Ethel Marfo: We have to prepare boys to fully complement empowered girls
[bctt tweet=”Ethel Marfo: No matter how empowered a girl is, she’ll need a responsible man when she decides to get married” via=”no”] Ethel Adjorlolo Marfo is a social entrepreneur who is passionately Africa’s first Male Child Development Activist. She is the founder & CEO of Junior Shapers Africa, a social enterprise that provides grooming and mentoring for boys between 6-16 years. Junior Shapers Africa aspires boys to become responsible men and solid supporters of the modern African woman. Other enterprises founded by Ethel include Salon Cuties, a niche salon for children and Ghana Mompreneurs Club, a business support network for moms combining business and early years of motherhood. She has also worked as a Public Relations and Marketing Professional in various organizations. As mother of 3 daughters, Ethel is a firm believer of devoting time and preparing the boy child to fully complement the girl child we are tirelessly empowering today. Why choose to focus on male child empowerment? First of all, I am motivated by the future of my daughters. I have three beautiful daughters and my husband and I are giving them the best of nurturing and training they will need to survive as independent women. But it dawned on me that no matter how empowered or educated a girl is, she will need a responsible man or husband to co-manage her future home when she decides to get married. It’s important that children are raised in a holistic way by both mother and father. I was also concerned about the (social, emotional, spiritual) needs of the boy child who no one is paying attention to. This leads to a lot of dysfunctional men in our society frustrating hardworking women. Again, I was challenged by the fatherhood crisis that is on the increase. There are a lot of fathers shirking their responsibilities towards their children. Though a mother can teach children to be responsible and can also instill good character traits in them, a mother cannot role model for a boy on how to be a responsible man. A boy needs to see his father handle responsibilities of a man, husband, and a father to become one himself. To solve this challenge, I find good men to groom, mentor and nurture young boys to uphold high standards of integrity with strong family values and be responsible for himself and his community. Share with us the operation of Junior Shapers Africa? Is it a series of one-time courses or it’s a continuous learning up until graduation? It’s a continuous learning up till graduation. The Junior Boys Mentoring Clinic (JBMC) is the flagship program that oversees the mentoring and grooming of boys. There are basically three(3) levels with this program; The foundation level focuses on boys discovering and understanding who they are and appreciating themselves. Topics like temperaments, values, self-worth and essential life skills are treated at this level. The second is the Intermediate level where boys are groomed with the necessary leadership skills to lead themselves, colleagues and the outside world. Topics covered include team work, basic entrepreneurship skills, being a responsible and patriotic citizen among others. Boys at this level identify a need in their communities and provide a solution to it in our community project month. The Maturity level focuses on building sound and positive relationships with the opposite sex, parents, friends and family. Boys are mentored and nurtured on topics such as, understanding the role of a man, the synergy between men and women, communication and networking skills and personal branding. The objective is for boys to develop relationship building skills. Each level runs on a 12 month duration after which boys will graduate and move to the next level depending on our assessment of the boy’s development. Our monthly clinics are held on the last Sunday of every month plus an intensive man up boot camp during summer holidays at a fee. There is also the JSA Social Projects (Communities and Slums) which we devote during public holidays to address issues of boys in danger prone or less productive communities. We held an impactful mentoring clinic for boys in Jamestown, Accra on Easter Monday and preparing now towards the Liberia Refugee Camp for a similar clinic on AU holiday. How are you able to ensure this grooming doesn’t wear out once these boys get into the university? Boys will serve as JSA life-mentors after completing the final level or the matured class. They will be assigned mentees to inspire and mentor. They will be sharing their personal life stories when they were being mentored and the impact mentoring had on their personal and social life. What are some of the marketing tools you use to publicize your services and attract people to sign up? My greatest marketing tool has been social media (Facebook, the website, WhatsApp, Instagram, and LinkedIn), Radio and TV interviews. Secondly, by recommendation. Parents and subscribers recommend the program to their friends after they have enrolled their boys and have seen some positive attitudinal or behavioral change in their boys. [bctt tweet=”@Juniorshapersafrica we believe it’s easier to build strong boys than repair broken men” via=”no”] Tell us some of the challenges running Junior Shapers Africa and how you are tackling them? My first challenge is funding. Since it’s a non-profit organization, I mostly have to invest my personal money in our social projects and other programs we run. We sometimes depend on the benevolence of companies and individuals who have the vision of seeing boys empowered. Secondly, it’s a challenge finding more dedicated, responsible and well-mannered mentors for the boys. Some men do not see the need to groom and mentor these boys at the foundational ages of their lives. They come up with excuses when they are invited to come and inspire these boys on their journey to responsible manhood. Some say, that the boys are too young to receive such nurturing. Again, we lack the necessary infrastructure for our programs. I envision a facility with auditoriums for our mentoring sessions, a cinema, a
Frenny Jowi: Never muffle your dreams thinking that you are not ready yet
