The Womentoring Experience: A Reflection

This year a solid theme of focus for us at WCA is  mentorship and ensuring that women are opening spaces to support and build each other up not just in business but also with professional career  and personal growth.  This is why WCA was thrilled to partner with the African Women's Development Fund-USA and Moremi Initiative an organization that develops African women leaders to become leaders.

The event was an intimate mentorship event in New York City during the Commission on the status of women on March 16th 2017 with the goal of bringing women together from different generations to learn, build relationships, and enhance their outlook on life. In particular, the event brought young African women from across different generations including feminists, activists, thought leaders and trail blazers. Here are some of my key takeaways from the event:

1. Value the importance of building relationships offline:  In the social media age it can be easy to forget that a phone call, and most importantly an in person meeting makes all the difference.  In sharing her experiences, Professor Abena Busia Chair of the African Women's Development Fund-USA emphasized the importance of black women coming together to gather frequently to support each other and to build communities of sisterhood.  She emphasized that one of the main reasons for Wo-mentoring was for us to have such a space with African women from all across the diaspora as well as the continent.

2. Build intergenerational relationships with women across all ages: One of the most important things I have known to be true for a long time is mentorship is neither liner nor is it a one way street. Therefore the value of  intergenerational mentorship is important. During the event I noticed how the older women offered advice from their younger years and how much the younger women in their  treasured such stories, because it made them feel as if "someone else has been through this". The affirmation one gets from another human being that "I see and know your struggle" can be tremendous and life changing and help nurture relationships in such spaces. I also noticed how much the older women learnt from the stories of the younger women in the space, what their challenges currently where ranging from "what am I going to do next with my life?" to how to balance relationships, work, etc..the conversations were endless and full of depths, where we laughed, cried, sighed, and had long pauses to take in the moment at times.

                                            

3. Your story is what defines who you are:   Ms. Bisi Adeyemi Fayemi someone whose work I truly admire, spoke of the importance of always doing a self assessment for one to be clear on their character and not what others make them out to be.  She advised the women one an exercise she partakes in often is developing a list of positive identity affirmations and reading them out loud  for e.g. My name is Moiyattu... I am brave, I am powerful, I am unshakable etc.  Ms. Fayemi explained that such affirmations often remind us of who we are when we experience life challenges that may cause us to forget.  There were very intimate stories shared by some of the younger women as well as older women. For us to be able to open up it meant being able to trust the space and "it takes strength for one to be vulnerable" Maame Afon Director of Partnerships from Moremi Initiative stated during the discussions.
                                                  

4. Practice Selfcare! During the conversations, Haddy Jonga, a Moremi Fellow from the Gambia and a member of Think Woman Africa an organization working to mentor girls in the Gambia, brought up her struggles of taking care of herself and expressed her need for advice on how to deal with stress and overload of work. One of the most powerful statements I took away was knowing the balance between selfishness and selflessness. Madame Fayemi advised the women to practice selffulness meaning that one isn't necessarily selfish and only thinking of themselves, or selfless and only pouring into the lives of others until they burn out, but to be selfful means  caring for others  whilst also nourish yourself and your work.  This point reasonated with me because at WCA and in my everyday life I am constantly thinking of intentional ways to balance pouring into others as well as pouring into myself.
                                   

Maintaining Your Joy & Handling end of year stress

As the end of the year comes closer to an end, it can be very easy for one to become overwhelmed and stressed out. We know the feeling, but the key is re-visiting your yearly plan to ensure you are checking off those things you said you wanted to take care of, and not losing your cool if you don't get to everything. We wanted to share 3 tips on how we try our best to balance what we call "year end crase". 

1. Review your annual strategic plan and prioritize 

Reviewing your plan can be overwhelming but we always advise Bosschiques to do quarterly reviews of what they set out to do and adjust appropriately. You know what you can handle and only you know the types of challenges that have come your way. It is never too late to review your plan at times seeing all of the things you set out to accomplish getting those check marks can alleviate some anxiety. In addition to the things you have accomplished, there may be those you haven't. Don't panic, simply prioritize, being that you have 3 months left for the year to roll out, 

2. Remember everyone has a different year plan:

For us here at WCA our year begins on international women's month in march and ends in march. This means we usually don't go so much with the mainstream year end crase when it comes to projects and deliverables  and it helps us stay focused. 

