Meet Mbuetung Eyere the 26-year-old redefining pastoring as a career in Cameroon
[bctt tweet=”You can only find satisfaction & profit when you’re working in line with the uniqueness of your purpose” via=”no”] Mbuetung Eyere is a young Cameroonian female pastor and entrepreneur. Contrary to the popular cliché which states that pastors are broke, Eyere believes it is profitable when it is your unique purpose. To her, being a pastor is call and anyone who wishes to take up pastoring as a career must make sure he/she has a genuine relationship with God. Eyere shepherds the Champions Faith Assembly in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon and dreams of using her calling to bless and positively influence generations across Africa. Being a young woman, how did you get the idea/concept of becoming pastor? My idea stemmed from my search for my purpose here on earth. In the course of searching and walking with God, I discovered that God wanted me to know and serve Him more. So getting into the pastoral office was a discovery I made in course of my search for my purpose here on earth. What has been your biggest hurdle so far? Having to guide people spiritually and physically has a lot of stakes. One needs to put a lot of things together to aid people to understand the mind of God for their life. So being a leader spiritually and physically over God’s people is a challenge. But then again, I see all challenges as opportunities to grow. Has there ever been a time when you thought of giving up? What kept you going? Yes, of course. Like any other career, you get to a point where the challenges overwhelm you. But the spirit of God has been my strength. I just run to him in prayer. You know the Bible says, “Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They will run and not faint.” What is your favourite thing about being a pastor? Watching baby Christians grow spiritually to where they can worship and know God for themselves. I am happy when I get to help people who are downcasted. Using the word of God to encourage them and help build spiritual giants who can intend help others. Will you encourage other young girls to take up pastoring as a career? Is it profitable? Being a pastor is a call. It’s part of a person’s purpose. Everyone cannot be a pastor and that is where the profit comes in. Pastoring can only be profitable to you if it is your unique destiny. You cannot find profit in another man’s destiny. You can only find satisfaction and profit when you are working in line with the uniqueness of your purpose. I will encourage any young girl who has discovered this to go for it. What practical tips can you give to girls who wish to take up pastoring as a career? What comes to mind is first of all the stability of her relationship with the Holy Spirit, because He will be her source of strength in and out of crisis and the challenges that come with the pastoral calling. Also, she must have a confirmation of it being her call. That is it being the purpose of God for her life, not just because she admires or wishes to become a female pastor. Again, she will need a source of finance to aid her in ministry. Else she may become a burden to her followers, which might, in the long run, make them disregard the anointing of God on her because she might be depending on them for financial support. Furthermore a young girl who desires to serve God in a pastoral office must have mastery of God’s vision for her life, to enable her to move from one level to another in God’s divine agenda for her life Also, she has to diligently work on any form of weakness in her character or attitude, for this will her help become an effective leader. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Eleanor Limunga Anteiro: Turning my passion for the kitchen into a business
[bctt tweet=”Eleanor Limunga Anteiro: I love my kitchen and I have never wanted to work in an office” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Meet one savvy woman entrepreneur who has turned her passion for the kitchen into a business through the perfect blend of hard work, creativity and talent. In Cameroon, Eleanor Limunga Antiero is making a name for herself in the area of baking, cake decoration and pastries for weddings, birthdays, baptisms and corporate events. Eleanor proves that cooking can be as lucrative as any “white collar job”. She discovered her love for baking and cake design during one of her recent visits to a Nigerian cake shop where she was attracted by aesthetic presentation of the goods. She decided to enrol in their training program and has since launched her cake and pastries business which has gained grounds into hearts of many clients and corporate institutions in Cameroon SLA contributing writer Marriane Enow Tabi asked her how she turned her passion into a business which has won many hearts and pulled many customers in the country and what her advice would be to other young ladies who wish to take up the lead but are scared of failing. How did Eleanor’s Cake and Pastries start? I had a passion for baking since my high school days. However the idea of developing this passion into a business venture came up when I visited Nigeria in 2013. I visited a cake shop and saw how their products were showcased so beautifully. I made detailed findings on the institution and enrolled in a training program with them for three weeks and that was it. I love my kitchen and I have never wanted to work in an office. Besides it is very lucrative. What advice can you give to young girls who have such skills but prefer just going for the office jobs because they are scared of failing? First of all, anything that has to do with culinary art is lucrative. White collar jobs are good ,but it is good to be self-employed. You become your own boss. You can even start up a small enterprise and make more profits. Remember this is the work of your hands and you can hardly run out of cash. Even if you wake up in the middle of the night to take an order, you are sure of making money from it. It’s way too profitable but at the end of the day, one must have a passion for it. You can only handle challenges if