BOSSCHIQUE(ISM) Introducing Ms. Susan Senesie of Senesie Catering

This month WCA is so excited to be featuring Ms. Susan Senesie! In our quest to shine  light on Sierra Leonean BOSSCHIQUES we thought Susan would be the perfect person to continue this series with!  I met Ms. Senesie on the day of my birthday, she was referred to me because I needed a birthday picnic catered for the beach.  Let's just say from the moment I spoke with her till the time I actually consumed the amazing food she cooked I was highly impressed. My favorite moment happened before she cooked for my bday picnic. Susan asked me what color I liked, I told her I liked pink. Susan did the most fabulous thing by creating cupcakes with pink icing and fruit fillings and edible flowers. I was so blown away with this addition to my menu along with many others. I knew there was something special about Susan and I wanted to world to hear more about her, and for those who are ever in Sierra Leone, be it a dinner for  two, a wedding party or one of Susan's Pop Up Dinners, you have got to experience this woman and her art of cooking.  Susan has truly branded the Salone Style of cooking into top cuisine . This woman is ambitious, powerful, sweet and  a BOSSCHIQUE! who is going to the top and makes me extremely proud to be a Sierra Leonean and African woman. WCA readers we hope you enjoy the interview as much as I enjoy her cooking and the actual interview. 

SUSAN THE WOMAN 

Q: Who is Susan in one word?

A: Dynamic

Q: So you are Sierra Leonean ? Where are you currently based and tell us how did you decide you wanted to launch your business in Sierra Leone? Walk us through how the idea came to you and until you launched your business?

A: Yes am Salone Gal! Currently based in Freetown Sierra Leone(SL/Salone)  and I went to Chef school in London . The Idea came about with a collective of series happening when I was living & working in London. I was having difficulty finding decent African cookbooks in all major book stores and on TV there was no cooking programs that showcased our african dishes. So I thought I have gotten all this wonderful  experience from London, I can come back to my wonderful country and  enhance our food(Just like a beautiful woman enhancing there beauty with make-up!). I wanted to see our lovely dishes done in a 3 course fine dining style, as canape style, local fruits into cocktail style etc. Also coming back I realized there were not much happening in the food industry in SL. I noticed a lack of hospitality which is one of our biggest challenges in the service industry; there is no customer care in most of our restaurants. So as part of my work I am training these young guys on my staff on how they can provide good services and receive better pay for them as well.

Upon my return to Sierra Leone, I started a company called MahwU Pantry (which means Top Pantry) the concept is a weekly menu consisting  of HOT LOCAL Sierra Leonean FOOD(e.g.,  Crain Crain, Egusi & Foo Foo) , SUPER SALAD(Very healthy with calories count) BITES(which consist of our local street food like FRY FRY, Orlehleh) and HOMEMADE JUICES(Tombe/Tamarind) ,Bissap/Sorrel Ginger beer, Lemon grass ice tea.

I also came about with the idea of a POP UP RESTAURANT from London. In London, most people where complaining about the lack of choices in the restaurant menus & also disappointed these restaurant couldn’t provide Sierra Leone dishes only Jollof or fried rice, so I launched it in London and It has been a great success so far, because it is done in different locations  with inovative Salone dishes.  I also felt like it was good to do something for kids in Sierra Leone so I  just launched Kids cooking classes as there is not enough things for kids to do back home. 

Some upcoming projects include that I will be launching Adult cooking classes in April. A final project of mine on the horizon will be setting up a school program which involve building canteens for under privileged schools. I feel strongly about this because without food no one cannot function and I have been finding out most of the kids don’t have breakfast or lunch to come to school. 

All of these ventures have been a great success with my family great support & God’s blessing.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about yourself and also your  catering business and what types of services you provide to clients? And what clients should expect from you?

A: Well am a mother with two beautiful kids, I enjoy painting, playing football. The name of my company is Senesie Catering which is dedicated to my late father,he used to be chef where my love for food came from, I launched my businees 2010, started with 3 staff now is gone up to 10 permanent and 12 temporary.  We provide Corprate Hospitality, private fuctions from 2-200 guests, Kids Party, Charity Events, Weddings. We strive for excellence for our customers.

