Women have been encouraged to believe in themselves, stop feeling lesser beings in society and hold their heads high as they venture in different capacities of life, further their studies and rise above expectations.
Speaking during the Usemi wa Kina Mama show on West Fm radio, Anne Sitati who owns Shanny catering services in Bungoma says in order for a woman to realize her worth, they need to stand up and hold their heads high plus beat the odds and overcome the daily challenges that trigger their rising.
Anne Sitati who says through education, leadership and economic exposure has made it in life and feels empowered because she can stand on her own, plan and also go extra miles in life.
She says having had a good education, went to college took a nutritionist course, travelled outside the country taking care of elderly people, felt her mother exposed her well in a family of many feels achieved something as a woman despite leaving her job as a nutritionist in Nakuru General hospital and took a u turn to venture in catering services.
Through the exposure she received, wanted to try new things, thus quitting her nutritionist job and started cooking because she also had a great passion for cooking.
Her journey in catering began in 2016 and through the empowerment also does décor, general supplies and also committed in construction jobs saying as a woman she has to try everything that can work in order to mentor young upcoming girls.
She says as a woman who is well empowered understands what goes on in the current world, updated on social media and other things.
Anne says in leadership, she made it in school at different levels because she was a great leader who stood by the welfare of students and mentored them in her early age.
She says nowadays women furthering their education have given them a chance to be heard in society because through education they can stand on their own, are given opportunities to inherit properties through Kenyan constitution and also head different capacities in jobs and normalized in fending for their families unlike when they so much depended on their husbands for everything.
She says sometimes society belittles the girl child or woman but that should not defocus them but rather give them courage to face challenges in life.
She says as an act of giving back to the society her catering company has given chances to widows, women who know what they want to work in it and girls who are eager to venture more, she says for those who left their marriages when things didn’t work out through poverty she encourages them to go back in their marriages if possible so that they may work together in raising better families with their husbands.
She also advised women not only to depend on the catering jobs but also get involved in farming activities like growing short term crops, rear chicken, turkeys, and even fruits.
As an empowered woman who encourages young girls, she keeps on educating them and also guiding them in cooking tips that will spice their marriages; she goes an extra mile of teaching them to bake to make an extra coin.
She discourages young girls from keeping lazy but keep their antennae alert so that they may excel in every corner of life.
Anne says where she comes from people still believe that a girl child cannot go through education and achieve but goes around helping them realize their value in society as she also takes them through the dangers of indulging in early sex activities and peer pressure.
She advises women to use their talents saying that will help them go far and should not choose on any job to work on but be hands on anything that generates income.
She adds that many women fail to be empowered because they are lazy, think men will give them continuously but rather advises them to give priority to jobs and treat them as their first husband, she said this amid laughter.
She says degrading themselves and not believing in themselves should not be an excuse.
Ms Sitati also encourages women to join chamas that will expose them, do table banking that will help them grow and apply trade loans to go further.
She applauded Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka, Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa who are amongst leaders that have empowered her and enabled her climb the stairs of excellence, she says they gave her a platform to mentor young girls with women in matters cooking via groups something that has also helped others move to another step of life.
She says loving her job with the passion she had enabled her to get where she is and is quick to say when it comes to food, when one is cooking one should bring out their best and as one goes on they become better ingredients in society.
Every job or hustle has challenges and she says this should not stop one from climbing, like in her catering job she says she faces many challenges ranging from someone under quoting only to realize that the food is less and sometimes the number of people quoted exceeds the budget.
Sometimes a client refuses to pay or underpays her so she is forced to dig in her pockets and sort her workers to keep the good relationship.
Also when the weather is not favorable like when there is a lot of rain that disorients them forcing them to look for an alternative.
She keeps encouraging women and young girls to never give up in life because life is a continuous process of learning and urges them to be patient and aggressive in whatever they lay their hands on.