[bctt tweet=”Reaping profits from the media space while vouching for public-interest journalism is Frenny Jowi’s hustle” via=”no”] Frenny Jowi is a journalist, a digital media and PR consultant. She also creates media coverage strategies with a bias on social media campaigns. Currently Frenny is the lead consultant at Media Focus on Africa, as a media relations trainer, digital journalism trainer, and radio producer. For 4 years Frenny had a successful career at one of the world’s leading international broadcasters, the BBC. While working for BBC Africa both in Kenya and the United Kingdom, she led several productions including creating digital content for younger audiences and news coverage of historic president Obama visit to Africa. Showing off her inner #MotherlandMogul, Frenny is also the Founder Image Masters PR & Communications, where she works in partnership with the UK-based Peter Burdin Africa Foundation and world roving Ilona Eveleens Media. To top that all off, Frenny also works as a volunteer youth mentor and freelance journalist. Tell us, how did you get to the BBC from a local Kenyan media house? I worked briefly at a little-known community radio station, Exodus Network, then moved into a giant newsroom, the Nation Media Group headquarters in Nairobi. It was my first real experience of working in a converged in newsroom. I enjoyed the complexity of things. KTN came to recruit from my school when I was in my third year. My adventurous self then jumped into TV journalism. All this while, the editors made me file international stories as a trainee reporter. The tone of the wire copies about Africa made me uncomfortable. I wondered, where was Africa’s genuine voice on the global debate and take on issues? I wanted the news through African eyes for the world. As a young African I was best placed to tell the story. The international broadcaster I had grown up listening to, was the first to spot my talent, so I joined as an intern after doing some voice test, translation and script writing interviews. I started off as an intern at the East Africa Bureau in Nairobi and quickly gained skills as a bilingual reporter and producer for BBC Swahili and many other BBC World Service Programmes/ My favourite was and still is the Fifth Floor Programme. I told the African story as I had dreamt. I was nominated for the 2014 Kenya Annual Journalism Excellence in Journalism Awards. [bctt tweet=”I told the African story as I had dreamt – Frenny Jowi ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What prompted you to move back to Kenya? Moving to London to work for the BBC was one the most exciting moments in my career at the BBC. I loved London’s palace gardens! Kensington was my best, the Gothic architecture and the Thames during summer. After one year of doing so much including producing President Obama’s visit to Africa, my work visa practically sent me packing! That was not a bad thing, I was to wait for one year cool off period to renew my work visa, but then came flooding ideas of what I could do at home instead of a rigorous visa application process. At the time when I lived in London, there was a growing anti-migrant sentiment. My work visa had labeled me such, migrant staff. London treated me well, but I don’t want to shy away from saying the migrant stories made me very uncomfortable. I was working from the centre of the world when waves of Brexit became more pronounced. I was right at the centre of one of the world’s most influential broadcasters when news of drowning African migrants would dominate the news for weeks. Meeting my former schoolmates who had settled in London permanently, we often talked much about we could do for the continent, it wasn’t just talk for me. I am back home to do something for the continent. Why do you call yourself a media entrepreneur? When I started working in the newsroom, I realized the industry was evolving fast and profits were put first. I felt that this compromised storytelling as public interest was given second priority or none at all. I also saw the potential in digital migration and social media that opened up space for multiple media houses. This was supported with more democratic space in Kenya, that allowed countless radio and TV stations to operate freely. So, I sought to reap profits from the growing media space. At the same time, I wanted to rigorously vouch for a public-interest journalism model. Despite lacking experience in running a business, I registered my company and started off pitching for work as a communications consultant and content producer. I was confident the myriad new radio and TV stations needed quality content. It was just the right time to turn my journalism skills into a strong business idea. My company, Image Masters, had been a dormant Facebook page for four years. I breathed life into it, created a company profile and hit the ground running producing for the BBC’s Arts Daily Programme. I then moved on to consult for KTN, a leading TV station in Kenya that was then setting up Kenya’s first 24-hour news channel. Since then, I have worked with many other clients create alternative educative content for younger audiences. My biggest project now radio plays and shows themed on women leadership. I have a bias for social media which many organizations are now embracing as mainstream. One year on, I am now proudly self-employed and working with great partners to deliver for clients. I am leveraging on partnerships to compensate for the need of staff. The future can only be bright. What is the first thing any young woman who wants to start out as a media entrepreneur do? Let confidence and courage lead you. Never muffle your dreams thinking that you are not ready yet. Carefully reconsider your talents, skills, and networks. Figure out how much of your abilities are lying underutilized. Get to work. I know you may
Ngasuma Kanyeka: Creating cutting edge communication solutions
[bctt tweet=”You have to have a 360-degree view of the world around you to create the type of solutions we do” via=”no”] Known for her tenacious spirit, humor, and sharp thinking, Ngasuma Kanyeka is a Dar e Salaam based entrepreneur, strategic thinker and feminist. Her company, Capacitate Consulting Ltd creates cutting edge communication solutions for institutions and governments. Ngasuma was involved in the creation of the national communication strategy for the oil and gas sector in Tanzania in order to manage expectations of various stakeholders. She has been an integral part of the African Union Youth Volunteer Corps since its inception. When asked which colour crayon she would be if she was added to a new crayon box her answer was RED because that describes her bold passion. Ngasuma shares her passions and entrepreneurial experiences which I hope will inspire you to harness your talents. What is Ngasuma best known for? I am known for my tenacious spirit, humor and sharp thinking. Also, I am an incurable sarcastic enthusiast who loves a good play on words (I have an artistic flare). I am known for being a dynamic, strategic thinker who loves a good challenge and for lighting fire under peoples’ backside to get moving. I visualize a lot of the world and I believe we are more