Social Activists

"Our society has made this virus a monster and all it is, is a virus. I'm doing it for the voiceless people out there who just found out today [to] know that I've got their back"

"Change is not for the fainthearted. It is for those that daily and bravely endure regardless of the storms of life."

"When no one wants to appreciate your awesomeness remember that you are the master of the happiness you deserve in your life's journey. Live!"

"To dream the impossible dream, go where the brave dare not go, reach the unreachable star. Yes that’s my quest daily. Live without question"

"The only way for ones body to discover its immense strength and resilience is to be exposed to the utmost extreme breaking point. Live"

"Treasure every moment and every breath and you will never miss out on experiencing the seconds, minutes, hours and days of your life. Live!"

"Why worry when you can Pray.. Use your weapon without doubt any day, anywhere, with company or by yourself. Live"

"Goodbyes make you think. They make you realize what you've lost, what you have and what you took for granted...... Live!"

"Stand up and be counted if you are ABUSED ! I am a survivor, what about You ?? The Movement continues"

"HIV/Aids is not a death sentence, once contracted the most important factor in your life is acceptance and living a healthy lifestyle"

"Knowing is better than being in the dark and asking can only equip one with important information for one to use at their discretion. Live!"

"I woke up and thought today is as good as any day, because it has been a long journey and I realised that a lot of young people out there are so scared when they are tested for the first time"

"The sooner you stop chasing, the sooner you get to our utmost potential and begin achieving your true purpose. Live"

"Life is about living through all experiences and coming out refined, refreshed and rewarded with beautiful memories 4 eva. Live"

"a need for a holistic approach to tackling the pandemic as opposed to a hopeless approach with drugs being seen as a do-or-die solution"

"Our greatest lessons happen when we overcome our own challenges practically. Yes theory does prepare us but experiences refine us. Live !"

"Life is easy and uncomplicated, it’s us who take detours that lead to our roller coaster rides and excavations in the jungle. Live !"

"If you were to ask me where all this courage comes from, I would say only God knows"

"When you appreciate challenges of your past you have truly learnt the most rewarding lessons about survival. Live !"

"When u realise that u are not in charge of your own destiny, then only do u start appreciating the journey with all it comes with. Live !"

"She valued the progress and urban development of the city."

"She fought political, social, and racial obstacles with her status as a white, female Republican."

"Her determined spirit inspired a new attitude of cooperation between municipal leaders and the citizens of Memphis."

"She respected her fellow council members and believed that improved relations between white and black communities were crucial to the betterment of Memphis."

"I wanted to do something that could have a positive impact on African women’s and girls’ lives – and the African Women’s Decade was the perfect opportunity"

"In September 2009, while demonstrating against the regime in Guinea, women were raped and sexually abused in the capital – Conakry. This horrible event hunts my life every single day. There was a young woman who was at her 3rd year at the University among the victims, she was raped and sexually abused. When I saw a picture of her being dragged half naked by two soldiers, I couldn’t sleep for nights. At that point, I decided that I couldn’t keep going on with my life knowing what has just happened without taking actions. That young woman could have been me and her crime was just to ask for democracy and peace."

"That is what we are really trying to do – to really give African women the voices they deserve."

"Don’t wait for money. We are in a world of Globalisation and Capitalisation where people are so focused on their own needs and serving themselves. Yet, we can succeed whilst helping others. Africa has many challenges and it is up to all of us to ensure we work together and make sure that Africa as a whole can grow and prosper. We need to promote peace and continue to think about the value of the community."

