Everlyn Nguku: Textile design and fashion technology is amazingly dynamic
[bctt tweet=”Meet Everlyn Nguku the woman setting Africa on a new journey toward advanced textile manufacturing” via=”no”] Everlyn Nguku is one of Kenya’s few and little-known textile scientists. She was more of the artsy type growing up. But while she was in University studying fine arts, her interest shifted to a more scientific angle. Unbeknown to her at the time, this shift in interest would catapult Everlyn to establish East Africa’s first silk quality control laboratory, and set Sub-Saharan Africa on a new journey toward advanced textile manufacturing. What exactly does a textile scientist do? A textile scientist specialises in various areas including; new technologies related to fibres, innovative textiles; textile chemistry, polymer and fibre science, processing, fabric development, quality issues among others. Textiles are multidisciplinary in nature. How did you come across this as a career? I did not start out as a Textile Scientist. I studied Fine Arts for my first degree and looked forward to a career in teaching design or design related activities (I am the “creative” in the family). However, as I studied my course, my passion for fabric and pattern shifted to fabric construction. I was intrigued and keen to understand the technical aspects of fibres and fabric. I then did my masters and the study focused on four natural textile fibres. This was the beginning of my journey with silk and science at International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE). I began to look at textiles beyond the design element. My Ph.D. focused on silk properties. I had to understand the science behind the silkworm that produces the silk, processing technology and quality of the resulting fibre. You are researching on the African Silkworm; tell us a bit about that? My work actually revolves around the domesticated silkworm Bombyx mori, although there are several commercial species of silkworms. B. mori is the most widely used for silk production; it is reared indoors and feeds on the mulberry leaves. This activity is referred to as sericulture, which is the practice of raisings silkworms to produce raw silk- the yarn obtained from cocoons spun by the worms. I take an interdisciplinary approach and multi-faceted research of silk that focuses on optimizing silkworm rearing techniques, and cocoon production, with a key focus on fibre quality and value addition initiatives for the production of various quality silk products. The research explores the mechanical behaviors of the silk fibre, which are key building blocks in the production of quality silk fabric. We also design silk fibre testing procedures to assess and systematically study the quality factor, tenacity & elongation, friction and wear traits. How many women are involved in this research? Within the institution, I am working with five female technicians who undertake rearing of the silkworms and processing of the cocoons and raw silk. A textile industry needs more professionals who understand the science and the business sense in manufacturing and processing the raw material, how can Africa tap into this? The industry is labour intensive and has the potential to offer significant employment opportunities. There is a need to equally invest in the skills and qualifications of people and promote the technical qualifications for people in the textile and apparel industries. African Universities do offer degrees and masters in textile design and fashion technology. What can be done to ensure that more of these graduates become the backbone of this industry? This sector in Africa is amazingly dynamic; however, it appears to be fragmented. Consequently, its potential remains largely unexploited possibly due to organizational weaknesses within the industry. In order to integrate graduates into the industry, there is a need for governments within the continent to prioritize the sector, unlock the potential, overcome existing problems of the textile industry and address issues that hinder the growth of the manufacturing industry. This strengthens and improves the entire textile industry and value chain for it to be competitive and remain relevant. In addition, possibly review the rules on textile imports especially the influx of cheaper clothing which seem to hamper the local industry in Africa. The industry should also recognize the potential of textile design and fashion technology graduates and the dynamisms they inject into the growth of the commerce and therefore need to nurture and engage this local talent. Some of the challenges you face revolve around ignorance and general disregard of research from a policy level. How are you pushing to get more attention on this issue and more government investment and commitment to grow the textile industry in Kenya? I am a member of Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Technical Committee on Blankets, Nonwovens, Threads, and Fibres. This is a forum that presents an opportunity to interact with the main industry stakeholders on issues related to textiles, standards and to an extent policy. Who would win in a fight, Wonder Woman or Black Widow? Hmmm…I had to look up the Black Widow…. didn’t know much about her ? All the same, my take is Wonder Woman. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Ifrah Arab: This is just not a joke for me
