Introducing...Real African Women (R.A.W.)

Today, Dec. 21, 2009 (I started writing this before the clock turned 12 a.m.!), Obaasema Magazine in a partnership with Gye Nyame Empowerment Project (GNEP) launched Real African Women (R.A.W.) on Facebook! My partner, Akua Soadwa and I have been so psyched about this initiative that we felt like kids in the hours leading to the launch.

Here's a note I posted on Facebook saying why R.A.W. is important to me:

"R.A.W was birthed when Akua and I met this summer at a special gathering. After about 10 minutes into REAL conversations, we realized that we both possessed very similar traits and most surprisingly, carried around similar challenges! Why would I engage in a conversation about one of my biggest struggles - vulnerability - with someone I had just met? Why did we both nod at almost every personal challenge that surfaced during our conversation? We laughed at each revelation – the only thing that may have ruined any thoughts of us being twins was the fact that I was born in Ghana and she was born in the U.S. We knew after this exchange, though, that we had to act and we were both quick to admit that we couldn’t do it alone.

My desire to grow and to use my personal growth process to inspire others is one of the things that drives me – whether it is pouring my heart into empowering women through Obaasema Magazine or engaging in initiatives such as R.A.W, I seek to see a different woman in me.

You see, R.A.W was not only created for “them,” as in the “other African women,” but also for Akua and me. We are both women who deeply appreciate the beauty of personal growth and choose to seek the support of our fellow sisters. It should be obvious by now why we have decided to create an open forum discussion to invite other African women to join the movement of helping each other grow by sharing our experiences.

R.A.W intrigues me and is important to me because it hinges on personal growth; it’s about inspiration, it’s about empowerment. All I hope R.A.W can do for you are these 3 things: inspire you, empower you and challenge you to grow! Embrace the movement, baby!"

I'm extremely excited to have begun this beautiful journey with a woman who is as passionate about inspiring others and contributing positively to the world. The first R.A.W. forum session will be held in May 2010 and we're equally as excited about that! You'll be hearing more from me soon on this subject.

Support this initiative by becoming a Fan of our Facebook page! ... and...ahem...tell your friends, girlfriends, wives, sisters, aunties...ummm everyone about it! :-)