BIH Pascaline: The African Woman is an embodiment to greatness

Who is Bih Pascaline?

Bih Pascaline is a young woman passionate about seeing women and girls reach their full potential. She is of Mankon origin in the North West Region of Cameroon and from a family of 5.

For over 5 years, she has been working within community organizations, empowering and advocating for women and girls rights; getting them valued; their voices heard in decision making processes and educating girls on their sexual and reproductive health and rights.  

In in July of 2015, she Founded Dare Africa a campaign and challenge for every young woman in Africa to dream big and dare to lead bold change in their lives, homes and communities. Through Dare Africa, she runs programs and creates platforms and opportunities for women and girls to be inspired and empowered and celebrates the stories and achievement of women.

She equally serves as the Program Director for African Girls Personal Health and Career Programs in Cameroon.

What drives Bih Pascaline the team leader of Dare Africa?

Passion for change especially on issues that concern women and girls I think. For a longtime now addressing the issues of women and girls and making them see themselves as more has been the reason I go to bed late, wake up in the middle of the night and get up every day.

What is your greatest influence?

My greatest influence has been the fact that I am born a girl in Africa. Growing up as a girl in Africa, you have as an obligation to do more if you have to be more and I think that is the foundation on which my actions are based. Working hard not to be a disappointment to myself, the girls and women looking up to me, gives me a reason to wake up in the morning do that which I do every day.

Who is your role model?

I have had a couple of women mold me into the woman I am now; my mother to begin with, love her fighting spirit and her ability to keep going even when things are tough. I have been inspired a lot by Oprah Winfrey, love her strength and passion for what she does and how much change she is creating through her work.  

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

For Dare Africa programs to have Evolved!

So far 2 of Dare Africa programs are running;

- Woman Emerge: Providing platforms and opportunities for the inspiration and empowerment of women through Emerging women Leadership Breakfast and Networking Circles.

- Applause: Celebrating the stories and achievements of women who dare by profiling women who share a more expansive vision of what a woman can do with mission to inspire others to do more

This December 2 more are to be kick-started;

- The She Impact Hub: Creating a vibrant and unique ecosystem of passionate and social entrepreneurial women who share an underlying intention to bring about positive change and putting together meaningful content, learning spaces, and facilitated conversations, the right experiences that can enable them build successful businesses.

- Girl Champions: Finding and empowering girls with great leadership potentials who can serve as ambassadors for change on issues girls face in their community and inspire other girls to want to be more.

In five years I envision;

-      - The first Woman Emerge Regional Conference bringing together young women from different African Countries for experience and best practice sharing to lead change

-       - The 3^rd edition Applause Women’s Award of Excellence: 

To To have supported at least 10 Women social Entrepreneurs build their businesses from the ground up

To To have empowered at least 100 Girl Champions all over Africa   

  

Are you proud of the African Woman today?

The African Woman has come a long way, breaking barriers that stand on their path, surmounting obstacles, building bridges, breaking stereotypes and redefining who an African woman is and what she can do. From being denied education, defined as housewives, subjected to different forms of violence to becoming pilots, engineers, doctors, teachers, women rights activists, CEO’s of globally recognized companies and institutions that changing lives worldwide and while doing all these, still playing the awesome role of wives and mothers, they have proven beyond every reasonable doubt that “African Women Can” and this, I am so proud of.

What are the challenges of the African Woman?

Though there has been a considerable improvement in the status of women in the last years, there is no denying that the African woman still has a good number of challenges;

- Economic exclusion 

- Limited access to startup capital

- Limited participation and engagement in political, public life and on peace tables

- Lack of access to education and poor retention of girls in schools 

-        -  Gender-based violence 

-        -  Harmful cultural practices and more

What will you change at the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and the family, if you were named the boss today?

I would do 3 things;

1)    More dialogue with women and girls at the grassroots level

2)    Synergy among key actors (major Institutions and partner Ministries) who run services that we can together work to ameliorate the situation of women.

3)    More national and international empowerment opportunities for Ministry employees to be able to perform at their best.

These are things I will love to see change.   

What don't you like in young girls today, you will quickly address if you had the chance, and how?

There is a disturbing increase rate of teenage pregnancies among girls today. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for this issue but comprehensive sex education at home and in schools will be an awesome way to start addressing the issue. This however is an exercise I have been doing a lot of lately; organizing sexual health and rights education workshops in schools and communities and distributing a self-authored “Girl’s Guide to understanding her body” and I have gotten quite a good response from that. If schools and parents can join in, I think we’d go far. 

