by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

It has been 30 years since the Rio Climate Summit, when a global system was set up to bring countries together on a regular basis to try to solve the climate crisis. On Nov 6th the COP27 meeting in Egypt starts. Usually we wait with bated breath as to what the ‘great and the good’ pledge on behalf of their countries and how this will reduce the warming of the world to a level at which we as a species can continue to survive on this beautiful planet we call home. Alok Sharma, the President of COP26, summed up the agreement a year ago as one that was “on life support”. He wrote (here) “The 1.5°C limit lives. We brought it back from the brink. But its pulse remains weak.” Bringing back from the brink is a good description as just before the end of COP26  brinkmanship was taken to a new level when China and India both refused to sign the agreed text pledging to ‘phase out’ coal, instead insisting at the last moment that it be changed to ‘phase down’.

At COP26, lest we forget, the (non-binding) pledges came in that would limit global heating rise to around 2.4°C, way above the 1.5°C level required. All was not lost though as the delegates agreed to update their plans year on year (a ‘ratchet mechanism’) so as to move the dial closer to 1.5°C. So how are we looking one week before COP27, given the wake up calls we have had recently in the form of the horrific flooding in Pakistan (which left more than 1,700 dead) and the current flooding in Nigeria. We have often worried (and mentioned in these articles) about the low level of various parts of Lagos and other areas of Africa, but the news coming out of Nigeria from flooding that has affected 27 of the 36 states and of course Lagos, is both tragic and horrific having affected over half a million people.

The UN has just released its latest look at the promises and pledges made by various governments at and since the COP26 meeting (given the ‘ratchet mechanism’) and it does not make for fun reading, indeed at the launch of the report the executive secretary of UN Climate Change Simon Stiell said “To put it bluntly, countries’ climate action plans as they currently stand simply aren’t good enough. Humanity cannot accept that.”

Why this negativity? Well to start with, only 24 countries bothered to follow their promise to upgrade their pledges this year. Perhaps the Maldives (average height of islands above the sea is sadly too small to mention without bringing tears to our eyes), Environment Minister Shauna Aminath is right when she compared the slowness of global leaders to react to the climate crisis to the incredible speed at which they reacted to the Covid 19 pandemic and more recently Putin’s War, when she says here that: “It’s very obvious that it’s not a lack of money, or a lack of technology, that is the problem. The issue is the lack of political will and the refusal to see the climate crisis as an emergency.”

Ah yes, the war. As Bloomberg report here: “The UK wrapped up its ­hosting duties at COP26 with a claim to have kept alive the Paris Agreement’s goal of capping warming at 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. Those gains have now been at best stalled or at worst reversed by the wartime logic brought on by the invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has turned Europe’s energy spigot into an economic weapon in response to sanctions, and major developed economies faced with suddenly scarce natural gas supplies are racing to open up old coal-fired power stations.”

So what has the UN found? Their Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has 40 indicators that they believe to be essential or are indicators of progress towards limiting global warming to 1.5°C and they have found that none are on track to reach their 2030 target. Yes Zero; Zip; Zilch; Nada; Nil; Nought! “Six are heading in the right direction at a promising but insufficient speed, while 21 are also trending in the right direction but well below the required pace. Five indicators are trending in the wrong direction entirely, while the data are insufficient to evaluate the final eight indicators.” (here)

The report highlights seven areas the globe must change to get back on track, including limiting beef consumption to only two burgers a week (tick!), but the first they mention is: “Phase out coal power generation six times faster — equivalent to retiring 925 average-sized coal plants per year.” Did we mention there is a war on? A war that is concentrating the minds of the west on the cost of heating for the winter that is bearing down upon the northern hemisphere (home to almost all the richer nations of the world), the closing of supplies of gas from Russia, the use and reopening of coal burning power stations (see here) to counter this and so on.