connected than we realize. Oh and without wanting to change it, even if I could, I am an African, a feminist, a woman (these three are not in any particular order of priority) and fundamentally a human being. A little hippy, a little nerdy and a little cool. What is Capacitate Consulting Ltd and what prompted you to start it? As part of my Masters’ studies, I investigated women who prevail beyond their circumstances and manage to achieve wellbeing. This was based on a psychological theory known as Salutogenesis. I was fascinated and I learnt a great deal about women who managed to navigate their existence and lead balanced, thriving lives. I met a woman who really impressed me and made me question how I had ended up with 17 years of education and I had not recognized my own power and the endless opportunities availed to me in this world. That is what prompted me to start Capacitate. I met a woman who really impressed me and made me question how I had ended up with 17 years of education and I had not recognized my own power and the endless opportunities availed to me in this world. That is what prompted me to start Capacitate. From a young age, I started to volunteer my skills and expertise and enthusiasm. When I was just 16, I was running environmental campaigns with the Jane Goddall Institute. Also, I was engaged in my community from teaching kids in my neighborhood during my holiday break to running awareness campaigns to empower girls. I have always been a busy bee, refusing to see that there were challenges too great to be tackled. I have always wanted to contribute and become a doer. That is how I ended up working as a journalist, that curiosity sparks a need to voice these issues, but my analytical side wanted the numbers to back it up and so I studied for a degree in IT. Meanwhile, I was interested in human behavior which is how I ended up studying Health Promotion. It makes perfect sense to me, but it is an upheaval of confusion for people looking at my resume. I recently got a short story accepted for publication and two poems published by a UNESCO project called Badilisha. So Meanwhile, I was interested in human behavior which is how I ended up studying Health Promotion. It makes perfect sense to me, but it is an upheaval of confusion for people looking at my resume. I recently got a short story accepted for publication and two poems published by a UNESCO project called Badilisha. So Capacitate encompasses these passions, it is the coming together of skills and expertise that my colleagues and I have garnered through the years to create cutting edge communication solutions for institutions and governments. You have to have a 360-degreee view of the world around you to create the type of solutions we do. Tell me something about your last job, other than money, that has inspired you to keep doing what you do. I am actually selective about projects I take, I work through referrals. Ultimately, I want to look at myself in the mirror and be satisfied. So I have turned down several, supposedly lucrative projects that did not sit well with my value system. I did not come here to do evil. One of the recent projects I am happy about is when I led the creation of the national communication strategy for the oil and gas sector in Tanzania to manage expectations of various stakeholders. Communities, where the oil and gas extraction activities take place, believed that they would get rich overnight. This expectation management strategy will build their understanding of the sector and also create a sense of ownership for them to make deliberate steps to benefit from the sector as it develops. I wanted to be part of changing the narrative that natural resources are a curse, it lends too much to that narrative that Africa is a dark continent. We Africans are not cursed. We are intelligent beings that can manage, make decisions and make choices once we are informed of what our options are, like everyone else in the world we want the best for ourselves. I am also exceptionally proud of the African Union Youth Volunteer Corps program that I have been a part of since inception, there is no greater joy than to see the endless number of African youth that has grown and thrived from it. It is truly one of the greatest programs in the world, and it has fostered a greater understanding of who we are as a people and the
Oreoluwa Oduko: Social media helps me reach almost everyone everywhere
[bctt tweet=”I have long decided not to compromise my business standards- Oreoluwa Oduko ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Oreoluwa Oduko is a graduate of law from the University of Lagos and the Nigerian Law School. She began an online business selling pets (@PawsNaija) in 2013 during a six-months-long Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike that began while in her third year at the University. Oreoluwa had previously channeled her advocacy skills into general marketing merchandise online before transitioning into the selling of pets. Oreoluwa has a significant interest in traveling and the general lifestyle of animals. She hopes to use her legal background to fight for animal rights in Nigeria. Why did you choose to sell dogs and puppies online? I have always been involved in online marketing. Selling pets came up at some point, and it was only right to add it to my online business. I started the business at the end of 2013, during the six months ASUU strike which began while I was in my third year at the University. What other services do you offer? I am more of a link between clients and what they need. I do not personally offer all services, but I have a network of people who provide services such as veterinary, training, boarding, grooming, and walking and so on. Do your services include any form of offline transactions or are they strictly online? Kindly tell us how the chain works. For purposes of having records, all pre-contract discussions are done online (in writing). Everything else after such as delivery, veterinary, grooming, walking, training, boarding are all done offline. It’s simple really. It depends on what animal the client wants and where it would be sourced from. For example, if a customer wants a dog that is available locally, I get details of what the client wants, contact breeders who deal in that, show the customer’s options, have them choose, pay and it’s delivered to them. If I have to import, I take a request, give the client a quote. The client makes payment, I pay for the pet, and it’s shipped to me and is delivered to the client. What are the major social media channels you make use of and how do you take advantage of it? Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I post pictures and get people to like, retweet and share on my personal page. That helps create more awareness. [bctt tweet=”Certain people don’t understand the value of having good quality – @owhreoluwa” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How often do you make sales from social media? Not as much as I would like. There are several reasons why I don’t make sales. On Twitter for instance; sometimes I get as many as 600 retweets on a single tweet but no successful sale. People see a picture and breed name that they know nothing about and assume they can have it, but from little interaction with them, they realize that’s not what they want. I also do pre-purchase interviews where I ask the client various questions to ensure the pet is going to a good home where it would be taken of. There are certain breeds that I don’t sell to people who have no experience of owning such breeds and how to train or socialize them. If the person can’t meet the basic requirement, I would most likely decline to sell a pet to them. Also, because of the way my business is being run, I sell only quality pets which do not come cheap and certain people don’t understand the value of having good quality, so they don’t buy. I have long decided not to compromise my business standards by sourcing for pets from just anywhere though. Always I tell people I would rather sell one good pet to a real owner and make no money than do otherwise in a bid to make quick money. I just keep doing what I do, and I try to improve every day, increase my reach, and try to educate people on the little things. What has been the most challenging moment on social media so far? Getting people to understand how the process works and having them pay upfront. People claim to want a certain thing but are not ready to pay for quality which can sometimes be discouraging. [bctt tweet=”People claim to want a certain thing but are not ready to pay for quality – Oreoluwa Oduko” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What would your response be to someone who is contemplating whether or not to use social media as a marketing tool? I’d say go for it. Social media helps you reach almost everyone everywhere without physically being there; it’s a sure way to reach as many customers as you need. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Boitumelo Tlala: I knew failing was never an option
[bctt tweet=”Boitumelo Tlala: There is time for fun but fun is sweeter when you focus on education first.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Boitumelo ‘Tumi” Tlala is a corporate social investment professional who is passionate about the development of disadvantaged communities. She is a graduate of the University of Johannesburg and is currently completing a Btech degree in Public Relations Management. She plans to complete her Masters Degree specialising in Corporate Social Responsibility. Growing up in one of the toughest neighbourhoods in South Africa, Tumi was able to overcome the temptations and challenges which surrounded her. She didn’t relent on achieving her dreams and continues to soar to greater heights. Tumi intends to ultimately head a multinational foundation with the aim of investing in Africa, to empower women and youth, for a sustainable future. You grew up in a rough environment with so many negative distractions, how were you able to stay focused on your goals without relenting? I grew up in Diepsloot, an informal settlement north of Johannesburg. Alcohol consumption, rape and crime, in general, were the norm, and still are. Yet there was hope, my parents strived to take me to good multiracial schools. I was able to stay focused by studying hard, usually, midnight to mornings as there were taverns around my home with music blasting through the night. I surrounded myself with school friends, most stayed in affluent suburbs, which helped me to escape. Finally, I watched shows like the Oprah Winfrey Show, back then it encouraged me that women can succeed despite their circumstances. What was the toughest period of your life so far? The toughest period of my life was when I lost my father in October 2003, the year when I was in matric. Being a daddy’s girl he was a great support. To make matters worse, I was to start university the following year and I wasn’t sure who would be paying my fees. As a result I needed to find work immediately after completing my exams, which I did at a mall close to my school. By God’s grace, a wealthy businessman who was a friend to my friend’s father sponsored my two years of tertiary. Luckily by the third year, my father’s pension and provident funds came through. Throughout, I knew failing was never an option. If you were to address a group of teenagers, what advice would you give them? If I were to address a group of teenagers, I would first of all tell them there is time for fun but fun is sweeter when you focus on education first. There are many opportunities out there but you need to focus, work hard and smart, have self-respect and also respect your parents. There are many opportunities out there but you need to focus, work hard and smart, have self-respect and also respect your parents. Tell us two of your best and worst skills. Best skill is my ability to network, to form partnerships and relationships, a great skill that I am using in my career as a corporate social investment practitioner currently. My worst skill is my intolerance for the mediocre. I see time as my most important asset and people or situations that tend to take time and yield little, I cannot tolerate. As a result, I surround myself with people I can learn from and whom I can also be an asset to. Who is your role model and why? I do not have a specific role model, but there are many attributes that I admire in a number of women and men, who are trailblazers of their own destinies. I have come to love She Leads Africa as daily there are amazing women and men whom I learn from and follow at times. [bctt tweet=”Boitumelo Tlala: I love SLA because I get to learn from so many amazing women and men” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What are some of the things you want to achieve before turning 40? Before the age 40, I would like to make giant leaps in my career and business. In my career, I would like to be a head of a foundation for a multinational organisation. I believe strategic corporate social investment can be a solution to some of Africa’s challenges. Investing in economic development by supporting small businesses, especially female led ones, investing in education for the African child and tackling the scourge of HIV/Aids for the betterment of our future, are my top priorities. With that said, I am planning on pursuing my Masters specializing in Corporate Social Responsibility. On the business front, I have started a property development company where I plan to provide affordable accommodation for our people. If you were to live anywhere in the world, where would you choose? I would live in South Africa, it’s a wonderful country and I grew up here, my roots and past are here. I believe Africa has a lot of potentials to grow. Most importantly we have ubuntu, where we respect and care about each other regardless. Having to live in the post-Apartheid South Africa, the thought of someone making me feel I need to be anything rather than me or feel that I should not be in a specific place due to my skin, for me is the worst violation of humanity. I would like to have a home in the UK and USA though…if I can achieve that before 40, then I would be highly proud of myself. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Maureen Isikaku: I find a lot more joy and fulfillment when I’m painting faces