[bctt tweet=”We faced a lot of challenges being in a conservative community they weren’t ready to accept change” via=”no”] Ifrah Arab is only 20 years old, but she is on a mission to alleviate poverty and inspire more women much older than herself into enterprise. Through this effort Ifrah was a 2016 Anzisha Prize finalist and a 2016 Echoing Green semifinalist quite a mean feat. Ifrah grew up in Garissa town, a conservative community where women were never encouraged to have economic independence. In 2015, when her mother passed away, Ifrah felt the need to uplift mothers in her community. She founded SuperMom, a door to door distribution network that gives Kenyan women in disadvantaged areas access to quality and essential consumer products. Within two years of operation, she now has 50 women now selling products door to door earning an income and making household items accessible to thousands. Ifrah hopes to draw in 2,000 women in the next two years and double their incomes. How many commodities is SuperMom now selling door to door in Garissa County? We sell a whole range of products. Our main ones are consumer goods which include sugar, salt, flour etc. mainly basic everyday use consumer products, clean green energy, sanitary products and health products. Garissa has a relatively large Muslim population some of whom are conservative when it comes to women working. Has SuperMom encountered any challenges around this with the community? Yes, we faced a lot of challenges mostly because of, as you said it, being a conservative community they weren’t ready to accept the change. Most of them saw it as a breach of culture and all that and we faced a lot of opposition. [bctt tweet=”Ifrah Arab personally interacts with the women in her SuperMom network.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How are you overcoming this challenge? We overcome this challenge by using a new tactic. We decided to first approach the community elders, religious leaders, local women groups and made them understand our mission. This made it easier for us to then penetrate the larger community because now we had people they trust endorsing us. You were a 2016 Anzisha Prize finalist, how has this experience improved your outlook and operations at SuperMom? I learnt a lot from the Anzisha Prize. I met different young people from Africa who shared the same vision of making Africa great. They were all young problem solvers aged between 15 and 22. It was wonderful being able to meet and build networks with people of the same mindset and share ideas. You were also a semifinalist in the Echoing Green Fellowship of 2016? What are some of the lessons you learnt from that process? I wasn’t able to make it to the finals for Echoing Green but the feedback they gave me after the selection process has helped SuperMom grow. We were able to take in all the advice we got from them and that was really great. What are some of the most successful pitching techniques you use when seeking funding for SuperMom? When I am pitching SuperMom I always make sure I am clear and the audience clearly understands what SuperMom is all about. I also make sure to always show traction. What we have done so far to earn that trust. I always give my story too. It makes people understand the reason why am doing this. That it’s just not a joke for me. [bctt tweet=”When I am pitching SuperMom I always make sure the audience clearly understands” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What keeps you going? I personally interact with the women in our network. Every time I hear any of the women talking about how SuperMom has improved her life it motivates me to do more. What big plans do you have in store for SuperMom? The problem we are trying to solve is not unique to my community. Several other marginalised communities in Kenya face the same problem. My vision is to expand and reach these other communities. We are also not covering all the products needed so also to form more partnerships so as to increase the number of products in our catalogue. What’s the one thing you would not leave the house without? My phone. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
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
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
Jackline Aseyo Kidaha: God gave me a beautiful mind to inspire others to dream bigger
[bctt tweet=”I believe in touching one life at a time – Jackline Aseyo Kidaha” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Jackline Aseyo Kidaha is a Kenyan lady who founded Golden Hearts for the Vulnerable (GHV Initiative), a CBO in Kangemi, Nairobi. The 24-year-old is also the Program Coordinator at Edge Disability Mainstreaming Partners (EDMAP AGENCIES), an organisation that convenes disability mainstreaming training and workshops for government ministries and parastatals. As a young social entrepreneur still in her baby steps, Jackie believes in youth power as key actors to development and agents of positive change. Why do you say that youths are the best agents of change? Young people make up the largest population in Africa. The youth are growing up with high energy, creativity, innovativeness, and talents which I believe are key to the