Foto igwe mmadụ e sere na AWE UK 2024. Foto sitere n'aka Joy Machugu Zenz, a natara ikike tupu e gosi ya ebe a.

Akụkọ a bụ nke ụlọ ọrụ mgbasa ozi Bird bipụtara na mbụ n'abalị iri abụọ na asaa ọnwa Jenụwarị, 2025. E degharịrị ma bipụtaghachi ụdị a dị n’okpuru dịka akụkụ nke nkwekọrịta nkekọrịta ọdịnaya. 

Ihe yiri enyí e ji osisi mee nke dị n’ahụ́ mgbidi n’azụ Joy Machugu Zenz yiri ka ọ na-egosipụta ọnụnọ ya: nke ịdị ike, nguzosi ike n’ala, ma nwee obi ike na-apụghị ịma jijiji. Ka ọ nọ ọdụ n’ime ụlọ obibi ya na Freiburg, Germany, ebe ìhè anyanwụ na-abata site n’ákwà mgbochi windo ya ndị na-acha ude ude, na-egosi na oge opupu ihe ubi na-abịa, Zenz gosipụtara otu ngwakọta nke ịdị mma na ịdị ike ahụ nke akara ahụ dị n’azụ ya nwere.

Njem ndụ ya gafere kọntinent dị iche iche, omenala dị iche iche, na ọrụ dị iche iche. Onye a zụlitere na Kenya ma o bi ugbu a na Germany, Zenz kọwara onwe ya dịka “onye kwagara mba ọzọ zuru oke”, okwu o kwuru n'obere ọchị.

Ọ sịrị:

I’ve spent half my life in Kenya and the other half in Europe. I’ve taken the best of both worlds.

Ebiwo m ọkara ndụ m na Kenya, ọkara nke ọzọkwa na Europe. Ewerewo m ihe kacha mma sitere n’ụwa abụọ ahụ.

Ngwakọta ahụmihe a bara ụba o nwere emeela ka ọ nwekwuo mkpali ịmepụta netwọkụ siri ike nke na-ejikọta ụmụ nwanyị nọ n’Africa na ndị nọ n’ala ọzọ.

Nkwaga Zenz gaa na Germany mgbe ọ dị afọ iri abụọ na anọ bụ ihe jupụtara n’ọṅụ bụrụkwa ihe na-atụ egwu. N’ihi na ọ mụọla asụsụ German tupu ọ gawa ebe ahụ, ọ nwere nghọta bụ isi banyere asụsụ ahụ, mana ịsụ ya nke ọma bụụrụ ya ihe ịma aka. Ọ tunyere:

The language was a barrier, but more than that, it was the mindset.

Asụsụ ahụ bụụrụ ya ihe mgbochi, mana karịa nke ahụ, ọ bụ echiche na ụzọ e si ele ihe anya.

Afọ mbụ ya ga jupụtara n’ịmụ ka esi anabata ndụ ọhụrụ — ịmara omenala ọhụrụ, asụsụ ọhụrụ, mkpapụ iche nke sitere n’ịbụ otu n’ime ụmụ nwanyị Africa ole na ole nọ n’obodo ya.

“Achọghị m ịhapụ onwe m n’ihi ihe ịma aka ndị ahụ. Achọọrọ m igosi onwe m na m nwere ike ime nke ọma karịa,” ka o kwuru.

N’ihi ahụmịhe o nwere na njikwa ọrụ na teknụzụ ozi (IT), tinyere ahụmịhe ọ nwetara site n’ịrụ ọrụ n'ụlọ ọrụ ọgwụ na ụlọ ọrụ akụ̀ na ụba na Switzerland, ọchịchọ Zenz akwụsịghị. Ọchịchọ ya ịchọta ma wulite ebe nke ya na Europe, ma na-ejigidekwa njirimara Africa ya, mere ka o guzobe otu African Women in Europe (AWE).

N’afọ 2008, n’oge mmalite nke mgbasa ozi mmekọrịta n’ịntanetị, Zenz mepụtara webụsaịtị iji jikọọ ụmụ nwanyị Africa bi na Europe. Ihe malitere dịka ọchịchọ onwe ya ịchọta ndị nke ya ya na ha ga na-enwe mmekọrịta n’obodo ọhụrụ ahụ ghọrọ ihe buru ibu ngwa ngwa. Ọ chetara:

I just wanted to know what other Africans were doing in Europe. Within five days of launching the website, 50 women had joined.