[bctt tweet=”@radiantbyreena: I’d really love to give Ini Edo a facebeat. I hope she reads this & calls me up” via=”no”] Maureen Isikaku is a part-time freelance beauty artist with intent to go full time pretty soon, she is also a school administrator. Maureen caters to beauty, bridal and editorial makeup and is working on expanding her artistry into bridal hair styling and organic skincare. She started her freelancing makeup career in October 2015 and has grown in leaps and bounds since then. She had her makeup training done with Zaron Cosmetics, Ikoyi. She has worked on celebrities such as Victoria Kimani, Arese Ugwu, Kayla Oniwo, Uche Elendu and a couple others and backstage at high-profile events (Miss Nigeria and The Headies) and enjoyed every bit of it Maureen Isikaku lives in Lagos, Nigeria and is available to travel worldwide. You run radiantbyreena and also have a 9-5 job, how do you manage both successfully? Yes, I do. It has not been easy managing both but I have learnt to put structures in place and allocate specific amounts of time towards each job. My makeup appointments are majorly for now, during the weekends or in the evening, that allows me to juggle both effectively. Luckily, so far out of town jobs have been during the school holidays. Eventually, if you have to choose between the two jobs, what will it be and why? It would definitely be makeup artistry, the reason being that I find a lot more joy and fulfillment when I’m painting faces. I am very passionate about what the outcome will be on a job that I can think of nothing else. The number of makeup artists in Nigeria have gone off the roof, how do you deal with the tough competition and gain customers? Dealing with competition can be emotionally draining, as you have to constantly observe and try to offer better than your competitor. So I focus more on developing my craft and business than I focus on my competition and this has really helped. I attach value and quality to my services. When I accept a job, I always strive to give the best regardless of anything. I continually invest in my craft and in myself. When I am with a client, I make sure that she is satisfied and happy. All these lead to referrals that go on to become repeat clients and my client base keeps growing. What are some of the common mistakes done by makeup artists during a face beat? I would say forgetting to prime and mismatch of foundation shade (a very common mistake). What do you love about makeup artistry? I love the opportunity to get creative, the satisfaction for both the client & I after a job well done, the travel and getting to meet new people. Also the fact that I have a lot of makeup to play with. I just love the beauty of makeup artistry. Which celebrity would you like to face beat? I would really love to give Ini Edo a facebeat. I hope she reads this and calls me up. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Lorraine Maphala Phiri: A brand for every woman who understands the importance of quality over quantity
[bctt tweet=”We do more than just sell hair we educate our clients on the different types of hair” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Born 33 years ago, Lorraine Maphala Phiri has been nominated Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 at the Megafest Business Awards Southern Region. The former model is certainly making a mark in the business sector. Lorraine proves that she is a beauty with brains as she has established herself and booming business well. Lorraine has exhibited exceptional modelling prowess both locally and internationally, distinguishing herself with a unique versatility that has seen her excel during the early stages of her career. SLA contributor Neo Cheda got to chat with her, however, about her career and her business venture: Real Hair By Lorraine. Tell us about your modeling career, winning Miss Zimbabwe and going on to represent the country in Miss World. Representing my country at Miss World had always been my dream. Since high school, I always had a desire to speak and be heard. Coming from a dusty suburb of Nketa 6 it was a dream I never imagined would come true. Winning Miss Zimbabwe 2005 was a life changing moment for me as it opened doors I never thought I could go through. It was fulfilling and rewarding and proved to be a great platform for me to establish my career and brand. Tell us about your business, what product or service you provide and who your target audience is. Since the end of my reign, I have been busy growing Lorraine as a brand. Real Hair by Lorraine (RHL) is a proudly Zimbabwean brand specializing in 100% human hair i.e. Indian hair, Mongolian hair lace wigs, and all things hair. Real Hair by Lorraine Studio was then birthed after the hair brand when I realized the gap in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe for a professional upmarket hair salon. We offer beauty services as well, nails and mail art. Our target market is every woman who desires to look beautiful, feel beautiful and be treated like the Queen they are. It’s a brand for every woman who understands the importance of quality over quantity. We don’t just sell hair it’s a lifestyle. Women have also shown us great support and at the moment we have one branch in Bulawayo and an online shop which helps us supply hair products to customers in Europe, Harare and South Africa. We are different from most people in the hair business because we do more than just sell the hair but we educate our clients on the different types of hair and how to take care of it.” Please tell us what being a business owner means to you and why you became an entrepreneur in the first place? Being a business owner for me means a lot of sacrifices, being able to