attainment of various Sustainable Development Goals. All this needs to be tapped into as it’s not only for individual benefit but also for the betterment of the African continent to bring up social and economic shifts. What are your expectations from this generation? Much sacrifice and aggressiveness in reaching this goal of restoring our mother continent to abundance, wealth, and diversity. The previous generation achieved the political emancipation but I expect the current youth of Africa to achieve the socio-economical emancipation. Thus this generation of young people needs to be more open-minded, proactive in identifying gaps and addressing them. Can you give SLA readers a sense of where GHV Initiative is at the moment and what plans you have for the future? GHV Initiative (Golden Hearts for the Vulnerable) in a glimpse is a registered community-based organization in an informal settlement called Kangemi (Nairobi). It was founded in March 2015 and was officially registered in March 2017. Our main goal being to empower the vulnerable groups in informal settlements with relevant information on life skills, talents and helping realize their rights as enshrined in various legal documents. This is to give them a voice to speak up, be their own decision-makers in life and be actors in development too. So far I can contently say that we are a notch higher compared to when we began as GHV Initiative. We are now equipped to challenge and ready to bridge the gaps identified in our community. More so I can frankly say that as the Founder I now have a more reliable, committed and dedicated team that I work with to ensure that we achieve the overall GHV vision. Our future plan as an initiative is setting up a centre which will compose of unique an art space; crafts making and a talent space to nurture the spirit of dancing. The centre will entail teaching crafting, dancing, communication and entrepreneurial skills to more groups. We are also strategizing on coming up with a charity clothing line/boutique within the centre where well-wishers can to donate. This will have clothes for both boys and girls from ages 5 to 16 to enhance decency and boost their self-esteem which is critical to many of them, especially those in their teenage years who are shy in relation to how they are dressed thus pulling down their self-confidence. [bctt tweet=”Our empowerment program doesn’t give fish but teaches target beneficiaries how to fish themselves ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What programs do you provide and what are some of the setbacks you have faced? We have two programs so far. One is ‘Limited Edition’ which is a continuous life skill program for teenagers. It mainly seeks to equip young minds with knowledge of life, its challenges and how to overcome them by sticking to their principles. The program aims to reduce issues such as early pregnancies and unsafe sexual behaviour leading to school dropout as early as primary level. Being limited editions means that they are not easily swayed by things which will cost them their lives and not realize their dreams. The second one is ‘Nifunze Nijitegemee’ (meaning “teach me so that I can be independent”) which is a continuous empowerment program that seeks to teach practical skills. We believe in not giving the fish but teaching the target beneficiaries how to fish by themselves. This is to enable them to shift their talents and skills gained into profits thereby making them sustainable. Rolling out the programs at the beginning was a great challenge, as with any idea or innovation to be diffused both early adopters and laggards are present. Our target beneficiaries are diverse, have different mindsets, knowledge gap levels, lack of enough resources in terms of funds for facilitation and other logistics. What kind of response are you getting from the vulnerable groups you are empowering? From the activities conducted so far by GHV Initiative, we have received positive and overwhelming feedback. This has stimulated and motivated us to do more despite the challenges. We are constantly receiving calls and messages from the previous schools, children centers and hospital visited encouraging us to do these activities more often. How are you measuring the impact or effectiveness of GHV Initiative in your community? We utilize the theory of change in executing and evaluating our programs’ effectiveness. We have set a number of indicators and respective tools to measure that. For instance, in determining self-esteem among the teenagers we use the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale which has ten brief questions that an individual is asked to respond to. After each activity conducted we monitor and evaluate the success and gaps to measure the impact of our programs. [bctt tweet=”Jackline Aseyo Kidaha is showing the world that something good can come out of the slum” via=”no”] Besides education, how else are you empowering the people of Kangemi? I personally make DIY things such as cards, hair accessories, bow ties, crocheted mats, scrapbooks and journals all with an African touch or theme. Art is cool. I believe in touching one life at a time thus teaching those around me who are still figuring out the next step in life how to make the above stuff and getting small markets for them too.