"I guess people have come to realise that there is more to Africa than starving people, raped women, war, child soldier,… whatever the reason, we need to remember that we cannot rely on others to develop the continent"

"The participation and inclusion of African Women and girls are vital to the continent growth and development. African governments can simply no longer afford to deny the full potential of half of the population. Women and girls need to be empowered and have their developmental skills unleashed to participate in the socio-economic and political development of the continent"

"It is not a secret that the world’s challenges will not be effectively addressed unless the exclusion faced by women and girls is tackled across the board. We need to have more women in decision-making and leadership positions because whether the issue is food security, economic recovery, health, or peace and security; the participation and inclusion of women is needed today more than ever for more sustainable and equitable solutions"

"If you know what you want and you have the passion and motivation to do it, nothing will stand in your way. More importantly, you have to believe in yourself and stand by your decisions. Life is full of challenges and you will never overcome these challenges if you doubt yourself. Always remember that nothing is impossible if you believe in it and put some work into it, you will succeed"

"While the rights of women were instilled in me at a very young age, my passion was inspired by 10 young girls I used to give evening classes in my neighbourhood whose parents couldn’t afford to send them to school. I remember going to school and seeing young girls not much younger than myself staying at home to work or help their families. I just could not understand why they were not able to go to school, and I just couldn’t accept it. I decided if they are not able to go to school, I would teach them. So, I set up evening classes to teach the children basic reading and writing skills. I am proud to say that all of these young women have now gone through full education including University. Their stories touched me enormously and motivated me to be member of the Guinean Children Parliament where I advocated for the rights of girls to education and also later on to do a Master of International so that I would be better prepared to assist women and girls. I would say this is when the passion to help others was birthed."

"Women who have entered into leadership positions attribute their success to factors such as access to education and work opportunities, good mentoring by both men and women, support from family, employers, supervisors, teachers and colleagues, and successful lobbying by gender activists"

"Through Make Every Woman Count, my aim is to provide a spectrum of platforms and tools for African women, grassroots, activists, international organisations and women rights groups. I feel that what has been missing from the African women’s movement is a space, a voice that comes directly from African women."

"I hope to help them find strength in their voices while raising awareness on their issues and work on the international stage"

"Today, African women are beginning to break the political glass ceiling in many countries and finding their way in roles that was traditionally occupied by men. We now have two African women out of 54 head of state and the chair of the African Union is a woman"

"We simply cannot develop a continent if half of its population is left out. African governments need to tap into the talent and wisdom of women"

"African Governments needs to be accountable, and take responsibility in keeping their promises. We need to push African governments to work harder on women issues; those who have not ratified the various legal framework to ratify, those who have already ratified to put money aside for implementation with concrete action plans such as clear gender budgeting as well as allocating more funding for food security, human security and better education/health care for sustainable development."

"Most organizations that focus on empowering and gaining the equal rights of women often neglect the voices of African women themselves"

"I talk to the person (guest) behind the art. Not about what you do, but who you are. And I think some of these women have been longing for a space where people can be interested in who they are outside of the drama of fame"

"It was more about the different cultures rather than about colour but we have managed to work through that and we are still learning"

"I think subconsciously seeing my grandmother work so tirelessly and being a happy woman influenced me to think that I can do a bunch of things and demand more out of life for myself"

"My grandmother was able to raise 11 kids, providing for them while also holding down different jobs (as a domestic worker and in a shop)"

"The conversations are set under the covering theme of Love, Loss and Life, because these are broad topics. Guests get to share their experiences with loss, life and what they have learnt"

"I hope each question I ask my guests, viewers can ask themselves so they can stop and think and consider their own journeys"

"There is a lot of pressure (in society) to be more than what you are and, in the process, we are not having conversations that matter"

"think the biggest challenge we have is a lack of understanding about the strategies that these people use and I think that has made it extremely difficult to access them, to engage them, to understand what is driving them and what they do"

"The third trend, which seems to come in a much clearer way, is that sexual violence in conflict is being used to forcefully displace people. People are forced out of their communities and off their land because the land is rich in natural resources or because groups want to use it to grow narcotics as is the case in Colombia."

"The most important thing is to make sure we have more community engagement, make sure that communities who are involved in this crime, as well as community and religious leaders give us a better understanding of the extent of the crime, the people who have been targeted and to respond in terms of services for the victims"