It has been a really amazing whirlwind of a fortnight, I was quite busier and yet more fulfilled than on most days! Event hopping and even missing some events because of time or other such reason has been the order of the day. OK – for others this may not be event hopping, but for me it was, seeing as I was cooped up in an office for the past 3years and I had signed my life over to the company I worked for. Now I have free reign – well sort of, and I am making sure I use it wisely by NETWORKING and LEARNING, not from books and the internet only, but from others around me. I have met so many people and each meeting left me different in one way or the other.
I was part of the Hypercube Community Launch, the Super Hyper Dialogue and the Start-up Bus Launch. All these events marked the beginning of a new era, not only in the organisation or organisations involved, but in Zimbabwe. This change that we should all be anticipating will not only revolutionise the tech industry, but the ripple effect will be felt throughout all the industries. Hypercube not only wishes to act as a hub that brings together geeks and entrepreneurs, but it aims to get us all meeting, learning, working and innovating together. I really hope that my sisters out there and society will allow the said sisters to come to the Hub and see what lies in store for them there. Those with ears have heard, but those with understanding know that they should keep their eyes and ears on the Hypercube Hub – that is where all things Techno-mbwabwe (yes, that is a word!) will be born!
For the first time ever I went to the US Embassy Public Affairs Section, 7th floor, Gold Bridge, Eastgate. I am working on two workshops to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence and I had gone to attend a dialogue on the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women.After seeing The Embassy’s Facebook post saying that there was a dialogue at 3pm, I left the office in such a hurry. The dialogue was facilitated by Zimbabwe Women’s Bureau and I had to be there on pain of death. Even though I managed to get to the dialogue late I had an eye opening experience and once again, I met some brilliant people – particularly women. It was these women who showed me that the gender agenda is more than just Zulu Girl, Lorna, Sandra, Samantha, Girl Grandeur Bulawayo and a couple more individuals that I know who are moving mountains for sisters wherever they are.
Yesterday, I got wind of the screening of a documentary called ‘Girl Child’ which is a story about a Zimbabwean young woman called Glanis and was going to be followed by a discussion. This was to take place at the US Embassy and was starting at 2pm; I left work at 1504hrs and all the while praying that there would be enough of a discussion for me to feel like I took part. I sped into the elevator, pressed 7 and leapt out of the machine heading towards the door inwardly willing the guards to be quick with the routine leaving of the bag and mobile phone at the door. As soon as that was done the walk of shame due to lateness began. I pulled the door and walked right up to the front to take up a sit on the second row from the front – I had come for a discussion and that was what I would get – from the front. Yet again, this occasion extended my contacts list in a positive way and yes, I did take part in a very mind-jogging discussion in the most superb way if I must say so myself!
African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (Zimbabwe Chapter) was launching yesterday at the especially well regarded Meikles Hotel. I had gotten the news of the launch a week before and I fully intended to go, however there was one problem – it was raining. I was at Eastgate Mall which is literally attached to the Meikles Hotel, so I braved a couple of metres in rain just to get to the launch which was starting at 6.30pm GMT not BMT; or so I hoped. I was way ahead of the time – well, so it seemed because most of the people arrived a bit later (so it was 6.30pm BMT I guess). This was an event that I did not attend till it ended unlike the other three; I had to leave before the beginning of the middle or the end. Just before I left, Batsirai Chigama performed a poem with her signature style, the rhythm was just on point and I found myself swaying to the poem as if it was a song. Networking was quite limited because of the time that I left, but of course because I am on a roll I met a couple of new people. Attendance was worthwhile because AWEP is an organisation which I see as holding a lot of potential for me. The motivation of the women in this organisation was tangible. All of these women made me proud to be a Zimbabwean woman; from the Pan African Chairperson to the Zimbabwe Chapter Chairperson to the Board of Trustees and the members. If this is what Zimbabwean women are doing I am proud to be a Zimbabwean young woman. If they are working together to contribute towards and better improve the economy of our beautiful country I am extremely happy to be a young Zimbabwean woman in 2013. They are and so it stands that I am elated to be this born and bred Zimbo girl! #IamZIMBO!!!
We are all SUCH mine fields of information and we can easily receive and pass it on and by interacting with one another. Most people want to hold on to information, or to give it to someone who will fail to make proper use of it. The key to networking is to know yourself and the kind of person that you would like to be connected to. There are many high profile individuals that I would love to meet, however some of them really will just be an obstacle and meeting them would not be followed up by me or them. Do not go out of your way to meet people who you have nothing in common with, find people who ignite something in you and who you can have a constructive chat with. Don’t just meet people for the sake of meeting them. I would love to be here churning out the do’s and don’ts of networking – however, I have a list of contacts to have fun with plus a whole lot of experimenting to do! Till next time. . .
The river flows. . .
I love the way you carry yourself the fact that you are so determined to make a success of whatever event you attend. It really speaks volumes on the serious person that you are and I pray for nothing but success in your career. You must give me tips and pointers on how to be a successful “networker.”
I am speechless at this comment! All I can say is thank you very much! I am still experimenting – but I think that the best thing is to know who you are stick to being yourself because that is less stressful! 🙂
Sindiswe, I really enjoyed reading this article. But the following sentence summed up the importance of this post “Don’t just meet people for the sake of meeting them.” This is one of the most important moral of this post to me. I have also come to realise that the way we represent ourselves is determined by how much we think we know ourselves and not by choice and control. During this networking sessions thats when we get to know ourselves whilst knowing other people at the same time.