Personal Assistant Award - Africa

2018 PERSONAL ASSISTANTS OF THE YEAR AWARD AFRICA^TM WINNERS

ANDREW OSUNDWA MAKOKHA, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions,    Kenya - 2018 Personal Assistant Of The Year Award^TM  – Africa Winner (US$1500)

MANKHAOLISE AMELIA TSAKATSI, 1st Runner - Up, Ministry of Small Business    Development Cooperatives & Marketing - Lesotho

OUNOI IGNATIUS NAMUJU, 2nd Runner - Up, Office of the Deputy President, Kenya

KHANI TALLI, 3rd Runner-Up, Kibabii University - Kenya

2016 PERSONAL ASSISTANTS OF THE YEAR AWARD AFRICA^TM WINNERS

ESTHER KINYOKI, County Assembly of Kitui, Kenya -  2016 Personal Assistant of The Year Award – Africa Winner ( Us$1500)

GODFREY B. WAMANI, 1st Runner - Up, Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda

ALFRED ISRAEL KILASI, 2nd Runner - Up, Turkana County Government, Kenya

2015 PERSONAL ASSISTANTS OF THE YEAR AWARD AFRICA^TM WINNERS

FLORA EMANG LETHIBELANE, Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation, Lesotho -  2015 Personal Assistant Of The Year Award – Africa Winner ( Us$1500)

CECILIE HAOSEMAB TJIKENDA, 1st Runner - Up, Ministry of Work and Transport, Namibia

ALFRED ISRAEL KILASI, 2nd Runner - Up, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Tanzania

MAMOLIEHI MASOETSA MOEKETSI, 3rd Runner - Up , Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lesotho

MARY LEFULESELE MOTSAMAI, 4th Runner - Up, Ministry of Social Development, Lesotho

2014 PERSONAL ASSISTANTS OF THE YEAR AWARD AFRICA^TM WINNERS

MATHABO  NALEDI, Ministry of Defence, Lesotho- 2014 Personal Assistant Of The Year Award – Africa Winner ( Us$1500)

LIPONTSENG THERESIA MOEKETSI, 1st Runner-Up, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Lesotho

ESTHER WANDIA MARURIA, 2nd Runner-Up, Parapet Cleaning Services, Kenya

NTHATENG PATRICIA RATSEOLE, 3rd Runner-Up , National Assembly, Lesotho

NTENNE MAMPALE SHALE 4^th Runner-Up, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Lesotho

2013 PERSONAL ASSISTANTS OF THE YEAR AWARD AFRICA^TM WINNERS

LISEMELO FRANCINA SEKONYELA, High Court Of Lesotho, Lesotho- 2013 Personal Assistant Of The Year Award – Africa Winner ( Us$1500)

‘MATSOANELO LUCIA SEKOPO, 1st Runner-Up, Office Of The Prime Minister, Lesotho

JACQUELINE MWANGI, 2nd Runner-Up, Ministry Of Energy and Petroleum, Kenya

OLIVIA MUSINGUZI BITANIHIRWE, 3rd Runner-Up , Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd, Uganda

2012 PERSONAL ASSISTANTS OF THE YEAR AWARD AFRICA™ WINNERS

LIMAKATSO MAFELESI, Prime Minister’s Office, Lesotho - 2012 Personal Assistant of Year Award - Africa Winner (US$1500)

OLIVIA KARUNDU, 1st Runner-up, Civil Aviation Authority, Uganda

BRENDA NAMUDIRA, 2nd Runnerup, Civil Aviation Authority, Uganda

2010 PERSONAL ASSISTANTS AFRICA AWARD WINNERS

MR. EVARIST AHIMBISIBWE, Ministry of Works and Transport, Uganda, Uganda - 2010 Personal Assistant of Year Award - Africa Winner (US$1500) and accommodation Gift voucher from Sunbird Malawi Hotels for two MIRRIAM M. MUTATI, Bank of Zambia, Ndola Zambia, 1st Runnerup - laptop by JTM Technology Kenya and Dinner gift vouchers from Sunbird Malawi Hotel for two

As a recognition of the important role played by Personal Assistants in corporate productivity

Date: 24^th September, 2010

2009 PERSONAL ASSISTANTS AFRICA AWARD WINNER

From left: Mercy 2008 runnerup, Hope 2007 Inaugural Winner, Winnie IRC Executive Director, Beatrice 2009 Winner and Fiona 2008 Winner and Imelda 2008 runnerup

