[Applause] it’s about time we create a global
it’s about time we create a global
it’s about time we create a global village network they say it takes a
village network they say it takes a
village network they say it takes a village to raise a child I am that child
village to raise a child I am that child
village to raise a child I am that child I’m a product of a network and network
I’m a product of a network and network
I’m a product of a network and network of women who came together to raise me
of women who came together to raise me
of women who came together to raise me up this is one of the reasons why I
up this is one of the reasons why I
up this is one of the reasons why I dressed so colorful
dressed so colorful
dressed so colorful I represent the many women that
I represent the many women that
I represent the many women that contributed in making me the woman I am
contributed in making me the woman I am
contributed in making me the woman I am today now I understand why Nasim Mandela
today now I understand why Nasim Mandela
today now I understand why Nasim Mandela said people are not people without other
said people are not people without other
said people are not people without other people I was born in Zimbabwe and I was
people I was born in Zimbabwe and I was
people I was born in Zimbabwe and I was raised by a single mother a strong woman
raised by a single mother a strong woman
raised by a single mother a strong woman who was surrounded by a strong Network
who was surrounded by a strong Network
who was surrounded by a strong Network as an only child my mom could only
as an only child my mom could only
as an only child my mom could only shield me from a few things one of the
shield me from a few things one of the
shield me from a few things one of the things that I experienced from a very
things that I experienced from a very
things that I experienced from a very young age was the domestic violence I
young age was the domestic violence I
young age was the domestic violence I didn’t understand it but I knew it was
didn’t understand it but I knew it was
didn’t understand it but I knew it was wrong I grew up with fear instability
wrong I grew up with fear instability
wrong I grew up with fear instability and when things got bad at home my
and when things got bad at home my
and when things got bad at home my mother used to take me from one house to
mother used to take me from one house to
mother used to take me from one house to another I didn’t know why she did that
another I didn’t know why she did that
another I didn’t know why she did that but for her she was protecting me I was
but for her she was protecting me I was
but for her she was protecting me I was always worried what was going on when I
always worried what was going on when I
always worried what was going on when I wasn’t there however as I went from one
wasn’t there however as I went from one
wasn’t there however as I went from one house to another being taken care like I
house to another being taken care like I
house to another being taken care like I was one of their own I realized the
was one of their own I realized the
was one of their own I realized the value of a strong supportive Network
value of a strong supportive Network
value of a strong supportive Network with this I so desired from a young age
with this I so desired from a young age
with this I so desired from a young age to create such a community of women so
to create such a community of women so
to create such a community of women so this young girl at the age of 16 had the
this young girl at the age of 16 had the
this young girl at the age of 16 had the opportunity to go to London I grew up in
opportunity to go to London I grew up in
opportunity to go to London I grew up in a cottage never ever dreamt of going to
a cottage never ever dreamt of going to
a cottage never ever dreamt of going to London but my mother had that
London but my mother had that
London but my mother had that and that dream involved me through the
and that dream involved me through the
and that dream involved me through the support of her network that dream became
support of her network that dream became
support of her network that dream became a reality
a reality
a reality London beautiful city so many lights
London beautiful city so many lights
London beautiful city so many lights totally different culture to what I had
totally different culture to what I had
totally different culture to what I had grown up knowing it was challenging for
grown up knowing it was challenging for
grown up knowing it was challenging for me but one of the things that I held
me but one of the things that I held
me but one of the things that I held onto so tightly was the high quality
onto so tightly was the high quality
onto so tightly was the high quality education that I was receiving I went
education that I was receiving I went
education that I was receiving I went through my education so determined to
through my education so determined to
through my education so determined to succeed simply because I wanted to make
succeed simply because I wanted to make
succeed simply because I wanted to make my mother proud but more importantly
my mother proud but more importantly
my mother proud but more importantly because I wanted to create that platform
