By Munyaradzi Doma
Following a thorough exercise which involved assessment of entries from several women around the world, Shawasha Group Regional Managing Director Madam Lillian Nyamasoka has made it to the final list of nominees for the Women Changing the World Awards.
Madam Nyamasoka was nominated in the three categories namely Rural and Regional Areas Impact, Woman in Agriculture and Woman in Sustainability.
The winners of the awards will be announced on 18 April 2023.
For the Rural and Regional Areas Impact Award, Madam Nyamasoka was nominated alongside Rebecca Grisman, (Better Together Housing-Australia), Petina Tieman (Complete Business Solutions-Australia), Dr Faith Nyamukapa (Dr Faith Nyamukapa-Zimbabwe), Peta Ryan (Actively Nourish-Australia), Rev Dr Elitha Moyo (ELCZ Gender Justice- Zimbabwe) and Aytakin Aliyeva (Femigrants-United States of America).
In the Woman in Agriculture Award, she was nominated alongside Josie Grenfell (Food2Soil-Australia) and Patricia Mathabe (Royal Agricultural University-United Kingdom).
And for the Woman in Sustainability Award she was nominated alongside Astrid Schwartz (Bubnest-Australia), Elaine Tang (Melvory-Australia), Jacquelyn Atique (ECOllaboration-Australia), Josie Grenfell and Annabel Schweiger (Food2Soil-Australia), Katie Perry (Katie Perry-Australia), Leanne Savage (Australia-Acala Stem) and Molly Fullee (Australia-Fulle).
Madam Nyamasoka was very happy with her recent international nomination as she said she will continue to work hard to enable woman for 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 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.