Inspiration Archives

In Food August 5, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Aasiyah Ravate, A Mozambican Food Entrepreneur And Founder Of Home Cooking With Love

For a lot of people, cooking is a chore while for others, it is their love language and a thoughtful expression of their love. For Mozambican entrepreneur, Aasiyah Ravate, cooking is a passion turned business venture. Founder of Home Cooking With Love, every meal she makes are a delicious hit made with lots of love for her customers.

Aasiyah Ravate is a 22-year-old CEO and founder of Home Cooking With Love. She is also a year 4 student of dentistry. She has a great passion for cooking, and during the pandemic she reinvented herself and created her business, Home Cooking With Love. During the past six months, she has been serving her snacks to agencies, banks, and thousands of people in her city.

Aasiyah’s business celebrates the concept of homemade food, which makes people travel for flavors without leaving home and without needing a visa. Her business specializes in traditional Indian food, Italian food, fast food and desserts.

Aasiyah was inspired to start her business by her mother who was both a fighter and a warrior and taught her to fight for her dreams. “I have a passion for cooking. I am still struggling to achieve my dream of opening a restaurant. I was also inspired to start my business to help my mother because she was always a mother and father to me and my brother, she deserves the best.”

On her entrepreneurial journey, Aasiyah confirms that at first it was very difficult, because she had no idea how to own and run a business. Her mother helped her invest, and with time she gained experience. These experiences have in the long run, taught her to be a better entrepreneur.

Her biggest satisfaction as a food entrepreneur is her client’s happiness when they taste her food, and the thoughtful feedback she gets from her customers.

She advises young women to trust in themselves, be faithful, believe in their dreams, and fight for them no matter your age. In her words, “be strong and fight for your business, do not let anyone put you down. Believe in your potential and in the potential of your company. Hear the voice of your heart and make your way from it. I am sure that in the future, you will have the professional satisfaction you deserve!”

In Inspiration August 2, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Chipo Aaron, Botswanan Entrepreneur and Owner of Cutikles Skincare Brand

The journey into the world of entrepreneurship begins with a single step. For some, that single step can be passion to meet a need, quest to solve a problem or just the need to have an extra source of income. For Chipo Aaron, a Botswanan entrepreneur, frustration was her own push into the world of entrepreneurship.

Constantly frustrated by the chemical-intensive, highly synthetic formulas which have dominated the skincare market for too long, Chipo Aaron felt it was time to change the situation by launching her own skincare company, Cutikles to create high quality spa products that harness the healing power of Africa’s indigenous oils.

Chipo Aaron is the founder of Cutikles, a cosmetic manufacturing brand located in Gaborone, Botswana. She also doubles as an interior designer at Ca Concepts, an interior design firm that designs bespoke residential and corporate spaces.
Cutikles brand produces high quality spa products blended with raw African indigenous oils for both the African and international market. The business also has a spa that serves as a research and development centre that gives clients a foretaste of Cutikles products before release to the general public. Cutikles cosmetic brand exists to help the users of the products improve the overall health of their skin and their general appearance as a whole.

Some days are better than others but we cannot give up because the dreams that we have are valid.

Chipo believes quality and safety must not be compromised at any point which is why she ensures Cutikles spa products are locally produced using natural plant extracts and pure essential oils that have been well researched, packaged and delivered.

Chipo has an entrepreneurial background that has helped her succeed in her business. She was raised by two entrepreneurs who owners clothing retail stores and a logistics company. She learned from an early age that building a brand requires patience, hard work and resilience. She started cutikles after the birth of her first son and in her words, “I have always known that I wanted to be an entrepreneur and once I found the cosmetic world, I knew that is where I belong. I continued with interior design side jobs as I needed the funds to be pushed into Cutikles. The business continues to surprise me every day by the way we are changing lives through our products and services. Some days are better than others but we cannot give up because the dreams that we have are valid.”

She describes her journey so far using these words “being an entrepreneur has given me liberty in following and building my dreams and also providing others with better work environments. I have worked in harsh environments and I don’t wish for anyone to experience such. It is liberating to see someone smile because of the way you respect them and that makes me happy. The freedom of being an entrepreneur is for me a winner and sometimes the several wins and lessons that come with the package are also a game changer.”

Chipo Aaron is a firm believer that women are diamonds that can just change the world. Which is why she enjoins women to follow the idea in that has been lingering in their head.
Imagine the lives that you could change by just developing what you think would have never worked, the jobs you could create, and the happiness that you could create in a household!