3. Reward yourself by taking a self-care check in:

You all know how big we are on self care. We advise that you do something a bit different this time of the year than your usual self care. If you can manage a short getaway trip and you don't usually do those take one! If you can take that hot yoga class at the gym instead of just taking cycling classes do so! Try and do something different to take care of self and you will have a non routine and mundane experience which should help re-energize you to finish strong. 

4. Rely on your sisterhood and support networks: 
Sometimes it takes a quick phone call, lunch, hangout to get us out of our stressful zones. Even when things seem overwhelming we know the power of hanging out with some of our girlfriends, and just a touch base and how much of an impact that can have on reducing our stress levels. So make love & sisterhood evenings a thing!

Photocredit Afroelle magazine 

Family isn't always about blood: Love + Sisterhood From Ajara

Dear Sisters,

There is a saying thats says family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what. Today, I have many women I call sisters, we are not blood related, but  share our joy, peace and happiness together. We support each other, and make sure we have a shoulder to cry when needed. To you my sisters I say thank you for being a part of my life. I love you, respect you and honor you. 

Love Ajara. 

Love and Sisterhood Seasons Change but our Sisterhood Remains

Dear Sisters,

There is something to be said about friendships that go through seasons but still remain strong. I would even call what we have now sisterships and the foundation of a strong sisterhood. Through thick and thin we have found ways to breeze through the struggles in life, whilst still maintaining a way to get back to what is important to us; our sisterhood. Liz I celebrate you,  Fiss I celebrate you and  Deola I celebrate you. You all have your unique qualities that make you special and treasures to my life. I celebrate you all today and I am thankful for each and every single one of you. Heres to many sistercaytions and love and sisterhood moments. 

Photo Taken Antigua, Caribbean Islands 2016

How Self Care and Traveling saved my businesses

"Caring for myself is not self indulgence, it is self preservation and that is an act of political warfare" 

Audre Lorde

Last year I was working on ten billion projects and would stay up very long hours, I had grants to complete, business meetings to have, articles to push out, a full on organization I was running, writing for various media platforms, and serving in my church . All of this couple with some major personal and work related changes left me overworked, and burnt out.  I would work work and work until finally one day, I was in my room the room started to spin, my chest became really tight and before I knew what was happening I begun to cry. In those few seconds which felt like hours, I flashed back to my graduate school career and one of my favorite clinical classes, I zoomed through the DSM IV pages and realized I was on the verge of an anxiety attack. I began to self talk myself and took really deep breathes and slowly my breathing as one breathe toppled over the other slowly came back to normal. I realized at that moment that I was burnt out! My body felt exhausted. Rewinding to a few weeks ago, I had been getting regular headaches, sleepless nights but ignored the signs. Ignoring the signs almost landed me in the hospital. That same day I had to push back a bunch of time lines, cancel meetings, and rest. I rested for about a week, my students felt it, my ministry felt it I had hit rock bottom. This wasn't good. How did I get here? What caused this? I realized I hadn't done a good job at taking care of self. What was even more ironic was that most of the sisters in my circle always came to me when they were burnt out and I helped them practically brainstorm solutions to getting out of burn out.

But when it was my turn it was like I had completely missed my own memo to self! During that one week period a good friend of mine wrote an article called Black Girl Sabbaticals , the article said everything I was feeling, I spoke to this sister of mine for a bit and told her how I was considering just taking a break and going away for sometime. She encouraged me to do so and that is exactly what I did! Sometimes even us ourselves can be so supportive to others and forget that we need to be supported as well through our times of crisis.  At first I began to talk myself out of going, that it probably wasn't a wise thing to do, that I could just go to a spa and be okay, but my community supported me through in various ways and said "No Moi you have to go" A week later with the support of my sister talking and encouraging me to go because "It will help you be healthy for your work" I booked a ticket to the carribean and decided I needed to leave and recalibrate. It was the best decision I ever made in a while. I came back refreshed and was able to tackle the rest of the year and had all the energy I needed. I share this story to say that sometimes as business women, creatives, and entrepreneurs it is quite easy to forget ourselves and keep pushing until our bodies hit a hard stop. 

I now schedule to take quarterly trips to rest recalibrate and re focus. Sometimes people think travel is an expensive ordeal but it really isn't. Sometimes my trips are work related and I spend extra time to just rest, and other times my trips are purely for resting and leisure. The way I manage to travel is simple I use my discretionary spending on my travels, I don't spend money on expensive handbags, shoes, etc and would rather on my self care through travel. I also use sites such as google flights, air bnb and apps such hopper app and kayak to track flight deals. I am also a very simple, no stress, minimalist. This means that when I travel I don't stay in high end hotels simply because I want to experience the culture and the people of the region. Trust me your body will pay you for it and even knowing you have a trip scheduled makes the work that much more fun to do. Most importantly your business will pay you for it.