Q: WOW you do a LOT and it's truly commendable. You recently had your pop up restaurant event in Sierra Leone and it looked like it was a success. Such an innovative idea! Tell us a bit more about this event and other such events you do for your business?

A:Oh Whoa! the Pop up Restaurant…the idea came from London & America. I thought when am in Salone  it will be a great idea with all the beautiful landscape and most people  I spoke to loved the idea. The first pop up salone event hosted was a great a success with 20 guests. I served canape & cocktails, a 3 course dinner, cultural entainment and also tie dye ties as gift for gents & tie dye scarves for the ladies. The second event sold out within two days & we had 25 people on a waiting list! It’s not easy to put togehther but it’s an  amazing experience  to do. We also launched British Airways in SL, American International School Secondary school, Catered for Eva Mendes(holly wood Actress) filming Women strenghting in SL, World Bank, America Embassy leaving party and also recently POP UP DINNER for TWO ( which was extremely romantic if I must say so myself).

Q: Please share with us what a typical day looks like for you in your work or when you have a client and tell us the many hats you wear as a woman?

A: Oh God! With this one I think we will need a book written! (laughs) But I will do my best to micro size it.

I  usually get up for 6.30 get my thoughts together, have a quick shower,visit MahwU Garden which my lovely mama is in charge of, pick some fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes , edible flowers because they are my standard vegetables we  need daily. I also pick lemongrass or morenga for tea as part of my breakfast. 

• At 7.30am I check mails for bookings or client questions & reply to them 
• At 8am I start preparing our lunch meals for my clients 
• At 8.30am I  send texts to our customers for MahwU pantry daily specials
• At  9am text messages start coming for their lunch orders.  We used to have 8 text messages for lunch, but now we have up to 25-45 for lunchtime! 
• At 10am breakfast with my wonderful team, we all catch up about the businesss, for 15mins.
• At 11am start packaging food. 
• At 11.30 my boys head out to deliver into town, sometimes I have to deliver myself .
•  At 1.30 pm delivery  finishes and I  have a quick lunch with my PA, and shortly after I head for the market which can be very chaotic but I do enjoy picking up the fresh  meat & vegetables and also enjoy talking  with the suppliers.
•  At 3-4:30pm I meet new clients between 
•  At 5:30pm I rush home to do lunch for one client that’s on a strict diet to loose 2 stone and another client  to put one & half stone for her 50^th Birthday. 
• At 8pm I catch up with my kids 
• I stay on the internet till10pm creating menu new ideas
• & then bed.

Q: Seems like you are a busy woman and your business has really grown! congratulations for that. Susan tell us what is one thing you enjoy about your work? One thing you enjoy doing?

A: I enjoy the satisfaction my customers are getting from us,

    Creating new menus with local; our local Sierra Leone ingredients.

Q: Please describe some challenges you face in your business/ personally as a womanand explain to us what you learned from  them?

A:Some of  the challenges I face was more in London, because with our industry is dominated by male chefs, and for us women to shine you have work twice as had to get the next position! But for me what  works was my attitude towards my work. I didn’t have to behave like a man, I just did my job twice better than them, I was  always in competition with myself, raising the barrier than the day before!

ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Q: What would you say sets you apart from others as a social entrepreneur?

A: Teaching Sierra Leonean youth the ambition and mission to drive poverty away from our future kids and for them to understand, why they don’t have to wait for handouts!

Right now I have 3  of my workers who just started  working with me, they all 19 years of age, but they had to stop schooling because they could not afford to pay $50 a year for school fees. My solution was I created a program to teach them to save 5% of their wages and I promise to put the 95% towards there fees next academic year.

Q: Can you tell us the top 3 things every woman needs to be successful in your industry that you currently work in?

A: 1.As in life not just work, do you,  respect & believe in your self

      2.What ever you do, do it well

      3. Surround yourself with good, positive people i.e famlies , friends, mentors and have faith.

Q: Any plans of owning a restaurant in Sierra Leone? 10 years from now where do you want your catering brand to be?

