A candle and a laptop

Today a friend of mine asked me how did I have time to write in my blog? The answer is simple, I often use my free time to either read or write. That is why 20 days after I came back from my first great experience with the AWARD, I only have time to write today…

I finally finished reading a series of 4 exciting books about vampires (written by Stephenie Meyer). This is the twilight saga that my 12 years old daughter (that did not like reading that much…) convinced me to read after her. The last book was particularly difficult to stop reading with so many adventures, unpredicted chapters and episodes with suspense.  

I was one of the 60 lucky winners of a pool of almost 500 candidates!… AWARD is a Gender and Diversity prize given annually to promising and outstanding African women scientists, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to improve skills and broaden opportunities.

The first orientation workshop of the AWARD in Mombasa was a great experience. The facilitators were top class, highly competent, entertaining and educational. I learned a lot about myself, some of my strengths, weaknesses and some ideas for improvement. I also did a lot of thinking about my goals and objectives in life. I also learned about cultural, gender and personal behavior. Most of the thinking was indoors, but a bit was also by the beach side, walking on the white sand between the white foam of the waves breaking on the shore and the hundreds of fast little crabs. We looked at different perspectives and new ideas. We learned to dream!

Three key messages that I keep remembering:

How many times did I lack courage to do something and then the opportunity was lost? I can think of many, one of them just a few weeks ago… How many times did I have unique chances that I managed to grab and made a real impact in my life? I can think of a few. We learned that is ok to feel the fear but we should be able to do it anyway.

I was also touched by the importance of networking. Again here, making the best use of many unique opportunities is crucial. How many times did you make relevant and fruitful contacts by chance? A passenger in an airplane, contacts at the school of your children, someone at a supermarket or at a bar or during a coffee break?

The last one is about the impact you can have on people. People do not remember what you said or what you did but they will remember how you made them feel…

This was just the beginning of the endless opportunities in various professional fields that we will have during the next two years. It was great to meet all the other fellows from so many countries, all sharing the same enthusiasm and momentum for learning, change and improvement!