Woman You Rock - Thembi Maphosa - Lady Leader and Social Entrepreneur with a Global Agenda

Well women's month is coming to an end and I am ending off my celebration with the most amazing woman I know after my mother, well and after Shweshwe and after..., well you get my point.  This is the most amazing young Lady Leader I know.  It is very rare to find anyone wanting to be an Entrepreneur at Higher education level as Entrepreneurship is viewed as an escape if you have nothing else to do.  Today I end of with a bang as I say shine to my awesome Lady Leader, Love Pearl, the young woman who knows the beat of my heart.  Please be inspired by this amazing interview.  

PS: Although women's month might have come to an end, let us not stop celebrating each other and ourselves.

 

Me: Please describe yourself in five words?

Thembi: Humble, passionate, goal-oriented, considerate and very principle centered.

Me: Where were you born and what do you love about your country?

Thembi: I was born in SA, Baragwanath hospital; ‘culturally’ I’m Zimbabwean because of my dad. Equally I love both countries. SA in particular because it is rich filled with different cultural backgrounds. I love the diversity, our history that in turn made SA a democratic state. Gotta love South Africans, very free spirited.

Me: Your fondest memory?

Thembi: Yikes! I have quite a few, but it has to be when I made top 5 at UJ for the Nelson Rhodes Scholarship, by far the most sought out scholarship in SA, based on the guiding principles of Leadership, Reconciliation, Entrepreneurship and Education. I was competing against ‘A’ students (80% and above) but did not let that bring me down in any way! That moment I realized how much of a valuable asset I have made of myself, i managed to brand myself, and groom a young leader that SA needs. Only one person got the scholarship…in any case that was a very proud moment, and was motivated to continue taking initiative for the betterment of myself, and community at large.

             

Me: Your top five books?

Thembi: Number has to be: The Shack by William P. Young

2. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho ( very good read)

3. The purpose driven life, Rick Warren

4. Laws of success in 16 lessons, Napoleon Hill, yoh such an amazing book

5. Twilight series J by Stephenie Meyer

           

Me: What are you passionate about?

Thembi: I am passionate about youth and personal development and leadership (scary how I share a similar passion with my sister, she inspires me a lot) I may not have all the experience or resources, but i have certainly gone through the path, and willing to guide or rather lead others into following this route for the betterment of their wellbeing. I have seen how being young, vibrant and passionate opens up many opportunities for young people, and would love to get young people to be open-minded, and be change agents.  Government and corporate companies cannot afford to hire every qualified candidate; hence I find entrepreneurship as a means to effectively eradicate undesired conditions of impoverishment. Given that, I try to gear peoples thinking towards an entrepreneurial mindset, which in turn builds on leadership. Personally I regard myself as being more of a social entrepreneur.

Me: What does it mean to be a young woman in africa?

Thembi: Being a young woman in Africa to me means getting rid of stereotypes and making powerful statements with every action you take. It means being a woman who is not only in tune with herself, but amongst the highest of callings, the performance of public duties to be among the noblest of aims, in doing so nurturing our communities and the young females that follow us. It is in our nature to be caring and embrace our lives as a healer, comforter and being a woman of dignity.

 

Me: Please share your thoughts on education

Thembi: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character gives the goal of true teaching” ~ Martin Luther King jr.

Education is both a gift and a tool for the advancement of human development. With education you embrace the responsibility to foster such opportunities for others. As cliché as it may sound, education is really the key to success.

Me: What have you studied?

Thembi: I studied Bcom INTRApreneurial Management, focusing mainly on innovation within an existing corporate organisation and I am currently doing my honours in Marketing Management.

Me: Why have you decided to do honours?

Thembi: Well…besides the fact that honours gives you higher rankings as opposed to just a degree, i am doing my honours because I want to be diversified in terms of my understanding (from Intrapreneurship to Marketing to who knows what…) and besides, I have a plan, and if I am to achieve most of the things in that plan I’m afraid education has to be a priority. I was also elected as Chairperson of the Black Management Forum Student Chapter, and I cannot lead a society without being a registered student, that too served as a motivator out of all honestyJ…Chairing the branch was part of the plan lol!

Me: After honours where to?