Tabitha Tongoi: Authenticity matters
[bctt tweet=”Write from personal experience has helped @CravingYellow remain consistent” via=”no”] When a post on your blog clocks about 40,000 views in under 24 hours, I think it’s safe to call you a highly successful blogger. Tabitha Tongoi creator and owner of the Craving Yellow blog, still gets astounded to know that she reaches that many people with her effervescent nature and views on life’s ups and downs. The 26-year-old Kenyan, natural hair enthusiast and lover of all things yellow has been blogging for over two years now. Tabitha touches on everything hair, beauty, lifestyle and of course, finding yellow i.e. finding joy in life’s simple pleasures. She has lived, worked and studied in four continents, her current home being Melbourne, Australia. Tabitha is currently on holiday in Nairobi and SLA contributor Diana Odera caught up with her to get to know more about life as an African blogger in the diaspora. Who is Tabitha outside of the craving yellow moniker? Personally, I feel like I’m a thinker and I’m a writer. In my free time, I’m always thinking of new ideas, researching on creative projects etc. I love the mind space. I’m always engaging with my mind so I guess I’m a bit of an introvert; I spend a lot of time observing the world and people. When it comes to my extended life – I’m the last born of 3, I have an older sister and an older brother who just got married last year. Career wise – I am getting into the blogging space, I studied Political Science, which was never meant to bring me here but here I am. I’m a bit of a nerd, I love to read and study, I‘ve always loved school. I also love to give and I love to encourage others and see them succeed. How did the Craving Yellow movement begin? It started when I was in my last year of uni. I had just come back from England, which was an amazing experience that made me grow into myself, learn how to formulate my own ideas and be confident in myself. Once I was back in the US with that mindset, I took a class on the power of documentary photography in telling new stories that are untold. I had just finished reading Americanah and I was so inspired so I decided to turn the camera on myself and tell my story because I felt there weren’t enough women in the diaspora who’s stories were being told, if any. So I started off on that premise, I knew I loved hair and people would talk to me about hair so that was a constant conversation starter. Hair was the hook but I also wanted to talk about other things e.g. who are you? When you go home what type of conversations are you having with yourself as a young African woman living abroad? It gradually took on a life of its own from there on. I saw a lot of my friends get into depression, addiction and just losing themselves so it was also about touching on these types of conversations and experiences that women face. [bctt tweet=”I was so inspired so I decided to turn the camera on myself and tell my story” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Your blog focuses on your natural hair journey as well as beauty and lifestyle topics. How do you go about creating great content that is relatable and consistent? The premise has always been my hair because that is what I can teach people about as a skill I have. I haven’t been as regimented as I’d like to be because I have a full-time job and run the blog on the side. On average I make sure to release 2-3 youtube videos, mostly on hair and hair reviews. On the blog, I put out two posts a month on hair and for lifestyle topics. I think that because I write from my own personal experience, the type of content stays consistent. I don’t write what everyone else is writing about so it just comes to me naturally. When I’m not able to write, I don’t force myself at all just to appear like I’m writing. At any point, have you felt the pressure from trolls online or any negative feedback that you may get on your blog – pressure to make you change from your premise? In terms of hair care, in Kenya as compared to abroad, I have only felt pressured when I’m compared to fashion bloggers who have a very different production process and different content. Sometimes people blur the two. By default, because the hair blogging field here is very small, it’s easy to be compared to others. But I think in terms of my own journey, one thing I really appreciate is having lived abroad and having had to be in my own mind space and create this blog with no outside interruptions. I admire what people do but I’m very clear in what my message is and what my premise is, I’ve never been threatened or intimidated. Having lived in four continents, how have these diverse environments contributed to your personal growth, your professional and academic career? I’ve really had to learn who I am and to be fine with that. I always stand out everywhere I go, so I’ve been forced to really look into myself and ask myself internally – who am I and what do I stand for, what are my passions, what drives me? etc. As a whole, it’s allowed me to have a very clear vision of who I am as a young person, more than I would have if I had stayed in Kenya. I’ve learnt to be my own island. Adaptability has been another strength I’ve gained, great work ethic as well. What keeps you motivated? I think about young girls out there who are probably struggling with a lot and need just a bit to encourage them to push on and
Nelly Olang’: Women, sanitation & basic hygiene are the key to creating lasting change in Africa
