This episode of our Impact Stories spotlights Amanda Chukura and Obenewa Amponsah, who were connected by Maame through our Whole Woman Project initiative. Here we feature a piece written by Amanda.

“The last couple of months have been a time of authentic reflection for most people. We have paused and reflected on our lives, our relationships, our careers, and the choices we have made or chosen not to make to get to where we are today. The coronavirus pandemic has forced us to stay at home, drastically shifting our ways of working and learning. It is clear that the post-COVID19 era will require us to think differently. It will need agile, technology-savvy people with the ability to carve out opportunities for themselves in new ways. This reality made me reflect on my own personal journey of learning how to cultivate career choices through my relationship with my mentor, Obenewa Amponsah. There is something magical about the world of possibilities when women create opportunities together and for each other.

I met Obenewa in 2018, in the summer of March, two days after my birthday. I guess she must have been my birthday present from the universe. For a black girl navigating her way in a capitalist world that was never designed to allow her to occupy important spaces, meeting Obenewa gave me the critical coaching and awareness I needed to see the incredible options my life had to offer and to accept that I was worthy and highly qualified for those career options. To be honest, our relationship has since evolved to become a “Big sister, little sister” friendship with a shared camaraderie for African literature, feminism, politics, and a passion for social justice and education equity. Here are some of my lessons from my journey:

Make decisions from a mindset of abundance, not scarcity

I grew up in a typical African communal home. ” Read more

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