because I wanted to create that platform
because I wanted to create that platform and community for women I graduated in
and community for women I graduated in
and community for women I graduated in 2005 with the Business Studies degree
2005 with the Business Studies degree
2005 with the Business Studies degree but much to my surprise I was pregnant
but much to my surprise I was pregnant
but much to my surprise I was pregnant there was no part of the plan so I
there was no part of the plan so I
there was no part of the plan so I realized how much my mom had been
realized how much my mom had been
realized how much my mom had been disappointed in me to make matters worse
disappointed in me to make matters worse
disappointed in me to make matters worse the friends that I had were not going
the friends that I had were not going
the friends that I had were not going through the whole motherhood things so
through the whole motherhood things so
through the whole motherhood things so the community that I had built for
the community that I had built for
the community that I had built for myself was falling apart
myself was falling apart
myself was falling apart inability to build a new community and
inability to build a new community and
inability to build a new community and knowing the value of being surrounded by
knowing the value of being surrounded by
knowing the value of being surrounded by positive women I challenged myself to
positive women I challenged myself to
positive women I challenged myself to start a business at the age of 22 the
start a business at the age of 22 the
start a business at the age of 22 the mission for this online magazine was to
mission for this online magazine was to
mission for this online magazine was to light women simply because I know the
light women simply because I know the
light women simply because I know the power of women working together one of
power of women working together one of
power of women working together one of the things that I took for granted and
the things that I took for granted and
the things that I took for granted and had not realized was that I had a mental
had not realized was that I had a mental
had not realized was that I had a mental block and less mental block had
block and less mental block had
block and less mental block had something to do with money in Zimbabwe
something to do with money in Zimbabwe
something to do with money in Zimbabwe it is so taboo to ask for money when
it is so taboo to ask for money when
it is so taboo to ask for money when you’re a young child you just cannot get
you’re a young child you just cannot get
you’re a young child you just cannot get money from anybody so I realized as I
money from anybody so I realized as I
money from anybody so I realized as I was going through this business idea I
was going through this business idea I
was going through this business idea I could do everything else but I couldn’t
could do everything else but I couldn’t
could do everything else but I couldn’t sell I could not ask for money well
sell I could not ask for money well
sell I could not ask for money well what’s the business with no money
what’s the business with no money
what’s the business with no money this challenge went on and on and on
this challenge went on and on and on
this challenge went on and on and on until I dug deep and realized my
until I dug deep and realized my
until I dug deep and realized my childhood was becoming a barrier to who
childhood was becoming a barrier to who
childhood was becoming a barrier to who I wanted to become in 2011 my suburban
I wanted to become in 2011 my suburban
I wanted to become in 2011 my suburban husband got a job to come to Zurich I
husband got a job to come to Zurich I
husband got a job to come to Zurich I didn’t know where Switzerland was I had
didn’t know where Switzerland was I had
didn’t know where Switzerland was I had no clue when we were going but I was up
no clue when we were going but I was up
no clue when we were going but I was up for the challenge so we came to Zurich
for the challenge so we came to Zurich
for the challenge so we came to Zurich with the family and at this stage I
with the family and at this stage I
with the family and at this stage I decided let me start again
decided let me start again
decided let me start again let me saw the magazine bad idea I was
let me saw the magazine bad idea I was
let me saw the magazine bad idea I was lonely I knew no one and the sell of the
lonely I knew no one and the sell of the
lonely I knew no one and the sell of the magazine left me extremely depressed so
magazine left me extremely depressed so
magazine left me extremely depressed so I know what it’s like to be a woman in a
I know what it’s like to be a woman in a
I know what it’s like to be a woman in a foreign country lonely feeling worthless
foreign country lonely feeling worthless
foreign country lonely feeling worthless and most of all feeling like a failure
and most of all feeling like a failure
and most of all feeling like a failure however being the strong African woman
however being the strong African woman
however being the strong African woman our souls to be I challenged myself to
our souls to be I challenged myself to
our souls to be I challenged myself to get out there I started going through