Believe in yourself and jump! Go for it.

In Inspiration July 29, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Naike Moshi Is Promoting Women Visibility Through Her Women In Management Initiative

For the African continent to experience lasting positive socio-economic change, two things need to happen:

First, it the gender gap between male and female leaders must be closed.
Next, women leaders in various sectors in Africa need to work on promoting their visibility.

Everyone has a role to play in order to make this happen and this is why Naike Moshi, Tanzanian founder of Women in Management is playing her part in promoting women visibility through her work in business management and human resources.

Naike Moshi is the founder of Women in Management Africa, an initiative that closes the gender gap that promotes visibility for Women Leaders by honouring and recognizing them for their achievements.
Naike is a strategic, innovative leader with a proven track record of building and creating successful business products and services and with a strong academic background, creative problem-solving skills, and an innovative mind. She has more than 10 years’ experience in the area of business management and human resources. Her expertise includes building businesses from the ground up, women and youths’ empowerment, coming up with innovative ideas, executive search and employer branding.

Don’t be scared to start, Nothing will ever happen until you start and put action on your dreams. Even if you fail, know that at least you dared greatly and take lessons from it. Be patient, persevere….

Her initiative, Women in Management is one that closes the gender gap by honouring and recognizing women leaders for their career achievements. They also provide mentorship, encouragement and develop emerging talented female professionals to be inspired in their careers and to be role models to them. They empower women by organizing education and training workshops that are designed by women for women and to help them address gender disparity issues in their work environments.

Naike was inspired to launch the Women in Management initiative when she found out through research that in order to apply for a job women feel they need to meet 100% of the criteria while men usually apply after meeting about 60%. She saw a huge gap in senior level women applying for senior level roles and even low placement rates for Senior Women. And to combat this disparity, she founded the initiative known as Women in Management to promote and increase visibility for Senior-Level Women in Management.

Naike Moshi describes her initiative as successful and in her own words, “The impact of this initiative has been tremendous. Most women leaders in the corporate spaces have been forgotten and are never recognized for their career achievements. I have seen many young female leaders being inspired to follow certain careers and they have found quality role models to look at. We are touching lives.”

Naike Moshi is proud of how far her initiative has come. Women in Management initiative is one of the SDGs that captures gender equality. It’s a universal problem that affects many nations and with their expertise in Talent Management/Acquisition, they were able to tap into their network and acquire very strong female leaders. The service and this initiative are very scalable and they have great plans to go to other African countries.

In Inspiration July 27, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Two South African Entrepreneurs, Dinah Kgeledi And Lesego Seloane, Are Making Environmental Impact Through Landscaping

You never can tell how far your passion for a thing can take you until you immerse yourself in it and allow yourself to be consumed by that passion. Lesego and Dinah gave themselves away to their passion for landscaping and now, it has led them to founding and building a thriving landscaping business in South Africa.

Ronewa Creations Ltd co-founded by both entrepreneurs is a family business between a niece and her aunt, respectively.

Lesego has a background in Botany, having completed her studies in Biochemistry and Botany at the University of Johannesburg. While Dinah has a background in the corporate world, working in the IT field using her Diploma in IT. She worked for various companies before resigning from her corporate career to fully pursue landscaping as her passion.

The passion they have for plants comes from Lesego’ s gran, Dinah’s Mother, who has an eclectic small garden in Soweto. They have seen her tend her garden and as such, sparked up an interest in landscaping in them.

Their company is a landscaping business specialized in horticulture and botany. They also offer garden maintenance solutions for all our clients and are a strong advocate for the environment with the tag “Love your Surroundings.”

Dinah and Lesego had the urge to start the business after learning so much about the biodiversity of their country, South Africa. They realised that most people don’t know how to tend their gardens and make them functional.

They also discovered people needed to learn how to preserve ecosystems by not taking down trees. These relatives turned business partners wanted to ensure that people can enjoy the outdoors, and in turn they felt this will strongly lead them towards the direction of a developed country.

Their business has received several awards and recognitions including Forbes Africa Women Magazine Feature, Sowetan Article, and Best Green Female entrepreneur (Lesego Seloane).

Lesego and Dinah are a firm believer that women have so much to give to this world, and they desire to see more representatives of women in the world of business.

Their advice to women who want to launch any business is simple, “With a determined spirit you can tackle any type of business!”

