Uplifting the Next Generation through Power to Girls

What would you like listeners to know about you besides what I’ve already shared?

Aisha Addo: [02:24] First off, thank you so much for having me and for creating the space for me to be able to share my experiences. You kind of touched on everything that I I do, but I think one thing that is prevalent in all of that is that I really do enjoy creating safe spaces for girls and women. That is one of the things that I’m very, very passionate about. So every aspect of my work is connected to that. 

One thing that I’ve been working on lately is an app and platform that is built specifically for young girls to connect with each other and to connect with mentors, which is called My Empower app. So that’s also one of my latest initiatives, but again, it’s all connected to girls and women. So I’m really excited to be here with you and just sharing some of the things and the lessons that I’ve learned so far.

Damianne President: [03:17] Yeah, really interesting because one of the things that really struck me when I was reading about all of the things that you do is that you really focus on many different components in working with the girls. So it’s personal development, mentorship, mental health, wellness, leadership, and entrepreneurship. A lot of programs that I’ve encountered before focused on one of those areas or two of those areas. Why did you decide to focus on all of those areas instead, which is a very different model.

Aisha Addo: [03:51] Yeah, absolutely. One of the key things that we realized early on is that the experiences that girls face is very holistic. You cannot focus in on just one thing because when you do experience one aspect of it, the other aspect shows up.

So for us, one of the things that’s very interesting and we actually take very seriously is the idea of personal development and really helping the girls develop themselves, helping them navigate and narrate their own stories and identify who they are for themselves. And then once they’ve been able to challenge the narratives that they’ve heard about themselves and figure out what narrative they’re going with and who they want to become, it’s then easier to tap into all those other aspects. That’s when you’d have mental health. That’s when you have business, that’s when you have mentorship, that’s when you have leadership, that’s when you have entrepreneurship among many other things.

 Until you effectively deal with the self, and this isn’t like being just for young girls, I think this goes for anyone for that matter, once you’re able to identify who you are as a person, you’re able to really address your triggers, your traumas and all those different things. It’s easier for you to navigate different spaces and it’s easier for you to be able to excel in every area of your life or in any way that you find yourself. So that’s kind of the thought process behind why we ensure that we’re tackling all aspects of the girl.

Damianne President: [05:13] Yeah, I really like that concept because one thing that’s so important to me personally, is realizing that life is integrated, that it’s one life and everything is holistic. So sometimes when we’re focusing on one thing, then we can forget about something else. And then we become out of balance. Balance isn’t quite the word that I mean, but I mean, we can begin to feel uncomfortable that something else is missing or something else is not getting the attention it deserves.

 In terms of the app that you’re working on right now and your latest project, was this partially inspired by COVID.

 Aisha Addo: [05:51] That’s actually a really good question and it was partially inspired by COVID, but I think anyone that runs mentorship programs will tell you how challenging sometimes it can be when you’re trying to match up different people and their schedules and all of those different things.

So for us, we really wanted to see how we can leverage technology, but then also really make it accessible. Even around the conversation of accessibility, there’s still a chunk of people that we might be leaving behind, granted that this is an application. And that’s something that we’re definitely going to be tackling along the way.

 One of the things that really inspired this was having to create a space that allows for girls to be themselves. We’ve seen throughout this pandemic the influx of mental health issues, and it’s not even just for young girls; mental health issues doing this crisis is for everyone. I think everyone is dealing with it differently.

 The other aspect too, is that for younger girls, they also have to deal with cyberbullying and then they also have to deal with the constant things that they see in the media, things that are portrayed on social media about who they are, about their identity, among many other things.

So I think it really was a way of creating a safer space, a safer online space freely that allowed for the girls to connect with each other but then also connecting with mentors and role models and being able to tap into different people at different times. The beauty of the application that we’ve created is that it is mobile so you can schedule a call with someone. You can call someone, you can text that mentor. So it gives you that accessibility. So it’s kind of like a mentor at the top of your hands; that really was the thought process behind that. But again, it comes back to really trying to create that safe space because if you go on Instagram or Tik Tok, all these other social media platforms, it is not very empowerment friendly or it doesn’t necessarily boost up your self esteem.