A: Oh most definitely! I am planning on  a fine dining & roof top restaurant.

10 years from now I will love my catering brand to be all over Africa & Europe, my cooking  books displayed at top book stores around the world with people buying, experincing, celebrating africa cooking in style.

  

  

ON AFRICAN WOMEN

Q: What Impact do you think you are making on African women and girls through your work? Are there any charity events you are involved in?

A: I  talk to my ladies on a  daily basis, how to carry yourself as woman in today’s society , by taking care and protecting our body. Getting education and making  your own money, not waiting for a man to make you but to spoil you!

I am involved in charity, I sacrifice one months wage and used it to make a christmas party for a local school at a school in Freetown called in Gorderich for 500 kids, they had a sport day xmas party and all of them took gifts home. It was a blast. Like I mentioned before I am going to start with creating a canteen for under priviledge schools around Freetown & up country, and I am looking forward to this project. 

Q: If you were to cook for 3 amazing African women you look up to who would it be and why ?

A:   I will say my mother, but I always cook for her!

2. Madam Yoko, Sierra Leonean heroine; she paved the way for us african women. Especially Sierra Leonean women. 

3. Oprah Winfrey, I have been following her for the last 20 years, she shows how to believe in yourself  and fighting against all the odds as a woman and a black woman. Plus she loves good food!

Q: Finish the sentence “Women Change Africa because…..?”

A: "Women Change Africa because, Africa needs women”

To contact Susan for her services, you can email her at susansenesie2012@gmail.com

WCA Celebrates 1 year!

On March 8th, also International Women's Day,  WCA celebrated our 1 year anniversary yes 1 year! The mixer event was held at the Republic Bar and Grill in Osu Accra. It was really a good time and we appreciate everyone who came out to support! Enjoy the photos and we look forward to more events! For more photos of the event visit out facebook page at www.thefacebook.com/womenchangeafrica

Social Entrepreneurship 102: What is a social enterprise?

This year, WCA plans to share the process of developing a social enterprise, and exciting tools and resources all you feministas and bosschiques need if you wanted to start your own nonprofit or if you are interested in adding a nonprofit entity to your business.  Back by popular demand is our social enterprise series. The purpose of this series is simple, to educate and provide tools to young women who are interested in jumpstarting their social enterprises in Africa and in the Diaspora. We hope you find our posts helpful this year. This year we plan to share information on how to develop your social enterprise, key tools you need to strengthen it, and many more goodies.

For our first issue of this topic we wanted to define social enterprise the way WCA defines it, and provide examples to our readers who this may be of use to. The word social enterprise has become the new buzz word. Many use it with clarity and others are still trying to figure out how it best suits their needs. Many times young women ask me what is the difference between social enterprises, businesses and nonprofits. 

So what exactly is a social enterprise? A social enterprise in the WCA definition is a nonprofit with a revenue yielding entity that has innovative models of solving  problems in their communities. In addition, a social enterprise can also be one that has a business generating revenue stream. A lot of times people think because you own a non profit you cannot be generate money. This is not exactly true. The key difference between a social enterprise and a regular non profit is that it is innovative and has a revenue generating entity, and the key difference between a social enteprise and a business is that a business may not necesssarily have the approach of wanting to help the community. So you can think of a social enterprise model as the best of both worlds! 

Now to discuss the various types of social enterprises. There are many ways you can do non for profit work but have a generating revenue stream that is not just focused on donor funding. Lets create a case study for me to illustrate the point. Let's say you own a girls empowerment organization and the main goal is to empower girls through a scholarship fund in African countries. Let's say you do some fundraising for in kind donations but want to find other means to generate revenue. If the organization decides they want to sell tshirts designed specifically to fundraise that is a business generating revenue stream. 

A business can also have a social enterprise angle. For example a restaurant in the community provides once a month feeding to the homeless in the community, or guinness providing farming tools to farmers in a region they work in, or a diamond mining company building schools for girls in a community they work in. Regardless of what the social enterprise is it has a nonprofit/for profit approach with innovation and the bottom line being to help society.