What is your ICE Vision? Inspire, celebrate and empower women

This is at the very center of Dare Africa’s vision and I look forward to a time when the now platforms and programs I am running, evolve and advance into more structured, highly recognized and supported initiatives so more women and girls can benefit from.

I look forward to Applause not only outstanding women who dare but giving awards to deserving women; I look forward to the Emerging Women Leadership Breakfast and Networking circles evolving into inspiring and empowering Woman Emerge Conferences; I look forward to the She Impact Hub raising successful women social entrepreneurs and the Girl Champions inspiring more girls to dare to lead change. 

Any plans for the AU or UN?

No plans for now. At the moment I am local to the very core. I believe a lot in driving change from the grassroots level and hardly will want to put myself in a position where I can’t influence that change directly. There is still a lot to be done around me and my current mission is finding ways to conquer that territory first. AU/UN maybe in the future! 

Any advice for the African Woman?

You are an embodiment of greatness. You were designed for a purpose greater than yourself, for without you Africa and the World is at least a solution less. So it is vital that you see yourself as important and valuable; Believe in yourself, Dream Big and Bold, Dare to Lead and be bold for change.

Shengwe Agwa Ghogomu: I will be glad to see women and girls love one another without bias.

Who is Shengwe Agwa Ghogomu?

I am Shengwe Agwa Ghogomu, the communications Officer for Crtv Marketing and Communication Agency. I will describe myself as; a girl with a mind, a woman with an attitude and a lady with class.

What drives SAG commonly called Shy by loved ones?

My zeal for independence, my zeal to impact the world positively, and my quest for knowledge.

What is your greatest influence? 

It is hard to be specific on the person or cause that has the greatest influence on you. I think my little experiences and those people around me, family and friends are my greatest influence.

Who are your role models? 

My role models are my parents and my late aunt “Aunty Julie” (may her gentle soul continue to rest in peace) whose gentleness and love towards humanity still move me this second.

The most important thing I learned from them amongst many other things is the fear of the Lord. I will forever be grateful to them for that. They are examples I will love to copy. I am not saying they are perfect, of course nobody is, but their strengths outweigh their weaknesses.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

I see myself at an international level doing what I do best on a recognized global platform.

What are the challenges of the African Woman?

Ø Economic exclusion

Ø Financial systems that perpetuate the discrimination of women.

Ø Lack of access to education and poor retention of girls in school

Ø Harmful cultural practices

Ø Sexual harassment in the workplace and on the streets

Ø Lack of support from one another (women)

One thing you will like to see adjusted amongst girls and other women. ow do you unwind work tension? 

I will be glad to see women and girls love one another without bias.

How do you unwind work tension? 

One of the vital lessons my dad taught me was to ask God for the lessons he is trying to teach me from every difficulty or huddle I face or if it is just the devil trying to play tricks with me, that I ask God to help me overcome. That is how I sail through my huddles at work. It is not as easy as it sounds but with God, all things are possible.

How do I relax? I love going to the beach, listening to music, dancing, chatting and reading novels. Those are the sorts of things I do for leisure.

What is your ICE Vision? 

My ICE vision is best described in the phrases below and I work hard each day to see it happen. 

“If women be educated for dependence; that is to act according to the will of another fallible being, and submit, right or wrong, to power, where are we to stop?” 

Mary Wollstonecraft

“I will like to be remembered as the person who wanted to be free…so other people will also be free” Rosa Parks

“Give a woman the right shoes and she will conquer the world!” Marilyn Monroe.

Have you any A.U Plans?

I dream and work towards going international. If it’s the A.U that opens its doors to receive me, why not?

What is your advice for the African Woman? 

We need to believe in ourselves, learn how to sincerely encourage one another, build each other and learn how to be less judgmental about others because, we do not know their struggles, stories and probably can’t identify with their scars.

In case you are named the Minister of Women's Empowerment and the family, what first things will you address? 

I will love to work on the following;

·        Depression

·        Low self esteem

·        Domestic violence

·        Dumping of new born babies in dumpsters

·        Sexual harassment

Anyi Asonganyi: The women who have made it are no different from you in any way, we all can win.

Who is Anyi Asonganyi?

Born on May 11th, 1988 into a beautiful family which hails from Fontem Sub-Division in the South West region of Cameroon, Anyi Asonganyi was raised in ESSOS to be a unique version of passion, success and drive to things people say are difficult to be done. I am the CEO and creative director of OZI INTERNATIONAL; a fashion, beauty and lifestyle company located in Deido - Douala, Cameroon.