 I think even as adults, when we even navigate some of these platforms, there’s always a question of who you are. If, as an adult, as someone that is very aware of who I am, have those thoughts when I see some of these things, then how much more younger girls, when they’re still trying to figure out who they are and their place in this world. So that’s essentially what inspired it as well.

Damianne President: [08:12] That’s such a good point because so many of us, and especially the current generation,are really into using apps on their devices. And so, being able to reach out to somebody in the place where you are, which is often a device, I can imagine being very helpful and very useful as well.

I want to get this question in there very early. How can people get involved in your work? What opportunities are there for people to get involved in your work and then how can they do that?
Aisha Addo: [08:42] Thank you for asking and for even proposing that. So for us currently, I think one of the key things is we’re always looking for folks that are going to support our organization as donors, as sponsors and as mentors. Currently with the new platform that we’re launching, we actually want to recruit as many mentors as we possibly can, people that identify as women and have wealth of knowledge to share with the girls. We are always welcoming mentors and really just partnerships in different aspects. We work across sectors so we work in entrepreneurship. We’re going to be going into tech soon as well. So really just having access to those mentors and those different resources is something that is super important to us.
The last thing too, is that we’re going to be working on a leadership center in West Africa so we’re looking for folks that are interested in partnering with us to make that a reality as well. There’s so many different ways that you can support or partner with our organization and all that information is on our website at powertogirls.com.
Damianne President: [09:47] The listeners of this podcast are quite international. Do people have to be in Canada or in West Africa or is it pretty open?
Aisha Addo: [09:55] In terms of like the mentorship, right? So the application is something that we are hoping to be a worldwide thing. We’ll be introducing it in different countries, of course, in increments, but it is something that we want to be global. So anyone really like wherever it is that you are at, definitely sign up to become a mentor. And in that same way that you’re signing up to become a mentor, also sharing the platform and the app with the young girls in your life or the people in your life that you feel like benefit from it. This is something that we actually want to take global.
Damianne President: [10:26] What ages are we looking at?
Aisha Addo: [10:28] We’re looking at middle school all the way to high school. So from 12 all the way up. Actually we even have had instances where girls that are in college or university also use the platform. This is something that we are not going to discourage. It is made for young girls so as many opportunities as they possibly can to get access to mentors in each other, we’re all for it.

Damianne President: [10:52] Wonderful. And so people can definitely go to powrtogirls.com to get more information, but that gives a nice overview to start. Not everyone has a personal story of motivation, but many people do.

 Do you have something that drives you towards your social entrepreneurship?

Aisha Addo: [11:12] Wow. That’s a really good question. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked that question in that way before. And the reason why I say that is because I think there’s always like an aha moment when you’re like, wow, this is part of the reason why I do what I do.

 For me, the story dates back to my experience as an immigrant, coming to Canada and trying to figure out where I stand or who I am. I think those experiences really caused me to take a look at it myself and take a look at some of the experiences that I was having and really not wanting to have other girls going through that or experiencing that. So coming to Canada, figuring out my identity, I was in foster care for some time. 

I always share this as one of my pivotal moments, when my foster mom sat me down and said this is some of the things that is expected of you. You’re expected to become a teenage mom and you’re expected to become, you know, a drug addict. You expect it to become you know, high school dropout.

And this is what the system actually expects from you as a young black woman. And that was very interesting. And it was very alarming for me because I was thinking, wow, this place that I’ve been put that is supposed to be a safe space or a safe haven was not necessarily expecting much of me. And it was in that moment that I recognize that I’m not going to be any one’s stereotype and I’m not going to add to anyone’s statistics of what a black girl is supposed to look like or what a black woman is supposed to do and how a black woman is supposed to act. And I think for me, that was the moment I’m like, I’m going to write my own story and I’m going to be the narrator of my own story and I’m going to be the pioneer of my own story. 

At the end of the day, the only person that I should be striving to be better than is the person that I was yesterday. And I’m in no race with anyone by myself. So for me, that was a very monumental time and that was part of the reason why I really wanted to create a space that allowed for girls to get that support. 

