The Making of a Feminist: Part I

The Making of a Feminist: Part I

I got to Hilton Bata at exactly 2pm. I was hungry but my excitement clouded this. You see, today is going to be an historic day. I was one of the participants to attend the Bi-annual Feminist Leadership Institute in Naivasha! The Lake Naivasha Country Club to be precise. When I got there with a packet of fries on my hand I spotted a few young girls with luggage on their side and I was certain these would be my new friends in a few hours. What I found interesting is that, these were totally new faces to me yet I knew there was something in common that we shared. I just couldn’t put my finger to it.

I did not know whether to approach any of them, and how to do it as one of my ‘best kept secret’ is that I am very shy especially to strangers. But a light complexion bubbly lady did not have this mantra; she just came up to me, smiled and said: I am Faith, is this where Young Women Leadership Institute (YWLI) is picking people from? From her question I could pick she was from Mombasa, feeling at home now I said, yes…and I am Eunice. We sat together to our destination and exchanged stories now and then. Until now, I hadn’t known any of the participants yet. However, by the time we were waiting to get our keys to our rooms, I had known a few as well as realize that I had not carried my tooth-paste! By dinner time, I had known:

Catherine (who shared her tooth-paste with me and my tent neighbour- she was in Tent 2 while I was in Tent 1)

Iminza (who was quiet but had an ‘athletic’ aura going on, Tent 3)

Rachael (slender, bespectacled with a beautiful gap between her very white teeth, Tent 4)

Faith (my ‘first’ friend who we also shared with the table during dinner)

Becky (with neatly made Abuja lines and with telltale signs of stories to share upon knowing her)

Gloria (first thing you notice about her is the infectious smile and short precise answers)

Jane (she was one of the organizers alongside Nicole and Kathambi. She was calm collected and her parting words were: We met tomorrow at 7am for stretches and exercises! Ahem)

Jackie (quiet as well, relaxed with a tinge of reservations and a mature demeanour)

Esther (Bubbly, excited, talkative and a sense of fashion style)

Trizah (who was in a green low cut dress-top, a smile clouded in mystery of what is going on in her mind but excited all the same)

Mary (whose eyes flickered with anticipation and jolliness of being amassed among other young ladies)

Emma (whose lovely smile, smooth complexion, American height and laughter added variety to the already mixed bag of great women leaders)

12 beautiful ladies, who I will learn and share the leadership space in the next three days. I was excited as well, what would tomorrow hold?