passion is involved. Young girls must dare and not fear. If you are scared, you might fail. So you need to love what you do. Did you face any hurdles at the onset? Yes I did. It was not very easy to satisfy and keep clients. But I was willing to push to get results. Okay Eleanor it’s that time of the year again, with many weddings and celebration around the corner. What does this mean for business? Well, it’s a peak season for us. I have many orders coming in on daily basis. So I’m running around trying to put in my best for upcoming events. How do you handle that? Do you work alone’? Oh, I have a great team. I have five bakers, five boys for decoration and 15 caterers. Every worker has a specification and area of duty but I do the finishing in all domains. [bctt tweet=”Eleanor Limunga Anteiro: A good leader does not see sex as a challenge” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] So you lead men. How do you work around that as a woman? A good leader does not see sex as a challenge. I satisfy my workers and provide them with everything they need to work successfully. Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Dr. Ettamba Agborndip: Anyone can excel in the sciences regardless of their gender
It is widely believed that science is an all “male affair”. In fact, a walk through the science departments of most colleges or universities in Cameroon could convince you that girls don’t exist. This is because girls are stereotypically considered weak in sciences. But in recent times, many young girls are challenging the myth about girls and science and doing it so well. 25-year-old Ettamba Agborndip, a medical doctor and fellow of the Moremi Initiative for Women’s Leadership in Africa, is one such lady challenging such stereotypes. Dr Ettamba has been practicing now for 14 months since her excellent results from the Medical school at Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Cameroon. She told me in a late night WhatsApp chat that, “anyone can excel in the sciences regardless of their gender”. Ettamba’s vision is to inspire women and young girls to make informed health decisions by educating them about the common pathologies affecting our communities. What is the greatest feat of being a doctor? A lot of personal time is consumed depending on the kind of patients you have in the wards. Sometimes, I end up spending 24 hours in the hospital because I have an unstable patient and I cannot be at peace at home. Did you encounter any challenge during the pursuit in becoming a doctor? The whole process of becoming a doctor is a challenge. From the long hours in class, to late hospital hours and sometimes gruesome ward rounds, to having to miss out on family events. But so far, I don’t have any regrets about being a doctor. How did it feel when you received your medical degree? It was an emotional day for me. I was happy to have conquered those 7 years, the look of pride and fulfillment on my parent’s face was priceless, and I was happy to have made my teacher’s proud. I wouldn’t be where I am without my teachers. Girls are stereotypically considered to be weak in science. How did you break that? I went to an all-girls school so I did not get to experience that stereotype. However, I do believe that anyone can excel in the sciences regardless of their gender. It’s all about passion, hard work and determination. What advice can you give to young girls on challenging the myth about science being a guys thing? I would advise young girls to believe in themselves and work hard. It always helps to get orientation about your desired field so as to better prepare yourself for the task ahead. Secondly, I’ll advise them to equally have a mentor who can hold their hands and guide them especially when it gets difficult. Did you have another career goal apart from being a doctor? I have always wanted to be a doctor. At some point engineering was tempting, but medicine has always been my passion. What do you love about your job? I love fact that we actually save people’s lives. There’s no amount of money which can replace the fulfillment you get when a patient says; “thank you doctor”. It means the world. The sad thing about being a doctor is that you can’t save them all. Some patients don’t make it and it’s a fact that we must live with. Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Mallah Tabot: Openness around sexuality is still lacking
Imagine your parents talking to you about sex. Awkward right? Mallah Tabot believes the world will be a better place if parents start having open and honest conversations about sexuality with their children. We’re inclined to agree with her. Since 2012, Mallah has been working very hard to improve the lives of many young Cameroonian women, including those at risk of early and forced marriages. As a reproductive health activist and CEO of an NGO in Cameroon- United Vision, she fights against trends and tendencies that relegate women and girls to the background. SLA contributor Marriane spoke to Mallah on her recently launched sexual education app called Ndolo360, her challenges, and dream for an Africa where women, especially young girls can talk about sex without stigma. Sex is not something we talk about in Africa. Why the passion for a topic like that? I agree, sex is a sensitive topic in the African socio-cultural environment. This is as a result of a void in comprehensive sexual education in the educational curriculum. Also, most parents do not discuss sexuality with their children. Many of the kids resort to the Internet for pornography as opposed to educative sexual information. When these young ones don’t get the right information from the right sources, they tend to make wrong decisions. This has often resulted in unplanned pregnancies, STIs/HIV, unsafe abortion, and more. That is why I am interested in creating a platform where we can address this. I believe parents need to start having open and honest sexual talks with their kids. What challenges did you face while starting out? How did you overcome them? Initially, very few people believed in my idea and its potential to work. People questioned my judgement for