At 25, Sinenhlanhla is the founder of Passcara and Partners Incorporated based in Durban, South Africa. Her firm focuses on family law and personal injury.

Sinenhlanhla Passcara Mthembu, completed law school and started working with a law firm but she’d always wanted to establish her own business so she quit her job and became her own boss. “It is hard based on my age. People see Law as a difficult field. It is a scary field and a man’s world but I took it as a challenge upon myself to do it.”

“I then decided that no matter what people are actually saying, I’m going for it regardless of my age and the challenges I may face,” she told Power FM.

“It was difficult from the point where I started my degree to where I am now. I don’t regret anything.” She is the only person running the law firm at the moment, according to reports.

Allow me to Introduce myself. My name is Sinenhlanhla Passcara Mthembu and I am the Founder and Director of Passcara and Partners Incorporated. I am a 25 year old and the owner of this Law Firm.
I am to Inspire. If I did it then so can you!!! #GirlsTalkZA pic.twitter.com/fIypgaqTKe

— Sne Mthembu (@Sne_Mthembu_) February 3, 2020

The journey has not been so smooth, butwent it comes to market herself. But she is positive that word-of-mouth marketing from her clients will help her.

“What is hard in our field is marketing yourself. There is a thin line between marketing and touting. Touting is like when you are asking or begging for clients,” she said. “It makes it hard to market because you don’t want to cross that thin line that the [legal] council has put for us.”

Sinenhlanhla is also a content creator at Youtube, who shares beauty tips with her followers.

After 42 years, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has become the first black woman to deliver a Commencement Day speech at the University of Pennsylvania. Since 1978, was when then-US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Patricia Harris did so.

Hello WORriors, it’s #WomanCrushWednessday, and our Woman Crush is Kemi Adetiba!

She is a multi award winning movie director, cinematographer, music and video director known for excellent work in the industry, especially the blockbuster movies, ‘The Wedding Party’ and ‘King of boys’. Her works have made appearance in places like BET, Netflix, MTV base, Sound city Tv, amongst others.

Born in Lagos on January 8, 1980,  Adetiba started her journey into the media really young where she headlined two national television commercials for the detergent brand OMO, just like her father, Dele Adetiba, a veteran in the advertising and broadcast industries who played a pivotal role in the development in Nigeria.

In 2007, with a love for storytelling, the law graduate enrolled in the New York Film Academy. Her body of work includes music videos, commercials, television content and films.

The exceptional film-maker and music video director believes the year still holds many promises’. She came out clear with her opinion known through her Twitter and Instagram handles.

She said, “ I think 2020 still has more to offer. There is no pretending it is increasingly becoming harder and harder to remain positive in these peculiar times. It is very natural to want to simply throw your hands in the air and give permission for the year to throw you anywhere and anyhow it wills.

I know it seems unfair to be forced in the position where you have to choose between hunger or health for both yourself and your family, but alas, here we are and there is no running from it.”

She sermonised that lamenting about the situation will not make it disappear, and therefore advised we give it whatever it takes to live our normal lives. “Blinking hard or “woe is me” laments will not make it disappear. But if this THING will not play fair, then neither will we. The only thing sure about LIFE is CHANGE. And as long as you have breath… There is always HOPE!!! No one would have predicted an invisible virus would come shut down the entire world for half the year. This is what you call “humbling!!” But as long as the world is still spinning, we have an obligation to keep pushing,” she added.

She prophesied that when things go wrong, it is only those who spent time warming up, preparing that will gather the most nuts in the end.

She tweeted : “I think 2020 still has more to offer. My dad once said to me “What you lose on the stretch, you gain on the curve.” I pray there is more once we round this bend.”

By Pamela Mbata

Ready or not lots of things are changing. In this age, there is an exposure to every kind of information, lifestyle, culture and almost any system of doing things. One can not, but wonder and ask how positive or not it has been.

In the world of beauty and cosmetics, a tremendous change has swept through the land. Fashion keeps recycling while bringing innovative ways of doing things. Although some of what we see today has been done in the past, but new systems are emerging. For example:

• Botox and plastic surgery, which has gained popularity amongst folks allover the world.
• Advanced makeovers, women making up didn’t start today, but it is clearly advanced if you agree because more knowledge has been figured out, with the introduction of chemical based product on the counter and synthetic usage of materials.
• Taking ‘Selfies’ was not a thing before  the early 2000’s but now it is so common and has been adopted as a norm for personal photography.

