It has been hard for me to express the “why” of this endeavor to create connections and relationships between women in the US and Africa because it rises from something deeply personal. I believe we’re on this earth to serve and share the gifts that are our unique expressions of that Perfect Power we all have within. Nowhere have I felt more appreciation for this desire to serve and my gifts to share than in my work in Kenya, from helping to raise awareness of the importance of ICT security to facilitating a strategic planning workshop at a leadership retreat. Africa has recently surpasses India and China as the fastest growing economy in the world and it’s hungry for ways to build its capacities. Join our community; you’ll experience for yourself the power of your gifts and wisdom.
Like those leaders that inspire me, I’ve now seen evidence of how raising the state of women can have a global impact. Women do 70% of the world’s work and own only 1% of the wealth. This is the state of women all over the world, not only in Kenya. It is a fact that, globally, women give 70% of their income back to family and community while men give 30%. Just think about that. If more of the world’s women had the economic means to increase that 1%, the world would be a different place!
Forty-three Kenyan women making an impact on their lives and communities through entrepreneurship and personal career development attended the conference. For most of them, this was the first time they’d every participated in a such an event, being asked about their thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. Even About half of them were members of Youth Banner Enterprise Clubs and the others were business and career mentees supported by eMentoring Africa.
With the encompassing goal of building a US-East Africa mentoring community, the intent of the conference was to inspire and embolden women as leaders – using the Berkana Institute definition of leader as anyone willing to help. Every member of a community is leader when they use and share what they learn to benefit their own wellbeing as well as that of their families and their own communities. The gathering exceeded our desired outcome to close the circle with
- A higher level of confidence in what we all are capable of as individual leaders and a community
- Every member making at least one new connection
- Every member leaving with the inspiration and love for the community to expand it with new relationships
Our leader role models participating in the conference were:
Ms. Jennifer Karina is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, life coach and author of the book Marriage Built to Last. Jennie’s story of how her personal ambitions were a challenge to her husband early in their marriage resonated with several of the young attendees facing the same difficulties with their husbands and boyfriends. Her message: if you stay committed to both your ambitions and relationship, a good man will get over it! Check out her book!
Ms. Betty Maina is Chief Executive of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), one of Kenya’s leading business associations with nearly 700 members adobe creative suite. KAM is a respected advocate for manufacturing and Betty’s leadership has contributed a lot to this respect and profile. Previously at the Institute of Economic Affairs, the Center for International Private Enterprise, the Kenya Leadership Institute, and recently a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel of eminent persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which last May released its report A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development. Betty shared her stories and accomplishment, modeling how stepping into a leader role, one attracts more opportunities to have wider and wider impact.
Ms. Mildred Awiti is Kenya’s first and still-favorite super-model, but now she is also a role model as a businesswoman, civic leader, and corporate executive. She is the Managing Director of Total Training Packages Ltd. and in addition this work training executives, civil servants, athletes, journalists, models, diplomats, and any others likely to be seen by global eyes as “the image of Kenya”, she has long been a champion of Kenyan women’s self-sufficiency, creativity, self-determination and dignity. So by the end of her lively interaction with the group, we were all shouting “are we hot or what!”
Except for my opener and their motivational talks, all of the conference was conducted in circle, making the dialog deep and reflective. Being asked “who do you choose to be for this world” and taking and reflecting on a personality assessment was also a first for many of the ladies. It was unexpected but delightful that this was the slide that most of them embraced!
We got some real work done, too! We practiced “elevator pitches” and other networking techniques. We discussed how to turn goals into actionable plans.
And on Day 2, the entrepreneurs brought their products to pitch and the aspiring business and career professionals promoted their services and expertise.
My new connections? Well I’m sure I will continue to interact with the entire community when achieve our goals to use social media to stay connected (the connection request keep coming!) and a learning management system for ongoing training and development. Since the conference, I’m enjoying getting to know Mildred and excited about a potential opportunity to leverage my association with NSF ATE Centers to support one of Wamuyu’s efforts to promote vocational education in Nyeri.
Finally, let me introduce you to Jane Kiare, who I first met when we visited the enterprise group she leads in Kibera. That’s Jane in the center in the blue v-neck shirt.
But here’s a look at her contagious energy and personality!
Jane was the first person to connect with me via Facebook; she was anxious to get a copy of the slides I used in the opening presentations and since then, it’s just been fun getting her updates.
This newsletter is going out to the attendees that have email addresses and I hope all of you that are able will follow in Jane’s example. Let’s stay connected and keep developing and expanding our relationships! Remember, relationships are fundamental to Life; they are the basic building blocks of the Universe and we are not different. It’s in relationship where we all discover our potential!
