By Adedapo Adesanya
As part of its celebration around International Women’s Month, Facebook has announced the launch of a material titled lLeadHERs: Life Lessons From African Women.
It is a collection of beautifully inspired stories & life advice from 19 women who are breaking boundaries in fields such as media, entertainment, politics, education and business.
Available for free in digital and physical formats, the book provides inspirational real-life stories for future generations and young leaders.
Each chapter focuses on a personal experience and life lesson around how these women have navigated their path to success, alongside the challenges they have had to overcome along the way.
LeadHERs: Life Lessons from African Women is aimed at encouraging, inspiring and guiding the reader – no matter the background, age or ambition.
This launch follows the successful 2020 launch of Inspiring #Changemakers: Lessons from Life and Business in South Africa.
This 2021 book is further brought to life through a series of beautifully illustrated artwork specially commissioned from four female artists from across the continent – Massira Keita from Côte d’Ivoire, Lulu Kitololo from Kenya, Karabo Poppy from South Africa, and Awele Emili from Nigeria.
With over 5,000 copies printed, the book will be provided for free to a number of Facebook’s local training partners including She Leads Africa, Fate Foundation, DigifyAfrica, Siyafunda, Smart Ecosystems for Women and cCHub.
These will be distributed across 15 countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Senegal and Kenya – in schools and to beneficiaries of training(s) offered by Facebook partners.
Speaking on this, the Regional Director, Facebook Africa, Ms Nunu Ntshingila, said: “At Facebook, we know that African women are at the helm of shaping the future of our promising continent – they are changemakers, mothers and CEOs.
“This book is a celebration of just some of the exceptional African women who in their own right are trail-blazers, motivating and inspiring people and advocating for good across Africa, and the world.
“We’re excited about their individual stories, inspired by challenges they’ve endured and how they’ve risen above these, and importantly how they’ve turned these into important life lessons to help inspire others.”
The women featured in LeadHERs: Life Lessons From African Women include Tara Fela-Durotoye from Nigeria, Elizabeth Akua Ohene from Ghana, Hawa Sally Samai from Sierra Leone, Saran Kaba Jones from Liberia, Temi Giwa-Tubosun from Nigeria, Baratang Miya from South Africa and Dr Judy Dlamini from South Africa.
Others are Yvonne Okwara from Kenya, Tecla Chemabwai from Kenya, Alice Nkom from Cameroon, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim from Chad, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu from Ethiopia, Lelemba Phiri from Zambia, Vanessa Hau Mdee from Tanzania, Monica Musonda from Zambia, from Kalista Sy from Senegal, Noella Coursaris Musunka from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Samantha ‘MisRed’ Musa from Zimbabwe and Djamila Ferdjani from the Niger Republic.
