko-Ombaka is not only book smart but has built her professional career with years of experience as a Management Consultant at McKinsey & Company, the world’s biggest consultancy firm. You’d think that would be it for her but not at all. Amandla’s ambition has her advising various non-profit boards as well as co-founding initiatives such as Second Story Africa and the Yale Leadership Institute. We can’t resist adding that she’s currently writing a biography of her late father, top Kenyan lawyer and politician, Oki Ooko-Ombaka. Our SLA contributor managed to secure a few minutes of her time to see if she does ever Our SLA contributor, Diana Odero managed to secure a few minutes of Amandla’s time to see if she does ever catches a break and to find out what motivates her. How does one juggle the various hats you wear and do it so well? I think the notion of daily balance is false so I don’t try and achieve balance on a day to day basis. It’s impossible with the job I do, where sometimes I work 17hr days, to say that I will go to the gym today, I will cook today, I will see my friends today…it’s just not possible. So I think the first step was allowing myself to think about balance over a period of time and that also gives me time to evaluate. Every two months I try to live a balanced life. Meaning in those two months, there’s good periods of working out, of sleep, of seeing my family and of work. [bctt tweet=”The notion of daily balance is false so @AmandlaOO doesn’t try to achieve it on a daily basis” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] The second step was learning how to say no, which I think has been a much harder lesson for me to learn. I find it very hard to say no especially to people I care about. So, I sort of tell the person asking me to do this or the other; that this is a really cool opportunity and I’m grateful but have to say no in the hope that this opportunity will be there again in future. Once I remove this notion that I’m not the only one who can do this thing, it makes it easier to say no. On top of your quite extensive and busy schedule, you are also writing a book. Tell us more about it and why you felt a need to do this now. The book is a biography of my father. It has been a passion project for the past 10 years. My siblings and I had constantly talked about doing it. I finally took some time off between graduating last year and going back to work to put some real time into the book. The process revealed itself in many different ways one being the more we work on this, the more it becomes our own story. We’re discovering who our father was and the contributions he gave to this country and to this world. I realize we are in a very unique position as his children to write about our perspective of him. We are trying to juggle telling his story and telling ours because his story has so much merit to stand on its own but our story is also valid and legitimate. The timing of this could not be more perfect as I finally moved home after living abroad for a while and I would love to get engaged in politics at some point. In many ways, my political identity is very much tied to my father’s political identity. So I need to understand him, who he was in his early years of politics and what formulated his opinions in order for me to make my own opinions. [bctt tweet=”Amandla Ooko-Ombaka’s political identity is very much tied to her father’s legacy” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You recently completed a dual Masters degree at Harvard, something not many achieve – what motivated you to pursue the two courses – an MBA and MPA/ID (International Development), simultaneously? I chose the dual degree because it was a reflection of who I am as a person. Some people may think it’s a lack of focus but my heart is very much in the public sector and my mind is very much in the private sector and I’ve just stopped fighting that. I’ve embraced who I am and my heart and my mind need different avenues to be fulfilled and to work optimally. Harvard business school catered to my mind and the public sector school while Kennedy catered to my heart. [bctt tweet=”My heart is in the public sector & my mind is in the private sector – Amandla Ooko-Ombaka” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] At a more fundamental level, I think that we need more multidisciplinary thinkers in the world we live in. Things are exceedingly complex and we need the sectors to work together. I don’t think business and government should be the same thing but we need people who can walk between the two worlds. Harvard doesn’t want you to be half a business person and half a public sector person. You should be able to completely hold your own in the two separate schools which I think is really important. I’m multidisciplinary by nature and I think there’s a role for people who think like me. A lot of the things I care about like power and utilities will not be funded by the government. The private sector will fund a lot of these projects, but they need the government to eventually take over asset ownership, right of passage etc. These two disciplines need each other so much more than we like to talk about. It is my life’s mission to bring them closer together. The joint
Nkem Okocha: I started Mamamoni because of my experience as a young girl
[bctt tweet=”@mobilewomenbiz brings investment to Nigerian women residing in urban and rural slums” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Nkem Okocha is the founder of Mamamoni, a social enterprise that empowers poor rural and urban slum women with free vocational/financial skills and micro-loans. She is very passionate about lifting women out of poverty and her company aims to break the cycle of poverty in Nigeria. Since 2013, she has impacted and empowered over 4000 women in several rural/urban slum communities and given out over 100 micro-loans. Nkem Okocha is a Tony Elumelu foundation Entrepreneurship Programme Alumna, a Young African Leaders Initiative Alumna and LEAP Africa 2016 Social Innovator. Can you tell us about Mamamoni? Mamamoni was born out of my experience. As a young girl with a widowed mother who had no skill and no source of income to take care of her four children, feeding and going to school was a challenge for the family. I wanted to empower the poor