get out there I started going through
get out there I started going through different networking events certainly
different networking events certainly
different networking events certainly because again I need a network I need
because again I need a network I need
because again I need a network I need women around me I wanted to build new
women around me I wanted to build new
women around me I wanted to build new relationships I went to networking
relationships I went to networking
relationships I went to networking events one after another this woke up my
events one after another this woke up my
events one after another this woke up my dream again build that community I went
dream again build that community I went
dream again build that community I went on to think about it this is when the
on to think about it this is when the
on to think about it this is when the idea of the Women’s Expo came to me an
idea of the Women’s Expo came to me an
idea of the Women’s Expo came to me an exhibition that brings women from all
exhibition that brings women from all
exhibition that brings women from all parts of Switzerland under one roof not
parts of Switzerland under one roof not
parts of Switzerland under one roof not only that an exhibition that has female
only that an exhibition that has female
only that an exhibition that has female business owners and the exhibitors I
business owners and the exhibitors I
business owners and the exhibitors I know what it’s like to struggle to find
know what it’s like to struggle to find
know what it’s like to struggle to find customers I know what it’s like to grow
customers I know what it’s like to grow
customers I know what it’s like to grow a business this was the perfect idea
a business this was the perfect idea
a business this was the perfect idea there currently two hundred and forty
there currently two hundred and forty
there currently two hundred and forty six thousand female business owners in
six thousand female business owners in
six thousand female business owners in Switzerland that number was enough for
Switzerland that number was enough for
Switzerland that number was enough for me to start
me to start
me to start in 2013 at this stage I knew just six
in 2013 at this stage I knew just six
in 2013 at this stage I knew just six female business owners my goal was to
female business owners my goal was to
female business owners my goal was to have 40 exhibitors much to my surprise
have 40 exhibitors much to my surprise
have 40 exhibitors much to my surprise the first exhibition had 87 exhibitors
the first exhibition had 87 exhibitors
the first exhibition had 87 exhibitors that to me was such a big achievement
that to me was such a big achievement
that to me was such a big achievement and we had 500 visitors in 2016 with 187
and we had 500 visitors in 2016 with 187
and we had 500 visitors in 2016 with 187 exhibitors in two thousand seven hundred
exhibitors in two thousand seven hundred
exhibitors in two thousand seven hundred visitors as I’ve gone from strength to
visitors as I’ve gone from strength to
visitors as I’ve gone from strength to strength I’ve realized for me as a woman
strength I’ve realized for me as a woman
strength I’ve realized for me as a woman coming to Switzerland with no language
coming to Switzerland with no language
coming to Switzerland with no language and no knowledge of what Switzerland is
and no knowledge of what Switzerland is
and no knowledge of what Switzerland is about the success of this platform has
about the success of this platform has
about the success of this platform has been because I have built a network I’ve
been because I have built a network I’ve
been because I have built a network I’ve allowed myself to share my story where I
allowed myself to share my story where I
allowed myself to share my story where I am going where I am coming from and most
am going where I am coming from and most
am going where I am coming from and most importantly why I believe women should
importantly why I believe women should
importantly why I believe women should work together every day I continuously
work together every day I continuously
work together every day I continuously talk women should support each other
talk women should support each other
talk women should support each other women should work together simply
women should work together simply
women should work together simply because I am a product of her network so
because I am a product of her network so
because I am a product of her network so if you would like to build your own
if you would like to build your own
if you would like to build your own network I would say there are times
network I would say there are times
network I would say there are times where you have to give more than you’d
where you have to give more than you’d
where you have to give more than you’d want to get but most importantly if you
want to get but most importantly if you
want to get but most importantly if you want to go fast I suggest you go alone
want to go fast I suggest you go alone
want to go fast I suggest you go alone but if you want to go far then I would
but if you want to go far then I would
but if you want to go far then I would say go with others thank you
”
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