Shawasha Group Regional Managing Director Lillian Nyamasoka
By Munyaradzi Doma
Shawasha Group Regional Managing Director Lillian Nyamasoka has described her recent nomination for the 2023 Women Changing the World Awards as one of the best things in her illustrious career.
Nyamasoka who last year was awarded the Outstanding and Game Changing Agriculture Executive at the Vital Concept Agro Summit, was nominated in four categories.
She was nominated for Women Changing the World in Rural and Regional Areas Impact Award, Women Changing the World in Agriculture and Farming, Women Changing the World Social Enterprise and Women Changing the World Sustainability.
“It is unbelievable, I still feel emotional as it’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me and to us as a team.
“It’s wonderful to receive not just recognition, but international recognition for the work that is being done and in this case, something where risk is a part in order to do it.
“I feel people have now listened to my story about enabling women for sustainability and looked at the business and believed that it is something good.
“It started with an idea, a passion and a frustration with the small scale cotton contract farming industry which led to me wanting to do it better, make some changes and have resilient farmers who look forward to every season,” said Nyamasoka.
The winners of the 2023 Women Changing the World Awards will be announced at an event in London, United Kingdom on April 18 this year.
The Women Changing the World Awards which are a brainchild of Dr Tererai Trent a Zimbabwean-American educator, celebrate and recognize women achieving outstanding success in areas such as sustainability, humanitarian work, leadership, advocacy, tech, product development, education, health and innovation.
The awards are designed to recognise the growing number of women who are leading the way in making the world a better place for all and inspire women to answer the call to take action.
Nyamasoka whose companies ShawashAgri based in Zimbabwe and AgroShawasha based in Mozambique and are into cotton contract farming and one of their areas of focus is empowering women in rural communities for sustainability and poverty alleviation.
In its cause, the company also considers youths and households under its empowerment initiatives.
The company started in 2009 by supporting sesame as a contract farming method before it grew to participate in cotton.
To date they have more than two products which are sesame, maize and soya beans.