It really is always full circle because I’m able to be that person and I’m also able to really support young Aisha throughout her journey. Because as much as I give to the girls, they also give back to me in more ways than one. So really it is about being able to heal young Aisha while still impacting and sharing some of the lessons with the girls. So that’s kinda like my personal legend and how I came to do the things that I do not.

Damianne President: [13:52] That’s very powerful because I think for so many black girls and other marginalized groups, we can really struggle to find a sense of belonging and identity in school. I know you moved to Canada from Ghana when you were 14. I was 12, almost 13 when I moved to Canada from the Caribbean. But even when people haven’t immigrated, they can still feel that sense of disease, of not really belonging in a place.

 That’s such a big deal for girls too, because at some point along the journey, as we get older, there begins to be this disconnect from the person we were, where we were comfortable being in a class with everybody else, with the boys and liking science and math and all the things, to there being a point where that becomes a bit more challenging. So I think that’s part of why these mentorship programs are so important.

Aisha Addo: [14:54] Yeah, absolutely. You hit the nail right on the head there. Absolutely.

Damianne President: [14:59] You’re doing such important work with the girls and you also have this ride sharing app based company Drive Her. When I was preparing for this interview, I saw that there were some articles or some conversations about, was it okay for there to be a rideshare app that was just for women. Tell us about the company and about your reaction to those types of conversations.

Aisha Addo: [15:25] It’s interesting because Drive Her is always going to be a part of my entrepreneurial journey and it’s always going to be a part of my story. But then one of the things is that I ended up having to put Drive Her on hold while we kind of figure out and navigate this new normal that we are in. But then also more importantly, really just recognizing and challenging ourselves as an organization to still be able to deliver the safety that we want to deliver. I think that’s really what it comes down to.

When we decided to create Drive Her, there was a lot of questions. You mentioned some of them. There’s a lot of questions around is this necessary and all of that stuff. And for myself, one of the key things for me was really around allowing women to take their safety into their own hands and not relying so much on these corporations that are trying to tell us what we need. And I think that’s really what the essence of Drive Her is and that true essence is the thoughts that I had in mind when I was building that out.

 Over the years, it has taken many shapes and forms and we’ve experienced different challenges. But I think one thing remains true is that, in every aspect, whether or not we decided to bring Drive Her back or not, I think what is important and what is vital is that women are able to take their safety into their own hands and are able to reclaim their power in any way, shape or form that they decide to. We don’t have to apologize for that.

Damianne President: [16:59] I used to live in Japan and there will subway cars that were just for women, for example, and sure, wouldn’t we all like to live in a world where we all feel safe, where women don’t have to worry that they might be attacked or they have to be concerned about their safety in any way.

But just, just the other day I was taking the Metro home in the evening. And it was kind of quiet on the Metro that I was taking. I looked around to make sure that I was going to be getting into a car that had other women in there. And so certainly we’re not in a space in the world where women can just be blasé about their safety.

What’s your dream for the women and the girls that you work with?

Aisha Addo: [17:45] I think whatever their dream is is what my dream is. I don’t want to impose myself on them or the things that are important to me on them. And this is something that we always talk about at Power to Girls is that we don’t necessarily give anyone a voice. These girls already have voices. They already have passions. They already have visions and dreams for themselves. Our role is really to support that into amplify those dreams, those voices among many other things. So for us it’s whatever it is that their dreams are, we are essentially the incubator to allow for them to be able to amplify that dream and for them to be able to make that dream a reality. We are the nurturers of that dream, right? So we essentially provide them with the support, the resources and the mentorship that they need to make that dream a reality. So yeah, we are just the supporters of their dreams.

Damianne President: [18:40] That’s lovely. 

I imagine that sometimes when you’re doing this kind of work it can get a bit discouraging at times, or maybe not necessarily discouraging, but you may have some down moments. What is the pep talk that gets you going, or that does it for you when you’re having one of those moments?

Aisha Addo: [19:02] That’s a really good question, because I actually have to think about that over the past couple of weeks. And the truth of the matter is, you know, the work is fulfilling, but then the work can also be exhausting. And in the moment when I’m feeling down, really for me, it’s reminding myself why I started in the first place.