women I saw in my community and other communities I visited. Mamamoni’s aim is to help poor women generate livelihood income and also provide capital for those who cannot access finance from commercial banks because of barriers like collateral, transaction history etc. Mamamoni’s web platform enables socially conscious individuals to invest in low-income women by lending to them to fund their businesses. [bctt tweet=”@nkemokocha started Mamamoni to break the cycle of poverty in Nigeria” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How were you able to get partners and supporters for Mamamoni? I was able to get partners and supporters for Mamamoni when people saw our genuine commitment to lifting of low-income women in different communities. How do you identify women and children to assist? What is the process of getting help though Mamamoni? We identify low-income, rural or urban slum communities through our website and networks then go empower the women in that community. Growing up was tough for you, what advice would you give to anyone going through challenges be it financially, emotionally or physically? I will tell them to stay strong and commit to a purpose that brings joy to them. Regardless of what challenges you may be facing, stay focused and be determined to succeed. Where do you see Mamamoni in the next 10 years? We hope to have empowered over 10,000 low-income women across 20 states in Nigeria through our FinTech platform. If you were made Minister of Women Affairs for a day, what are the two things you would do? One thing will be to ensure every Nigerian woman no matter their economic status has easy access to credit to help them start or scale their business. The second thing will be to ensure all Nigerian girls goes to school and gets an education. [bctt tweet=”Every Nigerian woman should have easy access to credit to help them start/scale their business” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What is the one thing that will always make you smile? The expression of joy in the face of an economically empowered poor woman. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Itumeleng Modise: Becoming a muse happened organically and gradually
[bctt tweet=”Itumeleng Modise is a creative at heart who wants to contribute to the arts” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] “Art”, “self-expression”, “spiritual awareness”, and “muse” are some terms which best describe aspiring actress and TV presenter Itumeleng Modise, aka Solar. Originally from the East of Johannesburg and currently based in Pimville, Soweto, Solar is exposed to a peculiar yet balanced mix of subcultures which she uses for inspiration. She spent most of her working life as an Online English Teacher, a role that heightened her communicative skills and compassion towards those willing to learn. Solar is a creative at heart who wants to contribute to the arts. She is particularly interested in telling stories through the eyes of a young, urban black woman. Solar believes that having awareness, of yourself and others around you, helps you navigate through life a lot better. She shares her passion and journey with SLA, inspiring women to persevere and never give up on their dreams. How would you best describe your passion? My passion is communicating through speaking, writing, photography and acting. I’m also passionate about telling stories, my own and those of others, and helping people become more aware of themselves. My stint as an intern copy-writer at an advertising agency also gave me the opportunity to explore my creative writing and thinking in general. Because I believe that I am here to serve others, everything that I do and want to do includes the development of others, especially black women. I would love to work in sectors exposed to platforms that expose me to this. Currently, I am exploring the TV and film industry as an aspiring actress and TV presenter. [bctt tweet=”I believe that I am here to serve others, especially black women @MsSolar8″ username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I like to believe that I am a grounded person who with the aid of yoga and meditation can tackle life with clarity and peace of mind. Also I aspire to learn how to teach yoga and meditation to others. Especially in communities that are not exposed to this. When did you realize that you are meant to be a muse? I can’t single out a moment or time I realized that I am meant to be a muse. It’s something that just happened organically and gradually. I wasn’t even really aware that I was until other people started to point it out to me. It just comes naturally to me. What messages do you always try to portray through your craft? I always try to portray authenticity. That it’s okay to be yourself and that it’s enough actually. You don’t have to be like someone else to be liked or appreciated or to be influential. What is the hardest thing about breaking into the entertainment industry in South Africa? I would say the hardest thing is gaining recognition whilst totally being yourself. You are constantly told how you should look to be noticed and given a chance. It can be quite shallow because your looks or physical appearance are judged way before your talent is considered in many instances. [bctt tweet=”The hardest thing is gaining recognition whilst totally being yourself – Itumeleng Modise” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What has been your most memorable modeling/tv job? My most memorable TV job was filming my first lead role as an actress for a TV film that featured on Mzansi Magic. It challenged me to bring certain emotions out. The process really humbled me and challenged me to dig deep to bring those emotions out. I was left amazed at my ability to do so. Acting is not easy, whether or not you have received formal training for it. [bctt tweet=”Itumeleng Modise: Acting is not easy, whether or not you have received formal training for it” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Where do you go to find yourself? Finding myself is a process I’m still undergoing. So I wouldn’t say I go somewhere to find myself. However meditating helps me a lot with that process. I meditate to center myself and gain clarity and peace. If you were to recite a poem to strangers, what would the first three lines of the poem say? Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Phumeza Langa: I’m a serial opportunity sharer, I cannot help myself