The chances of COP27 turning that tide is sadly slim, especially as COP has become a homeland for the Fossil Fuel lobby – “…at least 503 fossil fuel lobbyists were admitted to the climate talks [COP26], opening the door for them to continue delaying, distracting and deflecting from the action we need to address the climate crisis, largely caused by their industry…[these] lobbyists as a block outnumber the biggest country delegation and outnumber the combined total of the eight delegations from the countries worst affected by climate change over the last two decades.” See what we mean? (here)

Looks like we have two Hopes for this COP in Egypt to be a success (Bob Hope and No Hope – sorry, showing our age – old joke). So what does that mean for us? Sadly there will be no choice but assume that Global Warming will continue, that extreme weather will become the norm, and will impact (as usual) the least developed and developing nations more than the developed. Yet another area where non-binding pledges have let us down. According to the OECD (here): “…in 2009, developed countries committed to a collective goal of mobilising USD 100 billion per year by 2020 for climate action in developing countries…[yet this only reached] USD 83.3 billion in 2020” (by far the largest year). As the UN’s humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths has said (here): “…he did not know where the promised $100bn…a year to fight the impact of global heating in poorer countries had gone “…we are scrambling to try to understand where the climate money is that was promised a decade ago. Where is it? Who’s holding it and who is not delivering it…””

When the Senegalese President, Macky Sall, convened an Africa Climate Adaptation Summit in Rotterdam recently, as Bloomberg reported (here), he invited all western nations to come and work with the African nations (perfect opportunity for that elusive US$100bn per year to make an appearance one would have thought), yet only the African leaders showed up. In fairness, France sent their Development Minister, the EU their Climate Minister, and Mark Rutte the PM of the host country.“

What can we as Lionesses do in the face of all this inaction? First, see just how at risk your country and town is by checking this great map from Climate Central, an ‘independent group of scientists’ here. Note that this shows how likely the temperature that day is more or less due to Climate Change – so a ‘0’ denotes no climate effect, but a ‘5’ shows that it is highly likely that that particular temperature is climate change driven – why is this important? Because of the difference between the ‘weather’ and ‘climate’, see NASA’s definition here. As you will see from the map, coastal parts of Nigeria and Ghana, and also swathes of East Africa are currently having days that are Climate Change influenced – you have to expect far more of these in the years ahead – so plan.

This planning must also include for life without Government infrastructure – consider ‘what is the worst that could happen?’. Sovereign debt burdens as we have mentioned before have become unsustainable in many countries, to say nothing of years of mismanagement, corruption and fraud in ministries and utilities (yes sadly that was a shout out to our long suffering and totally inspirational membership in South Africa!) – although they will never disappear (we hope!), so many are at breaking point.

With all of these sorry tales in mind, if you feel tempted to purchase or take out a long lease on a building close to a river or flood plain, think again if in areas that has recent flooding (and had a ‘5’ on the map at that time). If you need large amounts of water for your factory and the local rivers and reservoirs are drying up (and the map shows this is Climate related), make sure at the very least you have a strong borehole until you can find somewhere better. If you wonder how you can afford solar panels for your factory, start to think how expensive it will be to go hours without power, let alone have to pay your staff while you wait.  This is an investment worth considering. Ensure you have security at your premises. Protect your business and your staff – as the UN say here: “Climate change is a “threat multiplier”, meaning it escalates social, political and economic tensions…”.

We mentioned last weekend how we as Lionesses can assist our female staff members in this iniquitous world (see here), climate change doesn’t just hit poorer countries, it also impacts women far more. “Climate Change is not gender neutral” the UN continues. “As climate change drives conflict across the world, women and girls face increased vulnerabilities to all forms of gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, human trafficking, child marriage, and other forms of violence.” and “…extreme heat increases incidence of stillbirth, and climate change is increasing the spread of vector-borne illnesses such as malaria, dengue fever, and Zika virus, which are linked to worse maternal and neonatal outcomes.”

And finally do whatever you can to educate your staff in the basic issues such as Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Not only does every little help, but so much of the flooding in our cities is created by poorly managed drainage, exacerbated by rubbish piling up in the streets. If there is a recycling group nearby, ask how your team can assist, if not, start one!

We have no choice but to be very aware indeed of what is in store for our countries, our towns and communities, to ensure that when we plan and create a strategy for the next ten-twenty years, we recognise that Global Warming will just get worse. Sadly thanks to years of inaction from the Globe’s historical polluters, everything is now pointing to this being an Era of Crises not a series of different and unrelated crises. The sooner we all realise this, the better prepared we shall be for the next few and painful decades.

Now is when true Lioness leadership comes to the fore.

