I'm here to empower every woman, says Sandra Ndebele

Artiste and businesswoman, Sandra Ndebele-Sibindi, who was at the weekend appointed Bulawayo's representative for Young Women for Economic Development, has said she will work hard to ensure that women from across all sectors realise successful goals for their engagements.

The Young Women for Economic Development, an apolitical platform for young women to push for economic opportunities and empowerment, was recently launched by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa in Harare.

An excited Sandy said: "I'm happy with my appointment as I feel that such recognition is in the right direction in making women claim their rightful spot across all sectors." She said for young women to make it out there, there is a need for their businesses to have proper structures.

Women, Sandy said, have figuratively and literally come off as the dragons, just as the popular series Game of Thrones which saw the rise and power of women.

"We're coming at an angle as dragons and the only way we can achieve this is if we empower each other as women regardless of any associations. Most businesses accomplish this because they have proper structures from accountants to marketing.

"The only thing we're asking for is that big companies and interested individuals give us a look and empower us," said Sandy. The artiste, who has bloomed in the arts sector  for over 20 years, said her appointment did not come as a shock as she has worked hard to be where she is.

Off music, she runs two business initiatives dubbed Sandy's Craft and Craft r us, organisations that are set to debut at the Dubai Expo 2020 slated for October this year.

"If people, especially the young crop in the creative sector, respect their craft as a business, I can assure them that they can push their brands to something that has never been seen before.

"A good example of such is my project Intombi Zomqangala which for the past years has empowered every girl in different sectors where the ultimate goal is to ensure they flourish wherever they go. Other good examples are Thandy Dhlana, Novuyo Seagirl and Qeqe who all underwent my grooming," she said.

Sandy said the recent call for loans by Empower Bank, a bank that is all about empowering youths should be readjusted in terms of collateral taking into consideration that a number of start-up youth businesses have no such.

"Empower Bank is an initiative that will empower us to revive the economy in an amazing way through the loans that they are facilitating. All I am asking for is that there is a need to appreciate that not every youth has collateral, but arrangements should be put in place as the end goal is to ensure we go big in terms of exports rather than imports and this applies to sectors cut across," said Sandy.