[bctt tweet=”People have powerful stories to share and @phumezamzai encounters them as a freelance writer” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Phumeza Langa is a communications consultant and freelance writer from Jo’burg with a passion for uplifting women through her work and life. By day, she is a part of the marketing and communications team at ADT Security, and evenings are for exploring her true passion; writing! Phumeza’s writing is witty, vulnerable and relatable and always carries within it a feminist element of empowerment. SLA contributor Anelisa Nokoyo had a chance to interview this budding star to find out what makes her tick and what her future plans are. Tell us about yourself, who is Phumeza? Phumeza is an only child, born and raised in Johannesburg. I am a social introvert –I read that phrase somewhere, I quite like it. Currently, I’m a lapsing gym-goer (I hate admitting that); a bookworm and I binge watch series in the early hours of some weekend mornings. I am married to a wonderful man, we’re making a life for ourselves as East Randers whilst enjoying as many sho’t left travels as possible. What inspired your foray into the communications industry? I literally stumbled into the communications industry. I was in my Matric year and I had no real idea what I wanted to do after high school. So I went to the guidance counsellor at the time and based on her observations and what she knew of me, she suggested Public Relations. Fast forward a few years, I graduated from the University of Johannesburg and started working in PR agencies. When I was younger I had ideas of being a correspondent, similar to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. I was fascinated by her work, but more so because she was in conflict zones and reporting on the other side of the war stories we hardly ever hear about –the people’s stories- and ensuring that us, the viewers are aware and know what’s happening in the world. Being a writer allows me to do that as well in my own way, and it has been amazing thus far! I get goosebumps every single time I listen to the interview recordings I’ve done already –people have such powerful stories and lessons to share. You speak a lot about empowering and connecting women through your work. Tell us, how do you go about realising your vision every day? A lot of the time it’s really just trying to connect one woman to another one, whether it’s through knowing one woman who can assist another with a project; partner up with for a venture or even if I can help someone with a contact number or email. I’m a serial opportunity sharer, I cannot help myself. If I know you’re into something, you’re pursuing a passion or thinking of a venture, if I hear or read about something that is related to that, then I will share the information with you and applaud you when I see you rock it good! The other times it’s through my writing and the profiling of women from various backgrounds who are making a positive impact in not only their lives but in the lives of the people around them –whether it’s with their family or their community– through an initiative or business. It is only in recent years that we’re hearing and seeing more positive stories of women doing their very best in what they have chosen to do. I love that! I know there are so many more of these women out there, we all know them and we need to uplift them and one another. What are some of the challenges that have appeared as obstacles in your journey thus far? The one that I have recently started working through is being unable to pursue a course that I had been accepted to do this year. I was unsuccessful in securing a scholarship through some of the places I had applied to. This left me devastated, it wasn’t easy emailing the institution to let them know that I could not take up my spot. I had to acknowledge that I did well in being accepted in the first place –something I didn’t think I would. It would have been the start of a completely different direction of what I’m doing now at work, but it was in line with what I want to be doing more of in the long term. I’m starting to see the whole experience as a lesson in believing in myself more. I’m having those honest conversations with myself to figure out why I didn’t even trust in myself to hold my own. It is an uncomfortable conversation but very necessary, because what we believe of ourselves and our abilities can limit us and what we are capable of achieving in our lives. Yes, the path I thought I would be taking isn’t quite open to me in the manner in which I thought it would but it does not stop me from moving forward and doing what I had set out to do. [bctt tweet=”What we believe of our abilities can limit us and what we achieve – Phumeza Langa” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] There will always be obstacles that need to be overcome, it’s always a matter of reminding myself that I have to carry on. There is more beyond that moment of hardship -like the good things in life that are to be treasured. When did you discover your love for writing and what are your future plans as a writer? My writing started in high school but it was only after my first published piece in 2003 that I really took it seriously. I am that girl who still tries to write letters as often as possible: paper, pen and envelope –everything! When I was at UJ, I jumped at the opportunity to be the Bunting Road campus editor for the UJ Observer and reported to the editor at Kingsway campus. I knew very little about copy-editing and getting
Aisha Akiti: Your hard work can put you anywhere in the world