change people’s lives through your work and empowering families by providing jobs. The fear of poverty and being ordinary inspired me to be an entrepreneur. I became an entrepreneur because I love starting something totally new and seeing it come to life. I love challenging myself and I have always been a dreamer a big dreamer. From a young age I always knew that I would end up a businesswoman, I just didn’t know what kind of business I would venture into. [bctt tweet=”The fear of poverty and being ordinary inspired me to be an entrepreneur – Lorraine Maphala Phiri” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How do you achieve work-life balance? It’s an art and I’m still learning. However, having a strong support system at home makes it a lot easier and with my ability to prioritize, everything just falls into place. What or who has been your greatest influence in business and why? How did you get where you are today, and who/what helped you along the way? My husband’s work ethic has been my greatest influence in my business, however, I have always aspired to be a business woman to be reckoned with. I would never be where I am today without the sacrifice of my parents who continued to pick me up even when my businesses hit rock bottom. Their encouragement and faith in my dreams Their encouragement and faith in my dreams are what has kept me going. I am still work in progress I have not arrived yet lol. Maybe next time we speak I will be Dr. Lorraine. What would you say is your greatest professional accomplishment to date? Being founder and MD of Real Hair By Lorraine Studio. What’s the best advice you have received in business that you wish to pass on to our readers? Start where you are with what you have, the best time to start is now. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Bwalya Maketo: You have the innate ability to actualize all that you can envision for yourself
[bctt tweet=”As a woman, you are capable of achieving all your dreams no matter the hurdles ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] An English teacher based in Lusaka, Zambia, Bwalya Maketo is also the founder of the NGO, Zambian Women With Skills. ZWWS has a primary focus on equipping Zambian women with the necessary tools and resources needed to identify and harness practical skills and talents, thereby effectively translating them into sustainable streams of income. Bwalya holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts with Education from the University of Zambia and is passionate about women empowerment and entrepreneurship at various levels. She hopes that her efforts can contribute to mitigating the effects of rising unemployment in Zambia. SLA contributing writer Uloma Ogba caught up with Bwalya to learn more about her NGO and her plans for the future. In August 2016, you launched your NGO Zambian Women With Skills. Can you share with the readers what your organization’s mission is all about? When I initially set out to form this organisation, the underlying reason was the urgent need for the creation of a platform where local Zambian women could access the relevant resources needed to hone their God-given talents and practical skills. Through ZWWS, some of the skills women have chosen to harness include: baking, hairdressing, basket weaving, knitting, beading, public speaking, cosmetology, home management, home and event décor, flower arrangements, etc., which they can then use as vehicles of wealth creation. We currently have 30 officially registered affiliate members, of which 9 are serving as board members and two as provincial coordinators for Lusaka and Copperbelt province respectively. Our main service is the provision of skills identification and training to 3 kinds of women: (i) The educated/semi-educated woman who has a skill and is in formal employment but with no job fulfillment and would like a smooth transition into the business world by capitalising on her skill. She may also seek to create a balance between her formal job and a skills-based business on the side. (ii)The uneducated/semi-educated woman that has a tangible skill but no proper knowledge (technical or other) of how to translate that skill into a sustainable stream of income. (iii)The educated/ uneducated woman that has no idea what skill she has or which skill to harness. I like the idea of a subscription-based organization. In this day and age, it’s sometimes difficult to convince people to realize the benefit of and pay for services they may feel they should be able to access for free. How have you been able to hack this process and build a reliable membership base? At ZWWS, my role has been to make them understand this entire concept; it’s not so much about me, but about how each individual woman that seeks to join the organisation can capitalise on what we are proposing. The idea has been to make each woman see the platform as a stepping stone to actualising her own individual dreams and goals. We have two particular programs running which are specifically designed to benefit registered members. The first one is an in-house Legal Aid Clinic which gives members access to free legal advice except for court representation from our in-house lawyers as well as those that come through as volunteers. The second program is the Continuous Skills Development Program, which is specifically designed for affiliate members to stay abreast of changing trends in business (etiquette, advertising, customer care, personal/ business branding etc.). It also provides free knowledge intended for their benefit. The second program is the Continuous Skills Development Program, which is specifically designed for affiliate members to stay abreast of changing trends in business (etiquette, advertising, customer care, personal/ business branding etc.). It also provides free knowledge intended for their benefit. Basically, the idea has been to provide a range of enticing benefits that the women can only access by becoming registered members of ZWWS and so far that has worked in our favour. Can you tell us a bit more about the specific programs that Zambian Women With Skills offers and what level of impact you have achieved with these programs so far? In total, we have 8 active Programs running for the year 2017, namely: The Learn a Skill Program, The Learners Hub Program, The Mentorship Placement Program, Continuous Skills Development Program, Legal Aid Clinic, The Red Flame Initiative, The Fundraising Program as well as our Community Works Program. One of our most popular programs is, of course, the Learn a Skill Program. This program was specifically designed to offer a 3-4 weeks course on learning a specific skill which is designed to lean more on the