Thembi: After honours it will be time to go into corporate and do my Masters part time after a year or so of work. I have two big projects up my sleeves that I’ve been working on; I will be working on implementing those. Business is a long-term goal; I’ll go into business once I have gathered enough skill and knowledge.

Me: What makes a person an effective leader?

Thembi: To be an effective leader, one needs to have within them a moral force of character and an instinct to lead. It means understanding that leadership is more than personal ambition, but is a service requiring the will and capacity to inspire and develop fellow human beings for their betterment. Finally, an effective leader requires a roundedness of personality to be able to deal with the diverse characters you interact with.

Me: What are some leadership roles you have acted in?

Thembi: Well dating back from my primary school years, I was a class rep in grade 6. Prefect grade 7, RCL in high school, grades 11&12. University went from being the Public relations officer, Deputy Chairperson and Chairperson of the Black Management Forum Student Chapter, and now the Provincial Treasurer of BMFsc. At some point i campaigned for SRC as an independent candidate with the hopes of being a student representative…that was fun!

Me: Please tell us more about all the projects you are involved in?

Thembi: BMFsc in itself is a project, ongoing pursuit for socio-economic transformation. The Black Management Forum is a non-profit organization, non-racial that seeks to develop managerial leadership.

I am currently in my third year of volunteering for the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, which was established to deepen non-racialism, and was part of a youth leadership programme that aimed to enhance leadership skills, and train young leaders to manage time, set goals, promote community work and voluntarism, and train them to be non-racialism ambassadors for the foundation, instill values and prepare them to work towards social justice in our country. I am a proud graduate of this programme.

I volunteer for  SoulOva, which was developed to speak to the minds and souls of females by implementing  projects and events that help address issues such as abuse, rape, self-esteem issues, to name but a few, amongst females.

I volunteer a lot in different projects, if it is for the betterment of our communities..I’m there!

Me: How do you deal with challenges that come with being part of these projects?

Thembi: Yoh as much as I want to be involved with all of these projects, it can be too much at times, and find that time is really not on my side! But because I enjoy the experience, I will make it work nakanjani! I manage my time effectively and try to meet each challenge with creativity. I value the skills I have learned throughout.

Me: What drives you so much to give back to the community?

Thembi: The rich history of our country inspires me to take part in eradicating the imbalances that were caused by the past. And it’s for the love of my community I guess.

Me: Who inspires you and why?

Thembi: My mother and sister (Nomsa Maphosa and Dumisile Tshabalala) inspire me. I have become what I am today because of the way they actively took part in my grooming. I’m inspired by the love, courage, strength and independence my mother carries, I drew a lot from her character. My sister inspired me to not settle for less, and was reminded of the potential I carry. I was very lazy, but the way she was just all over the place playing her part in the community, I told myself I want to be like that! People know me as a very vibrant and noisy person, but if I’m around you and very quiet, just listening to what you have to say, it is not because I am shy, it’s either you bore me or I’m just inspired by you and want to feed out of you as much as I can, I savour the moment.

Me: Do you think mentorship is necessary in life?

Thembi: Yoh mentorship is very necessary! A mentor can be an all-rounder, mentor you on life, education, your career, relationships etc. A mentor is like your life coach, guides you and corrects your wrongs. I for one appreciate my mentor Malebo Gololo, she is just amazing, I can talk to her about anything and everything that I would not feel comfortable talking to my family about. She is wonder woman for a reason..the name did not just drop from the sky!

Me: What are some of the challenges in your opinion do you think that african young people are facing?

Thembi: Young people have become slaves and mirrors of their territorial conditions of hunger and poverty, we are surrounded by so many social ills resulting to only a few young people taking part in the transformation of our continent and participate in socio-economic development and transformation.

Me: How do we overcome those challenges?

Thembi: We just need to be reminded of the potential we carry, and be given that platform to contribute in the transformation of our continent. It is up to us to take initiative and be part of policy developments that directly affect us.

Me: Best advise you have ever received?

Thembi: La girl…you are responsible of your own future! You decide what to make of it…it’s a rough world out there!