[bctt tweet=”Nelly Olang’: Lack of sanitation remains one of the world’s most urgent health issues.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Nelly Olang’ is the founder and Managing Director of Connel Enterprises Limited, a company that brings relief to women and girls through provision of sanitary services. With good use of her creativity and drive, she is improving personal hygiene to transform lives and boost health and survival in Kenya. Nelly thrives on challenges especially those that aim towards making her company grow. In her words, “I believe that the question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” SLA Communications Fellow, Tonye Setima-Benebo was able to get more insight on Nelly Olang’s entrepreneurial journey in this interview below. Please tell us more about your business? My company is registered by the name Connel Enterprises Ltd. It is a hygiene services company which aims to bridge the gap in health promotion. The company provides quality foot-pedal operated sanitary bins that are placed in female washrooms. The sanitary bins fit feminine hygiene requirements since they are placed with liners, perfumed disinfectant and strong granules that kill bacteria. This provides a safe and discreet disposal solution for female dressings. The bins are regularly maintained, serviced and contents are incinerated. Our clients include hotels and restaurants, hospitals, schools, offices, NGO’s, parastatals and churches. We are currently providing services in the Nyanza and Western Regions and rapidly expanding countrywide. Why choose to focus on women’s hygiene? Women, sanitation and basic hygiene are the keys to creating lasting change in Africa. Lack of proper sanitation and poor hygiene play a major role in mortality. Ensuring that girls and women are provided with a means of observing their personal hygiene, could transform their lives by boosting their health. Lack of sanitation remains one of the world’s most urgent health issues hence bringing relief to women and girls through provision of sanitary services will result in better services for all and benefit entire communities. With limited resources, how were you able to run your start-up? The first years were very challenging with cash flow. I had to plough back profits to keep the business running. This also made me run a one-man show for a while, as I had to play almost all the roles single-handedly (playing the marketer, director, messenger, accountant, service lady) till I could afford to employ staff to assist me. I really had to reduce expenditures as much as possible and put all the cash I had growing the business as much as possible. [bctt tweet=”Entrepreneurship is about living like most people won’t to spend the rest of your life like most can’t.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] As an entrepreneur, what are some of your skills that have been useful in business? Marketing skills: I am a very good marketer and very good at creating rapport and conversations. This has played a huge role in driving clients to have interest in our services and has greatly contributed to our growth in the two and a half years. Customer focus: My number one priority is to ensure all our clients get quality service and that our service crew delivers professionalism which we promise our clients. Communication skills: Through this skill, I have been able to charm new clients as well as retain our clients. This skill enables us to have a good relationship with our clients. What lessons have you learnt from owning a business? I have learnt that sometimes all you really have is just yourself to help you get what you want so you really have to go confidently in the direction of your dreams to get what you want. People will only show approval/support when things start taking shape. I have also learnt that entrepreneurship is not an easy journey; most people never share the challenges. It’s all about living a few of your years like most people won’t so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t. Then I have learnt not everyone is genuinely happy for someone else’s accomplishment, loyalty is also very rare and you have to be careful about who you keep close to you. Finally, passion, drive, patience, persistence and loving what you do and understanding your reasons for doing it, is very important to help you get started. [bctt tweet=”Go confidently in the direction of your dreams to get what you want” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You started your business at younger than 25 years old, where do you see yourself at 50? The future is bright, I have plans to scale it up and expand the business by incorporating hygiene-related services and expanding to the East African region. Which would you spend more money on, make-up or lingerie? I would spend more on lingerie. Lingerie is the foundation of your everyday wardrobe so investing more on it would be better as it makes me feel comfortable. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Gina Din-Kariuki: Treat your business like you would a lover
