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/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/
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.
This is the kind of African women we encourage. Kudos Anyi
ReplyDelete"If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman."
Delete— Margaret Thatcher
You are also a role model to the younger generation... I admire your every move...God bless your efforts stay strong💪😘😘😘
ReplyDelete"To all the little girls who are watching, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams."
Delete—Hillary Clinton in her 2016 concession speech
Go Anyi! GOD bless you!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ayuketah Eleanor for stopping by. Thanks for celebrating Anyi whose story of courage and creativity leaves no one indifferent. Hope many more stories will drag you to the blog that projects and documents female voices making it in Africa and the world from Cameroon. To all the women and men continuing the fight for feminism in 2017, get inspired by the words of the trailblazing women who've said it best. From Hillary Clinton to Maya Angelou, Gloria Steinem, Rihanna and all the unapologetic, courageous women in-between, these are the uplifting quotes to live by.
Delete1) "To all the little girls who are watching, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams." —Hillary Clinton in her 2016 concession speech
2)"I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard...we cannot succeed when half of us are held back." ―Malala Yousafzai
3)"If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman." —Margaret Thatcher
4) "I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay." ―Madonna
5) "It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent." —Madeleine Albright
6) "Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in."―Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
7) "Feminism isn't about making women strong. Women are already strong. It's about changing the way the world perceives that strength." —G.D. Anderson
8) "Women are always saying,'We can do anything that men can do' but men should be saying,'We can do anything that women can do.'" —Gloria Steinem
9) "I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass." —Maya Angelou
10) "I am a Woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal Woman, that's me." ―Maya Angelou
11) "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made... It shouldn't be that women are the exception." —Ruth Bader Ginsburg
12) "You don't have to be pretty. You don't owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don't owe it to your mother, you don't owe it to your children, you don't owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked 'female.'" —Erin McKean
13) "A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman." —Melinda Gates
14) "A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men." ―Gloria Steinem
"There's something so special about a woman who dominates in a man's world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer." —Rihanna in the March 2017 issue of Harper's BAZAAR.
16) "There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish." —Michelle Obama
17) "When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch."―Bette Davis
18) "I always wanted to be a femme fatale. Even when I was a young girl, I never really wanted to be a girl. I wanted to be a woman." —Diane von Furstenberg
19) "I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own." —Audre Lorde
20) "When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit. So let's keep going — let's keep going until every one of the 161 million women and girls across America has the opportunity she deserves to have." —Hillary Clinton
21) "Feminism is for everybody" ―bell hooks