For women in particular, the pressure to keep up with what we see online has become a morbid cycle.

False representations and unrealistic standards

Tons of celebrities, influencers, models and brands, also use social media to sell and promote themselves by creating an image of perfection. They document their workout routines, eating habits, and other aspects of their lifestyle that contribute to the way they look. It can be all fake sometimes.

Whilst we may believe as we mindlessly scroll though such content, our subconscious is soaking it all up and before we know it, those perfectly formed bodies have become the standard by which we measure everything else.

Famous people and models on social media document their workout routines, eating habits, and other aspects of their lifestyle that contribute to the way they look. There is only one problem with this industry; it’s all fake.

Some have developed  mental heath issues, identity issues and even body dysmorphia trying to emulate the beauty standards that are simply unattainable.

An Instagram model can post a picture of herself in a bikini, showing off her taut stomach, holding up a weight loss tea supplement. Her caption reveals that said supplement is the secret to her honed physique.

This alone, sends a very dangerous message to millions of her followers, the majority of whom are impressionable young women.

It is spreading the idea that supplements, diet pills and detox teas are the best way to achieve her body type, when in reality, it could not be further from the truth.

More often than not, their looks are a combination of gym, plastic surgery and a generous amount of retouching.

Her job is to look perfect and promote merchandise. This creates an unrealistic beauty standard for all of her followers who believe that this product is their ticket to a perfect body.

In reality, a perfect body does not exist. An immense amount of planning, makeup and photo editing went into the final Instagram picture she posted. It’s designed to sell a product, not support a healthy lifestyle.

This leads to low self-esteem and negative thinking towards food , body acceptance and comparisons. It is incredibly important to teach young women and men that social media is not real life.

So, social media tells us that we need to be a beautiful person in order to be worthy which could not be further from the truth.

It is incredibly important to teach young women and men that social media is not real life. Trying to emulate this types of bodies can cause physical and psychological damage.

Fitness trainer Ottillia Giralico, based in Canada, has advised on what it takes to be healthy. According to her for any individual to stay healthy and fit, he or she must focus on staying fit, exercising a lot and, most importantly, engage in whatever makes them happy.

While enlightening the pubic, the Jamaican and Italian-bred stated the importance of health and fitness.

“I think the public should know that fitness is not only physical. There is fitness for your physical body, but also for your mind, heart, and soul.

“Its’ so easy to focus on the physical aspect of fitness and while you may be physically in great shape, your mind may not necessarily be on the same level.

“Exercise should apply to all realms. In order to be healthy as a whole being, focus on every form of fitness and exercise and do things that you truly enjoy.

“I don’t think that one can exist without the other. I think that in order to be healthy (physically, mentally and emotionally), fitness would have to be something that is consistent in ones’ life.

“And vice versa, one cannot be fit and perform fitness activities without having a healthy solid foundation to work with. For example, if someone is not healthy enough to get out of bed, then they obviously won’t be able to include fitness into their everyday lifestyle.

“Personally, fitness positively impacted my mental health. At difficult times I would turn to physical fitness to cope and relieve stress, and it helped me with feeling both physically and mentally stronger. Overcoming challenges in the gym while working out and lifting, felt like a metaphor for me overcoming challenges in life.”

On how she has coped with the pandemic, she added “Due to COVID-19, I haven’t been able to train clients face-to-face or be present in the gym at all. I train clients online.

“Overall, I feel hopeful, positive, and productive. However, there are moments where I feel down because the gym was an environment where I was able to truly identify as myself.

“However, COVID-19 has been a blessing for me because I’ve been able to work on so many other projects, including my business.”

Giralico speaking on her life philosophy said: “Be your best self and live your best life. To me this really means putting self-care first, and loving yourself.

“Once that is in place it becomes a lot easier to show love and compassion towards others. Love is always the answer. Also, putting your personal well being first will then allow you to be able to live life to the fullest, and enjoy every moment.”

The 29-year-old Ottillia Giralico, lost her parent at young age. Her only regret has been wasting her time in an unpleasant relationship.

