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Showing up in the Room!
Are you networking with the right people? One of my favorite ways to define success comes from Ziglar's "success is when opportunity meets preparation." I love this definition because it keeps the individual responsible while acknowledging other people's parts in helping that one become successful. Every successful person knows that nobody succeeds alone!
This past weekend, May 7th, 2022, I was invited to speak at the Building the Roadmap to Sustainable Peace in South Sudan conference hosted by New Dawn Foundation & Trust. The invitation was extended to me by Honorable Ladu Gubek, whom I met through Honorable Suzanne Jambo, whom I also met through Both Chuol a year ago...etc. Do you see the connection now?
During the conference, I spoke on Women's Rights and Youth Leadership, a topic I did not need to research or write out; I shared my experience growing up as a South Sudanese girl and a woman while pointing out the lack of women's rights in the country. I was honest, transparent, and spoke with authority and grit; the result was overwhelming. I had South Sudanese men come up to me in tears of joy because they finally saw a young woman addressing critical social issues as they are and NOT sugarcoating anything due to fear of the community backlash.
For example, according to my friend and mentor, Suzanne Jambo, approximately. 60-64% of our 12 million population of the Republic of South Sudan are female, and up to 95% of the female population is illiterate. Another shocking statistic is that the South Sudan youth population could be as high as 72%, of which female is the majority. If we are not demanding change in our cultural practices that keep these two populations down, our country will be doomed and the future gloomy. There will NEVER be progress! We must understand that THE FUTURE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN IS WOMEN AND YOUTH!
THIS WEEKEND, I WAS EXACTLY WHERE I NEEDED TO BE TO CONNECT WITH THE PEOPLE I NEEDED TO BE IMPACTFUL!
Networking with the right people is an essential ingredient in our journey to self-liberation and success. This weekend, I exchanged contacts with people who will hand me the microphone one day so I can address the right people to make policy changes in the direction we desperately need.
My thank you goes to Honorable Ladu Gubek and New Dawn Foundation Trust for allowing my voice to get loud enough so people like John Tanza at the @VOA's South Sudan in focus Radio Program can hear it and deliver my message to our South Sudan leaders!