Multifaceted Madikgetla
For Gomolemo Lolo Madikgetla, being multifaceted stems from full conviction that women and youth have the capacity to yield relevant innovations, inclusive solutions and to deploy needle-moving leadership.
Lolo plays diverse roles and is definitely skilled in many domains, having served as a leader for almost 20 years.
She is the founder of Ungwa Africa, which is proactively present at tables of decision-making and at the helm of critical sectors.
In this week’s edition, the remarkable woman made time to catch up with The Voice’s OLEOSI KGOSI to talk about her incredible journey.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to converse with us. Kindly introduce yourself to our readers?
Mostly referred to as ‘Lolo’, my full names are Gomolemo Enele Madikgetla.
I am mom to a remarkable 16-year-old son.
I am the Founder of UNGWA Africa, a social enterprise that co-creates impact through leadership, mentorship and what we refer to as ‘lifeship’ initiatives.
I run a small nifty boutique consultancy that does brand marketing, strategic communications, innovation management and event management.
I am a part of WEDO (Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organisation), a global community of women who, through concerted efforts, address poverty using entrepreneurship as the key lever.
I serve as the Pan Africa Ambassador.
I am not a believer of titles defining who one is, so to introduce myself outside of that, I would say I am a curious creative contributor committed to meaningful change and sustainable impact.
Interesting! You have quite a presence in the public space, what exactly do you do?
Thank you.
I work with individuals and institutions (mainly in Africa and the diaspora) to contribute towards addressing systemic change in critical areas.
This is done through leadership, mentorship, consultancy and advisory.
I am truly grateful for the opportunities that have allowed me to contribute to different audiences and the stages that have been extended to me and my teams.
I do, though, wish to say that in the same way that quality athletes are built in locker rooms, the public version of a person should not be greater than the time spent in quieter, deeper and more immersive spaces, preparing for the delivery of global solution.
Absolutely impressive! Now unpack Ungwa Africa and its mandate for the reader
UNGWA is a Setswana verb meaning, ‘Be fruitful.
Grow. Multiply’- It forms the philosophy that underpins the mandate of UNGWA Africa.
Started in 2020 and registered in 2021, UNGWA Africa is a social enterprise that co-creates impact through leadership, mentorship and ‘lifeship’ initiatives.
Creating Shared Value (CSV) is at the epicenter of its mandate.
This means driving both economic impact as well as social impact (contributing to the environment and community, while also making a financial profit).
The LML (Leadership Mentorship and Lifeship) Programme is its flagship offering, where Mentees experience a journey carefully curated around their areas of growth.
Very empowering, how can one be part of Ungwa Africa? What is the criteria if there is?
To become a member of the UNGWA Africa community is 100% free.
One has to simply complete the form that can be found across its social media pages.
The call for the 5th cohort of the LML Programme is from the 9th until the 23rd of February, 2023.
The next programme will be starting on Wednesday 1st March.
Delivered fully online, on evenings and Saturdays, this will be a shorter yet more intense edition. Exciting new additions have been made, taking into consideration critical skills required in the 21st century skills.
Mental Health is a topic that has been steadfast throughout the past three years.
UNGWA Africa offers free sessions on mental health, delivered through digital platforms through a certified expert.
These are done through ‘MOFAGO’ installations, which are nugget-sized dialogues on topics that are difficult to both understand and navigate.
These are open to the general public.
Where did you draw inspiration from when you founded the social enterprise?
Spiritual nourishment is where I not only draw inspiration from but also establish solidifying and stabilizing anchorage – professionally and personally.
According to the Bible, the first instruction given to mankind (in the Garden of Eden), was ‘Be fruitful, grow, multiply and dominate.’
Inspiration to have something I love come to life; Inspiration to establish an enterprise has come from people around me already in the space and generously sharing advice on how to assume growth.
Generally, how was the reception and support when you penetrated the industry?
Social selling is hard.
Very hard, because it is not a commodity with immediate tangible returns, it is not so easy to get buy-in, receive financing and solid support.
