I Am A Girl From Africa
When you are introduced to Elizabeth Nyamayaro, her smile greets you first and foremost. Her grin is as illuminating as the sun and her eyes sparkle with a gentle, warm invitation. Look just beyond that initial dazzle of light, and you will find a fire. One that burns and churns, existing purely to uplift and empower others and to make great strides forward. This is the engine to her soul. A force so bright, she will undoubtedly tilt the world’s axis toward a more just and equal human landscape. She will do this often.
Elizabeth is an award winning humanitarian who has held critical leadership positions at the United Nations, World Health Organization, and The World Bank. She created and put into motion one of the world’s largest global solidarity movements for gender equality, “HeForShe.”
“Being a leader doesn’t mean being in front, it means removing obstacles so others can lead.
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Photo Credit: Michael Polish
Today, Elizabeth launches her brilliant new memoir, “I AM A GIRL FROM AFRICA.” While the book details her unique life experience, the message is powerfully universal. Her heart and soul are grounded in the concept of Ubuntu. “The values of Ubuntu guide my upbringing and in particular my understanding that a dream is a shared, inclusive vision for all; rather than just an individual ambition or desire. A dream represents the hope of a future for the people you love, for your family, for your entire community. The Ubuntu worldview is ‘there is no I without we.’”
Elizabeth is not only a deeply impactful humanitarian — but she is also an extraordinary human. As you read her book, be prepared to be wildly inspired. And remember ... there is no person too small, no act too humble to make change.
The power is in you.
“You must act as if it is impossible to fail.
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Photo Credit: Michael Polish
IN CONVERSATION: Elizabeth Nyamayaro
YOU ARE ONE OF THE MOST OPTIMISTIC HUMAN BEINGS I HAVE EVER MET. I ASSOCIATE OPTIMISM WITH CHOICE. I ALSO ASSOCIATE OPTIMISM WITH UNDERSTANDING AND HONORING VERY DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES IN LIFE. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN OPTIMISM AND WHAT WERE THE MOST CHALLENGING MOMENTS IN YOUR LIFE THAT HELPED YOU LOOK AT BOTH SIDES OF THAT COIN?
You are absolutely right; I am an eternal optimist – and it is a conscious decision I made when I was a child. I had a very humble upbringing in a small African village in Zimbabwe where I was raised by my Gogo, my grandmother. To ensure my survival and to provide me with a better life, I got shuffled around a lot whilst growing up -- if I wasn’t with Gogo in our village, I was staying with my parents and siblings in an improvised township community on the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe’s capitol, or living in the city center with my aunt and uncle, who were generous enough to send me to a great school. The whole experience was destabilizing, especially at my young age, and at some point, I realized that whilst there was very little I could do as a child to change my situation, I could at the very least try and control how I reacted and felt about the changes. So, one day I made a decision to always choose happiness -- to consciously be happy no matter what. And when I did that, something magical happened. I became more grateful, counting the blessings that I already had, no matter how small, which made it easier for me to remain optimistic.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO FEAR — HOW DO YOU MOVE THROUGH IT?
One of my favorite African proverbs is, ‘You must act as if it is impossible to fail,’ -- which pretty much sums up my attitude towards fear. Like any human being, I do encounter fear, but I rarely allow it to limit my actions, which enables me to focus on doing my very best in that specific moment. Over the years, I have also come to learn that set-backs are inevitable, but with each set-back we are guaranteed to learn something about ourselves. That has certainly been my experience – I have gotten braver, stronger and wiser with each hurdle.
YOU ARE OFTEN IN MAJOR ROLES OF LEADERSHIP. WHAT LEADERSHIP QUALITIES DOES IT TAKE TO HELM THE POSITIONS YOU HAVE OCCUPIED? THE DEDICATION? THE SACRIFICES? ANY COMPROMISES TO ASSUMING THAT ROLE?
There is definitely a lot of dedication and sacrifices that come with being in a leadership position – from juggling an enormous workload, to building consensus among multiple-stakeholders, and sometimes even challenging the status quo. It can be a lot to handle, but I feel extremely lucky, because when I was young my Gogo taught me that ‘being a leader doesn’t mean being in front, it means removing obstacles so others can lead.’ This is what informs my approach to leadership, which in practical terms means surrounding myself with people who have complimentary skills to mine and who are able to challenge my views and ideas. It also means, when working to address inequalities around the world, I always seek for ways to adopt a community-driven-development approach by empowering communities to lead and inform change for themselves-- which by the way, is also a great way of ensuring that the impact is sustainable. Another upside to removing obstacles so that others can lead, is that as a leader, you remove the pressure for the need to always have all the answers, because the ownership is shared.
WHAT MAKES YOU CURIOUS?
I actually don’t remember a time when I wasn’t curious. I was such a precocious child, so much that my Gogo always used to say that I ask too many questions for a child. I was curious about the world around me, and I still am. I find that now as an adult and a humanitarian, I am constantly searching for answers to how our humanity can create a more equal, more just, and more sustainable world that benefits all of us.
YOU CREATED AND PUT INTO MOTION ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST SOLIDARITY MOVEMENTS FOR GENDER EQUALITY, HeForShe. WHAT WAS THE SPARK THAT IGNITED THAT IDEA? WHEN YOU ARE ASKING FOR CHANGE, WHAT IS THE BELIEF SYSTEM BEHIND THAT?