Woman You Rock - Stella Mutale Sata - A 19 year old with a Global Mission

Looking around the world today, there is a huge deficit of young leaders, could it be that priorities have changed perhaps? Someone said that the youth is not motivated enough to become exceptional and hence they are just fine with mediocrity.  I have a group of young leaders I keep close to me because through their lives, I realise that there is still hope for the world. It blows my mind every time I meet young leaders who are truly maximising their time on earth by doing what is right and effective by them.  Today I interview a truly exceptional and forward thinking young leader who I believe has a Global Agenda.  Please be inspired by the 19 year old Stella.

 

Me:Please describe yourself in five words?

Stella: Young, Ambitious, Vibrant, Confident and Humble.

Me: Where were you born and what do you love about your country?

Stella: I was born in Lusaka, Zambia. I love Zambia because of the hardworking ethic of our people. You can see everyone trying to make a living every where regardless of the time. From the woman who sells tomatoes on the highway to the man whose stuck in the office from 8 to 5pm: there are very few idle people.

Me: What does Beauty and Confidence mean to you?

Stella: Sam Levinson said it best: "For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone." Beauty and confidence to me reflects in how I treat people who have less than I do.

Me: What makes you happy?

Stella: My best and most happy moments are after achieving something that I first thought difficult. I like the feeling of success after a challenge. I am also happy when I help someone in need. There is a feeling of satisfaction knowing that you gave someone a hand, maybe a ray of hope. I once helped an old man carry his suitcase and though it wasn't much, his gratitude blessing had me grinning all day.

Me: What are some of the activities do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Stella: I enjoy reading and writing my thoughts. I live for little moments of peace and quiet with a book I haven't finished to read. I also like watching movies. I consider these activities an escape.

Me: Your most fondest memory?

Stella: This was my second term in my 8th grade. I had just skipped two primary grades and was 9years old in my 8th grade. After having cried through out that years first term because I kept failing, I received my second report form and had exceled in all my classes. The report form came with a letter saying I would receive the "Most Improved Pupil" award. I was so excited and I knew then that failure was never permanent in my life and I would always improve myself.

Me: Your top five books?

Stella: 

1. Why Men Love Bitches - Sherry Argov (Trust me it's a good book about confidence, all women should read it.)

2. No wonder they call him Savior - Max Lucado

3. I know why the caged bird sings- Maya Angelou

4. Letters to my Daughter- Maya Angelou

5. Malice- Danielle Steel

 

Me: What are you passionate about?

Stella: I am very passionate about children. It breaks my heart to hear, see or read about children who are robbed of their childhood.

Me: What does it mean to be a Woman in Africa?

Stella: I believe women in Africa or African women if I may put it like that, have to prove thenselves based on both gender and race. However, African women are proving not to focus on these stereotypes and are progressively achieving so much every day. This question has a twofold answer; being an educated woman in Africa is just like being a woman anywhere in the world with similar pressures. Being an uneducated woman in Africa, however, is more of a challenge because it comes with the lack of empowerment that a lack of education brings. Hence it might mean taking a more traditional and subbordinate role in society.

Me: Please share your thoughts on Education.

Stella: Education has proven to be a stepping stone for success. The knowledge that one obtains in the classroom has proven to be just as important as the knowledge obtained in our everyday life (in the street). I believe that education in the classroom is very important but it is just as important for us to consider the average person who can not afford to attend formal classes and have to learn their values by working in the informal sector. Short affordable courses should be introduced to such people in order for them to attain the most relevant skills that we learn from the formal education sector.

Me: What have you studied?

Stella: MSc in Management and Development of International Financial Systems.

BA Hons Accounting and Finance

Diploma in Business Administration.

Me: What makes a person an effective leader?

Stella: An effective leader should consider themselves the servant and be accountable to the people they lead. An effective leader must inspire, develop and empower people and bring up leaders.

Me: You have been involved in many movements and initiatives, what drives you to be a part of them?

Stella: Most of my initiatives and movements are to do with children and my passion for them. I just feel if I can give a small token to the betterment of childhood, I would have contributed to something important.

Me: How do you deal with challenges that come with being part of these projects?

Stella: Some days are better than others haha. Well I look at the bigger picture and realise that whatever I am going through, the little people I fight for have it worse and I can not afford to give up.

Me: Who inspires you and why?

