Hey there! We're back with another incredible woman to tell you about.

When COVID-19 hit, Mio Yamada ignored an advisory by the Japanese Embassy to leave Rwanda and return to Japan. She had fallen in love with Africa as a student in university when she cycled 5,000 km from Kenya to South Africa. Years later, she relocated to Rwanda with her family, opened up a restaurant, and decided that she would hire single mothers as her staff. Forced to shut down due to the pandemic, Mio couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the mothers behind with no source of income. What would become of their children? She had to come up with a plan, and she did. 

Listen to learn more about her! And please remember to rate and share this podcast!

Episode 24: Mio Yamada

Human rights activist Unity Dow was appointed as high court judge by Botswana's former president Quette Masire in 1998, becoming the first woman in Botswana to hold that post and the youngest at the time. Listen to how she rose from humble beginnings to the vastly accomplished woman she is today.

Episode 25 - Unity Dow

Cola Bennett's life has been filled with multiple traumas - from being sexually assaulted on several occasions to losing her precious son at the age of 8. Cola isn't new here. We first published her story 3 years ago when she had just published her book. 

I reached back out to Cola because I knew grief is no stranger to her. She speaks openly about her struggles and has such a genuine spirit. She made time in her schedule and we talked about her grieving process and how she has managed to keep going after her losses.

26. Surviving Loss: Interview w/Cola Bennett - Author of C.O.L.A - Casualty of Love's Apologies

Our winning woman this week is a woman who refused to sit back and watch the demise of her people. Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr was working in London when she heard of the rebel invasion in her hometown of Freetown, Sierra Leone. Then she learned that her husband's elderly aunt had been burnt alive. Seeing images of children with amputated limbs deeply troubled Yvonne. 
At the time, she was working in the financial sector in strategic planning, risk management and project management. She took action and ended up being instrumental in transforming her city and country.

Episode 16: Winning Woman Series - Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

Growing up, Rebecca Enonchong lived an incredibly privileged life in Cameroon. She had a well-known last name, thanks to her father’s accomplishments, and went to one of the most prestigious schools in the country. Well, that all came to a screeching halt when her family moved to the United States of America when Rebecca was a teen. Suddenly, she was a nobody, living in a rough neighborhood, and going to public school. What she couldn’t have known at the time was that these less than ideal circumstances were the perfect training ground that prepared her to create and run a tech startup that would become a leading global provider of enterprise application solutions.

Episode 17: Winning Woman Series - Rebecca Enonchong

Tegla Loroupe is a world champion marathon runner from Kenya and was the first woman to win the New York City Marathon, which she did twice. 

She set many world records and won countless races throughout her career as an athlete, but did you know that the only support she received when she decided to pursue running as a career was from her mother? Everyone else discouraged her, believing she didn't have what it took. Listen to how she defied the odds!

Episode 18: Winning Woman Series - Tegla Loroupe

At the age of 15, Jaha Dukureh was sent away from her home country of The Gambia to New York City for an arranged marriage to a man in his 40s. It was then that she learned that she had undergone the most extreme type of FGM as a baby.

She vowed to do what she could to bring an end to the practice that affects 2 million girls and women each year. Her efforts led to FGM being banned in her home country and she is now celebrated globally for her humanitarian efforts.

Episode 19: Winning Woman Series - Jaha Dukureh

Has someone planned evil against you but their wrongdoing actually propelled you into your purpose? Well, Awah Francisca Mbuli was trafficked by someone she knew from childhood and found herself bound to domestic servitude and sexually abused in Kuwait.

She escaped and today she is fighting diligently to bring an end to human trafficking.

Episode 20: Winning Woman - Awah Francisca Mbuli

As a little girl, Kgomotso Phatsima would see airplanes flying over her family’s home in a small village near Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. She was drawn to airplanes and knew she was meant to be in the air. Get there, she would, but it would be a lonely road.

Today, Captain Kgomotso Phatsima is one of the first female military pilots in Botswana Defence Force. As the Ambassador of Youth in Aviation and Aerospace, Kgomotso works to empower youth in aviation and aerospace, STEM education awareness and giving young people the tools to be successful business leaders in the future.

Episode 21: Winning Woman Series - Kgomotso Phatsima

Flora Mutahi, the woman behind Melvin Marsh International, had a successful career as an auditor when she seemingly out of the blue decided to quit her job to start a business. This is back in the 1995 when entrepreneurship wasn’t as encouraged as it is today - definitely not for a woman in Kenya. Her family was appalled at her decision and refused to support her initially. Today, Melvins Tea is ranked third in the Kenyan market. Listen to  Flora Mutahi's entrepreneurial journey! Visit www.theweightshecarries.com for more inspiring stories!

Episode 22: Flora Mutahi

I am a storyteller. Join me as I delve into women's issues and interview inspiring women who have overcome enormous obstacles and turned their pain into purpose.

The Weight She Carries