Adefunke Sharon Kasali - September 2020 Articles

CHARITY, MINISTRY, AND CAREER SUCCESS

ADEFUNKE SHARON KASALI September 2020

BLOGS BY ADEFUNKE SHARON KASALI

How and Why We Should Empower Women Worldwide - 2 Everything You Need to Know About Changing Career Courses - 4

ABOUT ADEFUNKE SHARON KASALI Adefunke Sharon Kasali is a Nigeria-based business executive and pastor. Having earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting) at Texas Southern University, and an MBA in Finance and Management Information Systems at the University of Houston, Sharon has used her experiences to build up a strong professional foundation. She has previously worked for the Metropolitan Transit Authority, Arthur Anderson & Co., and ExxonMobil. Most recently, she was the Deputy Director in charge of Audit at the Nigeria-Sao Tome & Principe Joint Development Authority and the Executive Secretary and CEO of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (Management) Board. Today, she is the CEO of Rose-Valley Group. Adefunke Sharon Kasali is also a Lead Pastor with the Foundation of Truth Assembly in Abuja, and hosts Moments with Pastor Funke, a web series.

EMPOWERING ONE WOMAN IS WHAT IT TAKES TO EMPOWER THE WORLD.

Gender disparities around the world encompass the greater issue of human rights. UNESCO reports that between 1990 and 2009, over two million children under the age of five were “saved … because of improvements in girls’ education.”

Simply enabling girls to receive an education can

HOW AND WHY WE SHOULD EMPOWER WOMEN WORLDWIDE

By Adefunke Sharon Kasali In the twenty-first century, the disparity between men and women has become more and more apparent. Particularly

mean a world of difference for families. Studies by the Brookings Institution additionally determined that each additional year of schooling “increases a girls’ wages by an average of 12 percent,” and that “increasing the number of women completing secondary education by just 1 percent could increase a country’s economic growth by 0.3 percent.”

Around the world, girls and women still fight for all sorts of rights—the right to drive, the right to choose a husband and request a divorce, and the

now, amid a global pandemic and

right to learn are among the most common.

economic uncertainty, supporting

Global charities have implemented initiatives to

young women is crucial if we want to

ensure that women from different countries can

experience a brighter future.

live safe, fulfilled lives. Those initiatives have provided education, healthcare, and emotional support for women in developing countries or struggling with poverty.

It’s not just young girls who need empowering, though. Adult women hoping to start businesses and develop themselves professionally need support, too. Organizations such as the Women’s Global Empowerment Fund provide loans and training for female entrepreneurs in all different countries. These organizations do more than help start a business; they strive to improve lives through literacy, health programs, leadership development, and sustainable income creation.

How can the average person help? The easiest way to make a difference is by donating money, books, or other resources that a woman in need could use. But don’t let your patronage stop there—spread awareness for women’s plights and charitable initiatives. Get the message out there that women need our help!

Empowering one woman is what it takes to empower the world. Global efforts towards economic prosperity, freedom from discrimination, and increased literacy rates require us to help some of the most marginalized groups out there.

Women deserve more than food, water, and shelter—they deserve power, liberty, choice, and knowledge. They deserve as much success as they can get!

Read more about women's rights at AdefunkeSharonKasali.org

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHANGING CAREER COURSES

By Adefunke Sharon Kasali We often allow ourselves to fall victim to routine, even if that routine is something we don’t enjoy.

This is particularly true for professionals, who may employ some cognitive dissonance when faced with the idea that their current career path isn’t for them. Instead of shying away from career changes, we should embrace them as new career opportunities. Follow these steps to understand career changes in concept and practice.

Meditate on your drive Why do you want to change careers? Are you feeling stuck in your current position? Do you fear for job security? Or are you just excited at the prospect of trying something new? Depending on the motives behind your career change cravings, your execution of a job pivot will differ. If you don’t know where you want to go, just that you want to go, that’s okay, too! What matters is understanding as much as you can about your current situation, both mentally and professionally.

Don't force it For some, a career change could be exciting. Others want to rip off the proverbial band-aid and make it a quick process. However, easing yourself into a new career is the best course of action. Changes to your trade, industry, title, and market niche are not simple, but they can be straightforward. Look for a job or industry that serves as a natural intermediary between your current work and what you’d like to be doing. For example, if you work in sales but want to transition to digital marketing, a position in digital sales may be a good stepping stone.

Find connections and ask questions Unless your career change destination is incredibly niche, there’s a good chance that you can connect with professionals in that field and learn more about it. Using sites like LinkedIn, or through talking to family or friends, find out more about the industry you’d like to work in. See which skills from your current career will translate nicely to your future career, and examine what areas you’ll need to develop for success.

Make a plan of action No journey is complete without a roadmap! Develop a step-by-step, actionable plan to carry you from point A to point B. While you may have to deviate from your pre-planned route, you will be able to manage a few detours so long as you know where you’re going, and which stops need to be hit along the way.

Drastic changes are not always exciting. For some of us, making a huge life change can seem like the end of the world! And, while shifting careers does signal the end of an era, it ushers in a new era, bright and full of opportunities.

Read more about career success at AdefunkeSharonKasali.com