choosing to tow this path as opposed to finding something more “stable” like a full-time job where my financial security would be guaranteed. With a clear sense of purpose, I’ve been able to deal with that. As a young woman, it was hard. You have to make the strategic calls and connections in a sub-environment dominated by men. We had to deal with not being taken seriously or being courted 9 out of 10 times. I think it was even more difficult, given that our area of expertise is sexual health. Men didn’t take us seriously but assumed we would be comfortable listening to their sexual fantasies of us and other women. Unfortunately, that’s the unfair world we live in. We’ve strategically dealt with it and we are succeeding. The pressure also continues to diminish as I gain more confidence and skills in my area of work. I now face such situations with strength as I grow older. Also, I had challenges with building personal capacity to raise funds, running our programs and convincing outsiders to have a vested interest in what we do. Every day remains a challenge, but I’m happy that with time, they feel less like challenges and more like opportunities for personal and organizational growth. You recently launched an app, Ndolo360. Tell us about it. In Cameroon, like in most of Africa, sex is a very difficult and sacred topic. Young people grow up knowing nothing about their own bodies and end up getting the wrong information from the wrong sources. This has resulted in them making uninformed decisions. Teenage pregnancy rates are up and 141 out of 1000 girls aged 15-19 in this country have been pregnant, at least once. I found this despicable and started thinking of ways to address this problem, using technology. Ndolo360 is the first ever mobile application in Cameroon to provide judgement-free education, information and services on sexual and reproductive health for teenagers, adolescents and young people. The app is available on Google Play and is free of charge. It comes with several amazing features which will transform young people’s knowledge about sexuality and sexual health. What do you plan on achieving by launching this app? A few days ago, a father emailed us to say he had asked his 16-year-old to download Ndolo360 to serve as a starting point to openly discussing sexual health. This is exactly one of the many results we aim to achieve. Teenagers are expected to guess issues concerning their sexuality and act accordingly. In fact, parents don’t even have the confidence to mention the word ‘sex’ to their kids. If this app can at least be a starting point for sex education between parents and their kids, the impact will be tremendous. Also, this would help curb the high rate of unsafe abortions and other dangerous practices. It would lower the risks of teenage pregnancy, create more awareness on safe sex and lower HIV infection rates among young people. More importantly, it would encourage a culture of openness when it comes to discussions around sexuality and sex. Young people should use the app for self-education and group discussions about the issues that affect them. What advice would you give young African women looking to make a change in their communities like you? I have learned to believe in myself and my capacity. Most importantly, to surround myself with people who love and believe in me. That’s how I’ve been able to carry on with all I’ve had to do. And trust me, it’s a lot and can be burdensome. I’m happy to have made the decision to cut off toxic people. This has helped me focus on my goals and remain positive. Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Acting career tips from Cameroon’s Nsang Dilong
Nsang Dilong is Cameroon’s rising screen star. In this exclusive chat, she shares tips on starting an acting career, ways to improve an acting career and talks on the Cameroon film industry. “Always try to perfect your craft daily either by reading books on acting, watching other actors and also practicing. It takes constant hard work and determination.” Nsang Dilong says. Nsang is a beautiful young lady who is earning her right as one of Cameroon’s rising TV stars in the acting industry. She’s had the luxury of acting in many Cameroonian movies and series like Whispers, Tchanga and Inoma, Separate Lives, Rumble and Expression. She has also acted in a handful of Nigerian movies. Outside from her acting career, Nsang is a model and philanthropist. Her humanitarian works revolve around making sure more orphans and vulnerable kids go to school. It is proof of the impact and healing she brings to most Cameroonian local communities. Here, the Tchanga and Inoma actress spoke on how she navigated her path into the industry and challenges she faces as young actress. Nsang also offered advice to other young persons who wish to take up acting as a career. On how she navigated her path into the film industry; “Well I cannot say I have fully navigated my way around the film industry. I am still in the process. It takes constant hard work and determination. Always try to perfect your craft daily either by reading books on acting, watching other actors and also practice.” On what the Cameroon film industry is like; “The Cameroon film industry is growing in great strides, very great strides. Many people didn’t believe in it, but we are taking up the challenge as young women and it’s really evolving, considering the fact that our movies are now internationally recognised.” Her advice on starting an acting career – I will tell every person, especially young girls, who wish to take up acting as a career to get an education first. – Be sure you have the passion and talent for acting. When passion meets hard work, success is sure. – Don’t expect to be movie-stars overnight. Patience and consistency are key elements in this industry. – If you can afford it, go to film schools, attend film festivals and workshops as much as you can. Read books, there are a lot of good acting books out there. Get them and read. -A great deal of learning also happens on the field. By field I mean when you are acting. Accept criticisms, read and learn on how to rise above mistakes.