This year I will share more of the self care activities to partake in  via our blog and encourage you to implement and make slight changes and see how your body, mind and soul will be rewarded. 

Don't Call Me Beautiful Exhibition to be held in Accra Ghana Feb 3rd, by renewed Photographer Nana Kofi Acquah

"Don’t Call Me Beautiful” is an exhibition that celebrates the African woman’s resilience. These images are a true account of all that life throws at her, and most importantly, how how she gracefully braces herself and handles them.

The reason why the African Woman requires special attention is because the mountains she has to climb over are huge. In art and culture, she is presented as this prehistoric survival with scarifications and bare breasts, a glorified beast of burden or a breeding machine; with some load on her head, a baby tied to her back, and a train of children following her. In the news, she’s presented as a victim of rape or war, a wandering refugee and everything negative; and most of these images are not necessarily untrue.
These prevalent images will do damage to anybody’s sense of self-worth.
What I try to do with my work, is to admire, celebrate and enjoy the African Woman without objectifying her. When the dominant imagery of the African woman changes, the world’s perception of her will change
In a culture that actively dismisses the exploits, successes and struggles of women, a conversation needs to be had.

Photo by Nana Kofi Acquah 

I was in Liberia shortly after the war. I saw a country led by a woman, supported by mainly women, rising from the ashes.
These women had been left to deal with the dying embers of the unruly wrath and carnage caused by arrogant, headstrong men.

I have had the privilege of photographing the African woman for years. I have been a witness to her struggles, her dreams, her fears and her achievements.  These photographs, celebrate her resilience. It is hard to be stretched this much and not break. For how long can a tree sway in the storm and not break? And yet, she stands- in spite of it all. After it all.

These photographs are the documents of a witness, spanning almost ten years, they capture the everyday lives of African women.

In here, we have photos of women living with HIV\AIDS, the first

woman to be elected president of an African country, a 9 year old rape victim, who together with her family are seeking

both justice and redress, and countless other stories- of pain and fame and resilience. 

These documents are evidence of the fact that the woman is strong, determined, intelligent, driven, passionate, empowered,

fearless, witty, and a whole lot more than just beautiful.

Photo by Nana Kofi Acquah 

MY TOP NEW YEAR FITNESS RESOLUTIONS AND SOME GOODIES JUST FOR YOU! By Bernice Maabena Asiedu, Fitness Expert Fitvolution

Bernice Maabena Asiedu, Fitvolution

Let’s look at it from a slightly different perspective this year, shall we? Change is necessary, especially when the same old ways of looking at it has not resulted in any remarkable achievements.

So, this year if you are reading this here are some tips on how to lead a truly healthier lifestyle this year:

1. FILL YOUR PRIMARY PLATE FIRST:

Pay attention to your primary foods (foods that feeds your soul, spirit, heart and mind) such as love, spirituality, home environment, career, relationships etc.

We mostly turn to secondary foods (foods that fill our physical plate) when we are starved for primary foods.

 Are you using food as an emotional salve for any primary hunger? are you stressed? The answer is not in the cookie jar.

If you find yourself reaching for comfort food when life throws you a medicine ball, you’re not alone. Let’s help ourselves out of it this year. Be honest with yourself, confront your issues, get help, and when your primary foods are on lock down, secondary will be easy to handle.

Reach out to your faith place- if your health is as serious a matter to you as your building project, then why do you not take it to your higher power in prayer or meditation or whatever it is you do?

Think deeply about this now.

2. Be ready to Change!!

This time, for real, do allow yourself to change for the better. No seriously do!  From experience, a person must attract my attention with her readiness for change before I will offer help as a fitness consultant.

New results do not come from old behavior. Treat your desire for healthier you as you would your wedding plans and results will surely come.

3. Analyze

 Your question should be: how did I get here? Was it too many night hangouts?  Was it a toxic relationship?  Was it boredom? Did your mom visit for the holidays?

Now find new and better ways to avoid it!

4. Action Plan!

What are you going to do about the challenge? Here are some tips:  Register at a gym, Find an accountability partner, Employ a certified health coach.  You will do it differently when you plan as you will for your wedding!