In Food July 25, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Kátia Agy, A Mozambican Entrepreneur Making Edible Bouquets Out of Fruits And Chocolates

It is interesting how you can build a business out of the most basic things you do in your personal life. For Kátia, her idea to earn a living by making edible bouquets came when she first made one to encourage her eldest daughter to eat more fruits. And just like most of us, Kátia decided to take a photo of of it before her daughter started eating and shared with her friend who posted the picture on Facebook. People became interested in it and asked who made it and that very day, Kátia got her very first order and customer for her edible bouquets. And like they say, the rest is history.

Kátia Agy, known as a singer and TV presenter, and now, the founder of Food Lounge Mz. Her business is focused on making edible bouquets using fresh fruits and chocolates. For the past 7 years, this business has been the main source of income for Kátia, and now also her three employees.

What inspired Kátia to begin this business was the desire to become independent, and to be able to work from home to be close to her daughters. She was also inspired by the love she has for making, creating and decorating food, especially for being able to transform a plate of fruit or a simple chocolate into something interesting that grabs the attention of those who are going to eat it.

Kátia simple turned her passion into business.

She gets maximum pleasure with each bouquet creation. Indeed, The Food Lounge Mz has found a way to make people eat fruits and chocolates and get maximum pleasure and happiness from doing it. Making a bouquet to be devoured by someone is a huge responsibility and the amazement and satisfaction on the face of the recipients are constant sources of celebration. They simply sell happiness through their explosion and mixture of flavors!

For Kátia, her satisfaction as an entrepreneur comes from having more control of her time, freedom to imagine and create a concept. Also, being able to help her clients get the best gift for their loved ones and lastly, seeing her clients recommend her to other people.

For women who wish to, or are already starting a business, her advice is: Do not stop! Do what you have to do, trembling, afraid, but don’t give up. Cultivate your dreams with the same claw that is characteristic of women in all other aspects of life! Do not listen to those who consider your business without wings to fly, because even the eagle had several falls before it managed to fly high. Remember to pray, believe, work with discipline, stay focused and make it happen. It is in your hands.

In Inspiration July 22, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Amanda Obidike A Nigerian STEM Innovator and Founder of STEMi Makers Africa

STEM has a capacity to make huge impacts in the lives of young people, particularly women and girls, on the African continent cannot be underestimated.

STEMi Makers Africa, founded by Amanda Obidike, addresses the existing unemployment gap, the underrepresentation of young women and girls in STEM and the fragmented education system by training teachers and students in STEM Education.

Amanda Obidike is a multi-award winning social innovator, technologist and scientist. She is the Founding Curator of the WEF Global Shapers, Ozubulu Hub and Executive Director of STEMi Makers Africa. Her role in this position is to provide leadership, strategy management and oversee the design and implementation of sustainable Community projects and STEM Education across 19 Sub-Saharan countries by preparing the next generation of Africans with STEM lucrative skills for Africa’s workforce.
In addition to STEM, she addresses thematic topics on Social Innovation, Data Science, Youth Development, Entrepreneurship and socio-economic policies. In 2020, Amanda received several awards including the Global Award for Achievement by TechWomen 100 and 30 Under 30 Inspiring Leaders of Africa.

The lucrative jobs of the future required technical competence and 21st century skills that she didn’t have. Nigeria began to transfer major Resources and job opportunities to skilled professionals and expatriates due to a lack of competent and domestic STEM workforce. Seeing this economic disparity, she began to research on new labour market skills that youths like her can successfully thrive in. She got an opportunity to be trained by IBM in Business Intelligence/Analytics after 8 months. Upon completion, she took the initiative to serve as a knowledge panel in preparing Africans with 21st-century skills and future-focused options for an emerging workforce.
This was her inspiration, her driving force to starting STEMi Makers Africa.

Her advice to women is for them to be open to learning from women’s stories. Shared experiences from women who have existing businesses and start-ups can pave a lasting way for women who are about to launch their businesses in learning business ethics and challenges encountered.

Amanda urges women to not focus only on hearing the success sides or accomplishments of others but strive to know the challenges, setbacks and hurdles they encountered. As this can help them overcome futuristic and business tendencies to failure.

She encourages women to feel free to network, attend business seminars (virtually or in-person), and most importantly, get a business mentor who is accessible. Someone they can always feel free to ask questions or give them that business support or counsel they may need.

Amanda Obidike serves as a Mentor in the New York Academy of Science, Cherie Blair Foundation, the 1 million Women in Tech, Global thinkers for Women where she lends her voice, knowledge, and serve as a role model to girls in Africa.

She currently serves on the Leadership Team of the 500 Women Scientists, USA and Trustee Board of the MAI Foundation.