practical aspect of the skill in question. The course also includes some theoretic components of the following: basic financial literacy, marketing, social media/general business branding, compliance, sources of capital etc. The practical information is usually concentrated within the last week of the training after the theoretic part of the course has been tackled. The overall objective is to accord an opportunity for learning to the vulnerable/poor woman who cannot afford to pay for a fully structured course. Facilitators are volunteers and “friends of the organisation” who work on a pro bono basis. So far we have had 20 women in Lusaka, that have successfully gone through this training with specific focus on cosmetology. You mentioned a mentorship program. Now, I personally think that mentorship should be a core part of every young woman’s life. There is so much we can gain from being mentors and from being mentored. Could you share with us how your mentorship program is organized, what types of issues you address and what the reception has been like among the target audience? Ok, so we have two mentorship programs that we are currently running. One is called the Mentorship Placement Program which has been designed in such a way that affiliate members, can access either short or long term mentorship to help them harness their specific skills. Our second mentorship program is our recently launched Red Flame
Leila Mohamed: Nurturing Africa’s brilliant young female leaders and living authentically
[bctt tweet=”I am unafraid of mistakes, I gauge my growth by how fast I make mistakes in a given week” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Leila Mohamed is a wordsmith, a loving soul and a force to reckon with in education, health care, and organizational leadership. She heads admissions and strategic partnerships for the Zawadi Africa Educational Fund; an organization that has sent brilliant African women to universities in the United States, across Africa and Europe for the past 15 years. Leila has interacted with ambassadors, and rubbed shoulders with top business and humanitarian leaders including the serial entrepreneur Dr. Chris Kirubi, Eva Muraya (CEO Brand Strategy and Design Group), Connie Nielsen (Actress and Co-Founder of The Human Needs Project), Diana Ofwona (UN Women Regional Director for West and Central Africa), just to name a few, in a bid to create networks to help Zawadi Africa in its commitment to its scholars. She graduated from St. Lawrence University and has a Master’s in Public Health Management from the University of Southern Maine in the United States. SLA contributor Kerubo Wall, also a Zawadi alumna, has known Leila for the past five years. She caught up with Leila to highlight the crucial work she does. Who is Leila Mohamed? I was born and raised in Mombasa, Kenya and I am the second born in a family of seven children. I enjoy running, creating value at work and for people I care about. Most importantly, I enjoy being authentic and braver every day. I spent a significant part of my life in the US for my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees through the Zawadi Africa Educational Fund – an organization that secures full scholarships for African high school graduates with leadership potential and coaches them throughout their academic and professional journeys. What gets me out of bed every day is the allure of progress. Not only for personal and professional development but also for my immediate family, my Zawadi Africa family and the opportunity to be impacted by the powerful stories of the young girls we work with in our offices and in the high schools we visit. You head alumnae relations for Zawadi Africa, what are the greatest aspects of this job? What are your fondest experiences? Alumnae relations is a significant part of what I do at Zawadi Africa. We have an all women team running the program and my colleagues are passionate about women’s empowerment. I love to win, so it is exciting to work with other diligent women to create opportunities for our scholars. Shoutout to my colleagues, Eva Ntalami, Lilian Kwamboka, Hajara Musah and Rose Nyaondo. As a Zawadi Africa alumna, I feel a special connection to this transformational program as it directly impacted my life for the better. As the alumni relations lead, I support a team of Zawadi Scholars to organize our annual US leadership conferences. I enjoy this role because it involves paying attention to the needs of our scholars and finding ways to amalgamate those needs into a theme and list of speakers who would speak to their current needs. [bctt tweet=”As a Zawadi Africa alumna, I feel a special connection to this program as it impacted my life for the better” via=”no”] At our leadership conferences, our scholars are inspired to discover and use their strengths and passions to invest economically, socially and academically in Africa. The opportunity to spend time interacting with, and asking questions of key leaders in various industries is often life-changing for these young women, many of whom are the first to attend college in their families. Our past speakers have included Mr. John Pepper (Retired CEO of Procter and Gamble), Atsango Chesoni (Executive Director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission), PLO Lumumba (Former Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission Director), Patricia Ithau (Regional Director Stanford Seed – Stanford Graduate School of Business, Kenya), Suzan Kereere (Head of Global Merchant Client Group – Visa), and Peter Nduati (CEO – Resolution Health), just to name a few. This year, Zawadi Africa celebrates 15 years of giving the gift of higher education to more than 350 incredible young female leaders across Africa and mentoring over 20,000 high school girls. To celebrate this landmark, Zawadi Africa is stepping up its fundraising to reach higher heights and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight our GoFundMe page as a convenient means that friends can support us through. Please do consider helping our noble cause of creating a pipeline of Africa’s next generation of women leaders. To the people who have supported us, we thank you. You post a lot on your social media about authentic living. Could you speak to that? Most of what I talk about in my social media can be summarized by a quote by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, “… It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.” I am passionate about growth beyond the realities of our destruction -particularly the excellence an individual brings to their area of work and/or relationships. The Philosophy of Living intrigues me -how do we thrive despite life’s successes and turmoil. The separation of one’s worth from one’s gains or losses. Maintaining one’s sanctity of humanity and joy despite what it is you acquire or lose externally. Tough times shape us into stronger beings, and more importantly, the constant reflection and being connected to one’s own humanity helps us understand the ultra-complexity of people. The beginning and end of living an authentic life is not only practicing being true to oneself, which is a moment to moment agenda, but also being humble and being open to feedback. This is what I reflect mostly about on social media with my family and friends. The things I analyze are simple, from random conversations with family members, a