[bctt tweet=”I wasn’t doing what I was doing just to be an entrepreneur, I was doing it to build a life I love” via=”no”] Gina Din Kariuki is a great example of the trade she practices perfecting the public image. An expert in the communications and Public Relations field, Gina has grown her company Gina Din Corporate Communication into the award-winning machine it is today. After 14 years with finance giant, Barclays Bank, she took a leap of faith and decided to be her own boss. The communication agency has been responsible for the strategic PR work for major brands like Kenya Airways, Red Cross, Safaricom and Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB). SLA contributor, Diana Odero engaged with Gina to discover the tricks of her trade and on why she thinks being a boss isn’t always as glamorous as people think. Why did you choose to get into the communications and PR field? I am actually a trained journalist but I have never practiced. After school, I got a temporary job at Barclays handling their shares issue and ended up working there for 14 years. I started off as aPR manager and rose to become Head of Corporate Affairs. After that amount of time, I decided it was time to start my own company. October of this year will mark 20 years since we opened the doors to the Gina Din Group. What has kept you going in this industry for almost two decades? 20 years in October! Quite a feat, it has been an incredible journey, let me break it down a bit for you. Keep evolving: I have always set a high standard for the work we do. There is nothing we do today that will be good enough for tomorrow. We don’t place limits on what we can achieve and keep pushing ourselves further. We have always had people who gave us opportunities. Starting out as a relatively unknown brand playing in the field with only international players (at that time) was challenging. We were lucky to have businesses that rolled the dice and gave us a shot well before I earned it. I am grateful to them 20 years later. Perseverance. The ability to roll with the punches and hang in there even when things weren’t great. To have an inner faith and belief in yourself that tomorrow will be another day. Remaining optimistic is so important when running a business. A great team is indispensable. I have had the opportunity to work with incredible people. Many who came to me with little to no experience but with passion and drive. Treat your business like you would a lover. Give it love, attention and nurture it. Reignite the fire every now and again and always stay relevant. What skills do you think one needs to be a great communicator? You need to know what you are talking about. Obtain knowledge, insight and earn the respect of people in your industry so that you actually know your subject well. Don’t just talk, listen. Focus on understanding what the other person is saying. Watch out for the non-verbal communication. Be open to other points of view. Build relationships. [bctt tweet=”20 years running a communications agency is quite a feat, @gina_din breaks down how she did it” via=”no”] Running a company is no easy feat and you have probably felt burnt out a few times. If yes, how did you deal with it? What do you think is the best way one should deal with that feeling? Of course, I have, as most business owners have. When I do feel a sense of burnout coming I take time to recognize I am human. Sometimes when one is successful we can be perceived as super humans… we can be seen as invincible and never failing. I have failed often and suffered burn out and fatigue. The key for me is to keep evolving as a person and as a brand. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “When you’ve finished changing, you’re finished.” On a personal level, I keep a good balance between work and pleasure. I start the day with quiet time and set the tone for what my day will look like and that really helps in ensuring my mind doesn’t get too overwhelmed. Also, I travel a lot and love visiting new countries and seeing new cultures. I exercise, practice yoga and spend time with loving, supportive people. As an expert in your field, you’ve had your fair share of multitasking jobs. What skills would you advise young business women to have in order to be effective multi-taskers especially when working in a profession as demanding as Public Relations? I like to break things down in blocks so it doesn’t appear too overwhelming and I try as hard as I can to avoid distractions. Being efficient with your time is important when you have to juggle. It’s also crucial to learn to prioritize tasks and delegate what and where you can. [bctt tweet=”What has kept @gina_din going – the ability to embrace success & failure in equal measure” via=”no”] Building an award-winning company from scratch must have come with its various challenges. How did you overcome any challenges that you faced and how would you advise the women reading SLA to handle challenges that may come their way? I have faced many challenges and failures in business and in life but through everything I have found my inner strength and that is what has really kept me going -the ability to embrace success and failure in equal measure. When I first started my business, I took failure very personally but as my inner strength has developed, I have developed the knack of quieting the voice of resistance and stepping outside my comfort zones. I have always tried to keep my spirits high and now fully understand my ‘big why’. In my 20 year journey, I have come to understand you never know what’s around the corner. It can be
Emma Macharia: Invest in data and analytics from the beginning