[bctt tweet=”The best way you can predict your future is to create it – Aisha Akiti” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Meet Aisha Akiti, CEO of Missashleybakes and Eventbyashley, a baking and events planning company. This business was founded a year ago after graduating from her degree. Being a mother of two kids there was no luck finding a job so Aisha decided to create one for herself. In fact, by the age of 10, Aisha was already selling candy, biscuits and doughnuts to her family and friends. Aisha’s favourite part of the business is that she is able to put her passion into reality. She also loves the daily interaction with clients as she helps them choose cakes and styles that match their personalities with the event. The bubbly entrepreneur from Tema, Greater Accra region of Ghana says even though she has had her business for a year she is still excited about it. We interviewed Aisha Akiti and here is what she had to say…. What do you bring into baking and styling that makes your business unique? I provide each client with signature designs and taste, I also treat clients like friends and let them get to know me. What has been your greatest achievement so far? My greatest achievement so far is that I’m able to create a job for myself. After graduating from university, I had no hope finding a good job. In addition, I am proud of the fact that I’m able to provide short-term job opportunities to other young people as and when my business allows. How do you plan on taking your business to the next level? I intend to take my business to the next level by introducing new products and services and hiring a social media manager to build my online reputation and engaging customers. Getting a mentor, someone who’s been there, done that and learned lessons the hard way is indispensable. Also important is having a good team, providing them with good working environment and training. I believe when the people around you improve, your business will improve. What four qualities do you think every young entrepreneur in your industry should have? I believe every young entrepreneur in my industry must possess these qualities: Passion and leadership skills: Your passion will drive you to turn your ideas into reality. Good numerical skills: You will need to measure ingredients and other basic items. Creativity: Anyone can bake but to stand out from your competition the element of creativity is necessary. With creativity, you’re able to offer something different from the crowd. You must be able to work under pressure. Baking is a lot about timing and it’s important to grasp the right time that may cause unnecessary stress. You’ll also need the ability to face the immense amount of stress when the end product does not turn out as expected. Teamwork is also extremely important in a kitchen. You need to be able to work with other people to make beautiful creations on a large scale. What has been your overall experience in this industry? My overall experience in this industry is that the best people, no matter who they are, who they know or where they are on the ladder can succeed with their work being recognised. Your hard work can put you anywhere in the world. Fear must be removed and you must focus on getting to where you want to be as fast as possible. [bctt tweet=”No matter who you are, you can succeed with your work being recognised” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] If it takes one skill to be the best, what skill would you choose? Why? I would choose communication skills because having a good ability to communicate will help you to build up relationships, present ideas and most importantly make you a better leader. With good communication skills, you will be confident to talk and present your thoughts in public thus boosting your chances of success when you have to negotiate or persuade a client. A good leader is not the most intelligent one but the one who can inspire everybody the most. And how can you motivate people around you? Mostly using your words by communicating with them. What do you think other young women can learn from your start-up story? Young women can benefit from my start-up story knowing that in life you don’t have to depend on anyone, you can create your future. The best way you can predict your future is to create it. You are your own boss knowing how to bake, design and style an event with confidence, you can be anything you desire with hard work and determination. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Vivian Sonny-Nsirim: I have a passion to inspire and motivate young mothers
[bctt tweet=”YMF seeks to support & empower less privileged mothers and children in African societies” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] After working for a while in both the private and public sector, Vivian Sonny-Nsirim decided to follow her passion in supporting and inspiring young girls and women. She founded Young Moms Forum, an online parenting social support networking group for mothers and soon to be mothers. With over 26,000 members the group is aimed at sharing topics, ideas, issues, and challenges surrounding parenting, motherhood, business, relationships, and so on. As a wife and mother of three boys herself, Vivian is a coach and an award-winning inspirational/motivational speaker. How long has Young Moms Forum been in existence and what made you start such forum? Young Moms Forum (YMF) was founded in January 2016 out of my passion to inspire, motivate and educate mothers and soon-to-be mothers on parenting, motherhood, relationships, business, career and other matters of mutual interest. It is a platform whereby women from all works of life come together to share ideas on issues and challenges facing them; provide advice, personal experience and suggestions on how to manage such challenges. The Young Moms Support Foundation (an offshoot of YMF) seeks to support and empower less privileged mothers and children in the society, especially in Africa. How do you manage the forum to ensure unity among members and that the purpose of the forum is maintained? YMF has rules and regulations guiding the members. Any member that goes against the ground rules will be sanctioned. Depending on the severity of the indiscretion, they may be blocked from the group. This means that they will no longer have access to the group’s discussions and articles. With an MBA, one would expect you to grab the next high paid job in the industry. Why choose to be a motivational speaker? I have already done those “high paying” jobs both in Nigeria and the United Kingdom (including stints in the oil and gas industry and appointment in the public sector) but none has given me as much satisfaction as I derive from bringing succor to young mothers and mothers-to-be. Therefore, the driver for my opting to do what I am doing now is the passion in