goal getters

Full name Prisca Sibanda

Age:44

Marital Status: widow

No of Children: 3

Company Name Ad-hoc Trading Pvt Ltd

Organisation

Chessmates Academy

I am a Philanthropist, an enterprising entrepreneur , hardworking, cheerful, confident,God fearing woman, and a mother of 3 beautiful children.

My story

In 2010 I lost my first born to cancer. Jessy was 11 years old when I lost her and during that time I was 4 months pregnant with my second baby.

In my life I never thought a child could be diagnosed with Cancer. Jessy used to complain of headaches and when I took her to hospital after some tests, I was told my child had eye cancer and she had a few months to live. I was devastated as I was also pregnant, and I used to cry a lot at night when everyone was asleep. I was heart broken but I had to be strong for my little girl.

Jessy was admitted to a hospital in Harare and there I saw a number of kids suffering from different types of cancer. It was painful to watch these kids suffering from cancer.The most painful part is these kids had developed a bond and whenever one of them pass on,I could see the pain and sorrow in their eyes and Jessy would say “Mom one day it’s going to be me”. Whenever she said these words I felt like someone was stabbing me right on my heart. I had to be strong for my little girl.

Jessy used to write Poems that where displayed on the hospital noticeboard and in newspapers.

She was strong and a lot of people visited her. I was literally staying there in the hospital with my pregnancy. Jessy passed on after 9 months when my second born was 4 months old, I was shattered but my late husband comforted me and he was by my side through thick and thin.I later opened my company

Ad-hoc Trading Pvt Ltd and my husband joined me and together we became prosperous.

Just when we thought our life was in order in 2016 I developed fibroids and bled for 3 consecutive months nonstop. I was constantly in pain but my husband was always by my side to take care of me and the kids. I had a successful operation after 3 months and was back at work after 2 months of

recovery.

In May 2018 my husband was ill and he had stomach pains. I took him to the hospital. That was the first time for him to be hospitalized his whole life. He was diagnosed with kidney disease and he had to go through kidney dialysis. He didn’t recover after the process and he went through pain everyday until he passed on in August 2018. I was devastated, I was broken, my pillar of strength , my life partner who always comforted me when in bad situation was gone. I was shattered and began to take sleeping and depression tablets so I could rest and sleep. I got addicted to them, I couldn’t do anything without the pills. But one day I told myself I had to be strong for my kids, I prayed for strength from the Almighty God and I stopped taking the pills. I started upgrading my company and in 2019 I started a Chessmates Academy for the boys and girls and a number of kids from different schools have enrolled at the Chessmates Academy for Chess lessons. 2019 was my year and in this same year after opening Chessmates Academy I won a second runner up MSMEs Category award .

This award opened many doors for me and I thank Almighty God for that.

Prisca Sibanda

Achievements

Women Empowerment

Question What have you done to empower other women:

I)Teach Entrepreneurship to aspiring business women at various workshops. 2) Mentoring Women venturing into from concept development to business implementation. 3)Sharing my story to inspire other women in business on various platforms. Contribution to changed perception of Zimbabwe

Question How have you changed the image of Zimbabwe

1)Your Business Practices 2) Bringing World Class Standards to Zimbabwe

Answer

1)Taking Zimbabwe to Global Market and providing business opportunity and partnership with India based CIIHT.

2)Being the first Organisation to be offered a franchise by CIIHT India the marketing of Google Space in Zimbabwe.

MOTIVATION

Question

What were your major achievements in Zimbabwe?

Answer

My major achievements in Zimbabwe is mainly that of creating employment able to grow the company from providing services in Bulawayo to expanding to Midlands and Matabeleland North Provinces.

Question

What makes you special for Zimbabwe? How have you excelled? How does your leadership differentiate you from your peers?

Answer

Ian special for Zimbabwe because I create employment for Zimbabweans and I’m a tax payer. I have excelled in diversifying my products to reach larger scale and also engaging into global market where my products are seen locally and internationally .

My leadership put me in a class of my own because I do micro management in that I do a hands on approach in my leadership. I don’t lead from the top or from my mouth but I have a ‘everyone must do it’ approach and in that I have risen from being a receptionist and rose through the ranks and started my own Company Ad-hoc Trading with my late husband to be at the position I hold today.

My passion for results and desire to perform beyond limitations mould my leadership

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Question

Do you promote and take part in social responsibility activities in your Personal Capacity?

Answer

Yes 1) Donations to schools on price giving days.

2) Donations towards BSPZ awards.

3)Pay school fees for underprivileged children.

4)Run Chess Academy for the benefit of young girls and boys to play Chess

LEADERSHIP

Question

How have you changed the perception of women in your workplace? How have you shown examplary leadership and vision? How have you shown skill to grow your business?

Answers

1)I have changed the perception of women in my workplace by challenging them that if I manage to do it and make it in business they too can do it.

To the world the perception has also changed in that having an organization run by a woman shows that women can also do it and thereby should not be marginalized.

2) I have shown exemplary leadership by leading from the front having a hands on approach and sticking to the vision and mission of the organisation.

3) I have shown skill to grow my business by expanding business operation to cover Midlands and Matebeleland North Provinces and also diversifying in the product range and also introducing innovation in business through the use of technology in my business by acquiring franchise with CIIHT India.

Professional Achievements

Question

What are your professional achievements?

Answer Training on sales technical, installation and backup services with.

•Kyocera •Toshiba •HP •Nashua.