In 2007, armed with a set of skills and a makeup kit, I set out to change the beauty industry in Cameroon and thus Ozi International was born. 

I was a young woman with a dream and i have dedicated the past 10 years of my life in building my business block by block. Today, Ozi International has as many as 8 employees and is the creative force behind some of the most glamorous looks in dozens of editorials, weddings, music videos, movies, fashion shows, etc.

I am not contented with just running a successful business, i am equally passionate about inspiring other young girls to be the best they can be. This is evident from the several young women i have taken under my wing as employer, mentor and friend.

It is worth mentioning that the artistic hand behind my brand image and great pictures is my younger brother, Nji Asonganyi, owner of Nji Asonganyi Studios... OZI INTERNATIONAL would not be the brand it is today without him

 I have three supportive siblings. We were raised in Essos - Yaounde by my strong mother and my father who left us in 2016.

What fuels Anyi Asonganyi?

My support system keeps me going. I'm humbled to say that my journey has inspired a good number of young Cameroonian women to believe in themselves. These women look up to me for daily inspiration and the thought of that constantly  wakes me up from slumber. I dare not let them down, so i have to work.

I also have a brain that is constantly ticking and coming up with one new idea after the next. So even if i wanted to get lazy, my creativity would not let me.

Who is your role model?

 I was raised by a brave woman with a sound business mind. Growing up, I watched my mother globe-trot for business and i wanted to be an international business woman like her. My mother inspired my choices.

There is rich list of successful and powerful women around the world that i look up to and follow up closely for inspiration.

Where do you see yourself five years from today?

 Five years is a short time from now but that is time enough to ensure that OZI INTERNATIONAL becomes a global household name. I see myself being one of the ultimate solution providers on the international fashion and beauty scenes.

What are the challenges of the African woman today?

In my opinion, the ultimate challenge faced by the African woman is self esteem. Society has tagged Africans (blacks) a minor race, as if that is not enough, you happen to be a woman- the minor gender. This double tag makes it difficult for most African women to exploit their full potentials due to lack of self confidence.

In some parts of Africa, women have equal rights as men, meanwhile in other parts, there still exists an outstanding difference which leaves the women uneducated and voiceless. It is difficult to excell under such an atmosphere.

How do you relax yourself?

Yes, i do get very tensed every now and then. My remedy is good company. I have a very jovial staff but sometimes i do need time away from them. My family and my friends are always there for me. They know how to pull the stress away from my shoulders with the right dosage of distraction. Basically; live, love, laugh.

I also read a lot. Books have away of taking my mind to another planet. It works like a charm.

What is your ICE Vision?

My ICE vision is to create job opportunities for as many young women as i possibly can in one lifetime. I currently have a hand full of young women working for OZI INTERNATIONAL and i will only keep adding them as we grow.

Any plans for the AU? 

 Let us see what the future holds. No plan is too big for a go-getter like myself.

What are some of those practices girls do that get you off?

Although hate is a strong word, i think it fits well in this context. I hate the fact that gils and women today opt for the easy way out. Nowadays, it is considered almost normal for a woman to receive money in exchange for her precious dignity against all odds. As demeaning as that sounds, it is today's reality.

What are your first steps to right wrongs, should you be named Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family in Cameroon?

 As the Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family, i would take education of the girl child as a crusade. I think that is the root of this cloud of inferiority complex that covers African women. Be it formal or informal education, every woman under my belt of authority would have to learn something that would empower them enough to make a positive difference in their lives and on their families.

What is your greatest influence?

My greatest influence is God. I am a spiritual person. I pray and meditate over every decision and action. The moves i make are basically spirit inspired.

What is your ICE Vision?

My ICE inspiration to employ as many women as i can comes from the women around me. I have lived and worked with many women in 29 years. I know the challenges we as women face, especially financial challenges and i also know the compromises some women have to make on their dignity in order to meet up with their basic needs. Creating job opportunities would literally save many women's lives which would be of great honour to my person.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ OZI INTERNATIONAL 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ OZI INTERNATIONAL 

Twitter : www.twitter.com/ OZI INTERNATIONAL 

Snapchat: anyiasonganyi 

Any Advise to the African Woman?

9. To the African woman, believe in yourself! As Mo Abudu would say, "if you can think it, you can do it". Forget the world and start, it just takes you to start. The women who have made it are no different from you in any way, we all can win.

Bibiana MBUH TAKU:Challenges are my greatest motivators.

