VOA标准英语2010-Two African Women Winners of 2010 UNCTAD

Joe DeCapua 29 April 2010

They beat all odds¹ and succeeded in business. Now, UNCTAD is honoring two African businesswomen for their innovation. The award winners relied on resilience, hard work and determination.

The red carpet was rolled out and two African women entrepreneurs became proud winners of the United Nations Conference of Trade and Development 2010 Empretec Women in Business Award.

Beating the odds

Ugandan Beatrice Bvaruhanga, founder² of Lira Integrated School, which serves children from nursery to secondary age, won 1st place.

“It’s amazing. I’m just too happy to be connected to the world. I believe in myself but I didn’t think I could compete and make it in the world,” she says.

Botswanan Joy Simakane, founder of Extramile Express, won the 3rd place award. She provides customs-cleaning and messenger-delivery services.

“To be recognized from a small country is a really big achievement for me. I’m really excited to compete with women who have been in business for more than 10 years. I’m really excited,” she says.

Empretec is a training program designed to encourage entrepreneurship in developing countries. UNCTAD has 32 Empretec centers in developing nations. They have trained more than 150,000 aspiring³ female entrepreneurs since 1988.

This award didn’t come easy for Bvaruhanga. She says the traditions in her country made it more difficult for her as a woman to break into the business world.

“Even after having the vision, my elders didn’t believe that a girl like me could get a land and own it. I had the challenge of inheritance which is common in African countries. And it’s worse because women own nothing. I grew cassava and when the yield was ready, I sold it. That was the first revenue I made. From that savings⁴, I made wheelbarrows that I would hire to wheelbarrow pushers,” she says.

And for Simakane, the struggle was similar.

“I didn’t have funds. I was not recognized when I started. But in 2002, I went to my government to see if they would assist me and they did. I didn’t have good vehicles. I used to drive vehicles with open doors but I didn’t give up because I had a vision for my company,” she says.

Believe

They have a message for aspiring African female entrepreneurs.

“I want the women in Africa to believe in themselves. That’s the most important thing. Have passion for what you do. A lot of women go into things they don’t know they don’t love because they want to make money. But it’s not all about money,” says Bvaruhanga.

Simakane adds, “Even if you are not schooled or have a degree, even if you don’t have money. As long as you have determination, you can do anything in this world.”

And what’s next on the horizon for these trail blazers?

Bvaruhanga says, “I’m looking at growing the university. We’ve got the nursery, primary, secondary, O-levels and A-levels. With the University coming up, we will be complete.”

“I’m busy opening branches internationally,” Simakane says, with business locations in Britain, China, Argentina, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia.
 

1 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

2 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

3 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

4 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。