inspiring and motivating young mothers rather than pecuniary benefits. [bctt tweet=”Vivian Sonny-Nsirim has worked high paying jobs but opted for inspiring young mothers” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You have stayed in both UK and Nigeria, how would you compare the way women support each other in the different societies? Women all over the world are the same and experience similar challenges. However, the difference lies in the level of education and literacy obtainable in each clime. The level of literacy among women in the UK is alleged to be higher than that of Nigeria reducing such bottlenecks as superstition, myths, unwholesome traditional practices, discrimination and the rest. This makes it easier for women to trust and support one another easier than they do in Nigeria. What are some of the mantras you live by? I believe that, if you try and fail, try again, if you want to change the world, empower a girl-child and, with God all things are possible. [bctt tweet=”Vivian Sonny-Nsirim: If you want to change the world, empower a girl-child ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What is your take on being a stay-at-home mum versus a working mum? Which do you think is the better option? It depends on each woman’s peculiar circumstances and agreement with her partner. The underpinning focus should be on her family’s harmony. In your opinion, what are the four major keys to a long lasting marriage? My four keys to a long lasting marraige will be; effective communication, faithfulness, respect and forgiveness. Tell us two things on your bucket list. We want to build Young Moms Academy in at least 5 African countries where we can empower young mothers through skills acquisition. Secondly, we plan to embark on an enlightenment program to refresh young moms’ knowledge on how to run their homes better. We intend to accomplish these, especially the former, between the next two to five years. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Mbali Peaceful Kgomo: Never a victim always a fighter
[bctt tweet=”For Mbali Peaceful Kgomo, being HIV positive won’t stop her from succeeding” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] It can be said that HIV is highly stigmatised in black communities in South Africa. People living with the virus choose not to disclose their status to others because of the prejudices they know they will have to face. However, this does not apply to 21-year-old Mbali Peaceful Kgomo who lives by the slogan, “Never a victim always a fighter“. A blogger, journalist, youth ambassador and the founder of WADA16 Campaign (World Aids day awareness), Mbali was born and bred in the roads of Ekangala. She says being HIV positive will not stop her from succeeding. Tell us about WADA16 When I found out about my status, I was miserable. I had so many questions to a point where I even questioned the point of living. I wished I could give God a call and give Him a piece of my mind, I didn’t understand and kept asking myself, “why me?”. Back then, I thought I had lost value and was nothing but useless. WADA brings awareness to our communities because as people we are ignorant about the virus and we’re often stigmatized. WADA is trying to bring positive change about what people think and how they look at those people who are infected with the HIV virus. You are currently involved in the second coming of Uthingo Mail, which means you will be playing a huge role in what media and information are shared with the young people of Siyabuswa. How do you plan to use this platform? A goal without a plan is just a wish. Firstly, I need to find people who are willing to be part of my team and who won’t give up along the way, people who are not lazy and who are willing to learn. I want to give young people the platform to experience new things and to recognise what they really want to do; I’m actually targeting high school learners. Before we can even go to print I’ll post their stories on our Facebook page first until I’m satisfied with their writing. I also need to find sponsors for the newspaper there’s actually a lot that needs to be done. You’ve been characterized as brave. Tell us how difficult it was for you to finally open up? Well at first it was really difficult to share my story until I had a mini argument with my cousin. She said to me, “You’re too young to be HIV positive, you should go fetch your pills.” This really hurt me so bad I felt useless at that moment and my reply to her was, “At least I know my status what about you (uhambe uyotesta) go test.” If I can recall then I decided to cut ties with her. I figured that I need to tell people about this, they need to be taught about HIV/AIDS because most people think when you’re positive you’re automatically on treatment and it’s not like that. There’s a certain stage you have to reach before taking medication and I must say I’m healthy and my CD4 count is above 500 so I’m not on treatment yet. [bctt tweet=”People need to be taught about HIV/AIDS – Mbali Peaceful Kgomo” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I found out about my status on May 25, 2015, I was very angry, confused, disappointed and I felt so dirty at that moment. I couldn’t believe it was really me, I sat there and cried but then I had to pull myself together. When I went out that room, I felt so horrible deep inside. I even thought it was the end of my life but then it was only the beginning of great things. After finding out about my status I decided to get a tattoo on my back that’s written, “Never a victim always a fighter”. How has your life changed since you found out about your status? In the last two years, my life has changed dramatically. I was really an outgoing person and there were so many people in my life which I called “friends” who were really not true friends. I was a lost soul until I decide to cut them out of my life and associate myself with positive minded people. Look at me today, I’m a person I never thought I would be. Some people even look up to me, I’m just glad that I’m a different person than I was before. It is difficult to breathe in a black society when you are HIV, how do you overcome all the negativity? I will maintain the positive attitude I have always had and I won’t let anything stop me from doing what I do best. I will walk