Thursday 6 April 2017

The Trailblazer



                                                                        Natasha Siku

Ms Natasha Siku is one of the young people that have set a mark for themselves, and has proved beyond reasonable doubt that there is no dream too high for reach. Defining herself as ‘a dreamer’ and a ‘go getter’ goes to show that this young lady does not only dream big, but puts in the work to reach her dreams.

Ms Natasha Siku is the owner of the brand ‘Natasha Siku-From Botswana to the world’ and founder of Opportunities without Boarders, a Non-Government organization that creates awareness, and bridges the gap on opportunities available in other countries. She says what provoked her to start such an organization was when she witnessed a lot of people struggling to pursue their dreams because of lack of resources, and recalls also facing the same challenges when she tried to pursue her dreams. 
“It hurts me that people’s dreams are within reach but they have no access to them. Natasha Siku to the world was inspired by the fact that we have limited ourselves so much as Batswana because we think that someone else can do a better job than us. I challenged myself to prove that notion wrong, so I am going out to the world to show that we are capable and are as good as everyone else.” she adds.
                                                       
Natasha Siku to the world in Mexico

The tenacious Natasha states that through her organization they have managed to build a network between the United States and Botswana, and also help four successful tennis players get scholarships to play in American colleges. Ms Siku reveals that the community is in need of their services, but they have a challenge because they only operate online and are not able to help as much people as they want. She adds that if only they had a structure in Botswana, then they could have a huge impact, for now they try to help as much as they can. Her future plans is to continue making a difference in her community by inspiring over a million people and have her organization financially sponsor talent.

Her background was not all simple, but that didn’t stop her to dream, in fact it brought about the tenacity in her to conquer the world. She confesses that when she was growing up she was bothered with the way people from her community were comfortable with living an average life, no one dared to dream big and do great exploits as they only looked out to get jobs and depend on government schemes.
“I didn't come from a rich family so of course finances were the biggest challenge but that had no bearing on where I wanted to go. I realized that this is not the reality that I want and I will not settle for it, that is why I took it upon myself to make the change and pursue something that was completely out of everyone’s comfort zone and comprehension.” she states

She alludes that if she was to be president she’d give people a fair opportunity to own businesses so that there is diversity instead of tying everyone down to their only business hope being by the government thus erasing the entitlement mentality as it has badly affected the nation.
“Instead of giving grants, I would advocate for these businesses to help create jobs and encourage independence. For me that is empowerment, empowerment is not hand outs. Once these jobs are there, I would want people from as early as 16 years old to start working.” she vividly pronounces.

“Every day is an achievement because we get to change someone’s life, achievements are not the big things that have been done but rather the gradual small differences we make in other people’s lives. Every day, someone’s fire to dream is ignited and they strive to improve themselves. The biggest achievement is hearing someone say that we have changed their lives and inspired them to be better, dream bigger and pursue their dreams”, she vivaciously states.
She says what keeps her going is planning ahead, yet taking each day as it comes and not forgetting why she started her organization. She advices thus “You are you and there is no one like you. Go after everything you want and don't come back until you have it. People will always think they know what is best for you but you are the only one who knows what you want. Never ignore that feeling, though scary, pursue it. It will be worth every pain. Do you and focus on getting better every single day.”

Facts about Natasha (What she says)
Three things people do not know about Natasha
*My father is Angolan (deceased)
*I hate walking barefoot (I used that strong word to emphasize how much I dislike it)
*I am a natural athlete, give me any sport and I will excel in it.

Natasha’s bucket list
*To live my best life every single day! 

Three people that inspire Natasha
*My mother- for being my mother who did everything she could for me. There is nothing that keeps me going than knowing that I want to give her what she wants and deserves.
*Aron Anderson -is a man from Sweden who overcame different types of cancer and lost his leg mobility but continued to do what normal people cannot do. He is just an amazing man and if he didn't let cancer and a wheelchair stop him, what can stop me?
*The last is people in general- We are always looking for successful and rich people to inspire us when we have stories right in front of us. The people I meet and interact with everyday inspire me simply because everyone has something unique to offer and there is always something to learn. 

Natasha’s best childhood memory
Being with family, It is hard being so far away from them and I have come to truly appreciate them and the role they have played in my life but other than that, I miss my primary school and junior school days (some of the best days of my life) as well as playing tennis in Notwane and just being a kid on my street.





No comments:

Post a Comment