Audieu
Steering the ship and offering invaluable advice was former and first Oprah Magazine (Africa) editor Taweni Gondwe. Our excitement at finally holding a product we had planned and worked on from the ground up masked the exhaustion we felt.
Looking back, I would compare being involved in this supplement from inception to this stage to conception, birth and mothering. At point of inception, when all we had was hope, an idea and lots of notes, we were excited and could not wait to get it off the ground, to ‘meet it,’ to hold a published copy in our hands.
As we went through the research and preparations, learnt a lot of things in a myriad of meetings, our excitement was tinged with a trace of anxiety and doubt. We asked ourselves a lot of questions. Would we be able to carry this through? Would we sustain this? Would we keep it fresh and interesting? Would Every Woman touch reader’s lives?
As the launch date drew closer and pressure mounted, tension rose and fatigue abounded. It was a long, hard labour but we pushed through to the very end.
I will have to admit this; the first year was quite hectic. It was full of trials and errors, highs and lows. However, in pretty much the same way a new mother grows adept at feeding, burping, changing diapers and managing the sleep times of her growing baby, we too slowly began to understand the dynamics of Every Woman and what was needed to keep it going.
And as parenting is a 24/7 365 job with different developmental milestones that inevitably impact on both parties, the supplement continued to grow, evolve and present us with new challenges. We removed and added a few sections. We redesigned our pages a few times. As the supplement grew older, the team grew with it. Through it, we have become mature and more knowledgeable.
And, just as a parent ought to step aside and let their child become independent, I have resigned from Every Woman (and NPL). May 10th was my last workday, this is the last supplement I will edit and the last Editor’s note I shall write. I believe Every Woman is now a brand that can hold its own and that roping in someone else will breathe new life into the supplement.
I enjoyed (a great part of) this amazing journey. I met and interviewed strong, selfless women (Catherine Chipembere, Sakkar Sacranie, Joyce Banda, Temwani Simwaka, Rosemary Kanyuka, and Sylvia Singo are just a fraction of them) who have inspired me to go over and beyond any given task. I do not take this for granted.
I was offered solace in your homes and hearts through this supplement each Sunday and I am truly thankful for this.
But, as Irish playright and Nobel Prize winner George Bernard Shaw once said: ‘Progress is impossible without change’ In change, there is power. In order to advance, we have to change. Take on new challenges. Indulge in something that offers a different perspective. And for me, this is the perfect time to take that crucial step.
Be blessed