tall like nothing is happening even though there will be people who will look at me differently and talk bad about me. [bctt tweet=”Mbali Peaceful Kgomo: I won’t let anything stop me from doing what I do best” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] At the end of the day, I’m planning to change that as I will be spreading factual information about HIV. People need to understand that just because you’re positive it doesn’t mean you are sick, it’s just a virus living inside your blood. What was required to finally say, “Yes I am HIV and I am not ashamed”? It was three things, bravery, strength, and courage. You once said, “Tattoos are my medicine”, how so? Lol! I’ve got eight tattoos in total and they all have different meanings. The tattoo on my wrist is in memory of my late mother. When I got it, I was still grieving and it was so hard for me to accept her passing. But after getting the tattoo the pain I was feeling inside slowly faded away. I have another tattoo on the right side of my wrist, I got that one after being betrayed. It was actually a way of me forgiving that person but not forgetting what happened. I was
Nkem Offonabo: I visualize the woman I want to become
[bctt tweet=”Creating beautiful & functional spaces come easy for Nkem Offonabo founder of HomeWorth Interiors” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Nkem Offonabo is a seasoned banker, youth empowerment advocate, humanitarian, content manager and ultimately an entrepreneur who believes that passion can thrive into a great business. She is passionate about décor, personal development and wealth creation. With an innate love for aesthetics, creating beautiful and functional spaces comes so easy for Nkem. This was the drive for starting her company HomeWorth Interiors, a business she gradually is turning to an empire. She hopes to have a home gallery filled with all things luxury living, fashion accessories and collection of arts. Nkem Offonabo is making the world more beautiful one room at a time. Please tell us about your company and how it all began HomeWorth Interiors Concept Limited is a registered company that specializes in Interior Design, Furniture and Furnishing. Our unique product assortment ranges from custom-made furniture, upholstery, window and floor treatment, lighting, soft furnishings to exquisite bedding ensemble. We also offer bespoke home improvement advisory services to meet the needs of our clients. It was born out of an innate passion to create beautiful and functional spaces that reflect individual taste and style. Over the years, this passion has thrived into a business and was later incorporated in 2016. We recently launched HomeWorth Cleaners to the already existing business line, commercial cleaning services for both residential and corporate organizations. [bctt tweet=”Nkem Offonabo: I believe that one’s home or office space is a reflection of their personality & lifestyle” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How do you ensure you deliver excellent service to customers? I relate with my customers on a personal ground. I believe that one’s home or office space is a reflection of their personality and lifestyle. For us, design or business consultation starts with a preliminary meeting with the client, to understand their design preferences, through the life of each project. They’re carried along to ensure that our collective ideas are translated into the final outcome. What’s your source of inspiration for your designs? It most times feels innate but I get inspiration from places and spaces, colors and patterns. A pattern in a fabric shop could spark an inspiration for a design. I am constantly saving images online and in magazines for color and design inspiration. For most minimalist projects, the client and I come up with an idea from personal choices which will be developed to a final outcome. [bctt tweet=”HomeWorth Interiors aims to work on job and wealth creation for Nigerians and African beyond” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You run a multi-service company, what other services are you likely to add on in the nearest future? We want to be a full-fledged home services provider. We plan in addition to home decor and cleaning services, to include home moving services where we help people moving houses to carefully transport their items or belongings to their new homes or offices. Our long-term strategy is to establish a factory, where home furnishing accessories and related products (like bedding, mattresses, etc) will be manufactured locally in Nigeria. This is working in line with the Federal Government local content mandate which will help in job and wealth creation for Nigerians and Africa beyond. What is your golden rule in business? You win. I win. We all win. Can you tell us more about your CSR initiative, Energizing Lives Foundation? Energizing Lives Foundation for the less privileged is a non-profit organization focused on youth between the ages of 12 to 25 years old. It empowers youth with the mission of raising global influencers through an academic, capacity building and community based projects. Our three major platforms are: Project Decorate, Project Save2School, Project Acquire. In June, 2016, we partnered with Heritage Home Orphanage, Ikota, Lagos for our flagship project tagged “Project Decorate”. We decorated the living room of the orphanage home, to create a conducive ambience for recreation and learning. We intend to replicate this project in more orphanage homes and schools as part of our community-based projects. Our next project is centered on academic empowerment of the young adults. We intend to partner with another orphanage home(s) to sponsor some orphaned youths through school (from secondary to tertiary institution), provide them with job opportunities or skill acquisition, and monitor their progress until they are well able to contribute and positively impact the society. We are looking to partner with The Living Fountain orphanage, Oniru, Lagos on this project. It is a combination of two of our platforms, Project Save2School and Project Acquire. We have more details on this on our Facebook page. How will a typical day with Nkem be like? I start each day with some quiet time with God, a review of my daily to-do’s and a lot of multitasking between my day job and my hustles; engaging clients, organizing the vendors to ensure delivery of design projects and writing on my blog crownmusings. What is your favorite piece of house furniture? My all-time favorite piece of home furniture would be a mirror. Besides being a tool of admiration, a mirror acts as a reflective tool to question and evaluate oneself. In my mirror, I see the reflection of a woman crafted in the image of God, beautiful in His eyes and visualize the woman I want to become. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Kiba Bam: I am fulfilling my passion of empowering young people to unleash their potential