Stay Safe.

What inspired you to start your company?

My love for sports gave me this inspiration. I love clothes and a little touch of mixture brings excitement to me so I thought I should bring this blend into the sporting industry and turn things up. Indeed, it was a welcomed idea that has taken me far.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

Every business is special but mine is unique because as a team, we always leave our clients asking for more, and guess what, we always give more. Our designs are top notch and ‘one of a kind’ to suit every customer’s fashion needs. We do not disappoint. We are literally at every customer’s beck and call. In fact, we have been nicknamed by most clients, “Pick and Go”. Lol!

Tell us a little about your team

My team is made up of great minds. One from Pakistan who is the designer, and the other two consisting of a marketer and a business partner who have been my backbone since inception. I can say that they are God sent and I couldn’t have made it this far without them.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I was born into a family of entrepreneurs. My father was a successful big businessman dealing in the FMCG business sector and my mother was a businesswoman dealing in the sale of imported female shoes at the time. Growing up, I helped with sales once in a while and developed good sales and marketing skills which earned me my first job as a Sales Executive in a FMCG company after graduation. This experience began my entrepreneurial journey. Though I failed a lot of times transitioning from one business venture to another, I never gave up on my vision.

Lioness Weekender spoke to founder Ararat Tamirat about the inspiration for her business, her passion for creating jobs for women, and her love of ethical, sustainable textiles and woven homeware products that are proudly made in Ethiopia.

What does your company do?

Tuba by Ararat is an ethical lifestyle brand, specializing in hand-woven baskets for home accessories and textiles, handmade in Ethiopia. Our products are intricately crafted with timeless tradition, all hand-woven, and hand-dyed with hand-spun yarns. We produce home decorative items and home textiles including handmade pillow cases, and our basket products include, flower vases, wall decorative baskets, planters, floor standing vases, table centerpieces and napkin rings.

What inspired you to start your company?

The market need for designer-made, traditional home accessories and a market gap that I observed while i was working as a junior architect in one of the big name consultancy offices in the country. Also, the unemployed women population in the country needing job opportunities. Plus, less attention for sustainable products to meet the international market need and requirement at this time and age, are some of the reasons that inspired me to start my company.

What makes your business, service or product special?

As an Architect i understand color, pattern, texture and aesthetic value more than my competitors. So the designs I made, and the ideas behind them, together with the representation, make them more than a basket and more than an art form that can stand on their own. Every wall basket has a matching flower vase and pillow case that goes with it so that peoples use sets of handmade products to decorate their homes like the old ages.

Tell us a little about your team

In our business, 35 out of the 39 employees are women, each with the skill of basket weaving. Almost 70% of our women employees have different reasons for not going out and working, so I created a system for them that gives them the privilege of working from home. This means they are able to take care of their children and do other house work as well on a daily basis. They come to my workshop once a week only to bring the basket designs and to take payment, and then take other design projects for the coming week to do.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I didn’t come from entrepreneurial background and I had to start from scratch when I formed this company. I never knew the first thing about forming a company, so the first thing I did was go and take short-term and long-term courses on entrepreneurship, leadership, management, accounting and other specialist courses that I thought would help my knowledge on the matter at the time. I also spent time trying to set up meetings with other entrepreneurs to talk about their journeys and share their experiences with me in order to give me better understanding of how to lead a company by example.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

I have a plan to employ up to 500 women under my company by the year 2030. I have plans to open branch shops in different areas of Ethiopia, other African countries, and eventually the rest of the world.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

The satisfaction of saying that I am a business owner and there is no finger-pointing when something goes wrong. Knowing every decision that I make daily directly impacts my business is the best kind of motivation and satisfaction.

What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

Every business starts as an idea. You get to create it from the ground up. So If you have an idea to make something better or more efficient, make it happen!

To learn more about the work of Tuba by Ararat, or to speak to Ararat directly, send an email to: araratgmtamirat@gmail.com or visit the company website and social media platforms:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

by Lori Milner

The relationship with yourself is the foundation upon which every other aspect of your life develops. Your health, wellbeing and happiness are directly proportional to how you treat yourself. If you want a different life, it’s nothing to do with more money or career success. It is all about making decisions that are in your best interest. I remember asking my coach for the unconditional self-love and acceptance checklist; I wanted an excel spreadsheet with a bullet list I could work through and tick off each item. By the time I’m done, voila – a new friendship with myself!