I advise that you ALWAYS devise a plan first, do not just hop up and follow them.

                                

5. Forgive yourself!

Let us be honest with ourselves, we all fall off our healthy routines many times over, but the key is to be able to get back up again and continue pushing forward. Unforgiveness will rob you of your determination and worse, you might stop trying permanently so remember to forgive yourself often. So at this point where you still have it in you to do better for yourself, do yourself a huge favour and let your past remain in the past.

Start over!

6. Pay attention to your associations

Who are you hanging around? Are they constantly underrating your efforts at staying healthy and fit? Are they making jokes out of your efforts? Rubbing your old unhealthy ways in your face? Move on now! Find people who will encourage your little efforts; we call them #fitpals. Find you a fitpal at the gym, on social media, even in your office, there may be one person equally enthusiastic.

Following awesome food bloggers who post lavishly creamy calories loaded meals on social media might not be your best option at this time.

7. Keep a food journal!

This is one of the best ways to watch and know exactly what you are consuming; two ways to do this?

Take photos of everything that enters your mouth in a day or write it down and then conclude after a week. After this exercise you will know whether you are stalling your progress or helping it.

8. Indulge certified coaches and not products!

There is no such thing as quick results, when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. We encourage you getting a coach if you can afford to.

Coaches help you preserve when you feel as if you are hitting a wall of a plateau. Products are not the way to go.  Now what will you do in the case of a product you picked from the shelf that promised 10days extreme weight loss and it didn’t achieve it’s goal? Will you go back to the shelf and complain?

What do you do after the 10days? You need consistency and sustainability.

9. Add some strength training to your routines!

                                

Ha! Did I just switch zones? I absolutely did! This is a must know- a hidden benefit for strength training is that every time you grab the dumbbells you are protecting yourself from injury.

A study in medicine and science in Sports and Exercise found that women who lift weights regularly for seven months were five times less likely to suffer a lower-body stress fracture during intense exercise (like running and calisthenics) than those who were not as diligent about doing resistance work.

For a more resilient body, do at least one exercise each for your arms, legs, chest, butt, back, and abs twice a week.

These are my top resolutions; the end result: a happier, more confident- and healthier you.

GOODIES!

 YOUR STARTER SMOOTHIE

1. Ginger O!

2cups pawpaw (Papaya)

½ lemon squeezed

1cup pineapple

Grated ginger (or ginger juice) to taste

2cups spinach

Pour ½ cup water in a blender

Add spinach and blend (ensure greens blend thoroughly)

Add other fruits and blend

Add some ice cubes for freshness

Enjoy your nutritious smoothie!

2. STARTER RED JUICE

2  carrots

1beet

1green apple

1cup water with ice

Blend together and enjoy!

3. TROPICAL TANGO

½ cup mango

¾ cup pawpaw

½ cup fresh coconut pulp

Add up coconut juice as fluid base

Blend together and enjoy!

Bernice Maabena Asiedu

Lead Fitness Coach @ Fitvolution

Have a question for Maabena?

Email me at fitvolution1@gmail.com

Instagram: fitvolution_with_maabenaa

www.fitvolution.me

Relationship Building, Service & Leadership: Christmas in Freetown with Madame Isha Johansen

Leadership and the Spirit of Service in Sierra Leone

I've never really enjoyed Christmas in Sierra Leone because I've always thought that the true meaning of Christmas was lost in all the enjoyment and parties. This Christmas was a bit different from the others. Firstly I had the opportunity to spend some time with some amazing women who are doing impactful things in Sierra Leone.  It gave me just the right dose of encouragement, motivation and drive to start the new year. One of my most memorable parts of the holiday was spending Christmas Day with Madame Isha Johansen President of the Sierra Leone Football Association .

There has been a lot of negative buzz in the local media about Madame Johansen, which has taken our attention away from the work that she is doing and her vision for  Sierra Leone as the President of the Football Academy. As a woman in an industry dominated by men it's difficult to get the proper support from those you lead especially the sentiments are that you don't deserve to be their leader. One thing I believe she does successfully is build positive relationships in her community such as this event. I have seen the lack of support and appreciation that some Sierra Leonean female leaders have gotten over time, at the same time I wonder how they are making it on an International scale and realize that a lot of it comes from their leadership approach. WCA's  Bosschique Isha Johansen taught me a few things this holiday season about service and leadership.

