Theza Bwalya is a 25 year old working in the banking sector, Sociology and Demography graduate from the University of Zambia. She is an entrepreneur running two hobby-turned-businesses, she is the founder of Save Me Girl’s Foundation, Researcher, Interim President of, Gender and Human Rights Advocate
She is very passionate about making change and adding value to society especially through sexual and reproductive health and women empowerment.
She describes herself as extremely confident and resilient, highly optimistic and very passionate.
You can’t mention Theza and leave out confidence and resilience, because if I’m being honest, mine is a story of lots of grit, lots of resilience, lots of stretching and lots of adjusting.
A book Theza thinks everyone should read is...
Smart Money Woman by Arese Ugwu. This book is about personal financial management. It’s a powerhouse, a guide. It’s what everyone should be reading; it’s ideal for people of all ages. There are principles that are in born and some principles and financial management is one of the ones you learn and develop discipline.
I feel like this era we’re in where everyone is doing something, young people are rising and doing the most and the state of our country where unemployment is an all-time high; you need to learn to do something for yourself, you need to learn how to make money and save for the long term. We really can’t afford to be shortsighted so it’s very important to have knowledge how money works.
And it’s not just for entrepreneurs, if you’re just a job person, this book will help you manage your income in a way that helps your financial future.
I read this book at a time when I had started my business and I was getting money but I wasn’t retaining it. I was lacking a certain level of financial discipline and I realized I needed to generate income and multiply what I had in my hands.
I haven’t had to use massive resources, I’ve had to use my hands and scale up from there. I started both businesses whilst I was still in school part-time.
Reading this book helped me because it opened my mind to be able to properly assess my financial management and progress.
A movie Theza thinks you should watch is
Hidden figures is a real-life drama about three black women who were working for NASA. I haven’t watched it in a long time but that movie was amazeballs!
And these women had to thrive and you know, just push through the racial and gender discrimination that was taking place at that time. And as we know, way back then, there was a lot of gender discrimination and being black didn’t make it any better. Like you’re black and then you’re also female? Yo! That was a lot for some people to handle. So I really loved this movie because it shows a lot of where we have come from as black people. We were not there at the time but where our people have come from.
You know, the way society has changed overtime, how it has become more accommodating and more accepting but still, we as women still have to push to find our place in society. We have to prove ourselves a lot more when it comes to professional settings or even just academic achievements everybody opens their there’s a certain mindset that still needs to be broken.
Theza's Power Jam
My favourite YouTube channels…
1. My sister’s YouTube channel because I know her and I know she is a big ball of wisdom so just seeing her unfold into her element is amazing to watch and the world will be blessed by her and the content.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9uQ9YrcrJQ&t=8s
2. TEDtalks! Amazing, amazing, amazing! I also know that I’m going to be there one of these days. I love how they incorporate different people from different walks of life with different experiences and how in a few minutes you learn what has taken people many years to learn. It’s soo informative. And I think that’s something everyone should make a habit of doing , listening and learning.
3. Lombe Posa, just for laughs. She’s funny. With all this seriousness in the world, everyone needs a moment to just loosen up and laugh and that’s what Lombe brings to the table.
One thing I do everyday is…
Work out! I work out everyday because it enhances my mood a lot. I started running a lot in my final year of university and those were my best days. Even when I feel low and I exercise, I feel so much better!
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi! I look up to her so much. How she has carried herself as a woman and the things she has endured. One needs to have so much grit to stand for the things she stands for and still remain standing.
My Go-to Homemade Meal
My pasta bake, I developed this recipe a few years ago when I wanted to make a plain Mac and cheese and I figured make a pasta bake. It’s my favourite meal, it’s quick and easy to make. It’s delicious, it’s divine and it’s a family favourite.