Stella: I am inspired by Dr. Maya Angelou. She inspires me in my writing and in the way she progressed from writing to producing and directing movies. I also love how she is open about her personal life and uses it to inspire others and to show me that some of the things I face today, she faced too and if she could make it, so can I.

Me: What are some of the challenges in your opinion do you think that African Young people are facing?

Stella: Young Africans are very creative, driven and innovative with so many positive ideas. We often face a barrier to progress when there are few people willing to invest in these ideas. It is quite frustrating for a mind that has so many dreams being defered due to lack of funds, physical resources and/or expertise.

Me: How do we overcome those challenges?

Stella: We can only do so much at the moment. Networking is important. It connects the person with the idea to the person who would want to develop that idea. Some young people never overcome this challenge and they end up settling for a very boring lifestyle conforming to society. We need to persevere and fight till our ideas are developed.

Me: Best advise you have ever received?

Stella: "Never count your money when you are sitting at the table."

This is a tale of humility and not living your life in a show off way.

Me: What are some of the virtues you live by?

Stella: Humility, Honesty, Prayer, Discipline and Hardwork.

Me: Where can people connect with you?

Stella: People can find me on facebook (www.facebook.com/StellaMutaleNkoleSata)

Me: Thank you Stella for such a lovely interview

Stella: Xoxo.

Hope you had a blessed women's month.

Woman You Rock - Khomotjo Mphahlele - Ships, Bikes, Planes and Gratitude

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing one of my very good friends who goes by the name of Miss Tjo.  Motorbikes brought us together but Afrika keeps us together.  Talk about a life without limits and using everything you got to live.  Please enjoy my interview with Miss Tjo and be inspired by her love for life.

Me: Please describe yourself in five words?

MissTjo: Strong, Confident, Tolerant, Generous, Spontaneous, 

Me: Where were you born and what do you love about your country?

MissTjo: I was born in Limpopo province, GaMphahlele. The thing I love about about our country, and this makes me sad at the same time, it’s the fact that there is enough for everyone to go round.

Me: What are some of the activities you enjoy doing in your free time?

MissTjo: I jump out of planes, I climb mountains, I ride motorbikes, I sing in the shower, I read, I laugh, I love.

Me: Your most fondest memory?

MissTjo: Sitting under the shade of a mud hut in a village where I was born, mama braiding my hair while singing along to Dolly Parton’s “Tomorrow is forever” album on a radio cassette player. I’m six years old.

Antarctica. No people to meet there, just miles and miles of white dessert ice. The one place where you can get snow blindness, sun burn, and frost bite all at the same time. It was summer time then so the sun was up 24/7, no concept of time difference between day and night. I remember temperatures dropping as low as -35deg Celsius, and I still had to work the crane and discharge the cargo onto the ice shelf. It was tough back then. 

Me: Your top five books?

MissTjo: Shantaram, Male daughters-Female Husbands, Half of a Yellow sun, Kite runner, Secrets of a woman’s soul

Me: What are you passionate about?

MissTjo: Teaching. That’s why I’m on this current team.

Me: What does it mean to be a Woman in Africa?

MissTjo: Being able to do what I do for a living and still inspire young boys and girls to aspire towards their dreams, knowing that there’s so much ground work that has been covered already to make this possible. The future of this continent is so bright, I need my chanel sunglasses to block out the shine.

Me: Please share your thoughts on the statement " A woman in a man's world"

MissTjo: For a while this term meant that I had to be better than the boys, I had to outdo them at every turn. I was hard, but I managed. No one ever sat me down and taught how to navigate my way around, until a man showed me how. He said that I really don’t have to compete. All I need to do is accept that I’m a woman in a man’s world, I need to let the men to see me as a woman in their world and just like them I’m working towards their common goal, I need to be firm but not imposing, strong but not overbearing, among other things. And very soon, you’ll see them bending over backwards, to assist you and allowing you to lead them. My job has never been so much easier since.

Me: Tell us more about the career you have chosen?