Congrats to 2009 Personal Assistant of the year Award winners

2009 PERSONAL ASSISTANTS AFRICA AWARD
WINNERS
BEATRICE J. MKIRAMWENI,
United Nations Development Programme, Tanzania - 2009
Personal Assistant of Year Award - Africa Winner (US$1500
– African Renaissance Centre)

HARRIET R. MUWANGA,
Bank Of Uganda, Uganda,
1st Runner-up - Nokia Cellphone From Telecom Networks
Malawi Malawi

VIRGINIE NIYONZIMA,
Burundi Civil Aviation Authority, Burundi 2nd Runner-up –
Two night accommodation for two at Sunbird Hotels, Malawi

IRENE KABANDA,
Spear Motors Ltd, Uganda
3rd Runner-up – 2 nights Accommodation at Peacock
Millenium Towers Hotel, Tanzania

As a recognition of the important role played by Personal Assistants in corporate productivity
Date: 29th August, 2009

2008 PERSONAL ASSISTANTS AFRICA AWARD WINNER

Congratulations to Fiona Gakwandi for being the 2008 Personal Assistant Award – Africa Winner and taking over as the Ambassador of Personal Assistants. Fiona is the Personal Assistant to CEO, Air Uganda, based in Uganda.

She had this to say " Sir Winston Churchill once said “to every person there comes in their lifetime that special moment when you are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the opportunity to do a very special thing, unique to you and your talents, what a tragedy if that moment finds you unprepared or unqualified for work which could have been your finest hour…”

Being selected for the Personal Assistant of The Year Award, 2008 was for me this kind of moment but the greatest discovery I have made since then is that life offers us many smaller opportunities to do such special things and use all these unique talents everyday and that success comes from a collection of all these smaller opportunities put to good use."

2007 PERSONAL ASSISTANTS AFRICA AWARD WINNER

Award ushers in a new era for Personal Assistants

African Renaissance centre, Swaziland in collaboration with International Renaissance Centre Kenya was proud to launch the Personal Assistant Award – Africa on the 27th October 2007. The award appreciates the important role played by personal assistants. By its nature the award demands personal assistants to exhibit exceptional resourcefulness, innovation, or creativity while providing extraordinary support and continually thinking of ways to streamline processes and improve performance.

Accepting the award in 2007 Hope Kasimbazi, said, "As a pioneer winner, the award came with high standard, status and many benefits despite the responsibilities and challenges associated with it. I was made an honourary member of the Executive Assistant Network (EAN), have to share my experience in seminars and spearhead formation a legal association of administrative professionals in my organization and national one. I have to be a role model. I wish to appreciate the purpose of the award that recognizes the important role played by administrative professionals in raising corporate productivity in Africa. It acknowledges individual performance that deserves special recognition. It is definitely programmed to promote and encourage excellent productivity and commitment. It was very thoughtful of the organization to launch the award."

Hope has spearheaded the formation social group named NAPU (Network of Administrative Professionals Uganda) who meet monthly and discuss different topics.

Women in Leadership (WIL) Conferences

Women in Leadership (WIL) 1:

An Overview

The first Women in Leadership Conference was hosted in Nairobi in October 2005. It brought together women leaders in both Corporate and Civil societies. This conference was considered a great success for its high level of experience sharing. Delegates included great leaders like Dr. Grace Ongile (CEO NEPAD), Hon Njoki Ndungu MP Kenya, Rhoda Masaviru – Assistant Secretary General of the Pan African Postal Union, Ms Joyce Nyamweya-Nyakeya then Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President Kenya, Ms Hellen Mbugu – Group Human Resources Manager Nation Media Group, Mary MMu’kindia Managing Director of the National Oil Corporation, Patricia Ithau Marketing Director Kenya Breweries, and Mary Okello from the Makini Group of Schools.

At this forum a Masai woman, Paulina from Kajiado challenged women leaders to expand their presence from conference situations to actual implementation of their ideals. She told them to do this by first of all going to rural areas to meet women whose cause they claimed to be fighting for. A marked consequence of this initial gathering was the formation of the NOW Foundation, a corporate social responsibility initiative headed by Tetra Pak, to support work being done in Kenya to bring an end to violence against children, men and women.