Naanị ihe m chọrọ bụ ịmata ihe ndị Africa ndị ọzọ na-eme na Europe. N’ime ụbọchị ise e guzobere webụsaịtị ahụ, ụmụ nwanyị iri ise esonyela.

Taa, AWE nwere ihe karịrị ndị otu fọrọ nke nta ka o ruo puku iri, yana ndị mmekọ dịka Kenya Airways, Federation of Women in Business, Jumia na International Trade Centre (ITC).

Ebe ọrụ ahụ aghọọla ihe dị oke mkpa nye ụmụ nwanyị na-agabiga ụdị ihe ịma aka ndị yiri ibe ha, na-enye ha ohere ịkekọrịta akụkọ ndụ ha, nyerịta ibe ha ndụmọdụ, na ịkwado ibe ha.

Ka oge na-aga, AWE ghọrọ nzukọ zuru oke, na-ahazi mmemme n’akụkụ dị iche iche nke Europe — site na Madrid ruo Geneva — ebe ụmụ nwanyị nwere ike izute onwe ha ihu na ihu ma mee emume banyere ihe ndị ha mepụtara.

Zenz, onye guzobere ya kọwara:

The idea was to dive into the culture of wherever we met. If we were in Italy, we ate Italian food; in Spain, we danced flamenco. It was about celebrating where we were while staying connected to who we are.

Echiche dị na ya bụ ka anyị sonye n’omenala ebe ọ bụla anyị zutere. Ọ bụrụ na anyị nọ n’Ịtali, anyị a na-eri nri Ịtali; ọ bụrụ na anyị nọ na Spen, anyị a na-agba egwu flamenco. Ọ bụ maka ime emume banyere ebe anyị nọ, ma na-ejikọtakwa onwe anyị na ndị anyị bụ.

AWE malitekwara ịmata ma na-akwanyere ụmụ nwanyị Africa na-eme nke ọma n’azụmahịa na n’ọchịchị n’akụkụ dị iche iche nke Europe ugwu site n’usoro onyinye ya.

Zenz kwuru:

We realized that so many women were doing amazing work but staying under the radar. When you’re awarded by your own people, it feels different. It’s about being seen and celebrated by the community you represent.

Anyị chọpụtara na ọtụtụ ụmụ nwanyị na-arụ nnukwu ọrụ dị ịtụnanya, mana ndị mmadụ anaghị ama maka ha nke ọma. Mgbe ndị nke gị nyere gị onyinye, ọ na-enwe mmetụta dị iche. Ọ bụ ka obodo ị sonyere  wee hụ gị ma mee emume maka ihe Ị mepụtara.

Otu n’ime atụmatụ ndị ọzọ dị mkpa sitere na AWE bụ akwụkwọ ya, ebe ụmụ nwanyị Africa ndị meere onwe ha aha na Europe na United Kingdom na-akọ akụkọ ndụ nke onwe ha.

Each chapter is written by a different woman, sharing how they overcame obstacles and built successful lives abroad. It’s not just about celebrating their achievements but creating a guide for others, so they don’t have to make the same mistakes we did.

Isiakwụkwọ ọbụla bụ nke nwanyị dị iche dere, na-akọ otu o si merie ihe mgbochi ma wuo ndụ gara nke ọma n’ala ọzọ. Ọ bụghị naanị maka ime emume banyere ihe ha mepụtara, kama ọ bụkwa imepụta ntuziaka nye ndị ọzọ, ka ha ghara ime otu mmejọ ndị anyị mere.

Mgbe Zenz nọrọ ihe karịrị afọ iri na-ewulite AWE, o lekwasịrị anya n’ihe ịma aka ọhụrụ: inye ụmụ nwanyị Africa ike site n’azụmahịa. N’afọ 2021, ọ malitere African Women in Trade (AfWITrade) dịka nzaghachi nye African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),

atụmatụ dị mkpa e mere iji kwalite azụmahịa n’etiti mba Africa site n’ibelata ụtụ isi n’ahịa na ime ka ịnweta ahịa dị mfe.

Ọ kọwara:

The AfCFTA enables us to trade within Africa without exorbitant tariffs. For example, now we can pay from Kenya’s shillings to Zambia’s kwacha without going through the US dollar. That’s revolutionary.