MissTjo: You have to have your priorities sorted out right from the start. Be prepared to go away and out of range for long periods at a time. Work insane hours. You’re constantly aware of your surroundings, the ship at sea is very vulnerable and any danger that arises, your survival depends entirely on your training and initial response. On the up side, the job teaches you about responsibility, humanity, character, tolerance, patience, it opens your mind to so much more, you learn so much more about yourself that any other institution or industry can ever teach you.

Me: What are some of the stereotypes that come with your career?

MissTjo: Men assuming that you being a girl, you’re only as good as your boobs look. So you have to sway that image away from their minds quick, then you save yourself a lot of frustrations in the future.

Me: What are your best moments in your career?

MissTjo: When I assigned to the 04-08 watch, I look forward to calculating the time of sunrise and sunset, and if my heading is easterly or westerly, it literally looks like I’m chasing the sun. The view is absolutely mystical. Did you know, that when the sun sets, in relatively cold sea, with no clouds, sea smoke or fog, you can see a green flash? The most beautiful thing ever. And at night, I would watch the stars, and make a wish on a shooting star, I actually believe in that, I've seen a lot of my wishes come true to not believe otherwise.

Me: Is it a black or a woman thing when it comes to ignorance about your type of career?

MissTjo: I’d say it’s a bit of both. Black people and water generally don’t mix, and especially if you’re gonna tell them about the ship…I think it’s a historic thing dating back to slavery. But things have evolved since and I think as far as women are concerned, mothers and fathers alike need to teach their daughters and sons that it’s ok to go play in other countries. The people don’t bite there.

Me: How do you deal with challenges that come with being at sea and away from family all the time?

MissTjo: When I’m away and I know I’ll be away for four months, I psych myself up for that, and I don’t think about home much. I call when I call, they know it too so they get prepared for it. My mother would keep tabs on piracy news and so to put her mind at ease, I call her regularly when we’re transiting in those arrears until we’re clear. But my mama and my sisters are very supportive and are very proud of what I do.

Me: I know you get to explore many countries while at sea, can you share your top 5 and why?

MissTjo: A lot of the countries we dock are very maritime oriented and they receive a lot of sailors in their towns, most of them can’t wait to receive us even in their homes. They take us through the town, the villages, teach us about their cultures, feed us their food…its amazing. I even got a few marriage proposals around…lol. So here are some of my highlights.

Honiara in Solomon Islands, Papua New Guniea, Conarkry in West Africa, Curacao in the Caribbean, Mantazas in Venezuela, Baltimore in USA, Klaepida in Lithuania to name just a few.

Me: What does it take to get into your line of work?

MissTjo: Study a diploma in Maritime studies, complete 12 months cadetship/work integrated learning, pass an oral exam with the South African Maritime Safety Authority and receive a certificate of competency and move up through the ranks. Sounds easy enough don’t it? Well it’s not.

Me: Who inspires you and why?

MissTjo: My mama. She’s my rock. I’ll say no more. She’s been through a lot, but she’s still got enough strength left in her for her baby girls.

Me: What are some of the challenges in your opinion do you think that African people are facing?

MissTjo: As Afrikans I think due to our general attitude towards fellow humans, we tend to approach a lot of the issues with an apologetic approach and that is quickly taken for grated and interpreted as weakness and so we've basically turned ourselves into door mats, and everyone one does as they please on our playgrounds

Me: How do we overcome those challenges?

MissTjo: We need to go back to where it all started, and take over our heritage, change history and write our own. Educate our children, the Afrikan way. It’s really getting out of control. I’m about to bring a child into a world where they’re about to make it illegal for me to discipline my own child. Where did it all go wrong? We need to find that place and make it right.

Me: Best advise you have ever received?

MissTjo: This man quoted me this, from a movie “Do what you have to do, so you can do what you want to do. When it seemed pointless and I was close to quitting, this kept me going. I’m here now.

Me: What are some of the virtues you live by that makes you who you are

MissTjo: Humility, Joyfulness, Respect, Trustworthiness,

Me: Where can people connect with you?

MissTjo: Facebook I guess

Me: Thank you so much for the inspiration, see you on the road you hear! @288km/h

Woman You Rock - Sibongile Chipo Ndhlovu-Siwila - Rocking hair - Naturally...