Women in Leadership (WIL) 2:
An Overview

The second Women in Leadership Conference was hosted in the Kingdom of Swaziland between 29 August and 1 September, 2006. The theme ‘Gender and Development’ was inspired by UNDP’s Human Development Report -1995. Its stated objective was to sustain the momentum of practical value and meaningful interchange of information catalysed by WIL 1. It received support from Government institutions like the Ministry of Home Affairs – Gender Unit, Ministry of Economics, Planning and Development and UNDP Swaziland. UNDP Swaziland Country Office recently supported the participation of Honorable Parliamentarians to the 2006 2nd Women in Leadership Conference. Speaking on behalf of Ms. Dike, UNDP Country Representative for Swaziland, Mr. Jabulani Dlamini of UNDP said, “The support has been made possible through general support of UNDP to gender and women empowerment in Swaziland which is a vital component of our governance and Gender Mainstreaming Programme.” Ms. Dike lamented the fact that Global development initiatives in past decades have failed to recognize the potential contribution that women can make to development. “Women have been relegated to the positions of minors, mainly through cultural practices and even through legislation in many countries,” said Ms. Dike. “Such practices have limited the role of women to household activities and denied the development effort and the great potential that women have.” Ms. Dike noted that the world had come to realize that it had missed out on the contribution of women in development. However, Ms. Dike noted that there had been profound changes in the status and role of women over the past two decades. The Beijing+5 Review recorded progress in most countries including narrowing gender gaps in education and health.

“Women have entered the labour force in unprecedented numbers, increasing their potential participation in decision making at various levels, starting with the household,” Ms. Dike said. “These are important assets for new generations of young women.”

Women in Leadership (WIL) 3:

An Overview

The third Women in Leadership Conference was held in Arusha, Tanzania between the 10th and 14th September 2007. Its theme that year was ‘Diversity and Inclusion’. It addressed issues of Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity and Talent Management and increasing Organizational Effectiveness through inclusion. It also emphasized networking and appreciation of women’s contribution, something that had been fostered during the first and second conferences.

Women in Leadership (WIL) 4

The 4^th WIL Conference was about improving management and leadership through challenging each individual participant to “Unleash their Leadership Potentials”. It challenged delegates on the following:

1. Changing your limiting beliefs.

If you raise your standards but don’t believe you can meet them, you’ve already sabotaged yourself. You won’t even try; you’ll be lacking that sense of certainty that allows you to tap the deepest capacity that is within you. Our beliefs are like unquestioned commands, telling us how things are, what’s possible and what’s impossible, what we can and cannot do. They shape every action, every thought, and every feeling that we experience. As a result, changing our belief systems is central to making real and lasting change in our lives. We must develop a sense of certainty that we can and will meet the new standards before we actually do. Changing an organization, a company, a country or a world – begins with the simple step of changing yourself. Excerpt Awaken the Giant within

2. The Motto of the conference was: “I am unique; the powers to be who I want to be are in my hands”.

3. A sample of personal journal that delegates could adopt to document their leadership journey.

Women in Leadership (WIL) 5

The 5th WIL conference opened on 6th and closed on 9th December, 2010 at the Chrismar Hotel in Lusaka Zambia. Its purpose was to make the delegates appreciate that leadership was an interactive conversation that pulled people towards becoming comfortable with the language of personal responsibility and commitment. Delegates appreciated that leadership was not just for people at the top but everyone could learn to lead by discovering the power that lied within each one of them to make a difference and to be prepared when the call to lead came.

Women in Leadership (WIL) 6

The 6th WIL Conference themed “Public Speaking and Presentation Skills” was aimed at improving and developing the delegates in public speaking, building self esteem and confidence, leadership, chairing successful meetings as well as getting rid of stage fright and embarrassing platform nervousness.

The five day conference that began on Monday 28th November, 2011 focused on the Web professional skills and importance and benefits of public speaking skills, highlighting the effects of goal setting, effective communication have on one’s success both in the workplace, the home, and the community.

Unlike previous conferences which had paper presentations, this conference was purely a training/capacity building one. In the words of the delegates this was the most memorable, transformational training they had received in their lives. The delegates appreciated and applied the theme and motto of the conference which revealed to them the potential they had locked within. They realized the importance of goal setting and adequate preparation before addressing an audience. They acknowledged that they now had the essential tools to take their future audiences by storm and present effectively imprinting lasting impressions in the minds of their audiences. Each delegate showed heartfelt gratitude to the Management of African Renaissance Centre, International Renaissance Centre and all parties who made the conference possible; they stated that they have been equipped with a toolbox with skills that will take them through a happy and successful life.

Testimonies

DOROTHY MBILIMI-TANZANIA

How has the Conference changed you?

The importance of setting goals in my life, I now know the hows of presentation and from now on I am a great presenter.