We hope you found this helpful! For many more tips on what a social enterprise is you can feel free to drop us a note or send us an email. 

Femme Special: There's something about Fatou

I met Fatou while I was in Liberia, her smile and warmness immediately captivated my spirit. Fatou worked as a waitress in the hotel I was staying in for work. Immediately when she found out I was Sierra Leonean she was even nicer to me as she shared she was a Sierra Leonean working and living in Liberia. You must be wondering why Fatou is so important for Femme Special Because as much as Fatou will never write a story on Women Change Africa I felt that I needed to share her story along with many other young women such as her. Fatou shared with me that she had moved to Liberia since the war happened in Sierra Leone and Liberia had been home to her, she had a beautiful smile and her eyes lit up as she shared some of her dreams with me. When I asked her what she would like to do in life she mentioned she wanted to finish school and possibly own a restaurant or hotel or her own some day. I was so inspired by her aspirations and told her that anything she set her mind to she can make happen. But did I really believe this for her? See when I asked Fatou if she has ever travelled to Ghana or Freetown both countries really close to her she replied no that she had never travelled anywhere. I was in shock and immediately had a moment of gratitude to God for his blessings. I realized at that moment that only difference between me and Fatou was that I had been blessed to receive more opportunity than her. She was just as smart, beautiful, ambitious and with an amazing spirit. After she served me my meal at the restaurant I thanked her and kept reflecting. What will happen to her? Will she ever travel anywhere? I realized this is the reality for many girls in Africa the hope is there but the opportunity doesn't exist for them. I hope to meet many women like Fatou and be able to share their stories. They too are Bosschiques and should be celebrated. If provided the right economic opportunities women such as Fatou will be doing even more amazing things in their societies, but that day, that moment, those opportunities were just not there. Fatou is doing the best that she can do and with a little opportunity can do more, but for now all I can do is share her story and allow those who are fortunate enough to reap benefits be inspired, and possibly find ways as leaders in their communities to create better lives for women such as Fatou. 

BOSSCHIQUE(ISM): Introducing Mrs. Yeniva Sisay-Sogbeh

Welcome to a new  year of Bosschique(ism)! We are so excited about our April feature for so many reasons. This month's feature is a woman that is truly dear to my heart Mrs. Yeniva Sisay Sogbeh. Yeniva is someone I have been blessed to know for a lot of years. This  woman comes with so much to offer the world and truly has made tremendous impact in her community in Sierra Leone. A returnee to her native country Sierra Leone Yeniva and I met when I first moved to the United States. Her mom and my mother are cousins and since meeting her I always adored her. When she made the move to Sierra Leone it was a very unconventional time for Sierra Leonean women to move back and she is truly one of the main trailblazers and brands of returnee Sierra Leone women who moved back, has endured a lot  and is continuously doing amazing things. 

So a bit about Yeniva; Mrs. Sisay-Sogbeh is  the founder Executive Director of the EXCEL Program (Education, eXcellence, Community, Empowerment, and Leadership) which provides educational services and opportunities to disenfranchised youth in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

Prior to serving as the Excel Executive Director, Yeniva taught secondary school students in the California Public School System (California, United States of America). During her time in the school system, Mrs. Sisay-Sogbeh received accolades from the University of California Los Angeles, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) and Inglewood Unified School District. Mrs. Sisay- Sogebh is very passionate about ensuring her students learn and developed the following mantra "I teach to revive the heart beat of a nation gone numb" which is echoed throughout her classes and professional development workshops. Yeniva has also served as Co-Founder and Director of Ujima For Africa Development, Inc. Ujima means “collective work and responsibility,” which is the cornerstone of the organization’s values, philosophy and approach to effective community redevelopment.