UNGWA Africa was first announced to an audience of 100, during the 2019 Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organisation (WEDO) Annual Summit at The Little Theatre in Gaborone.
The mentees were unveiled and the concept well-received with immediate pledges of support (on the spot).
This, on the eve of the pandemic… The programme started in January 2020 just before the national and regional lockdowns.
This affected the previously committed pledges and some could not be honoured.
Understandably so, the programme went on for 12 months in the first year.
It was very well-received to the point that a full television series was offered (at no expense), profiling each of the mentees – on prime time, on national television, capturing their experiences and growth journeys.
As an advocate of social impact, what are your aspirations in alignment with nurturing and developing women in leadership?
As you may be aware, Africa has the youngest population in the world, with over 60% being under the age of 25, according to the World Economic Forum.
My desire is to see marginal systemic change across the different key intersections where women and youth are concerned.
This includes access to funding, active participation in trade (especially within the anticipated AfCFTA), acquisition of economic autonomy, addressing gender-based violence, as well as focusing on gender equity.
What are your achievements thus far?
A profound leader, Dr Enock Sitima, recently taught me that you should never let your trophies be your tragedies, meaning as you progress, do not be enamored of past successes but learn to move on, from there.
Achievements include seeing lives changed and hearing the testimonials from alumni mentees, mentors and even Friends of UNGWA. In December 2022, UNGWA Africa, together with a small circle of friends, spent Christmas Eve donating gifts and playing with children at the only pediatric clinic in the country.
In 2022, UNGWA Africa issued over 240 certificates on digital skills, for FREE, through a programme with grow with Google and a training partner.
From 2020 to 2022, four successful cohorts of the LML Programme have been delivered, resulting in deployment of even more enhanced leaders into communities, from different countries.
Past institutions that UNGWA Africa has engaged with have included UNICEF, SADC Secretariat, GIZ, Botswana Government, Statistics Botswana, World Health Organisation and Paris21.
The greatest achievement of all is understanding that it is never about you but those you serve.
UNGWA Africa was invited to be the Project Lead for an initiative conceptualised, chaired and championed by the South African High Commission in Botswana, called Project Mabu.
The Project is done in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and key sponsors currently from the retail, education and entertainment space.
Having worked with the renowned TEDx, how was the experience for you?
Experiencing live TEDx, TEDWomen and TEDGlobal in different parts of the world and in varying capacities (from being involved in curation, production, stage hosting as well as on the advisory board), I look back and I know that it can only be God.
The platform and community continue to be one I both treasure and learn from, daily.
You get to be surrounded by people who are smarter, more experienced and knowledgeable than you.
This does not intimidate but present an opportunity to learn.
Producing the very first TEDx in Botswana possibly introduced me to bootstrapping and social selling.
Selling a cause and talking of ideas, the experience has taught me the importance of connection, community, compassion, curiosity and commitment.
The core volunteer teams that I have been involved with remain priceless.
I believe Botswana is definitely ripe for a TEDx.
It would be an honor to produce it now, post Covid-19.
Spreading ideas that matter, through quality storytelling.
What is your highlight moment that will forever remain treasurable to you in your work?
The most important thing in transformation is not the destination nor the journey.
What matters the most is who you journey with – the company.
The hero in the UNGWA Africa story is God, followed by the mentees who invest in personal development through being a part of a cohort with people from extremely different backgrounds, some located in other parts of the continent, and fully trusting the immersive process.
Those are the real heroes.
The mentors, resident experts and contributing experts generously dedicate their time and resources towards the programme.
I would not say there is a single eureka moment.
It has been a series of experiences.
What are the challenges you face in your line of work and how do you overcome them?
The idea is to democratize access as much as possible, deliver meaningful work and also have a sustainable and profitable business model.
Achieving all is not easy, but possible.
Besides being career driven, what else do you do?
I get to contribute in areas I care about, including innovation, investment, trade, education and creativity.
Finally, Thank God it’s Friday, what will you be up to this weekend?
This weekend will comprise sketching, lounging and simply letting my hair down, completing an assignment, spending time with loved ones as well as serving in my church.
