BOPA MOSADI – Build a Woman!

BOPA MOSADI – Build a Woman!

During this past week, I had the privilege of interacting with twenty female budding entrepreneurs, through a Training and Coaching Session. The session was organized as part of an on-going business development project named as Bopa Mosadi a Setswana phrase that means to build or mold a woman.

The purpose of this project is to empower the carefully selected young businesswomen, to bridge the economic gap by equipping them with relevant and practical knowledge and business skills. Consequently this aims at enabling them to penetrate and compete in the economy through their small businesses.

The project is sponsored by the DO More Foundation under RCL Foods that operates in the Rustenburg area. NIYA Consulting (https://niyaconsulting.co.za/)   and AVO Vision (https://www.avovision.co.za/) are partners in implementing the Business Development project, specifically for young female entrepreneurs.  

Building a Woman especially from historically disadvantaged areas, through a project like Bopa Mosadi has great significance towards creating employment activities that enhance the dignity and opportunities for the communities where the women are based.

The theme of my session was entitled Marketing Ideas to take your business to the next level.  The inter-active session was holistic in approach and covered topics that challenged and inspired the female entrepreneurs to identify ways in which to grow their businesses, through creative marketing activities and ideas.

Young entrepreneurs require a lot of support in the early stages of their ventures. In the early days, of their ventures, many business aspects do not make sense. When revenue is low, profits are inconsistent and the costs seem to be mounting with each month of operation, the temptation for an entrepreneur to give up and join job-seekers is always around the corner.

With the right training and Business Development Coaching Support, entrepreneurs are able to withstand the emotional and psychological drama to endure through the difficult times. My role as a Business Development Coach is to journey with an Entrepreneur towards growth and sustainability.

Allon Raiz (https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-za/author/allon-raiz) in his very insightful book entitled, “What to do when you want to give up, help for entrepreneurs in tough times” he explains in detail what it takes to understand what your business is all about and what you need to keep doing to stay the course. It is a hand-book that every young entrepreneur must have on-hand and read regularly.

“If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” This well-known African Proverb has long been motivating people around the world to strive for education for all. To me there is potential to improve lives and communities when women are properly empowered through projects like Bopa Mosadi.

My grandfather – the late John Semugooma was an advocate for girl-child education. In fact he contributed towards the establishment of a Girls’ training school at Nkozi – in Uganda near the equator where the present-day Uganda Martyrs University (www.umu.ac.ug) has its main campus. Hence, facilitating the training session of the young female entrepreneurs was an opportunity in supporting the idea of empowering and educating women with business knowledge and skills. As their businesses grow, I believe this will result in improved communities where the businesses operate.

According to, https://www.hult.edu/blog/women-in-business-advantages-challenges-and-opportunities/:  “Women represent huge economic power and offer important consumer insight. It’s been estimated that women contribute in excess of $20 trillion in consumer spending every year, representing a bigger growth market than China and India combined. Women also account for 85% of consumer purchases.”

It therefore, makes sense to support female entrepreneurs, through business development projects to harness the power and potential of increased participation in the economy by women.

One wise saying goes, to Teach is to touch a life. Personally, I think that building a woman is to touch many lives. There is always an opportunity to make a positive contribution around us in the world. You too can do so in your own way. More importantly think of how you can use your talent to…  Bopa Mosadi – Build a Woman!