AfCFTA na-eme ka anyị nwee ike ịzụ ahịa n’ime Africa n’enweghị ụtụ isi dị oke ọnụ. Dịka ọmụmaatụ, ugbu a. anyị nwere ike ịkwụ ụgwọ site na shilling Kenya gaa na kwacha Zambia n’agbanweghị ego nke ọbụla gaa na dollar America. Nke ahụ bụ mgbanwe dị ukwuu.

Otu n’ime ihe kacha pụta ìhè na AfWITrade bụ mmemme njikọta ndị mmekọ azụmahịa, nke na-enyere ụmụ nwanyị Africa nọ na mba ọzọ aka itinye ego n’ala ha si n’ụzọ e chebere pụọ n’aghụghọ.

We’ve seen too many cases where diaspora investments fall apart because of mismanagement on the ground. We vet the systems and connect women with trustworthy partners to ensure their investments are safe and impactful.

Anyị ahụla ọtụtụ mgbe ebe itinye ego ndị si mba ọzọ na-abaghị uru n’ihi njikwa adịghị mma n’ala ebe a na-etinye ya bụ ego. Anyị na-enyocha usoro ndị ahụ nke ọma ma jikọta ụmụ nwanyị na ndị mmekọ a pụrụ ịtụkwasị obi iji hụ na itinye ego ha dị nchebe ma nwee mmetụta bara uru.

AfWITrade na-ahazi webinar kwa ọnwa iji kesaa ozi gbasara azụmahịa n’ime kọntinent Africa.

N’agbanyeghị ihe ịga nke ọma ya, ọrụ Zenz abụghị nke na-enweghị ihe ọdachi. Site n’ịnagide usoro ọchịchị na akwụkwọ na-egbu oge n’Africa ruo n’imeri ihe mgbochi ego ndị ụmụ nwanyị na-azụ ahịa na-eche ihu, njem ahụ adịghị mfe ma ọlị.

“Usoro ndị dị a anaghị akwado mmadụ mgbe niile”, ka o kwetara. “Dịka ọmụmaatụ, ndị na-etinye ego si mba ọzọ na-echekarị nsogbu ọrụ n’ala ha, site n’enweghị ezigbo nkọwa ije ozi ruo na njikwa ego ma ọ bụ ihe onwunwe n’ụzọ na-ezighị ezi.”

Onye njikwa ọrụ ahụ kpebisiri ike ịgbanwe ọnọdụ ahụ. Site n’ịkwalite mgbakwunye uru — dịka ịkwakọba na ịhazi ngwaahịa n’obodo ebe a na-emepụta ha — ebumnobi ya bụ ịhụ na azụmahịa n'Africa na-ejigide nnukwu akụkụ nke akụ̀ na ụba ha na-emepụta.

We’re tired of just exporting raw materials. We want to create jobs and build industries right here in Africa, she noted.

Ike agwụla anyị n’ịbụ ndị na-ebupụ naanị akụrụngwa a na-edozibeghị. Anyị chọrọ ịmepụta ọrụ ma wuo ụlọ ọrụ mmepụta ihe ebe a n’Africa,” ka o kwuru.

Atụmatụ Zenz abụghị naanị na o nyela ụmụ nwanyị Africa ngwaọrụ bara uru, kamakwa ha enyela aka imebi echiche na-ezighị ezi banyere Africa na ndị Africa nọ na mba ọzọ.

I’m fighting this narrative of Africa as poor. We’re proving that African women are financially stable, capable, and driving change.

Ana m alụso echiche a na-ekwu na Africa bụ ebe ndị ogbenye ọgụ. Anyị na-egosi na ụmụ nwanyị Africa nwere nkwụsi ike n’ihe gbasara ịkpata ego, nwee ike ime ihe, ma na-ebute mgbanwe.

Ọrụ ya na AWE na AfWITrade emewokwa ka ọ bịaruo ebe osi  nso. “Anyị etinyela ọtụtụ oge na-elekwasị anya n’ịlaghachi Africa maka ezumike, mana ugbu a ọ bụ maka ịlaghachi maka azụmahịa,” ka o kwuru.

I want us to invest in our communities, not just with money but with ideas and opportunities.

Achọrọ m ka anyị na-eme ntinye mmepe n’obodo anyị, ọ bụghị naanị site n’ego kamakwa site n’echiche na ohere ndị dị mma.

“Nke a bụ oge anyị”, ka nne a ji ụmụ abụọ kwuru. “Anyị nwere ngwaọrụ, netwọkụ, na ọnụnụ-ọkụ n'obi. Ugbu a, ihe anyị kwesịrị ime bụ imewa ihe.”