[bctt tweet=”Kiba Bam: When l started l had limited technology and resources but l was a woman on a mission.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] The size of Africa’s hair market is just mind- blowing. The demand for human hair is increasing by the day and from this we have seen the increase in the supply of this contemporary ‘ladies’ essential’. We have with us CEO of HAIREXPRESS Premium, Kiba Bam sharing her entrepreneurial experience. Born and bred in Cape Town, South Africa, Kiba’s heart of entrepreneurship was kindled at the age of 9 when she was working in her parent’s shop. This exposure forced her to think on her feet and be mature enough to handle the business’ finances. The young lady then moved to Johannesburg to study Clothing Management and from then she was in the retail industry for 9 years. From learning the dynamics of the industry Kiba had sparks of interest to tap into the undiscovered potential in beauty retail. This led to the birthing of her human hair distributing retailer and custom wig making company. When did you “charter” HAIREXPRESS? HAIREXPRESS premium opened for its first day of business in August 2015. I started the business by myself in my parents’ house, working from my bedroom. The business retails human hair bundles, custom makes wigs and is a distributor to salons. When I started I had very limited technology and resources but I was a woman on a mission. Results and progress is all I cared about. I started the company because this was a dream God gave to me. l believe I started at the right time because everything was just flowing and HAIREXPRESS came together. Initially, I never had funds to start the business but as I said things just worked out for good. I got pregnant and the company l was working for in Joburg started retrenching staff. I was due to give birth to my daughter and decided it would be done in Cape Town where my family is. In the midst of my maternity leave I got a call to say l was getting laid off. Funny enough there was no panic in my spirit because consciously I did not intend to go back to Johannesburg. This call then meant I would get a retrenchment package of R50k, it came and l invested part of this money into buying my first stock. The rest is history as they say. What successful ideas have you implemented to boost your business? Re-working my marketing plan was the best thing I could have done for the brand. As we know without customers there is no business. We went for a total brand revamp. Before I explain what we did, I want to share why we did it. The reason was we identified our niche target market and we also studied our competitors closely and capitalized on their weaknesses. It’s not enough to have just good hair. We created a lifestyle around the brand. We wanted our clients to desire to be identified with the brand, for it to be a personal thing for them. To love the hair and the woman behind the brand. Since we have taken this leap clients have been rolling in and we are being noticed by a few media houses for interviews which is great. So publicity tick, customers tick. [bctt tweet=”Re-working my marketing plan was the best thing I could have done for the brand” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Based on your experience, is it better to cut staff or use less expensive products to reduce salon costs? The best is to possibly reduce the hours of staff but not cut on staff as your people are an asset to the business. The pleasant thing about our business is that the staff rent for space from our premises so it’s a win-win situation. Bringing in labour when it’s most needed and having contractual staff instead of permanent staff. I don’t have the opportunity to use less expensive products because I sell and distribute a premium product. My brand is everything. My integrity is all I have in the industry and I can allow bad publicity over bad quality. It’s not the HAIREXPRESS premium way. How do you think your start-up story will motivate other African women out there to start their own business? It will motivate them because I honestly started something from nothing. We have a very clever God! All He requires from you is willingness. I was willing and hungry to be the CEO of my own multi-national. I’m not there yet but I started and now I’m working my plan. My strategy is in motion. I want to motivate other woman and say money should not stop you from starting because I didn’t have money. I got retrenched at my old office job. Things worked out, they always do. Endure the beginning stages. They are painful but well worth seeing the growth and change. [bctt tweet=”Money didn’t stop Kiba Bam from launching HAIREXPRESS premium @kibabam” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Women need to forget about the noise and focus on their purpose in life. Being the It girl, best dressed, wife to a rich guy is not an achievement. If that’s what you want then great, own it but what I know is we all have dreams given to us by God. Take a leap and just try and try everyday to move closer to the dream. Women need to understand that they are natural born leaders. We are naturally organized and think things through. We always have a plan A- Z. That already is the mind of an entrepreneur. What is the best thing about being an entrepreneur? Being able to transfer your knowledge to other young entrepreneurs and colleagues in the entrepreneurial space. This is a long road that needs focus and determination. The best thing about the journey for me is to see the strategy coming together. I started alone and now I have a very savvy smart business manager who is
Kokonut Stylist: African fashion is simply magic!