I am sure if you know me personally, you will know that I wear my hair natural and I have been doing so for the longest time, I do not do this as a form of any statement or to prove any point.  Today I celebrate a woman who has inspired me to discover more of my natural hair, she is my "hair expert" - to tell the truth, since getting to know her, I do not use google anymore because she is our walking hair encyclopedia, please be inspired by my interview with the Amazing Sibongile from Zambia. 

Me: Please describe yourself in five words? 
Sibongile: God fearing, loving, intelligent, caring and focused.
 

Me: Where were you born and what do you love about your country of birth?

Sibongile: I was born in Zambia in a small mining town called Mufulira on the Copperbelt. I love our hospitality as Zambians, we are very welcoming for the most part.

Me: Where do you currently live?

Sibongile: In Kansas, USA.

Me: What do you love about that country?

Sibongile: The USA has this way of encouraging you to have structure and discipline in order to be successful in whatever you attempt.

Me: What does Beauty and Confidence mean to you?

Sibongile: Beauty for me is realising that God created you exactly how he wanted you, accepting yourself and embracing it.  Once that is achieved, you will be comfortable with who you are no matter who is around you and that exudes confidence.

Me: What makes you happy?

Sibongile: The simplest things in life make me happy.
My husband's laughter, our children and our families make me happy.

A good meal.

A good book.

Fellowship with friends.
 

Me: What are some of the activities do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Sibongile: I am a fan of a great number of science fiction works so I watch a lot of movies from that genre.

I also read a lot in between playing Mario bros with my children.

I am a closet chef too...I enjoy cooking and baking a lot.

Pilates and weight training.

Me: Your most fondest memory? 

Sibongile: The birth of my children, there is something miraculous about bringing a child into the world naturally.

Me: Your top five books?
Sibongile:
The Respect Dare.
Americanah.
The Love Dare.
Mastering The Art of French Cooking.
Science of Black Hair.

Me: What are you passionate about?

Sibongile: God and family.

Natural hair.

Breastfeeding.

Pregnancy and related medical care.
 

Me: What does it mean to be a Woman?
Sibongile: For me, womanhood includes being God fearing, respectful, nurturing, strong, confident, loving, authentic, and unselfish.

Me: How important is self - love? 
Sibongile: It is very important, without it one who seeks it elsewhere is left feeling empty as they look to others to love them in order to feel validated.

Me: Where did the journey with natural hair begin?

Sibongile: The moment my daughter asked me to relax her hair as well. I realised that if I wanted to convince her that her natural kinky hair was beautiful, I needed to have the same hair too and show her.As a parent, we are our children's first role models and I had to practice what I preached to her.

Me: Why should women embrace their natural hair?

Sibongile: The bigger question is why not?
It is not a handicap or mistake so why not?

When I learned how unique and versatile my natural hair is, what was originally frustration mixed with ignorance changed to fascination.

The fact that our kinks and coils are come to being so by the shape of our hair follicles is pretty amazing in my opinion.

Me: Why do you think women find it so difficult to manage their natural hair?

Sibongile: Most find it hard due to lack of knowledge on proper care of natural hair and approach it with a relaxed mindset i.e expecting natural curly/coily/kinky hair to behave like relaxed straight hair.Taking the time to learn your natural hair has tremendous benefits which I feel go beyond hair.
 

Me: Does that mean that its wrong for women to wear weaves?

Sibongile: Not at all. I know some women who wear weaves for reasons as simple as protecting their natural hair. However, one should ask themself why they wear weaves and if they find the reasons are because they feel their natural hair isn't good enough or pretty enough, further self searching will be beneficial for them.

Me: Why is it important for women to discover and love their natural hair?

Sibongile: There is something very empowering about discovering who you are as you are.
Be it your body shape, your skin colour or your hair, it is uniquely you. Not a copy, or lab product or cosmetic surgery, it is all you.When I decided to go natural and chopped off my relaxed ends, it felt like I was going back to who I really was.Like an adopted child finding their birth parents.
It is a sentiment shared by many woman who decide to go natural, big chop (BC) and accept, embrace their hair just the way it grows.
 

Me: Who inspires you and why? 
Sibongile: My mother because she is so strong, loving, forgiving, embracing and nurturing.

