We can achieve our dreams at any
age particularly in the era of technology. So at 60 a woman can aspire to start a
new career or take a new turn in business, pick a new course and acquire
knowledge in an entire new area. Yes we can. Nothing seems impossible anymore
to the young, the aged, and male, female, black. For us women in particular who
have had to keep career in check so as to raise a family. When it’s all said
and done and the children are all gone off to live fulfilling lives of their
own the woman is free to explore new frontiers of knowledge, skills and perhaps
just interests.
If you are so lucky as to be free
of financial pressures, then the sky is your limit. With no more worries about
school fees, rent, pampers or children’s clothes how do you engage with your
time, talent, money and other resources? But even where finances are a bit
tight because perhaps you still have some unemployed graduates, it’s time to
make out some ‘me’ time. I have some suggestions:-
1.
Pick and complete an interesting online course. It may
or may not add monetary value to your family purse but just do it because you
are curious or interested in the subject. Some sites offer free courses, like iversity.org
and MOOCs4U which offers free academic subjects from professors abroad
sometimes with certification. Do a google search to explore free courses even
in non-academic areas of interest like cooking, fashion, or health.
2.
Teach a skill from the comfort of your home. Women in
the neighbourhood or from church will be interested in learning from a pro, how
to make speciality edikan ikong, kunu, moimoi with leave, poultry, or fish
farming. You can actually start an entrepreneurship or skills mentoring program
and who knows where or how far this may take you to.
3.
Mobilise the women, or youths/children in the community
to form a club for the advancement of knowledge or to solve a community problem
like waste disposal, water sanitation, or high rates of childhood diseases and
mortality. In other words we need to bring our knowledge and skills to bear in
favour of the communities where we live.
4.
Set up a library in a corner of your home and promote
an after school reading club in your community. You can arrange to teach the
children singing or art with the aid of some interested young mothers in the
area.
5.
Join a political party and make a difference. At the
ward level you do not need to seek patronage of any godfather. Expectedly you
should be welcomed as a respected elder in the community who has much to offer
in helping to transform the community.
Hello Ruth, thanks for inspiring women to chase their dreams. Indeed a woman can change or start herccareer at any age. Judge Judy, the popular US TV judge's TV career took off after she turned 50. I was a commencement last month, the valedictorian is a 70 year old woman who earned a bachelors degree. The list goes on!
ReplyDeleteWow Fatma. Thanks for commenting. I would love to add these to a list am compiling of women around the world who came to their own post 50.
ReplyDelete