Who is Bibiana Mbuh Taku? 

Bibiana MBUH TAKU is an entrepreneur,  born and raised at Njentse – Lebialem Division. She is a graduate of Management & Finance from the Ecole Superieure de Sciences Economiques et Commerciales (ESSEC ) Douala  and Treasury Inspector from  Ecole Nationale d'Administration et de la Magistrature (ENAM), Yaoundé.

After having worked for over 20 years in the American Life Insurance, Pecten Cameroon Company, Plan International – Cameroon and the Treasury Department of the Ministry of Finance, respectively, I founded Diversity Management & Consulting ltd (DMC ltd) in 2009 with some shareholders.   

In partnership with some very renowned Development partners like IFC (World Bank) we have created lasting impact through delivery of capacity building, business advisory & management services  to the private sector in Cameroon and many countries in Africa. Currently we are focusing on e learning and onsite capacity building platform, DMC  capacity building academy, which will deliver capacity building and advisory solutions nationally and internationally.

Bibiana MBUH TAKU is also a serial social entrepreneur who has successfully transformed some of the most painful experiences of her life into opportunities to console, encourage and uplift others. I have founded the Gabriel BEBONBECHEM Foundation for Epilepsy & Mental Well-being in memory of my Son Gabriel who lived and died of epilepsy & its complications. I am also the co-founder of the Helen ATABONG ASABA Foundation for the empowerment of the Woman & the girl child, in memory of my mum who was and advocate of women empowerment.

Finally, Bibiana MBUH TAKU is a farmer aspiring to get into transformation & marketing of Agricultural products. She is a mother of 4 biological children, many natural children and grandchildren.

What drives Bibiana MBUH TAKU?

The zeal to impact lives and be a role model to youths and women, especially those from humble backgrounds like mine. Challenges are my greatest motivators.

What is your greatest influence? 

I am not a quitter and I know how to own my mistakes and use them as stepping stones.

WHAT IS YOUR ICE (INSPIRE, CELEBRATE & INSPIRE WOMEN) INSPIRATION?

Wherever I have the opportunity to meet women achievers' I connect and acknowledge. I have been blessed with numerous opportunities that come with my job and a capacity developer and a social entrepreneur. I am blessed to be able to connect with women of all generations. The diversity of my activities appears to attract other women to wards my work. I guess, I do inspire them like others have told me.

Who is your role model? 

My mother remains my role mother. She was very committed to her vision; she was a feminist and an advocate of the principle of giving every child a chance and even second and third chances. She was never a quitter! I am not a quitter.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years? 

I see myself as the CEO of an international food processing conglomerate, a reference business advisory & service delivery in Africa. I also want to see myself as the Founder of an International reference center for research in epilepsy & rehabilitation.

What are the challenges of the African Woman? 

An African women needs to empower herself rather than waiting to be empowered. If she waits to be empowered then she will never be. An example is access to land. She needs to buy and own land rather than hoping to inherit. If she has the opportunity to inherit land then she should keep it out of hers and her husband's joint property.

How do you unwind tension from work? 

I watch Nigeria movies, when possible. They give me a chance to see young talented women who have taken success by the storm! I have watched the industry grow and I see these young women blossom and become producers and even diversify into other businesses.

I also take spiritual retreats. These nourish me and keep me close to my source of energy and life, GOD the almighty.

What is your ICE VISION?

I have had the privilege to travel to every region in Africa where I have met with terrific women entrepreneurs and some of them have never been to school. We have gained much admiration in each other and my vision is to participate in the creation of a network of such women throughout Africa. I believe that such a network can transform Africa and drive our continent towards its emergence.

Any Plans for the AU?

If I have an opportunity to join any of the advisory bodies to support the empowerment of the woman and the youths, I would seize it!

Should you be named Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family, what wrongs will you right immediately during the first six months of your leadership? 

The woman will have to stop feeding on "pity" and "crumps" from the men's decision-making tables. As primary stake holders in the development and the well being of the children and even that of their husband, they should co-own family land with their husbands (for those that are married). Laws need to be sponsored by this ministry to this effect.

One thing you hate in girls and women today you will like to see adjusted? 

I can hardly stand women showing off their bodies through what they term "revealing" outfits. It gives the impression that they want to be acknowledged by their looks and not their real worth which is their immense and under-valued contribution towards the development of society is. 

Any advise for the African Woman?

We need to synergize and turn our challenges into opportunities. We have the duty to transform our continent from exporters of raw products to exporters of processed foods, beauty products, clothing, arts work .We need to own and grow our wealth. It is our duty to drop the "alms baskets" and replace them with cooperatives and commercial banks.