Me: What are some of the challenges in your opinion do you think that women are facing? 
Sibongile: Guidelines and commandments from the Bible on how a virtuous woman should be are twisted, misconstrued and adapted to fit some cultures' chauvinistic ideals. This has birthed mistreatment, abuse of girls and women alike.

Me: How do we overcome those challenges? 

Sibongile: We can break this cycle by raising daughters to love themselves and our sons to respect women which include their sisters, mothers, aunts, etc.

Me: Best advise you have ever received? 
Sibongile: Love is not an emotion or a feeling but rather a choice made every single day in order it to thrive.

Me: What are some of the virtues you live by? 
Sibongile: In my walk with Christ, I am working on becoming a better wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend.To be more caring, loving, patient, obedient, faithful and respectful.

Me: Thank you so much Sibongile for all the work you so tirelessly invest in women all around the globe.
Sibongile: Malebo, thank you so much for the interview it was a great pleasure to share my story.

Woman You Rock - Nanjira - Mathematician, Musician and Insatiably Curious

Today I take you to one of my most favourite country in the entire world - Kenya. It's August and I am celebrating women from all around the world, today I share my  interview with an extra-ordinary versatile and inspiring woman.  I have a love for Africa and Nanjira represents Africa in every way, she is proudly Kenyan and her Mantra is: 'Africa isn't poor, just mismanaged.' Please be inspired by her interview below:

Me: Please describe yourself in five words?

Nanjira: Analytical. Artistic. Quirky. Afropolitan. Polymath.

Me: Where were you born and what do you love about your country?

Nanjira: I was born (and raised) in Nairobi, Kenya. We are a hustler people. Enterprising. Always falling forward. Rolling with the punches. That’s the people. The country: I appreciate the peace and stability that we maintain, even though it often is at the tipping point. We somehow rebalance the scale and keep marching on. I appreciate the fact that 50 years of independence have seen patriotic Kenyans come before me, fight battles that have constituted the freedoms I enjoy today, and for that, I salute them.

Me: What are some of the activities you enjoy doing in your free time?

Nanjira: I set aside time to just laze around and not think or do anything in particular. Else, I always have a reading list to tick off.

Me: Your most fondest memory?

Nanjira: It’s like a continuing memory really. I am fortunate to meet and interact with people who always blow my mind, and remind me of the beauty that is humanity. I love that my time with most people isn’t tainted ‘isms’ and schisms -sexism, racism, tribalism...the fondest takeout is always that we are humans first; that’s the point of departure that informs everything else. And so I always smile as that memory gets piled on :)

Me: Your top five books?

Nanjira: A Man Of The People- Chinua Achebe.

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston

Encounters from Africa: An Anthology of Short Stories (by various amazing African authors).

To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Long Walk To Freedom- Nelson Mandela.

Me: What are you passionate about?

Nanjira: Life, and living it to the fullest.

Humanity - finding that solid, unshakeable foundation, off which humanity bears equality and justice for all. Africa- it’s my motherland, and like I always say, it’s not poor, just mismanaged. We have got to show that it is so.

Me: What does it mean to be a Woman in Africa?

Nanjira: It means opportunity to chart new paths.So many have come before me/us, and have paved the way, fought tough battles, and somewhat made it easier for us to raise our voices, stand our ground , fight for our rights, and lean in. It means running our part of the race, and by the time we hand on over the baton to the next generation, we’ve also made it easier, not more difficult for them.  It means challenges, overcoming the numerous hurdles that sometimes seem to be erected just to keep a woman down. It means responsibility, because with the unprecedented opportunities for us out there, a few false moves and we justify whatever notions are held against women.

It means being unashamed and unapologetic for rebranding womanhood.

It also means it’s not a zero-sum game. These opportunities available to African women, are not at the expense of the African man. It’s about progressing, advocating and championing for rights,liberties and freedoms in a manner that brings women to the table, but doesn’t bump off the men. Else, we’ll be offsetting another crisis a little ways down the line.

It means the African Women’s Decade.