Clearly, this is not the way the story ends. Life doesn’t work like that. It has been my journey to move from conditional love and acceptance to an unconditional friendship, and I can tell you it’s a remarkable voyage. Here are some of the tools I have learned along the way that can help you to make this critical shift in your own life:

Adopt an attitude of unconditional friendliness

I know self-acceptance is a daunting concept, so if I throw in unconditional self-love on top of this, you will stop reading. Unconditional friendliness is more palatable and easier to digest. If you think about your best friend or partner, what is it about them that you love? Traits like unconditional love, acceptance, trust, dependability and non-judgement may come up for you. In a nutshell, they have your best interest at heart. The challenge is can you flip this and treat yourself with the same warmth? This is demonstrated by making decisions in your own best interest. If you are tired, do not grind through your fatigue. If you are sick, give yourself some space to recover.

Ditch the guilt, take the time for yourself with no conditions, and you will experience gentler days.

Spend time with yourself

If you think of any relationship in your life, be it romantic or a friendship, how did that relationship develop? You spent time together and got to know them. After a while, trust matures, and the friendship evolves. Part of growing this relationship is nurturing it with continual communication and expressions of love. Even if it’s a friendship, you send messages, meet for coffee and continue to take an interest in their life. You know where this is going. When did you last spend time with yourself? Alone? I mean intentional time to get to know yourself. You can do this through journaling, meditation or spending quiet time in nature.

Unfortunately, if you say that you run or exercise alone, it doesn’t count because you drown out your thoughts with music or an audiobook. It’s like watching a movie with someone; you are there physically but not connecting with them. If you want to develop a friendship with yourself, you need to know yourself. I had a discussion with a friend about attending a meditation retreat. We discussed some options, but she made a profound comment – “I would never do a silent retreat because I don’t like myself enough to spend time with my thoughts”. You do need to go to the lengths of a silent retreat but consider spending some quiet time alone with your thoughts and a journal. When you can put your thoughts onto the page, be it your fears, goals or dreams, you can begin to get out of your way and create the life you want:

Here are some journaling prompts you can use to help you understand yourself better:

• If you could only use five words, how would you describe yourself?

• What is the most common negative thought you have about yourself? What would the positive version of it be?

• What are you most grateful for?

• What did you say yes to this week/month/year that you probably should have said no to?

• Which qualities do you most admire in others that you wish you had yourself?

• How can you take better care of yourself? How will you make that happen?

• What did you learn about yourself this week/month/year?

• How can you step out of your comfort zone more?

• Which goals did you accomplish this week/month/year?

• Which goals didn’t you accomplish this week/month/year? Why do you think that was?

• What does success look like to you?

• What motivates you?

• Who inspires you the most? Why is that?

• Who do you hope to become in the next 12 months?

• What do you want to have accomplished by this time next year? In 3 years? 5 years? 10 years?

• What one thing have you wanted to do but not yet been brave enough to try?

• Name one thing do you want to achieve this year more than anything. How can you make this happen?

• What is stopping you from achieving your goals?

• What actions can you take this week/month/year to get you closer to your goals?

Drop the carrot and stick approach to recovery

In his brilliant TED talk, The Puzzle of Motivation, Daniel Pink reveals how science has proved that the carrot and stick approach to motivation does not work. A big reward will not drive greater productivity; it sabotages it.

Why do you use the same approach for yourself? The current mental chatter is, “If I work hard in the week, then I will earn time to relax on the weekend”. But what happens if you don’t finish all your work? Not because of lack of effort but most likely unexpected circumstances, or you are slave-driving yourself with unrealistic deadlines. Are you going to deprive yourself of your recovery time? Can you reward yourself with a weekend you look forward to despite how many items you ticked off on your to-do list? You do not need to earn the right to be friendly and have compassion towards yourself —so drop the carrot and stick approach to recovery. True self-acceptance means you do not need to earn your kindness. All you can do is make progress, acknowledge your wins and remind yourself you are doing the best you can with the resources available to you now. After work and on weekends, your downtime is your opportunity to recharge, indulge in your favourite activities, and spend time with people you love. Don’t give away your ‘yes’ too quickly and over commit to arrangements that leave you feeling depleted and resentful.