In 2007 Yeniva relocated to her ancestral home Sierra Leone, West Africa.  Since then she has worked non-stop to bring vision into action in many areas of development in Sierra Leone. As a founder of Collective Minds an arts and culture association, Yeniva helped to produce one of the most dynamic events in Freetown, PLAY ON WORDS. Established in 2008, PLAY ON WORDS was born out of the need for a creative outlet and platform for the artist community in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Each month PLAY ON WORDS brings together a collection of poets and other cultural entertainment to produce a unique showcase. With a following of over 500 people, the event is able to bring together a dynamic audience of Sierra Leoneans, expatriates, returnees and more cutting across age and socio economics. Yeniva is also a founding member of the Ma dengn Association, producers of the acclaimed Ma dengn Beach Festival which is built on the principle of showcasing, celebrating, enriching and preserving the culture of Sierra Leone.  

Mrs. Sisay-Sogbeh holds a Bachelors of Science in African Studies, from San Jose State University, she is a UCLA Writers Project Fellow and holds a Masters in Education from the University of Phoenix. Yeniva has served as the English Department Chair, Leader Teacher and Visionary for Smaller Learning Communities and Coordinator of the Advancement Via Individual Determination Program. She is member of Young Leaders- Sierra Leone and has been appointed Global Liaison-Africa of the United Nations Young Professionals Association.(YPIC) Yeniva has been featured in Substance and Style, The African, Honey, and MiMi Magazines, Premier News, PBS World Focus and a host of radio talk shows. She will soon be Manager at the newly opened resort in Tokeh Beach Sierra Leone called "The Place at Tokeh".

WCA readers...Introducing Mrs. Sisay-Sogbeh. 

 

Q: Who is Yeniva in one word?

A: Manifestation

Q: You have lived in Sierra Leone for the past 6 years and moved from the United States of America! Wow you are truly a trailblazer. I want you to go back to the very first moment you made the decision to move? How were you feeling and what made you do it?  

A:  I was watching Oprah Winfery’s documentary “Building a Dream” on the opening of her school in South Africa. It struck me at the core of my being.

My background is in education, I was a high school teacher in Inglewood, California at the time. I was teaching my students about possibility and telling them to live their dreams. Most of them were watching the show as well. The next day my students came to me and said “Ms. Sisay when we saw that show we just kept thinking of you, you should teach at the school!” in my heart I was thinking the same thing.

My 30^th birthday was right around the corner. I try as hard as I can to do something meaningful on my born days. This was a special one so as I was really did some soul searching to see where I wanted to be at 30. I was a home owner,  I owned my car and I had a job that I loved. But when I asked then I asked myself one thing; If I could do anything without the fear of failure what would it be? The answer was to move to Sierra Leone and make a difference. To stop talking about it and be about it. To give freely of myself and use the invesetment my parents made, my education to make a valuable contribution towards as New Sierra Leone.

I asked my students the same question and I got some of the most beautiful responses. That experience allowed me to look deeper into my heart. I knew that I had a calling to make a difference. So my students and I set out on a journey together. We decided that we were going to tell Oprah that I needed to teach at her school. One of my former students came on board as the camera man, director we shot a short promo about why Ms. Sisay should teach at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy.  We packaged it with letters and sent it off to Oprah. I knew then more than ever that anything and everything is possible. I call it my awakening.

We never heard back from Oprah but my students got more and more interested in Africa and especially Sierra Leone. I would tell them about my trips, play music and show picture of “ the real Africa” . At around that time Ismeal Beah’s book “ A Long Way Gone “ was released. I read the book and learned about a different side of Sierra Leone.  I saw so many similarities between Sierra Leone and Inglewood. Both impoverished communites, and full of young people seeking a future.  I decided to require my students to read the book I got friends, and family to donate the books for my classes and students raised the money their own. We even got a few copies signed by the author Ishmeal Beah!   The synergy was beyond belief. I saw young men who had never in their life read a book, read from cover to cover. Each and every one of them wanted more. There wanted to know, why the war? How could young people hold arms? They were intrigued that young people half way across the world could have lives as difficult and in some cases much more difficult then theirs. We were all inspired to make a difference. I was driven to build my own dream. This is where the EXCEL Education Program was born. It was my calling to come home.

Q: You truly wear many hats a humanitarian a founder of EXCEL, a wife a mom and now a general manager of a top vacation destination in Sierra Leone; The Place at Tokeh Beach.  Please share with us what a typical day looks like for Yeniva the mom, the wife, the BOSSchique?