The certified trainer and entrepreneur said: “My only regret would be the years that I lived while being unhappy. I was unhappy in my relationship, and career. This was something I settled with for years. It was only after I removed myself from certain situations, and put myself first that I was able to have a whole new and different perspective on things.

“I regret not knowing what I know now at an earlier age, and I regret not pursuing my passion and believing in myself at an earlier age.”

The graduate of Psychology and Sociology was able to pull through the challenges of life as an orphan, with the help of her grandparent.

“My mother was a very independent and strong woman. She taught and raised me to be the same. My grandmother and grandfather also played an integral role in my life, and were very strong resilient people who created an amazing life for the generations that followed after them.

“A strong upbringing and supportive family definitely helped me get through most of the challenges I encountered.”

In the midst of all that is going on, Mariee Revere, is getting a lot of gains from her handmade vegan skincare line. The 20-year-old beauty entrepreneur and founder, made $1 million in just eight minutes from her MoonXCosmetics Company.

So many Entrepreneurs have been forced to move their businesses to digital platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, there would be struggle, at this time, to attract customers but Marie seems to be doing so well.

1 million in 8 minutes! thank you god and thank you to everyone who supported me! i had to cut the site 26 minutes due to me reaching 20k + orders! thank you so much! pic.twitter.com/1odXnIXD4I

— 🦋🦋 (@parmooonx) May 1, 2020

“1 million in 8 minutes! thank you God and thank you to everyone who supported me! I had to cut the site 26 minutes due to my reaching 20k+ orders! thank you so much!” Revere tweeted about her feat.

Her brand shared an in-real-time video of which already has one million views.

According to Mariee, her brand has been a bundle of love for three years.  “MoonXCosmetics, LLC, isn’t a solo project, it only succeeds given how well it performs and because of how much we love our supporters,” she said.

“This is a community that we’re building, one for the history books and I couldn’t have asked for better customer bases, better support and a better appreciation for all of the hard work my team and I put in.”

She has also restocked her inventory so shoppers can get their hands on her handmade beauty items.

Many took to social media to celebrate the young CEO, who has obviously attracted thousands of new fans and following. She now has over 20,000 followers on Twitter and over 250,000 on Instagram.

Her YouTube channel has also increased in viewership reaching close to 23,000 views.

Keep going up sister.

Andrea Lawful-Sanders is a wife, mother, writer for the Philadelphia Sunday Sun and founder of A Lawful Truth Enterprises. She loves helping to develop children and adults into the best versions of themselves. 

According to Whyy, she wrote an essay about women who have inspired her journey.

Growing up on the tiny island of Jamaica in the late 1960s, the message I received from observing the adults was this: men have all the power and women are their accessories.

I knew my place as a young girl, which meant speaking only when spoken to. But I was naturally inquisitive, so I didn’t always adhere to that rule. As such, I got in trouble often.

But the trouble was worth it.

I was exerting my independence at a time when every girl my age was afraid to talk back.

My bravado frightened and confused my mother, who believed nothing good could result from me being so fearless.

At the tender age of six, I made a vow to always be myself, no matter the consequences. I then began to identify role models who could inspire my journey. Luckily, I didn’t have to look far.

My no-nonsense mother was my first hero.

She and my father ran the household like a well-oiled machine while also raising four daughters.

I was the daughter who often tested my mother’s patience.

Nonetheless, she remained steadfast in loving me. And she taught me how to embody all the social graces of womanhood.

At age 9, after learning many of the family recipes, my mother guided me in preparing my first full-course meal.

I cook all the time now.

Undoubtedly, my love for cooking is linked to the time spent in the kitchen with my mother.

On my kitchen wall, today hangs pictures of two more of my heroes: Nanny of the Maroons and Harriet Tubman.

Nanny of the Maroons — the spiritual, cultural and military leader of the Windward Maroons whom I learned about in Caribbean History classes — is the only female national hero in Jamaica.

She was a fierce woman who led a group of formerly enslaved Africans through a multi-year war against British colonizers.

Legend has it that Queen Nanny caught bulletswith her bare hands!

The photographs of Queen Nanny and Harriet Tubman, the radical American abolitionist who freed dozens of slaves, serve as a daily reminder of what I am capable of as a woman when I act with bravery.

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