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describes the life and career story of renowned business coach, motivational speaker and writer Mrs Faith Ntabeni-Bhebe, a woman who from childhood strove to empower herself and now seeks the general empowerment of females.
It all started in the sleepy town of Filabusi when, as a young girl, she used to sell sweets to her classmates to raise a personal income. Little did she know that this would grow to become her source of bread and butter.
“For as long as I remember I have always been selling something in order to get an extra income. I wanted to have more than my parents could give me.
“My attitude was if you cannot give me I will work and get it myself, so I did,” she said.
Now at the ripe age of 50, Mrs Ntabeni-Bhebe is the founder of Enhancement Consultants, a management and training consultancy firm. An experienced facilitator, her commitment and excellence in the training and development of women leaders and managers led her to establish Female Leadership and Management Excellence (FLAME) conventions which are held in different parts of the country every year.
Her enthusiasm to be financially independent drove her to write a book so she could spread the message of self-empowerment to other women that they seek alternative cash flow besides their monthly income. The book is entitled Financial Independence – Women’s Ultimate Empowerment.
Talking about her inspiration that led her to write the book, Mrs Ntabeni-Bhebe said she is worried about the economic predicament that women in Zimbabwe face and in the end blame their environment for the situation.
“As women we keep repeating the same mistakes our mothers made, that of not having money. We think that if we marry a rich man all our money worries will be solved.
“We need to do away with ‘chirwere chedependency syndrome’ and stop blaming someone – our husbands, governments and even our employers for that predicament,” she said.
Mrs Ntabeni-Bhebe holds several academic qualifications including a BA Honours in History, MA in History, an MBA from the University of Zimbabwe and an MSc in Information Systems from Simmons College, Boston, USA. Currently, she is pursuing PhD studies in African Leadership Development at the National University of Science and Technology.
In her professional life she has majored in human resources, and has worked at the National Archives, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and Kingdom Bank.
With her professional history and experience one would have expected her to write a book on human resources, but I guess she is one of those women opting for the liberation of women from economic oppression.
She has managed to set goals and make sure that she does everything while she still can. There is no destiny in one achieving anything if you are still living, you only have to live your dream!
In view of the efforts that the Government is making in empowering the women, Mrs Ntabeni-Bhebe sees it as a job well done and the onus is now on the women to fully apply themselves by claiming what they have been given. No need to sit and cry!
Apart from being the founder of Enhancement Consultants, she is also a hands-on businessperson running lodges in Gweru and Bulawayo.
Mrs Ntabeni-Bhebe owes her success to her parents – her mother who never spared the rod and her father who impressed her on the importance of being financially independent.
She is greatly inspired by Women’s University in Africa Vice Chancellor Professor Hope Sadza. Although she is not in the business world she managed to set up the Women’s University that caters for women’s needs.
Another source of inspiration for this lady is American TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey who has managed to rise from a poor childhood and be able to set up a media empire.
She sees the economy as full of opportunities, one only needs to open his/her eyes and ears to get what is really going on.
She is passionate about her beliefs but admits that nothing is easy in this cut-throat industry and it is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Even with the challenges she cannot imagine herself doing anything else.
She encourages other women to stop mourning about the way they are living if they do not like their lifestyles. They should seek other means that will liberate them from being dependent on other people, their husbands and even their jobs.
She is married to the Vice Chancellor of Midlands State University, Prof Ngwabi Bhebe, and they have a daughter Mbogeni (21), whom the mother described as her number one cheerleader as she wrote her book.
Ardent readers should keep watching this space as Mrs Ntabeni-Bhebe has hinted that there is another book in the offing and who knows, it might as well be on human resources!