                                        

 According to a Pulse on Leaders Study   by PDI Ninth House a leadership consulting firm, women, place a higher value on work that gives them a sense of personal fulfilment and contribution in a friendly environment.(Source) Since I have known her she celebrates her birthday by having a party or dinner with close family and friends. This year she decided to celebrate it a bit different from the norm by empowering and enhancing the lives of  young people and underserved families in her community particularly those who may never experience the true sense of Christmas. Madame Isha Johansen is known to many as the Iron Lady she fights for what she believes in and loves to help those less fortunate especially young people.  On Christmas day, I had the opportunity to see the Iron lady at work and this helped me put things in perspective in understanding relational leadership.  

                            

Giving Back to Her Community

 On Christmas morning, Madam Johansen started her day welcoming the first babies born at Princess Christina Maternity Hospital (the hospital she was born in)  and the Aberdeen Women's Center with smiles, hugs and gifts. Later that day she hosted a one of a kind Christmas party for grassroots children and family. With help and support from the SLFA, UNICEF & Leo Cem Cement Factory, the Football Academy was transformed to an open field with games, bouncing castles, face painting, Christmas Trees, lights and more. With over 300 children in attendance Madame Johansen brought the magic of Christmas to these communities from the East and West of Freetown. The children had the opportunity to meet Father Christmas (Santa Clause), received gifts, fun, laughter, food, merriment and more especially they. I believe they truly had a life changing experience that day.

I had the opportunity to ask  Madame Johansen  about her feelings on the day and she shared that "going to the hospital I was born at  to welcome the early morning Christmas Day babies was an act born out of pure Christmas spirituality. A reflection on my life. Another life changing and emotional moment was sharing the joy of mums with their newborns and giving them presents. Christmas is a magical time. I think those new mums and indeed the kids at Christmas party felt the magic this Christmas.  I want to keep this tradition going and pray that I can".

The first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama once said “Success is not about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives. As a leader, two  lessons learned as 2015 was that Leadership is about serving and building positive relationships. I learnt that success is about having the right relationships, and serving others. Building the right team is hard and will take time to develop, however building the right team is what will ultimately lead to your success and this what precisely Madame Isha and other women I had the opportunity to interact with are doing. Lastly, think about relationships in relation to the parable of the Sower, sow seeds that will fall on good ground so that the seed can grow and multiple and be bountiful.

By Ajara Bomah 

Ajara is a child of the African Diaspora living and working between
Sierra Leone and the US. As the  CEO & Founder of Rhoyalty Concepts
she works as  a project manager  and events consultant. Her work
centers around Gender issues, Governance , Business & Leadership
development.  Ajara believes in the power of the youth and loves
cultivating young girls into leaders.  She is the Co-Creator of Women
Mean Business Honors a platform to honor African Women Entrepreneurs &
Leaders.

Igniting your flame, Igniting your Passion: Introducing Sesima Kamara of Cecret Candles

Sesima Kamara is a queer Liberian troublemaker entrepreneur that has made it a point to strive for her goals by making her imagination become her reality. Sesima is the Founder & Creative Director of Cecret Candles & Accessories. A Contemporary Pan African Inspired Line of Home Fragrances & Accessories Spotlighting African, Caribbean & American Cultures Worldwide, While Using All Natural Based Ingredients & Invoking Memories to Last a Lifetime. She has an Associate in Fashion Design & Merchandising and is currently working as a Career Advisor, helping young adults to find the right college and while also helping to seek employment in their career. What is important to also mention is that prior to the interview Sesima reached out and wanted to know more about our organization! This was simply fantastic that she took the time to not only learn more about Women Change Africa but also to provide positivity and encouragement to the work that we do! At the end of our introductory conversation I was so drawn into her and wanted to learn more about this phenomenal lady.  This interview was so empowering because I could tell Sesima is a woman that doesn't take no for an answer and finds light even in the darkest of places and makes something out of anything. This is what creativity and innovation is about. Her light exuded throughout the interview and I enjoyed chatting with her. I hope you enjoy as much as I enjoy telling her story, and I encourage you to share it with as many people that you know. 

ON  SESIMA THE WOMAN

Q: Describe yourself in 1 word and tell us why you chose that word?

A: Ambitious

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself, your cultural heritage and background, where you grew up and what brings you to this work?

A: I was born in Staten Island NY and grew up in Liberia as a child! When the civil war started I had to evacuate the country because I was born in the US. My mother Mamie made a point to impose Liberian culture and heritage on my siblings and me at a very early age so we wouldn’t forget it. Growing up in the states helped me discover my creative talents. At an early age I discovered I had a love for expressing myself creatively and artistically. I’m inspired by women and more importantly my mom. She is someone that inspires me just by being herself. She takes great pride in herself but most importantly in her home (that’s her baby); she wants everything nice, neat and clean. She’s always burning candles after cooking or cleaning in our house and remembering that is what triggered pleasant memories and is what inspired my candle company and has brought me to where I am now.

Q: How do you take care of yourself and what to you enjoy doing to take time for yourself outside of work?

A: I’m catching up more up on my reading and educating myself on various topics that I am inspired by. I love hanging out with my family and friends when I’m not busy making candles or sewing accessories.

ON CANDLES AND ACCESSORIES

Q: So tell us about your brand Cecret Candles. What made you start your company at what moment did you decide you wanted to launch?

A: I started the company because I saw a need in the market, every candle that I picked up in various departments stores did not resonate with me. So I decided to change it and launch my company

Cecret Candles & Accessories is a Pan African Inspired Line of Home Fragrances & Accessories Spotlighting African Cultures Worldwide, Using All Natural Based Ingredients. While Invoking Memories to Last a Lifetime.

The candles are homemade soy lotion candles that have been handcrafted with the finest ingredients in eco-soy vegetable base wax, GRADE A unrefined shea butter and high quality premium fragrances infused with essential oils. Cecret Candles can be used as a massage candle; it is designed to keep the skin feeling soft and moisturized with all natural ingredients. 

The Cecret Accessories line are handmade Ankara tote bags, infinity scarves, make up bags and pillowcases all designed to keep you in mind and make a statement.

Cecret Candles & Accessories aims to create awareness to various languages, expressions and lifestyles worldwide while connecting cultures to invoke memories that will last a lifetime.

Take for instance “DASH” is a common slang that’s used in West African English from Sierra Leone to Cameroon. The meaning is Pigeon Talk, a slang used by vendors to wholesale customers to give a bonus or discount. 

Q: What problem are you trying to solve with your company? Tell us about what are the types of services you provide what would an ideal client receive from you?

A: some of the problems my company is trying to solve is how to create job opportunities for people in Liberia. I am one of the lucky few that got the opportunity to escape the war in Liberia and every time I travel back home, I see how the war has affected the people and the country economically. I honestly hope and pray to be well established so that I can go back to Liberia to help those in need.

Some of the services my company provides is working with various clients by helping them to enhance their home décor or creating a signature or personalize candle for them and helping them by making their vision come true. I try to do it all. For me it’s important that I treat my client’s like family and give them high quality services and products.

Q: What is an interesting project/item you are currently working that you don’t mind sharing with us?

A: I am introducing 3 new scents for the upcoming holiday season. I’m super excited and cannot wait to share it with you all…YAY.

Q:  As the Founder of your company tell us the 3 most important things you have learnt in your work that you want to share with others who are interested in starting their own business in this industry?

A:

1. Let Go of the Fear of Failure 

2. Have Lots of Patience “it’s not going to be walk in park”,

3. Perfect you’re Craft.

Q: Tell us about a personal challenge you overcame as a leader in this capacity and how did you overcome it?

A: One of the challenges that I have over came was re-branding my candle company. In the beginning when I decided to start my company. I took it more as a hobby, than a business. The first design concept packaging was a black chalkboard inspired glass jar and used neon markers to write on the jars. When friends and family started to take notice in my business and asked me to really think about my brand of candles, its then that I had to put on my thinking cap and ask myself where do I see this brand and also ask myself as a consumer what do I look for in my products? The light shine so bright and I went back to the drawing board and repackaged the brand into a more marketable product that I feel people are going love. Its one of those stories that’s going to be told forever and its Africa’s #CecretCandles

ON AFRICAN WOMEN

Q:  What advice do you provide to young women who may be interested in this field and are looking for how to actually start their businesses?

A: There’s going to be a lot of obstacles in life and its going to get very uncomfortable but you have to trust GOD and believe in yourself, believe in what you stand for and have patience but most importantly WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT GIVE UP.

Q: 10 years from now where do you see yourself?

A: I see my brand in every “Home Goods” Department Stores Internationally! 

Q: Finish the sentence  “Women Change Africa because…..?”

A: we enrich each other