LUMBA INDONGO – PILOT WITH NAMIBIA AIR FORCE

How has the Conference changed you?

My experience has been amazing, beyond my wildest dreams, I feel I can now stand in front of any audience and make a speech that would leave a lasting impression

NHAMO MARANDU – ZIMBABWE OPEN UNIVERSITY

How has the Conference Changed you?

It’s a skill not an art to public speak,

I have learnt that everything can be learnt and practiced

JUDITH OKETCH - KENYA

How has the Conference Changed you?

I am going to become the best presenter ever, I did break the board, and I am now ready to go

Women in Leadership (WIL) 7

The 7th Women in Leadership (WIL) Conference was held in Nairobi Kenya from 5^th to 8^th November 2012.  The theme of the Conference “Leadership development and change management”. The goal of this session was to build the capacity of women leaders in leading self and others.  The facilitator quoted Warren Bennis who said that “leadership is not something you can put on like a suit of clothes or generate by copying someone else. Leadership is about who you are genuinely.”  The delegates learned that they are born to lead in various spheres of life and they should “quit trying to fit in when they were born to stand out”.  

 Delegates were challenged to think what they offer to their families; companies; businesses; clients; community; friends and even to the world. During discussions, the delegates confessed that they had ignored so many areas in their lives where their contribution would make a difference.  The facilitator emphasized that individuals are innately endowed with a compass which should indicate the directions they should take in life and it covers many facets of the society.  Confidence shows that leaders competent.  Delegates also learnt that relationships are key to leadership success.

Women in Leadership (WIL) 8

This conference was conducted from 4th November 2013 to 8th November 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya. The broad topics covered during this one week were: Introduction to Project Management, Project Leadership Competencies and Styles, Project Life Cycle, Project Selection and Design, Managing Consultants and Contractors, Effective Communications, Win/win Negotiation Approach, Team Effectiveness, Team Development and Team Dynamics, and A Brand New You – assertiveness skills that lead to success. These topics were delivered mostly through practical exercises that demonstrate various aspects of teams including branding, values, coordination, tolerance, cohesion, trust, commitment, focus, accountability, openness, and many other team building block that are necessary for the general survival of the team and ultimate success of the entire project.

Women in Leadership (WIL) 9

The 9th WIL Conference themed “High Leadership Performance” was aimed unleashing the leadership performance of the delegates. The five day conference was held on 1st - 5th December, 2014. It focused on delegates establishing a sense of direction or purpose by finding a pathway to establish the most effective route 'up the mountain' in order to bring 'clarity' and 'purpose' to their goals to reach the heights of self-understanding. 

In the words of the delegates this was the most memorable, informative training they had received in their lives. The delegates appreciated the clarity4D profiling which revealed to them about them and the hidden potential they had locked within. They realized the need for self awareness a leadership potential is necessary in leading others. They acknowledged that they were better equipped to lead their teams. Each delegate showed heartfelt gratitude  ; they stated that they have been equipped with a toolbox with skills that will take them through a happy and successful life.

Winnie Kamuya

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A warm welcome to this blog.

Winnie Kamuya is the CEO of International Renaissance Centre, Kenya and founder of Women in Leadership (WIL) Conference in Africa and Personal Assistant of the year Award™ – Africa. She is an transformative speaker, executive coach and mentor.

She teaches on being 3E framework:  Exceptional, Extra-ordinary, and Excellent, what these traits do have and how to unleash them. As a result of working with her, individuals unleash their leadership potential and thereby improve efficiency in their organisations. She is a master at thinking and acting strategically and hence teaches managers to do the same thereby improving their performance. 

Her inspiring story of fear of leadership gave her interest in area of Leadership. This saw her organise teleconferences from USA on Lessons in Leadership which featured world leaders like Jack Welch, Prof. Prahalad, Giuliani, Dr. Blanchard, Dr. Kotter, Dr Maxwell, Abrashoff and Dr. Steve Lundin.

She inspires and transforms over thousands of people through seminars, conferences, Imprint Newsletter, WIL (Women in Leadership) Newsletter, The Assistant Newsletter and Imprint Newsletter. She is very passionate about making a difference in the world. Her philosophy: “I am unique; the powers to be who I want to be are in my hands”.

On March 16 2012 I was designated as a "Woman You Need To Know" by Women Speakers Association, a global organization that reaches women in 88 countries on 6 of the 7 continents. http://www.womenspeakersassociation.com/2012/03/winnie-kamuya-a-woman-you-need-to-know/