A Message from the brain of Target Peace on the International Day of Peace

Do not miss your purpose for life today as you step out confidently knowing GOD your Heavenly Father stepped out before you. And as you serve the world, let the virtue of peace cloud You from your countenance, words, thoughts and act. 

Be mindful that you are excellent leaders and examples are stronger information and education vectors. 

 https://www.facebook.com/Targetpeace-967314920024677/

Ask GOD guidance not to do wrong, not to be angry even if the majority pushes you to the walls, smile at what you cannot change but be the right peg in the right hole for the right result to glorify Your Father in Heavenly places. 

Talk to someone you haven't talked to for long to break the ice and cold, mold an intimacy with GOD by spending time with HIM at a time and hour you will choose, pray for Cameroon and the world, learn and cultivate the habit of saying nice things of Cameroon, your children and yourselves. 

With all the love and peace I possess, I urge you to be a blessing to at least one life today, make it an assignment to wear smiles on the faces of those you meet today, light Up the hearts of all you meet and in all you do, act love for love is peace. 

A very HAPPY IDP as together we walk the path of respect, for the Safety and Dignity of all. 

Kaheli FEH TAH: Women do not limit yourselves

Who is Kaheli FEH TAH?

With a Dual MBA from Delaware State University DSU, Kaheli Feh Tah Erica is a third child in a family of 6, Mother of 2 and grand mother of 1 whose coaching and leadership prowess cuts across the continent via numerous platforms.  Serving as the General Manager of TOPROC FINANCE PLC. for close to a decade, her banking skills has added value in terms of finance and productivity to the Micro Finance Institution. Interested in the education of the girl child whose self esteem is usually killed by traditional and cultural barriers, she founded SHALOM BIZ COLLEGE which she runs as a project that seeks to restore lost value for community development. 

What drives Kaheli FEH TAH?

Three values: Faith. Generosity. Excellence drive me every second of my life.

 Faith: I have too much faith in the almighty. At the point where  most people break down, its my faith that fuels me. Excellence: I believe in anything i set my mind to do. Am a perfectionist and do not leave any job unfinished and when I am falling short my faith moves the mountains in front of me. 

Generosity: I find satisfaction in giving esp when the moment comes for appreciation, when the person has this big smile on his/her face and says that thank u from the heart it fells so good. There is nothing i compare to this moments in my life when I am able to put a genuine smile on someone's face and see them walk away 

Who is your role model? 

 My mother. My mother. My mother. Sometimes, I wonder what would have become without her. She is my role model in everything being a widow at the tender age of 31 with 6 children and without help from relatives since she was labeled  the murderer of her husband, she single highhandedly educated all her six children to at least a Bachelor's  Degree with God's help. 

 My mom taught me how to stand up tall on what i believe  in and say no to what i think is wrong in front n not behind a person. With her entrepreneurial spirit she taught me how to be financially stable without the help of people and u know what financial freedom means. You are contented  with what you have, such that you do not depend on others and get to beg to be humiliated and insulted. You get to keep a stethoscope which is lacked by most African women whereby the men find us short of and intend use it as a medium for manipulation and control of our person.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

In the next 5 years, I see myself  in control of Shalom Biz College ( my school ) in 7 Regions of Cameroon and impacting  knowledge especially  technology for free to the girl child to make them educationally strong and financially independent giving them room for their voices to be head without favour or bias by gender

What are the challenges of the African Woman?

Herself. She puts limitations on her person esp in the home training she is giving from birth. Her place is in the kitchen n she envision herself in her kitchen to cook n feed her family.  We should be able to give opportunities to our girls that will broaden their minds on the opportunities out of the kitchen make them know they can dream to be anything. They can have cars , balls for presents and not just a baby dolls and kitchen utensils. Thereby making them dream of owning one someday

How do you relax yourself?

I listen to good Music and I watch movies with powerful messages.

Any plans for the AU?

 If given the opportunity, I will like to change first the panel and category of people who form this union. This is simply Because the mindset of the panel denotes the outcome. Believe me Gender Representation will be equal such that if there are 50 representatives, then its 25 men and 25 women.

Any advice for the African Woman?

 Women must not limit themselves because there are unlimited opportunities out there for the taking and naturally we are stronger than the men. Our instincts works 100 times faster than that of the men. We have compassion in our decisions and our reactions to situations are always more considerate giving the fact that we birth them therfore compassion is imperative