By Hellen Venganai
#7th woman I am celebrating a day before #IWD2021 is Emelda Vhiriri
I also celebrate my students you know .
I was one of her lecturers when she did her masters in Development Studies, and also became her dissertation supervisor.
I selected her today because she is a Worshipper and Preacher, so it makes sense that I celebrate her on a Sunday.
This young woman is only 28 years but has made such impact.
She is already an accomplished Transformational or motivational speaker who seeks to let other women and young people realise their potential.
She runs The Pull As I Rise mentorship classes for young girls and women.
She is also the brains behind the Invaluable Woman Conference.
In 2018, she received an award for being among the 10 Outstanding Young Persons in Zimbabwe.
In 2020 she was recognised as one of the 50 under 30 emerging leaders.
She is the Founding Director of Cultiv8 Africa.
With this organisation, she seeks to establish a Generational Sustainability Hub to teach about innovation, conservation and participation among other youth related issues.
Emelda is the Chairperson for the Young Women’s Forum under Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe. She is also the National Youth Gender Activist Young Women for Generation Equality Forum.
She is Co-Chair of the Southern African Youth Forum, Zimbabwe. She has participated in the Agenda 2063 Conversations at African Union level through the Young African Thinkers’ Forum.
Oh, she is also an alumni of the Barack Obama-founded Young African Leaders Initiative (Yali) where she did a course in civic leadership.
I am not done yet!
She has also authored two motivational books (From One Invaluable Women to Another and Beauty for your ashes). She believes that “when you don’t have a sit at the table, bring a folding chair”.
And she also says that “Age is just but a number, and being female is nothing but biology”.
This has made her to be the phenomenal young woman that she is.
Her CV is stronger than mine by far but I still choose to celebrate her.
We need more young women like her in influential positions.
Well done Mel for inspiring me.