7 African Women to watch at #Rio2016
The stakes are high this time of the year as Rio2016 kick off. Lots of hopes and dreams are riding on this year’s wins. The national pride of certain countries is at stake at the sporting event as those of us living in African countries stayed up late to watch the opening ceremonies. Btw did you know that the Olympics started in 776 B.C. in Greece where the first Olympian, Coroebus won the single event, a 192-metre foot-race? In 2016, we’re all about the African women doing us proud at the Olympics. Out of this year’s lot, lets’ focus on seven African sportswomen who we’ll be keeping an eye on as the event unfolds. Yolande Mabika This 28-year-old judoka (a person who practices or is an expert in judo) is a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She’ll be participating in this year’s Olympics under that flag. There’s no shying away from it Yolande has suffered to get to where she is now. She’s slept on the street, and worked as a sweeper and at a textile mill. In 2013, she qualified for the World Judo Championships held in Brazil. She sought asylum in Brazil and started training at the Instituto Reação, a judo school founded by a former Olympic bronze medalist. She is aiming for gold at Rio2016 under the women’s 70kg category. #MotherlandMogul lesson: Nothing should hold you back the way nothing held Yolande back. We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that she gets the gold she’s aiming for. Vivian Cheruiyot Known as ‘pocket rocket’ due to her short stature, Vivian is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specializes in track and cross country running. She has a massive track record under her belt but her most notable moments include how she lost 17kgs after giving birth. Vivian did this in order to compete in the 2013 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Athletics Championships 10,000m gold medal in Beijing, China. She won that by the way. These aren’t Vivian’s first Olympics. She scooped 2nd and 3rd place in the 2012 Olympics for women’s 5000m and 10,000m respectively. She has also crowned Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year 2012. In Rio this year, she is doubling up in the women’s 5000m and 10000m. #MotherlandMogul lesson: There’s always room to do better and improve on your best. Vivian has pushed herself to do better and succeeded. She won and we can learn from her by pushing ourselves to win too. Hortence Vanessa Mballa Atangana Another judoka on the list, Vanessa has been flying the Cameroonian flag high since 2013 when she won the African Championships where she won a bronze medal in the women’s 78kg category. She also scooped third place in the Commonwealth games of 2014. In this year’s Olympics, she is going for gold in the same category. Margret Rumat Rumat Hassan Margret’s story is touching. The 19-year-old will be one of South Sudan’s two athletes to participate in the Olympics. She is from Wau, a South Sudan city, where, as recently as 2015, this world-class athlete didn’t even have access to a gym. Against all odds, she trained her way to the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China. There she competed in the Women’s 400m as an Independent Olympic Athlete. This was even before South Sudan was recognized. She is aiming to be first or second at Rio2016 in the women’s 200m. #MotherlandMogul lesson: Margret forged a path where there was none before. Some people spend their lives training to be athletes in world-class gyms, Margret didn’t have access to that last year. And still, she stands. Blessing Okagbare Blessing also holds many feathers in her cap. This Nigerian track and field athlete specializes in long jumping and short sprints is an Olympic and World Championships medalist in the long jump. Blessing is also a world medalist in the 200 metres. She holds the Women’s 100 metres Commonwealth Games record for the fastest time at 10.85 seconds. Her 100m best of 10.79 made her the African record holder for the event until it was eclipsed by Murielle Ahoure in 2016. She was the African 100m and long jump champion in 2010. She has also won medals at the All-Africa Games, IAAF Continental Cup and World Relays. As a sign of her prowess, she is poised to take part in four events during Rio2016: women’s long jump, women’s 100m, women’s 200m and women’s 4x100m relay. Genzebe Dibaba This Ethiopian middle- and long-distance runner is destined for great things. Genzebe is the sister of three-time Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba and Olympic silver medalist Ejegayehu Dibaba, and the cousin of former Olympic champion Derartu Tulu. Her veins are literally flow with the blood of a winner. However, that’s not to say her own efforts are for nothing. Genzebe was the 2012 World Indoor Champion for the 1500m, and is the reigning 2014 World Indoor Champion and World Indoor Record Holder in the 3000m. She represented Ethiopia at the 2012 Summer Olympics and has twice competed at the World Championships in Athletics (2009 and 2011). Genzebe was named Laureus Sportswoman of the Year for the 2014 year and was 2015 IAAF World Athlete of the Year. She is the current world record holder for the 1500m (both indoor and outdoor), the indoor 3000m, the indoor 5000m, the indoor mile, and the indoor two miles. She is looking to win the women’s 1500 m track and field event at Rio2016. #MotherlandMogul lesson: We know we mentioned this before but…look at Genzebe’s family! The Dibaba family, aka the “world’s fastest family” are goals for how healthy families can reach their peaks and excel. They challenge us to ask, how can we work with our families to ensure that everyone stays winning? Caster Semenya A middle-distance runner, South African Caster Semenya’s track record is bright. It all started in the 2008 World Junior Championships, where she won the gold in the 800m at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games. In