[bctt tweet=”EM Consulting exists to help such businesses scale through effective communication” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Emma Macharia is a communications consultant at EM Consulting, a communications firm based in Nairobi, Kenya. EM Consulting is dedicated to helping start-ups and SME’s grow and scale by effecting impact based marketing and communication strategies and tactics. Passionate about life, people, and business, Emma loves insightful conversations and turning ideas into successful business stories. Emma shared with SLA her thoughts on the Kenyan start-up ecosystem and her tips on effective marketing for start-ups. What are your thoughts on the Kenyan start-up ecosystem? How does your company fit into it? Kenya’s startup ecosystem, in my opinion, is at maturity level. By this, I mean that we are slowing moving from the hype of entrepreneurship and now starting to look at the sustainability of businesses. We are evolving from collaborations into partnerships and similarly from churning just new products and services to products and services that are customer focused and scalable. EM Consulting fits into this system simply because it exists for one agenda only which is to help such businesses scale through effective communication with all their stakeholders; suppliers, customers, shareholders and so on. We help your business speak one language to get everyone growing and moving in the same direction. How easy (or difficult) was it for you to step up EM Consulting in Kenya? How did you overcome any challenges? Setting up EM Consulting in Kenya was not too difficult because of continuously improved business facilities and regulations that make the process of setting up a business more flexible. Similarly, the relevant government institutions have begun opening up to entrepreneurs and taking a more active role in the entrepreneurship space in Kenya. However, building a communications firm in Kenya was quite a challenge due to the cut-throat nature of the industry. For this, I ensured I built my business on values that would withstand the industry such as innovation. Also, I ensured to surround myself with people of different skills sets and expertise to help me create a solid and well-planned business. Some of these experts include financial experts, tax consultants, brand strategists and technology experts. [bctt tweet=”I ensured to surround myself with people with the expertise to help me create a solid business” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What do startups get wrong when it comes to marketing? When it comes to marketing within a startup, it is very easy to initially place the customer in the back seat of the business. Between figuring out your financials, to perfecting the product and pleasing investors; customers tend to take a back seat in the scheme of things. This is where I feel startups get it wrong. If startups and founders mastered two key things then their solutions would be irrefutable. These are; the problem around the solution they are working on and the value proposition of their solution to their customer. If there is one thing I would advise all startups to have on the back of their hand it is their customer; to do this, collect insights, and invest in data and analytics from the beginning. How can start-ups leverage their brand to achieve business goals? Your brand is your credibility, so to this, I say build a brand that attracts your customer to your business. Communicate correctly and efficiently; figure out the one message you want your customers and stakeholders to pick from you and communicate it efficiently. Also, invest in a marketing plan to reap well from your brand. How do you hope to inspire current and future entrepreneurs? How can they get it right? Through the training service of EM Consulting, I speak to and train businesses and entrepreneurs on the value and leverage of the customer in building a business. Through these training sessions, I am able to share insights and trends about different kinds of consumers and audiences in different industries hoping to spark new ideas and innovations amongst entrepreneurs. How to get it right? Learn from and listen to your customer. There are a lot of benefits to focusing your business on the ‘consumer;’ it helps with forecasting the numbers, it helps you anticipate future trends and therefore innovate accordingly, it helps you build a business beyond yourself. [bctt tweet=”Figure out the message you want your customers/stakeholders to pick from you & communicate it” via=”no”] What’s your major challenge as a startup that caters to other startups? My major challenge as a startup working with startups and growing businesses would have to be money and buy in. I have learnt that the reason a lot of businesses are failing at communications and marketing is because they do not budget for it like any other business function. Secondly, a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners overlook the role of effective communication on their bottom line. This is why I decide to include training and business consulting in my range of services to listen to my clients immediate and long-term business needs, and show them how effective communications will help them get there. What communication trends have you noticed as more impactful for African businesses? I personally think Africans are by nature early adopters of technology among other solutions and that is why platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Uber, and even LinkedIn thrive in our markets. However, in the last few months is when I’ve seen African businesses applying these technologies to their context and markets. A great example is how service industries use WhatsApp or Telegram to build niche communities with their customers and share more personalized content or using Facebook communities to educate customers and build customer lists. Other communication trends include getting in touch with Generation Z consumers who are more focused on purpose and changing the world forcing businesses to relook their social impact as well as sharing more authentic communication to reach them. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Biabu Shaffi: The difference in winning and losing is most often, not quitting! So, don’t quit.