In Inspiration July 22, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Nicole Magerman From Mozambique Is Making Social Impact Through Her Non-Profit Organization

Nicole Magerman founded Girl Spectrum, her non-profit organization at the age of 25. She started running it as a labour of love and devotion for gender equality. Girl Spectrum was founded in 2021 and has a global vision of creating awareness around not only women empowerment but also building confidence in our women of today.

Self-Care is Health Care.

Girl Spectrum is a women empowerment, mental health and self-care forum founded as a movement that embraces and celebrates the feminine essence. The objective of the initiative is to promote and sustain gender equality, confidence building and eliminate limitations set for women based on their gender. Through this project, it is expected that women from different socio-economic backgrounds come together to support and empower each other personally and professionally.

They offer programs like Love School (Relationship Forum), Girl Boss (Entrepreneurial Forum), “All About I” (Confidence Building Program), as well as the Steal the Show Program (Artistic Forum).

Nicole was inspired to start the Girl Spectrum organization because of the everyday battle in a “Man´s World”.
gender equality and gender awareness are very important factors that drive her to keep fighting for woman rights. After all, woman rights are human rights. Early marriage, gender-based violence, inequality in the workplace and pre-defined gender roles all created a drive for change and a new era definition. Girl Spectrum has programs that build the female leaders of tomorrow and restructures the female leaders of today.

Nicole is currently pursuing a career in banking and finance.

Nicole Magerman believes hesitation is a dream killer. She says don´t wait on money or making time to kick start your journey.

Start now and fuel your goals on the way!

In Inspiration July 20, 2021 By Women of Rubies

South African Millicent Motsoeri Is Making A Living By Making Vacations Affordable To All

All work and no play has never benefitted anyone. Everybody loves to unwind and take some time off work and life and just enjoy some peace and calm. But the expenses required to take that needed rest is overwhelming so people choose to keep working and hoping for that day when they can afford that vacation.

This is the reality of a lot of people around the world and this prompted South African entrepreneur, Millicent Motsoeri, co-founder of Heita Ngamla Holidays, to establish a vehicle for customers to pre-pay for their vacations over time, thus, making them more accessible to everyone.

Heita Ngamla Holidays is a vehicle for members to pre-pay for their vacations.
This works by allowing members accumulate funds via debit order then book a holiday package of their choosing at the time convenient to them.

At the point when the member wishes to travel, there is a top-up option when the funds are insufficient. Heita Ngamla Holidays members are guaranteed a hassle free, easily adaptable booking system, with customized packages just the way each client wants.

Heita Ngamla Holidays was created for working class people to ensure their participation in quality vacations. They started the travel club in 2008 when they discovered that people love to travel, however they were often faced with financial difficulties when the time came for them to take a leave from work and go on that dream holiday.

Millicent was introduced into entrepreneurship as a university student. She worked part-time promoting Fast Moving Consumer Goods in supermarkets. She also did a stint at Dial-A-Student passing out flyers at busy traffic intersections.

Her 9-5 life began with employment as a business administrator which was really fulfilling for what she studied to do, but that was short lived because she had discovered that she is people-centered and love working with people.
This self-discovery led her to network marketing. The networking thrill soon became a passion to create innovative solutions for solving everyday problems. Thus, she co-founded Dial-A-Helper in which they trained carefully screened domestic helpers who were subsequently placed and managed for their clients.

The entrepreneurial journey is a different one for each person and for Millicent, her greatest satisfaction comes from being able to write her own cheque while doing what she enjoys doing.

Millicent admits that in life and in the entrepreneurial world, at times things will seem and feel as if the more you move 100 steps forward, time and pressure take you a thousand steps back, because in your eyes your peers are progressing to greater heights and you are not.

She says when these moments come, remember your dream is big and it won’t take a day to build, hence you must persevere and be patient because you are a winner!

In Editor's Choice July 21, 2021 By Women of Rubies

#Interview | “I Am Constantly Motivated By My Passion For Human Rights” – Mary Izobo

Mary Izobo is the founder of The Amazon Leadership Initiative (TheALI), which aims to empower women and girls, provide support networks, mentorship, career guidance, education and capacity development to alleviate gender inequality.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons) in French Language from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria; a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland; a Barrister at Law (BL) from the Nigerian Law School, Nigeria; a Master of Laws (LLM) in Human Rights and Democratization in Africa from the University of Pretoria, South Africa; and a Master of Laws (LLM) in Rule of Law for Development from Loyola University Chicago, USA.