A: Wow where do I begin? I wake up at 5:30am for meditation and reflection. 6:30 am wake up my daughter Mahari to get her ready for school. Out the door at 7:30am in the office to start the day. The day could be a range of meetings, trainings, strategic planning, marketing or event planning! Back home to Mahari in time for homework or at least a bed time story. Down time with my best friend my husband, then on to emails and finishing the work for the day.

   

Q: Could you tell us a bit about the new venture you are leading up and one thing you love about yourself and your work?

A: I am with the Sweet Salone Group producers of Sierra Leone’s first luxury boutique hotel. The Place at Tokeh Beach. The Place at Tokeh Beach is located on Sierra Leone’s Western Peninsula, about 20 miles from the hustle and bustle of Freetown, the capital, making it the perfect location to rest and relax when visiting Sierra Leone.

Set in 15 acres of tropical gardens, on the unspoiled, pretty white sands of Tokeh Beach, Sierra Leone.  The hotel is surrounded by an amphitheatre of lush, jungle-clad mountains, creating a truly magical setting.

The Place offers something bold and new to Sierra Leone and is the perfect location for a weekend getaway, private parties, events, weddings, business meetings, conferences and retreats.

One thing I love about my work is making the impossible possible. Sierra Leone can boast of some of the best beaches in the world and they are unspoiled because people have not discovered them.  The Sweet Salone Group is reintroducing the world to Sierra Leone.

Q: Please describe a challenge you have had that truly shaped your trajectory as an African woman and explain to us what you learned from it?

A:  I got what I thought was the job of my dreams. What I thought was an amazing opportunity to do make a difference.  Through that position I learned so much about life; the good, the bad and the extremely ugly.  I was exposed to hate, greed, envy, jealously, ridicule, injustice, and corruption. These were things that were foreign in my world, things that you see in movies or read about in books.  How could I find myself in such a mess?

My challenges are nothing new under the sun, African Women have been facing the same or similar challenges on many levels for years.

Even in the most challenging time in my life, I learned to depend on the Lord, the reality of faith, the true meaning of love and friendship, I learned about my own strength and the audacity of hope

Q: Are there any regrets that you have?

A: You know here is where people say the cliché’ “ I have not regrets” But I can honestly say I have no regrets. I have a few wishes… I wish I was not so nice at times, I wish I was not so naïve at times and I wish I was not so hard on myself sometimes. 

Q:  What would you say sets you apart from others as a humanitarian/social entrepreneur?

A: I was born to be Yeniva. This is my life calling, I don’t know how to do anything else. I only know how to walk Yeniva’s walk. Each day I try to live to my fullest potential is what makes my heart sing. I can say that my education, upbringing, culture, travel and life experience sets me apart from others.

Q: Can you tell us the top 3 things every woman needs to be successful in your industry that you currently work in?

A:  Drive Determination and Confidence

      

Q: What Impact do you think you are making on African women and girls through your work with The Place at Tokeh Beach  and any additional avenues you are making change in?

A: African women and girls need to see people that look like them in places of influence and power. It is then they learn that they can do it too.

In my work I have the opportunity to work with an amazing African women from all around the world, I am truly blessed. I try in everything I do to lead by example. I "blend out" even when it is not the most popular of choices; I am willing to suffer the consequences for the right cause. I have mentored many young African women and exposed them to other AMAZING African women who inspire me and are doing their own thing as well.

Q: If you were to invite 3 amazing African Women  for dinner who would it be and why?

A: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    

Folorunsho Alakija

    

Michelle Obama : yeah I said it she is an African women, In fact there is some speculation with her Carolina connection she may be Sierra Leonean. Michelle inquiring minds want to know

Q: Finish the sentence  Women Change Africa because?

A:  We don’t have any other choice. We gave birth to the continent it is our responsibility to hold it up.

Check out Yeniva on Facebook and Twitter & 
Check out The Place at : http://www.stayattheplace.com ; and their Facebook Page