Replace self-criticism with self-compassion

Self-compassion is the compass to unconditional self-acceptance. It is also the ultimate vaccine. You can get the flu vaccine and still get the flu, but your symptoms won’t be as severe, and you will recover quicker. It is the same with self-acceptance. Mistakes and failures are part of life; it’s how we grow. Your self-talk will directly influence how resilient you will be to move through the challenge. Rather than adopt a self-critical approach, adopt a learning mindset. Remind yourself that you made the best decision you could at the time with the resources and information available to you. Knowing what you know now, what can you do differently next time?

The kinder you are to yourself in the face of challenges and setbacks, the quicker you will recover and bounce back with even more strength.

Show up as your authentic self, not your perfect self

When you wake up in the morning, is your first thought – what should I do today? If you answered yes, this is a warning bell. The word ‘should’ comes with baggage. There is anxiety attached to ‘should’ because what if it’s the wrong thing? What if I fail? What if I’m not perfect? When you reframe the question to ‘what do I want to do?’, you operate from your authentic self. It’s a place of creativity and authenticity; it’s not fear-driven.

When you ask yourself what you want to do, it permits you to tackle the project in your unique way. This ability to trust yourself is the most authentic sign of self-acceptance.

Do not link your self-worth to external factors

Often we link self-worth to something external such as money, achievement, a title or material possessions. Linking your self-worth to things beyond your control is an external locus of control. How often do you link your self-worth to numbers? The number on the scale, the number in your bank account or the number of friends on your socials? This is not sustainable because you cannot control any of this, and it becomes an internal narrative of ‘When I make X amount or reach this target, then I’ll be successful or even worse — then I’ll be happy’.

Instead of seeking approval from external factors and people, start to turn inwards. Consider the different roles you play — how can you link your self-worth to other areas of your life instead of only work? Your role as a partner, parent, friend, teammate, or in your community? Helping your kids with home-schooling and keeping a calm household is essential as your work commitments. When you can generate self-worth from these activities, you will not perceive this time as wasted but a crucial part of the day. Once you can grant yourself the approval you crave, your self-acceptance becomes unconditional despite external factors.

Acknowledge your wins

When you are riddled with self-doubt and self-judgement, take a moment to reflect on your past wins. Courage supersedes confidence. Confidence comes from your actions; when you can look back and see what you have achieved, you can use this evidence that you are capable of moving ahead in your future goals.  Recognising past achievements and internalising them is the journey to self-acceptance. When you disregard your successes and brush them away because you are now looking at the next goal to justify your self-worth, you inevitably create imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is the belief that you will be found out that you don’t know anything, that you aren’t qualified for the role or don’t deserve to be there.

When you celebrate each milestone, you internalise it and become part of who you are. You incorporate the growth into yourself, and this is where your confidence begins to soar. Acknowledging your wins is not mediocrity; it doesn’t mean you are complacent with your achievements. It is the fuel that will catapult you into your future successes and give you the confidence to approach any goal because you have a proven track record.

The ultimate question to start your day

If you are still unsure of where to begin, how about starting each day with this question: How can I be kind to myself today?

• Kindness means not making your recovery time conditional on how much work you achieve in the week.

• Kindness means taking a lunch break when you need one.

• Kindness means inserting yourself into your calendar to do something that will give you joy.

• Kindness means dedicating space in your day for your self-care without guilt.

• Kindness means taking time for a non-work-related project like painting, baking, gardening, scrapbooking, riding, photography – you fill in the blank.

• Kindness means creating weeks you look forward to rather than waiting for your next leave day.

• Kindness means allowing your inner cheerleader to take the driver’s seat rather than the inner critic.

Adopting a lens of unconditional friendliness and kindness may feel uncomfortable at first. It feels like you are doing something wrong, but it’s the first time you are doing it right. How can you reframe the emotion of guilt, so it is no longer something to make you feel bad but to remind you that you are honouring your own needs and you are on the right track?

When you can become your own best friend and shift into self-acceptance, your whole world will begin to shift.

Here’s to being your own best friend,

Warm wishes,

Lori