{One of the Rwanda’s guests who always leaves behind indelible stamp whenever she visits is Mrs Graca Machel. A year ago, brilliant African women and several supportive men from all walks, positions and ages gathered in Kigali to launch the New Faces, New Voices Rwanda Chapter. It had been a while since I attended such a conference full of real emotions around a common project. It was just amazing to watch some speakers almost bouncing in their chairs as if they wanted to rise and hit the sky and tell it face to face how it could not be their limit. }
This emotionally charged and life changing moments were shared by Mrs Graca Machel, the founder of New Faces New Voices and Mrs Jeannette Kagame, the Rwanda’s First Lady and the Patron of the Rwanda Chapter of this revolutionary initiative. As we were still digesting Mrs Kagame’s heart-touching words, Mrs Graca Machel, took the floor and started giving the impression of wanting to scream as loud as possible no matter the capacity of the provided microphones. Was she probably feeling the urge to reach all the hills of the African continent in that very speech?In any case, in that atmosphere full of a strong passion difficult to describe here faithfully, one could only predict the members’ sure success in achieving their main objective of “putting money in women’s pockets” on their journey to become financially independent.
As we approach the end of the 100 days of the remembrance of the victims of the Genocide against Tutsi, the clear goal above makes me wonder what else Rwandan women could learn from this energetic lady who is known for making unusual, unpopular but impressive decisions in her personal life. As you may remember, Mrs Graca Machel lost her husband Samora Machel in a terrible plane accident when she was still in her forties. She later married the late Nelson Mandela who was the president of South Africa. In 1994, Rwanda registered the highest number of women who also lost their husbands in different circumstances. Some of those men were killed fighting during the Liberation War, others perished in the evil hands of genocidaires while the remaining died in Congo forests running away from justice or used as human-shield by those runway killers.
Most of those emotionally, psychologically and sometimes physically broken women, were between twenty five and Forty five years old when they were hit by that personal loss. Unfortunately, as hard as it was for them, the socio -cultural pressure has not been easy on these ladies. It is important to note that remarrying is not against the Law in Rwanda. However, it is shocking how when one decides to do that, even those who try to understand it, see that new move as an act of courage while that normal life turn is slapped by all kinds of unfair and hypocritical judgments by the society.
Fortunately, during the conference, I was happy to hear different participants advising women to break ties with any sort of social pressure that forces them to make wrong decisions such as owning what they do not need in order to attract social approval
I happily saluted this bold recommendation to sharpen our critical thinking towards that mindset change in business. I then wondered: how can we start that new thinking by using Mrs Machel story as exercise number one to encourage our widows and divorced women to resist owning that social pressure and remarry whenever they feel ready?
Happier women do business better! Don’t they?
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