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FOCUS ON WOMEN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Women Leadership:

lessons from a Deputy Governor and co-operator

By Linda Karimi

On a bright sunny morning, in the coastal town of Mombasa, 40 Nyeri County Deputy Governor Caroline Karugu addresses
Co-operative women leaders assembled for the 2nd Annual participants during the Women Leadership Conference
Women in Co-operatives conference.
3. Find a sponsor or mentor: Find someone
The forum brought together women leaders from different SACCOs
countrywide all seeking to be empowered to be better leaders. who knows you, knows your capabilities, knows
your resume and is more open to opportunities
The meeting was officiated by Hon. Dr. Caroline Karugu, Deputy than you are.
Governor, Nyeri County, a co-operator at heart, by virtue of being a
SACCO member. Further, she worked in the Co-operative sector for many 4. Keep purpose constant: Have you found
years, since her late twenties. Karugu inspired the leaders by sharing
lessons learnt during her journey into leadership. your true north? Find your one thing and do it
well. As narrated in the story of the humming
Dr. Karugu who is 40 years old has spent much of her life investing in bird by the late Prof. Wangari Mathai, find your
her education, having graduated with a PHD in Finance in September one little thing and do the best you can.
2018.
5. Find spiritual balance and take care of
She attributes her appointment as Deputy Governor to her years of your mental health: Find a value system
experience in the Co-operative movement, where she influenced young
people to form Co-operatives, thereby promoting youth empowerment. and stick to it. Don’t be part of the women who
talk other women down and thus affect their
Dr. Karugu, who has been in office for 2years, has helped setup four Co- mental health.
operatives, including a Co-operative for quarry workers and traders in
Nyeri County, which has 10,000 members. Take action. Do something today and find something
that you love doing. Serve people diligently.
She has also organized Co-operatives around Community Industrial
Development Initiatives, which provide opportunities to build cottage
industries for women to sell their products to the community, and also
form SACCOs.

Hon. Karugu shares five of her greatest lessons in her
leadership journey:

1. Be present: Women need to be present, stay present and be part

of the conversations. It is important for them to participate in key
activities when they are called upon. Women need to participate in
leadership not just in SACCOs, but also in various capacities in the
country.

2. Be confident about who you are and your achievements:

Take credit for your achievements and be unapologetic about it.
Learn to be confident, which is a skill that can be learnt. Stop the
negative self-talk of talking yourself down. You must believe in
yourself and cut out anyone who brings you negative energy. To
help you build confidence, engage more in public speaking. You
can’t be a leader if you can’t speak in public. Conquer your fears as
it weighs down your confidence.

41| SACCO Star Magazine