[bctt tweet=”If you have identified a problem, look for a solution & turn it into a business @BiabuShaffi” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] From the coastal part of Kenya, Biabu Shaffi is among many things a passionate baker and a cooking enthusiast, always looking to try new recipes. For the past 3 years, she has been baking cakes, cookies, and other pastries to earn an extra shilling which she has used to fund her degree in Business Management. After being approached by several family members and friends looking to find suitable housekeepers, Biabu realized that there was a gap in the market and she decided to fill that gap by launching Pristine Housekeeping Agency. Through Pristine, Biabu hopes to establish a one-stop shop that Kenyans can look to for all their household needs: cleaning, babysitting, shopping…you name it, Pristine will offer it. What’s her mantra? Biabu believes that if you have a passion, you should pursue it. What was the inspiration behind the birth of Pristine Housekeeping Agency? The idea of running a housekeeping agency came from a comedy series entitled “Devious Maids” lol. There is this character called Marisol Suarez, who started an agency for maids. People go to her to look for maids. Initially, I thought I could do the same but after some consideration, I decided not to –I didn’t see the need then. But then one day, it happened that my cousin, my sister, and aunt were looking for house-helps and they just couldn’t find one that would fit their need(s). And there I was, again, thinking, if I start a housekeeping agency, train the ladies/gents on the basics, like how to clean the house, do laundry, cooking etc. I would really be making money. Then I remembered that people here travel to other countries, especially the Middle East, to clean houses for money and some end up getting hurt, others even get killed. So, Pristine will also be creating/providing employment to the unskilled, jobless youths and women and in the long run, grow a skilled community, end crime and poverty. What was the need you saw lacking in the Kenyan housekeeping industry that made you want to pursue this idea? In your view, what is it about Pristine that sets it apart from other similar ventures? First the Kenyan housekeeping industry only concentrates on commercial buildings –like offices, malls and supermarkets, hospitals, and hotels. Not one person has thought of venturing into house cleaning services, NONE! Pristine will do the household chores for you. From cleaning, cooking, shopping to babysitting. Lots of people look for professional house-helps –one that can do the house chores without needing someone breathing down their neck. I haven’t seen any agency like Pristine except when seeking employment in the Middle East. Pristine’s vision is to be the best housekeeping agency in Africa by 2030. How far have you gotten with the development of your idea into a fully functioning agency? What would you say have been some of the biggest challenges that you have faced along the way? Winding up on the proposal, working on the logo and registration. I am done with the name search so I am waiting for the response. So far, the challenge I have faced is time. I must juggle in between my full-time employment, cake orders, school, volunteering and researching on Pristine. It has been and is still is a very big challenge. Finances too have been a challenge as I use my savings to get things done, so hopefully, I will get some funding or someone with a good deal to invest in my business. When it comes to opening a business, where/who would you say you have received the most support from? How have you been able to capitalize on that? I have a colleague, who is also my mentor, who said that gone are the days when people started businesses just to make a profit and become wealthy. These days it is more about “what problem are you solving?” or “what are you doing for the society?”. I saw a need in my community, the need for good and professional help, and I believe that we, at Pristine, are going to satisfy that need. [bctt tweet=”Challenges are opportunities in disguise @BiabuShaffi” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Starting a business can be a daunting process for many young women. As someone who is currently going through the process, what would be your advice to other young women in your shoes looking to embark on a similar adventure and become business owners? Yes, it is a daunting process. Especially if you have a full-time job and other things running. What I can just tell other women out there is; Never give up! Challenges are there to make us stronger. In fact, challenges are opportunities in disguise –grab them and face them head on. You know why you started, and what you are looking at achieving in the short and long run. And always remember that the difference in winning and losing is most often, not quitting! So, don’t. With regards to Pristine Housekeeping, what would you say are your top three goals for 2017 and how are you planning to accomplish them? Get registered as a limited liability company by March – I have started on the registration process and I am at least half way. Recruitment and placement of at least 20 youth and women – I will be training them at my home before I secure a perfect place for this –I am also working on the plan. Funding/Donors/Investors – This is in order to be financially stable and/or get an investor. You are also in the process of completing your degree, how are you managing to handle it all, finishing school, starting a business and presumably trying to have a social life and pursue your other passions. I am a very good multitasker and all this is because I am self-motivated. In other words, my passion drives me to work harder and move, despite loving my nap times,