She is currently studying for a Doctor of Laws (LLD) with a focus on International Governance at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She has worked for the United Nations (UN) the African Union Commission (AUC), the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the Institute for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) and the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA).

She talks about her journey in an interview with Women of Rubies.

Inspiration Behind The Amazon Leadership Initiative (TheALI)

I was inspired to start TheALI because of my passion and concern (love) for human rights particularly women and girls’ rights.

Impact on society, andTestimonials since inception.
The Amazon Leadership initiative (TheALI), is a not-for-profit organization. It was established to empower women and girls, provide support networks, mentorship, career guidance, education and capacity development to alleviate gender inequality in line with aspiration 6 of the AU Agenda 2063 and goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030. TheALI envisions a world where everyone has equal rights and opportunities – inter-generational equity.

The impact of TheALI on women and girls includes the advancement and empowerment of women and girls for the fulfilment of their rights, development and wellbeing. We do this through mentorship, career guidance, education and capacity development. We provide education for young women and girls including career guidance in their chosen career fields. We also currently mentor several girls and young women across continents as mentorship is at the heart of TheALI. We have also been able to educate and provide capacity development for young women and girls through webinars, training and informal meetings. Topics of the webinars and training TheALI have covered, include five of the 12 critical areas of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: Women and girls’ education, the girl child, women in governance, gender and generation equality, and gender-based violence. All of these webinars, training and informal meetings were well attended by individuals who are set to change the world around them. You can find the links to these webinars and advocacy work here.

We have also been able to carry out advocacy programmes for the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of the girl child using the bottom to top approach to place a girl child at the centre of Africa’s development agenda. In 2020, TheALI collaborated with the Graça Machel Trust (GMT) in commemorating the International Day of the Girl Child through an intergenerational dialogue on the theme ‘She is Equal.’ We brought together girls’ representatives from the five regions in Africa (Central, East, North, West, and Southern Africa) to afford them the opportunity to share their concerns and challenges primarily to inform and influence the advocacy agenda for girls within the African continent. With this intergenerational dialogue, we were able to create an interactive platform for these young girls who presented the barriers that prevent them from enjoying and fulfilling their rights as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child as we proposed solutions to these barriers.

You have hosted and organized several empowerment programs and conferences how do you manage it all and what drives you?

On how I manage it all, I am constantly motivated by my passion for human rights, gender equality and equity, the importance of learning, sharing and imparting knowledge, partnerships, and collaborations. What drives me is hard work, commitment, consistency, dedication, passion, and above all networking because as they say your network is your net worth.

What are the important aspects you’ve noticed about Africa as someone who has worked with the African Union? What are the things you wish were done differently when it comes to the female gender?

There are so many important aspects to Africa that I have noticed guided by the values and ideals of the African Union. To begin with, I would highlight African Unity. The African Union is the Pan-Africanist continental organization that we have in terms of bringing African people together and formulating the standards for promoting democracy, human rights and pioneering peer-review between and amongst States in Africa.

Another aspect is the role of the youth in nation-building in Africa – Youths are the cornerstone and bedrock of any society, and their role cannot be underestimated or overemphasized. As fuel is the driving force of any vehicle, so is the youth of any nation. Africa has the youngest population in the world where 60% of its population is under 25 years. This means that the average percentage of the youth in any African country is approximately 30 to 50 per cent. Africa must utilise its youths in the development of its future vision and direction, by engaging them in the decision making processes. It is critical that youths play a crucial role in building social cohesion, economic prosperity, and political stability in any nation. This must be done through inclusivity and democratization. In 2018, Ms Aya Chebbi was appointed by the African Union as the first African Union Youth Envoy. This is a step in the right direction for the African Union as there is the need to do more by including the youth in leadership positions.

What I wished was done differently when it comes to the female gender is what I constantly advocate for – gender equality and equity – Give women more representation. In the past few years, the representation of women at the top leadership position in Africa and also at the African Union Commission has improved and increased but we need more women at the top leadership levels. In the history of the African Union, we have had only one female chairperson, Mrs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and for the first time ever, we have our first female Deputy Chairperson of the Commission, Dr Monique Nsanzabaganwa. The AU needs to continue to advocate for the inclusion of women in leadership positions.

What are some of the challenges of your work?

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major restraint on everyone. The work that we do at TheALI involves a lot of outreach, advocacy and travelling. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our capacity, outreach and advocacy programmes. Thus, to manage the present realities given the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to use Zoom and other online platforms as a working method.