Kah Walla: Starting a business in Cameroon is easier than before
Kah Walla is one of Cameroon’s most successful female entrepreneurs. When she started her consulting firm 20 years ago, she says she never stopped to consider how unusual, and challenging, it would be for a woman in her 20s to begin a business in Cameroon. Despite being a woman and facing the hurdles of the Cameroonian tax system at the time, Kah successfully established her consulting firm. Her company; Strategies is now across the world, serving both domestic and international clients, and draws in an average annual revenue of $500,000. Kah’s consulting firm, which makes over 90 percent of its turnover outside Cameroon. It offers services in leadership, strategy and organisational development to multi-national firms and development organisations. Kah’s business reach and outstanding impact throughout Africa, Europe, and the US, has given her recognition and many awards. In 2008, she was recognised by the World Bank as one of the seven women entrepreneurs working to improve the African business environment. Today, Kah says now is the best time for entrepreneurs, especially women, to start a business in Cameroon. This, given that Cameroonian laws now grant women new rights, such as travelling without male companions, opening bank accounts and registering businesses on their own, without their husbands’ consent. This is something which didn’t exist before. In the following excerpt, Kah shares more tips on starting a business in Cameroon. Do research: Know the country’s laws and what the people need Any entrepreneur willing to start up any business in Cameroon has to do some professional homework regarding the country’s business and tax laws, including general marketing analyses. You also need to know what the people really need in a bid to understand if your business project will be people-friendly. Cameroon’s business law is harmonized under the OHADA treaty like other countries in West and Central Africa, and is at face value gender neutral. But there are customary laws and traditional practices which sometimes disadvantage women in business dealings. So knowing the laws is a salient point to consider before starting out. Put down your plan on paper The next step in starting businesses at any level is creating a plan. You must create some kind of plan before going into business. Putting something down on paper will remind you of your objective and goals. Then you can continually develop this plan, but make sure to always have one from the get-go. At some point –even after you’ve started a business, return, rearrange things, and reflect. Just put your plan together first! Be proficient in the country’s two languages. Cameroon is a bilingual country with English and French as its two official languages. Any young entrepreneur who wants to succeed should know how to manoeuvre between English and French. Get the right information, meet and create the right network “Meeting and creating the right network is very important. There are many businesses that have not seen the light of day simply because they didn’t get the right information. Connect with people who have different strengths but are like-minded in their entrepreneurship and development interests. Being a business owner or entrepreneur can sometimes get lonely, particularly in the start-up phase. The government of Cameroon has been striving to assist entrepreneurs in setting up and running their own businesses in Cameroon through the One-Stop Pilot Centre. The Centre is one of out of the many other investing paltforms in Cameroon. These centres unite all administrative services for creating a business –including taxation, insurance, treasury and customer service. There are places where people can find out what documents they need to prepare and fees they need to pay in establishing their businesses. Any person willing to start up a business should go to these places to get the right information. These centres have eased the process of creating businesses in Cameroon, which now is supposed to take between three to five days.” Have the right mind-set There are certain basic mind-sets which are critical to becoming the ultimate entrepreneur. They include: Everything is possible, Passion first, We are connected, 100 percent accountability, Attitude of gratitude, Live to give, and The time is now. All challenges have solutions “All challenges and problems have solutions, and in order to be successful, one has to be innovative and creative. Successful business women must remember that everything is possible. When I started out in my 20s, I didn’t realize that the markets would be a challenge for me. But what I had was the will and desire to make it and to start my business venture. With that alone and my passion, I think I have been extremely successful in my life. Summarily, I will advise entrepreneurs to create businesses that provide what Cameroonians need and to welcome any challenges as added motivation for innovation. The keys to success are sticking to a plan, being creative, remaining optimistic and doing one’s homework. The Cameroonian government has made starting a business faster and easier here. So the time to start-up is now!”