[bctt tweet=”I wanted to create something that was unique to me as a Swazi woman @KokonutStylist ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Kokonut Stylist aka Nomalungelo Koko Shabangu has always been passionate about clothing. She uses Swazi traditional material and transforms it into elegant ensembles. She is a passionate and creative being with an aim of creating a lasting fashion legacy that will outlive her. Nomalungelo’s understanding of fashion came with discovering Coco Chanel, whom she thinks is the greatest fashion icon to have walked this earth. She is inspired by Chanel in her fashion journey and believes that she is the reincarnation of Coco Chanel. Why did you choose to turn Swazi traditional attire into trending fashion items that can be worn on a daily basis? The lihiya (Swazi traditional cloth) inspiration came as a result of contemporary fashion trends. As women, we are going back to our roots; rocking natural hair, wearing traditional wear as a fashion statement, etc. I remember vividly wanting to create something that was unique to me being a Swazi woman, something that had never been done before. That was how we created our Atibuye Emasisweni range of Swazi-inspired accessories that later inspired the use of lihiya in the clothing we make. Atibuye Emasisweni means what’s ours should return to us. [bctt tweet=”As women, we are going back to our roots wearing traditional wear as a fashion statement” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Why did you choose a career path in fashion? I think fashion chose me and it continues to choose me every day. I am a qualified IT Business Analyst, complete with a Master’s Degree in IT and I have a full-time job in IT. Fashion has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Starting my business was merely an organic thing, I was already blogging about fashion, styling people and organizing tailors for people long before I opened the business last year January. I was born to create beautiful fashion pieces. What is the state of fashion in Swaziland and how would you like to see it grow? Swazi fashion is exciting and we are culturally a vividly colorful nation. The exciting thing about Swazi Fashion right now is how the contemporary fashion is embracing our heritage. There’s a beautiful unorganized movement where everywhere you go, you see people beautifully dressed with hints of lihiya and this is even more overstated at weddings; it is a really beautiful thing to witness. [bctt tweet=”@KokonutStylist is a qualified IT Business Analyst with a full-time job” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Which designers have you collaborated with and why was it memorable? So far none because Kokonut Stylist has only been in formal business for a year this month. However, I will only be collaborating with a skilled designer from SA who does the best men’s suits now in 2017. I am excited about this collaboration because it widens Kokonut Stylist’s portfolio. We will start doing men’s apparel this year. What has been the highlight of your career thus far? It was being selected by Africa Fashion Reception to represent Swaziland in Ethiopia and Paris and having our first ever runway show at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. It was so surreal and thinking about it still feels like I was perhaps dreaming. I had never walked down a runway before and I still remember how gratified I was to do that as a designer. It felt like life was affirming to me that I belonged on the runway, with models wearing my designs. [bctt tweet=”Life was affirming to me that I belonged on the runway @KokonutStylist ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What advice would you like to give to young people who would like to turn their passion into a business? Be bold…VERY BOLD and empower yourself with all the skills you need to turn your passion into a profitable business. Never conform, except when it’s conforming to who you truly are as a creative person. Do you think that designers are given enough training to turn their passion into a business? I believe that as a designer, you have to find out for yourself how you can be the best in a way that best speaks to you…there is no generic solution for everyone and no one will give you training for free. Learn from only the best, teach yourself to aspire to greatness and you have to constantly want to better yourself. In terms of turning your passion into a business, we are all just winging it until we find what truly works for us and capitalize on that. Does anyone ever truly know what to do for sure? I doubt it. Art and culture form a big part of our identity as Africans, do you think it is given the value it deserves? The saddest thing about our art and culture as Africans is that it is truly given value after it’s been exploited overseas. For example, Louis Vuitton did a line on entirely African Inspired artifacts (they called it the Sahara Collection) and it has Massai Blankets, the famous Khonzekhaya bag print and it was like people were seeing for the first time. An American beauty parlor will package our clay and blog about its “ancient beauty benefits” when we have been using red clay on our faces for years! We don’t see how valuable our art and culture is until it’s sold to us and that is sad. However, even with that being the fact, it’s beautiful to observe that African creatives (fashion, contemporary, graphic designers, etc) are now largely going inwardly (back to our roots) for inspiration. [bctt tweet=”We don’t see how valuable our art & culture is until it’s sold to us @KokonutStylist ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What do you think sets African fashion from the rest of the world? There is no place as beautiful, diverse and wondrous as Africa and this translates even to our fashion, Africa is, simply put, magic! If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa,