Page 77 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 14
P. 77

Leadership




          standpoint and also from an entre-  youth and create money and reve-  I want our young people in Afrika
          preneurial platform.               nue so that you don’t have to think   to get active and to get involved
                                             about going elsewhere? It’s about   the way that you have. How do
          Why are you so passionate about    shifting their mindsets.           they get access to that?
          the youth?                                                            My best advice would be get
          I have a 21-year-old and from seeing   To that effect I’ve been involved in   involved in the simplest way, by
          my daughter grow up, and some      a few elements also around beau-   talking your issues out. The best way
          of the aspirations that she had for   ty. I was part of a beauty show in   and the platform that has been pro-
          herself, I could easily pick up the   South Afrika called Miss All Africa   vided to you, as I mentioned earlier,
          impediments that she had and the   Nations. We have a lot of refugees   is the Youth Leadership Parliament,
          challenges that she had in making   in South Afrika, so I identified   Africa. Right now, we have the Gha-
          this possible. Our youth have expo-  the young ladies in South Afrika,   na chapter, which is quite success-
          sure to a lot of media, be it You-  brought them together, and we cre-  ful, soon we will have the Malawi
          Tube, TikTok, and through these    ated a beauty show out of it. Out of   chapter, Kenya chapter and various
          various media platforms they iden-  the beauty show we started creating   other countries within Afrika. Why
          tify opportunities that they would   beauty products, clothing, wigs that   not get in touch with us and use
          like to replicate in Afrika. And for   these ladies could be able to sell and   that platform to start engaging? As
          her, specifically, that was what was   give them some form of aspiration,   you know when you start engaging
          happening. She wanted to replicate   to think about what else can I add   and talking from there, you’re able
          some of what she saw happening     value to myself and the continent   to easily identify the quick wins that
          overseas in Afrika, but then she   as opposed to shipping wigs from   you can immediately implement.
          met so many challenges in logistics,   overseas and China. Why can I not   And over and above that you expose
          fundraising, being able to unite and   recreate it in Afrika?         yourself to people who are willing
          bring the youth together to create an                                 to assist you into making the impos-
          opportunity.                       You always look at what people     sible possible.
                                             are doing and find a way to take
          My primary focus is in agriculture,   it to the next level, to become   Thank you so much for all your
          because we live in a continent of   a part of  it, and to help them   love and enthusiasm love for
          plenty. I thought to myself, why   become more. Where did you get     Afrika.
          can’t I get involved in getting the   that? Because many people are so   At Msingi Afrika we think that
          youth inspired to get involved in   busy trying to build what’s theirs,   there is so much power in start-
          agriculture? Currently there is a lot   but you’re building everybody.   ing. So, if  anything she has said
          of talk around cannabis farming,   How did this happen?               has motivated you to get involved
          it’s a huge topic in the continent. As   My daughter is one of the reasons   at some level, let us know and
          much as we don’t like talking about   this happened. My passion for   we’ll put you in contact with her,
          this as parents, a lot of our students   building others is specifically for this   so that you can begin engaging
          in university already know about   reason, I understood as a mother my   at the level that you must in order
          cannabis. So why not change that   focus should not only be primar-   to become part of  the transfor-
          narrative from them just seeing it   ily on her and her education, but   mative story of  Afrika.
          as something they engage in in the   things she would like to do over and
          incorrect way into something they   above education that are innovative.
          can cultivate into something useful   From that my interaction with other
          by creating oils, by creating cannabis   youth, me being youthful also made   Click on the image below to watch the
          fiber? The cannabis fiber itself can   it easy for me to get motivated to   interview on our YouTube Channel
          be used to create sanitary pads for   aspire and inspire others. Ultimately,
          ladies and you know that’s a big is-  that’s what we need to do as a con-
          sue in Afrika. It’s about empowering   tinent, that’s what we need to do as
          our youth to understand, yes, there   a government, that’s what we need
          are all those elements available to   to do as corporates out there. We
          you, but what can you do with those   need to aspire and inspire the youth
          elements which becomes innova-     around us so that they can create
          tive that would then enhance and   and bring out their greatness.
          empower you as a continent and as a



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