Me: Please share your thoughts on Education

Nanjira: Goes without saying that it’s a basic and fundamental right for all. I am a beneficiary of education, and so I am an advocate for its universality. It bothers me how we’ve institutionalized education, the world over, in a manner that locks out so many. I don’t believe the only mark of being educated should remain as ‘graduating from Institution X’, especially in this Knowledge Economy, where information, and therefore education is a few clicks away for some, a few books away for others. At the end of the day, the ultimate ‘stamp’ of being educated (not the same as receiving education), should be displayed in experience, not just a piece of paper.

Me: Please share your thoughts on African Heritage?

Nanjira: It’s a beautifully complex thing. On the one hand, Africa is not a country, that our heritage is homogeneous. On the other, different communities, kingdoms and other groupings passed down a tradition or other, some have made it to present-day history, others didn’t, as mostly they were archived orally/folklore. We then have the other dynamic that ‘pure’ forms of our heritage have, over time, been influenced by others. I think of the heritage we are creating today, and what will be passed on to future African generations- it cannot be defined as one thing, or pinned down to a few sentences. It’s a myriad of wonders. We’ll have weeded out some norms that aren’t compatible with our present day lives.

I like talking to older folk- our grandparents’ and great grandparents’ generations, to tune in to the folklore that was passed along. To hear about growing up in colonial times,how they navigated the new and old traditions they were exposed to. I also hope that we can capture as much of it as possible, as we try as a continent, and as diverse countries/communities to figure out where we’ve come from, and where we are going.

Me: What does the statement "Science meet Creativity" mean to you?

Nanjira: It means me. Who I am. The reality I live in, which is an infusion of one into the other. I also believe the two are inseparable. They aren’t standalone entities. They are at their best when coexistent in an idea or a thought,activity etc.

 

Me: Academics and Music - Which is your first love and why?

Nanjira: Possibly music, because I interacted with it way before I stepped into school (kindergarten). I was a jukebox of a baby!

Me: You have been involved in many movements and initiatives, what drives you to be a part of them?

Nanjira: Yes. I love getting involved as a conduit, not necessarily as a founder or owner. I’m all about pushing things forward and ensuring they are sustainable and relevant, that they have buy-in from people. Anywhere I see an opportunity to make that happen, and where I’m invited to do so, there I am :)

Me: How do you deal with challenges that come with being part of these projects?

Nanjira: I’m generally a very easy-going person, and all about getting the job done. So depending on whatever challenge that arises, my fashion of dealing with it is by asking ‘how do we get the job done regardless?’

Me: Who inspires you and why?

Nanjira: Lots of people do, from world leaders to ‘ordinary’, uncelebrated citizens. Anyone doing something to change a status quo they are uncomfortable with (sometimes even contentious ones) inspire me. Anyone whose journey to change is relatable is a great source of inspiration to me.

Me: What are some of the challenges in your opinion do you think that African people are facing?

Nanjira: One particular challenge that has been weighing on my mind is the leadership crisis we face. That we are still holding on to great men like Madiba, who paved the way for a new style of leadership...that we haven’t filled in the gap that was inevitable when leaders like he stepped away from the spotlight. It seems that we are often raising a clarion call ‘who will fight for us?’ as opposed to the fighting spirit being the launching pad for organizing ourselves and ASSIGNING PEOPLE TO LEADERSHIP. It bothers me.

I get it though, this continent also lost leaders who were out to set the ‘national’ and ‘continental’ spirit. Think the founding fathers. Thomas Sankara. Patrice Lumumba. Other great leaders like Steve Biko. Tom Mboya. It is disheartening, but not in any way an excuse to remain stuck in this rut of poor leadership. We need to figure out where we want to go, in our different communities and as a continent, for where that may apply, and then ASSIGN people to steer us there, not to decide for us. We have got to stop relegating our future to the mirage of ideal leaders we seek every time we take to the ballot or group around an issue.

Me: How do we overcome those challenges?

Nanjira: It isn’t as easy, nor is it that difficult/impossible. It’s a battle of minds, and hearts. There isn’t a formula or algorithm, much as the scientific me wishes there was one.

Me: Best advise you have ever received?

Nanjira: To thine own self be true.

Me: What are some of the virtues you live by that makes you who you are

Nanjira: Compassion. Humility. Curiosity (I think is an uncelebrated virtue).

Me: Where can people connect with you?

Nanjira: Online! Facebook, Twitter, G+