In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have carried out a lot of advocacy programmes virtually by bringing together notable male and female leaders to continue to discuss issues around the achievement of gender equality and equity. We have also carried out work particularly in relation to women and girls in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rights of women and girls.

However, because these events are virtual, the actual impact on the ground is not one that we would expect without COVID-19. As a result, TheALI is strategizing and revisiting the work done virtually to assess or measure the impact done on the ground where it matters and concerns all beneficiaries. In addition, at TheALI, we continue to make financial adjustments as adequate funding has not been forthcoming and consequently, the capacity of TheALI has suffered from resource constraints.

Other projects and activities?

We are currently working on two major projects slated for the second half of the year 2021 focusing on empowering women and young girls.

3 women who inspire you and why

Mrs. MOE Agbebaku-Izobo (my mum) is my greatest inspiration. She supports and guides me to become the best I can be. She is a pillar, a backbone and a constant reminder that my dreams are valid. Besides my mum, three other women who inspire me in no particular order are: Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization; Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of United Nations Women (UN Women) and Mrs Michelle Obama, the former first lady of the United States of America. These women inspire me because they have broken down barriers and shattered glass ceilings in achieving their dreams, pioneering their fields and taking up spaces in male-dominated spheres. These women are strong and phenomenal and bring a realization that your dreams are valid only if you dare to dream. They are the epitome of Black girl magic.

Could you share some brilliant insights from your life experience?

Some of the brilliant insights from my life experience include studying for my law degree, qualifying for the Nigerian Bar, practicing as a Human Rights Lawyer and receiving recognition through numerous awards for my educational and professional experience.

What makes you a Woman of Rubies?

I believe I am a Woman of Rubies because I greatly care for others, value humanity as well as human rights and most importantly, I am a staunch advocate for gender equality and inter-generational equity.

You can follow Ms. Mary Izobo on any of her social media handles below

Email: info.theali.org@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/izobomary/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IzoboMary

Facebook: https://facebook.com/IMaryIzobo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryizobo/

In Inspiration July 18, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Noreen Asekenye of Tell A Story Foundation Uganda, Transforming Lives Of Vulnerable People Through Storytelling

Leave a mark about the work you are doing. It does not matter if you are walking the journey alone, keep moving, walk your truth, not everyone will believe you, just move, the right people will eventually find you.

If there’s one thing that serves the multiple functions of engaging, informing, educating and transforming lives, it is stories.
Noreen Asenkenye, the founder of Tell a Story Foundation understands the transforming power of story telling. That is why she is engaging it to make a positive social impact in the lives of vulnerable people in Uganda.

Noreen has an intense passion for the vulnerable and a way she makes their life easy and free from distress is story telling.

She is an enthusiastic fundraiser, and through Tell a Story Foundation, she has successfully ran fundraising campaigns for children with autism, two young girls raised by single mothers, and the current Together for Good campaign, a Covid-19 relief fundraiser benefiting vulnerable families with income relief.

Do not wait to have enough to chase your dreams. Only start and once you do make noise about your business.

Tell a Story Foundation Uganda is a non-profit organization using stories and acts of charity to influence change within individuals, the community and the world at large.
They carry out bonfire nights to relive telling stories around the fire places just as the ancient grandparents did. They also profile and share inspirational success stories of young men and women impacting lives. Because they believe that stories are a solution, the foundation also run fundraisers for the less privileged in their communities to better their lives.

As the founder of a non-profit organisation, Noreen explains how intrinsic the reward she gets from running an organisation that inspires people.
She explains what keeps her committed hand true to her mission. In her own words, “the joy in sharing a story and knowing that someone has seen a piece of themselves in it and are inspired to be and do better. The smiles on every person we support through a fundraiser keeps me more committed.”

Noreen implores women and everyone who is stuck on what to do and how to get started with these words:

“Do what you can from wherever you are and with what you have. Tell a Story Foundation started with zero Ugandan shillings, my idea was my capital and the only available resource I had.”

“Do not wait to have enough to chase your dreams. Only start and once you do make noise about your business. People should remember you for what you do.

“Use whatever available opportunity whether it is a physical meeting or online chat to throw your face at people. Leave a mark about the work you are doing. It does not matter if you are walking the journey alone, keep moving, walk your truth, not everyone will believe you, just move, the right people will eventually find you.”

Noreen is a cohort 35 Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Fellow, Cohort 18 Reignite Africa Young Leaders Fellow, and a recent graduate of the 2020 Zimba Women Business Program.

Inspiration