When I was young, my Gogo taught me the ancient African philosophy of Ubuntu. Ubuntu means, ‘I am because we are,’ and is the inescapable truth that our humanity binds us, connecting us to each other. It is therefore the understanding that what impacts one of us, will eventually impact all of us in various ways. The Ubuntu worldview is this: there is no “I” without a “we.” These values of Ubuntu guided my upbringing and now inform my work as a humanitarian. So, when several years ago, I was given an incredible opportunity, as United Nations Senior Advisor on gender equality, to find an innovative way to accelerate progress for women’s rights globally – I immediately thought of the power of Ubuntu. For so long the issue of gender equality had been perceived as a ‘woman’s issue,’ led by women for women. Yet, all of us -- all genders, including men -- are part of society, and therefore should share the responsibility of creating a more gender equal world. So, I explored ways in which we could make the fight for gender equality more inclusive, as part of our shared humanity-- and with the support of my colleagues we launched the HeForShe initiative and invited all genders, especially men, to be allies. Their response was phenomenal – in the first five days, at least one man in every single country in the world joined HeForShe, generating more than 1.2 billion online conversations — which culminated in HeForShe becoming one of the largest solidarity movements for gender equality in the world today.
YOU ARE OFTEN ON THE FRONT LINES OF GROUNDBREAKING PROGRESS. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INNOVATION AND DOUBT?
Generally speaking, most people are resistant to change. So, if you want to innovate you have to be prepared to deal with a lot of push-back and setbacks. You will often find that even people who agree with you on the need for innovation, may not necessarily align with your approach. So, before I embark on any innovative project, I have to be 100% sure that I am passionate about the issue, that I hold this belief to my very core – because I know that it will be tested.
LET’S TAKE IT BACK TO THE VERY START. I’M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN THE SPARK THAT IGNITED IT ALL. WHAT AGE WERE YOU WHEN THE SPARK IGNITED YOUR TRAJECTORY AND WHAT WAS THAT MOMENT LIKE FOR YOU?
When I was eight years old, a severe drought hit my small African village in Zimbabwe leaving us with nothing to eat or drink. We went for days without food. One day I was so weak from hunger that I was unable to move. In fact, in my young mind, I thought I was going to die. But then a miracle happened, a girl in a blue uniform who worked for the United Nations found me. She gave me a bowl of warm porridge that literally saved my life. This is the moment that sparked my dream to become a humanitarian and shaped me into the person that I am today. I remember thinking, I too want to be just like the girl in the blue uniform, so that one day I can uplift the lives of others, just as my life had been uplifted. Thankfully several decades later, my dream came true, I joined the United Nations and became the ‘girl in the blue uniform.’
WE CAN LOOK AT “BIG STROKES” IN ONE’S LIFETIME, HOWEVER, ONE OF THE THINGS I FEEL ARE LESS SPOKEN ABOUT ARE THE SUBTLETIES. WHAT ARE THE SUBTLETIES THAT MAKE WHAT YOU DO WORK? FOR EXAMPLES, WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING TO BRING CHANGE OR PASS AN INITIATIVE, THERE ARE A LOT OF SUBTLE MOVES TO GET THERE. WE ONLY GET TO SEE THE RESULT. HOW DO YOU GET YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS AND FIND SUCCESS IN CREATING CHANGE / FINDING PROGRESS?
Yes, you are so right. There is so much work behind the scenes. Creating change is hard, but there is no greater fulfillment than making a difference to the lives of others. I believe that in order to build momentum you have to bring a ton of passion to the cause. Not only that, but you also have to evoke that passion in others -- to get them as excited about the vision – to inspire them to see that vision as their own – so that when the mission is accomplished, they can say ‘look what we did for ourselves’ – which by the way, is ancient wisdom from the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu.
SIX WORDS TO DESCRIBE “HUMANITY”
Ubuntu
Love
We
Compassion
Shared
Kind
YOU HAVE DEDICATED YOUR LIFE TO SERVING THE BETTERMENT OF OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITIES. AND YET, THERE ARE SO MANY IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT NEED ATTENTION. WHAT IS THE DECIDING FACTOR WHEN COMMITTING TO A HUMANITARIAN EFFORT?
I tend to gravitate towards issues impacting women and girls, who represent half of the world’s population and yet continue to experience discrimination, since the beginning of time -- simply because of their gender. I firmly believe that our society will never be truly equal until we achieve gender equality – until we are all equal.
WHEN YOU LOOK TOWARD THE FUTURE HORIZON, DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION THERE?
Always! I believe in the good in humanity. I believe that this generation of youth activists, from; Malala Yousufzai, to Greta Thunberg, to Amanda Gorman and many more -- will make our world better. It is one of the main reasons I wrote my memoir, ‘I Am a Girl from Africa,’ to inspire more youth to create change in our world. I also believe that all of us, no matter who we are, can be part of creating change in our communities. We don’t have to fix all the problems at once, but each of us can, at the very least, find the one issue that we are passionate about and take action. I have seen time and time again, in communities around the world, how small individual actions can culminate into big change – which means that no action is ever too small.
WHEN WERE YOU ESTABLISHED KIND?
I must have been five years old. I remember my Gogo explaining to me our African Shona greeting, “Ndiripo kana wakadiyiwo,” which literally means, “I am well, as long as you are well.” Gogo explained that our Shona greeting was important because it is a daily reminder that we all belong to one community, and that if one of us is unwell, then none of us are well. From that moment, I decided that I would treat others with kindness.
