After successfully staging the inaugural awards last year in a ceremony attracting 500 guests, FNBB, in collaboration with Emang Basadi, will host the second, Woman of the Year awards, on the 7th November 2008 at the Gaborone International Convention Centre.
The awards categories are: “Business Woman of the Year 2008, and Community Builder of the Year 2008.
“The award boosted my commitment towards work and since then I have done tremendous improvements to the bakery and supermarket,” said 2007 Business Woman of the Year Award winner, Linda Monkhouse. “This growth has created employment for the community within which I operate.”
She has also started a church in Masunga and assists community leaders with business skills, such as budgeting, when they conduct charity fund raising.
“My advice to other women is that they shouldn’t sit back but work hard and develop their talents to make a living from what they do best.”
Baakile Mbaakanyi won the “Community Builder of the Year” award. She says she felt very proud to have been recognised for having done a lot for her village, Matenge.
“It was fulfilling to learn that my community appreciates all the work that I have done, starting with building them a school and houses for the teachers through inviting the community to volunteer their time and skills.”
Since winning the award, she has provided inspiration for the younger generation as they have come to her for advice on community work. “I encourage all women to leave a legacy on whatever they do,” Baakile said.
The objective of the event is to honour and reward women who have shown sterling commitment to the promotion of women’s rights and gender equality; women who have displayed remarkable business acumen, coupled with the commitment to community development.
The ideal nominee for the Business Woman of the Year award is a woman who has demonstrated business skills by developing a working and profitable business that also creates employment opportunities for other community members. The nominee for the Community Builder of the Year award should have a track record of community participation and assisting those that are less advantaged.
