My name is Brenda Syovata Katungu. I am an esthetician and a business woman. I’m currently the C.E.O of Bretiju General Merchant, a cleaning, and supplies company founded in 2016. A holder of Bachelor of Arts in Drama degree from Makerere University, Uganda and Diploma of Business Administration from the College of Business Education, Tanzania.

I love site seeing and I consider this my necessary luxury because it helps me rejuvenate and appreciate nature which in turn pushes me to take care of the environment even more. It also puts into perspective the level of development that has taken place over time and in turn am inspired to put in more work and develop as a person. I also get time to sample and appreciate the creative mind of man.

MY PASSION

Esthetics (skin care).

I am in love with the African skin, In its natural form it is beautiful, it glows and ages gracefully. When your skin is well taken care of it never disappoints. It is beauteous.
My message to Africa is embrace your skin, it is the best in the world and a sunscreen (SPF 30+) MUST be your best friend.

THREE WORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBE ME

  1. Youthfulness: as I  celebrate my birthday each year I can’t help but feel younger than ever. I am eager to learn new things and am more amazed by the new crop of youths. They are more daring, they speak their mind, but above all they are inventors. It is an exciting time to be alive and am enjoying every moment.
  2. Zealous: I push every project that comes along and follow it to the end. I love challenges since they bring out the best in me.
  3. Humility: This has been the key that has lead to my successful interactions with most people regardless of their age, sex or status in the society. It has taught me to be a good listener, courteous and patient all of which are the key drivers in my business.

GREATEST INFLUENCERS
My parents have had the greatest influence in my life as they have taught me to be kind to everyone. It is okay to fail but to learn from my mistakes. Above all to be me and the world will adjust.

MY ROLE MODELS

My Mother (JUDITH MORIO KATUNGU)

She is a business woman who is a go getter, but most of all she is a great sales and marketing person. She told me, “you can sell anything in this world, just know your market, create your own sales language and always be presentable”.

Caroline Mutoko (Group Marketing Manager RADIO AFRICA GROUP LTD)

I grew up listening to her as a radio presenter at KISS 100 FM(Kenya) and over the years I have watched grow to be one of the most influential media personality.
She has taught me to embrace womanhood, never to apologize for your success and hard work and working smart pays.

Julie Gichuru ( An entrepreneur, media personality, a producer, founder and C.E.O of Arimus media Limited, a production house focused on quality African content  and MIMI HOLDINGS LIMITED, a fashion retail business.)

She has made me embrace charity work and to never apologize for being a Christian with its value, “let go and let God”

Caroline Gaithuma ( Intuitive transformational life coach)

She gives the people the space to be the best vision of themselves. Whenever you meet Caroline expect to get in touch with your inner self at the most comfortable way.

MY FIVE YEAR GOAL/S

This is what I plan to do over the next five years

1.I want to be able to expand my supply business in Kenya and to some East African countries while offering quality services to the client’s satisfaction.

2.To raises awareness on how to bring up teenagers with down syndrome, mostly girls and the importance of teaching them sexuality and taking care of themselves since most of them are molested.

  1. To Reduce the bleaching menace (that causes skin cancer sometimes) in Kenyan and East African by teaching women about skin care and how best to take care of it while maintaining that ‘youthful look’ with a glow. Expecting that this awareness will restore the confidence of having an African skin which is necessarily not all dark but has various complexions. And when well taken care of, it never disappoints.

GREATEST CHALLENGE WOMEN FACE

Male Chauvinism

This brings about gender inequality with its many vices.

I ventured in self-employment so that I can show the young women around me it is normal for a woman to be C.E.O, a norm I learned from many female entrepreneurs in Kenya.

I also made it my responsibility to provide pads monthly to young teenagers at a therapy center with kids with down syndrome and other physical challenges in Nairobi County, Kenya. I distributed pads in a rehabilitation center in Kisumu County, Kenya. This is to enable the girls to stay in school and experience a healthy menstrual cycle. As I always say, “menstruation should be two things, normal and healthy”.

This support will go on until early next year or mid next year since by then the government of Kenya will have implemented the bill that seeks to provide free sanitary towels to each school going teenage girl.

Additionally, plans are in place to provide pad bags as this will help the girls pack their pads in a more hygienic way and to also to proudly carry them around.

How I unwind

I listen and dance to Rhumba music. Play me any Rhumba song and am in heaven, Rhumba has also acted as my history teacher, whenever I listen to songs like ‘Rodger Milla’ by  the late Pepe Kale, I get to re live the moments in 1994, when Cameroon beat Colombia 2 – 1and become the first African to reach the quarter finals Whenever Rodger Mills scored in the game, he would celebrate by dancing to Rhumba. A rare scene in the world cup but a gesture that promoted the African culture to the world.

Rodger Milla’s performance was so dazzling that it prompted FIFA to announce that there would be a 3rd team in the future world cup tournaments. Hence when I am listening to Rhumba am not only unwinding but am also in the class.

WHY WOMEN SHOULD BE EMPOWERED

Women should be empowered since once empowered they bring about development to the community and a country as a whole.

When women are empowered their lives are transformed and progress is inevitable and this is the real power, power that no one can take from them ( it is power from within)

Women empowerment brings about inspiration to young girls who in turn learn from their women elders and become great future leaders in different fields. And as Jack Ma (Alibaba) puts it:-

“Please pay special attention to women, women care for  other people much more than men care for themselves, women are going to be very powerful in the 21st century because in the last century people compared muscles; this century people compare wisdom.”

It is this wisdom that Africa should ta to in order for transformation to take place. Women are the secret sauce to a successful Africa.

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