Pempho Chinkondenji: Do not let what you do not have stop you from pursing your dreams
[bctt tweet=”Pempho Chinkondenji co-founded Loving Arms Malawi to create a safe space for girls/women” via=”no”] Co-founder of the Christian nonprofit Loving Arms Malawi, Pempho Chinkondenji is a bright and inspiring #MotherlandMogul committed to public service and to championing women’s rights. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Cross-cultural and International education at Bowling Green State University. An avid volunteer, in May 2016, Pempho became a member of a non-profit organization known as the Pan-Pacific and South-East Women’s Association (PPSEAWA-USA). At the end of 2016, PPSEAWA USA appointed Pempho to be their youth delegate to the United Nations. SLA contributor Uloma Ogba caught up with Pempho to learn what ignited her passion for volunteering and social entrepreneurship. When most people finish university, their first thought is usually how to land that high-paying job, but you chose to start an NGO instead. Could you tell us what inspired you to do so and what your NGO is all about? I actually co-founded Loving Arms Malawi in July 2014, a year after I graduated from undergrad. I have two friends, Livinia and Sungani, who share the same passion and desire to reach out to girls in our communities. Together, we co-founded Loving Arms Malawi. As a first-generation college graduate, when I got to college I learned the importance of having educated female role models who I did not have when I was younger. Also, my friends and I grew up in communities where discussions about abuse were considered taboo. Yet a lot of girls were going through the experience and suffering in silence. After college, my friends and I started talking about the issue of girls lacking role models, and the need to deal with the problem. We also talked about the sexual and physical abuse happening in our communities right under our noses. In our country, the problem is not regarded as a health issue, hence the lack of counselling facilities to help the affected girls. After a lot of discussions, we decided to start Loving Arms, as a haven that provides free counselling, educational support, and spiritual mentoring to young people, especially girls that have been abused. We do outreach programs to boarding schools, communities, and churches to support adolescents who have been through these experiences, or just need support. We identify educated role models to speak to the young people and work with survivors of abuse to share their stories with the young people. How active are you currently in the leadership of Loving Arms Malawi? What lessons would you say you have learnt from running an NGO that you have been able to apply to other areas of your life? I currently serve as a Co-founder for Loving Arms and also as the Program Director for the educational support project. There are a lot of things that I have learned through my experiences at Loving Arms. I have learned how to be optimistic, how to build a good rapport with others, and how to develop a “go-getter” attitude. During our first outreach program, we were going to a boarding school that had over 800 girls and we were bringing them some cake for dessert. Since in boarding school, the food is not as great, and you do not get cake, we thought of giving them a treat. We had about 40 volunteers, and our church community was very supportive of in this program. But this was the first time I was going to present at such a big event with this audience. I was nervous. Not only about my speech, but was wondering if what we shared with the girls would make a difference in their lives. Also, I was worried about whether I would be able to connect with the girls and get them to open up about issues that they normally would remain silent about. To my surprise, the event was a great success. I could talk openly with the girls, and it was amazing to see how they responded and wanted to engage with us! You are now completing a Master of Arts in Cross-cultural and International education in the US. What led you to choose this major and how do you see it contributing to your future career goals? My interest in education developed because of my experience with Loving Arms. Since we seek to provide girls educational support and get them to realize the importance of education, I started to develop interest in this area. More specifically, my interests centered on female education and development. I was enrolled into the Master of Arts in Cross-cultural and International education where I learned a lot about educational policies and systems across the world. Because of my professional interests, I developed a self-designed cognate called Education Policy and Development. I have learned a lot about how the issues of gender, education and development interact. My goal is to develop a career in education policy, especially for developing countries in the Sub-Saharan African region. I hope that the skills and expertise that I attain will not only benefit Malawi, but I will be able to contribute to other parts of the world. [bctt tweet=”Pempho Chinkondenji’s goal is to develop a career in education policy for developing countries ” via=”no”] You are now an active member of the non-profit Pan-Pacific and South-East Women’s Association (PPSEAWA-USA). Could you tell us what this organization is all about and what role you play in the organization? I am an active member of PPSEAWA-USA. I currently serve as the Chapter President for our Toledo Chapter, and as one of the Youth Delegates to the United Nations. PPSEAWA is an international organization that strengthens peace by promoting better understanding in the Pacific and South-East Asia. It also promotes cooperation among women in these regions to the improvement of their social, economic, and cultural condition. For example, PPSEAWA-USA provides scholarships to girls in this region to enable them obtain an education. PPSEAWA USA recently appointed you to be their youth delegate to the