But then also allowing myself to actually feel whatever it is that I’m feeling. And you know, being able to name that feeling and being able to address that feeling, whatever that feeling is. So, you know, in those moments of not having clarity for me, it’s more around seeking clarity and like checking in with myself.

I’m a big advocate of mental health and mental wellbeing. So I always try to extend that same level of grace to myself that I do to other people. And I think that’s what really and truly now keeps me going. It’s like when I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed and feeling a bit tired, being able to pull back and say, Hey, listen it’s been a long day and I can’t do this right now and just being honest with myself and also checking in with myself because I’ve learned over the years that you cannot give from an empty vessel, right? So if I am empty or I’m running low, my productivity is going to be low. My energy is going to be low. Everything that I give, it’s not going to be full and it’s going to be done in a very mediocre way. So it’s always important for me to reach out and to refuel and it really is around self care to be quite honest.

 Damianne President: [20:39] Are you tuned in to recognize when you need that break or that self care moment, or to take a pause for mental wellbeing?

Aisha Addo: [20:50] Yeah, I’m very in tune with those moments and for me, one thing that I say to the girls all the time is that as they’re learning from me, I’m also learning from them. We’re going on this journey together. Although it might not seem like it, we’re all on that journey of discovery and it doesn’t matter how old you are, you’re still figuring out who you are. You’re still on this long road of discovery and for me, my girls hold me accountable to the things that I say. So it’s also very important to me personally for me to hold myself accountable to the things that I say. So when I’m sharing with them about mental health and mental wellbeing and the importance of taking a break and the importance of stepping back, and when you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay for you to say not right now, when it’s okay for you to say no and all these different things, for me to also practice that and for me to also be patient with myself and remind myself of my own words as well.

So yeah, I am definitely in tune with that. And in those moments, I really just allow myself to be and allow myself to feel okay.

Damianne President: [21:59] You know, I came across, you was through, I think it was an article online and you were talking to some students I believe. You were talking also about the concepts of self acceptance as well. We talked earlier in terms of belonging and identity. What’s your relationship with self acceptance and how does it show up in your work with the girls?

Aisha Addo: [22:25] Wow. That’s a really good question. That’s a really, really good question. I wouldn’t be able to do the work that I do if I haven’t accepted myself for who I am. And I share that because a lot of times, imposter syndrome of course shows up and tries to cause you to question your worth and question who you are and say, you know, what makes you the right person to do this work and all that stuff. But it’s in that vulnerability, and I think that’s the community that we’ve created, is really allowing ourselves and allowing the girls to be vulnerable. But it really comes back to allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and that’s what really creates that safe space. So for me, self acceptance is really being vulnerable and allowing myself to feel whatever it is that I’m feeling, but then more important, allowing myself to be, and just loving myself as I am.

And I think I mentioned this earlier, which is around extending that same level of grace to myself as I do to my girls. Because realistically speaking, if I’m not taking care of myself, I won’t be able to take care of my girls and I wouldn’t be able to support them the way that I do. So it really is important to me. Does that mean that I’m always on top of it? Absolutely not. Like there are days where I’m just like, Oh my God, I can’t do this right now. And there are days of questioning and the other days when you just, you just feel out of sorts. But I think the value or the importance is in recognizing those moments and being able to identify those moments.

So when I do identify those moments, I say, okay, cool, we’re going to be in this, we’re going to sit in this for a bit and we’re going to allow ourselves to explore why we’re feeling like this, and again, going back to the mental health thing and just taking care of me for a bit. It’s always a learning process and I never stopped learning about myself and exploring more of me and who I am.

Damianne President: [24:27] It sounds like you have found a way to ground yourself so that you can be comfortable with yourself and also recognize what you need and when you need it. Was it always that way or…

Aisha Addo: [24:43] No, was it always that way? I’m still learning to ground myself if I’m being quite honest. It’s a learning process but I think what I’ve found is I’ve found the things that work and I have really, I spent a lot of time exploring myself. This is something that I share with my friends all the time that there is at this point right now, there’s nothing that you can tell me about myself, that I’m going to argue with you about. I’m very aware of who I am as a person. And this is something that is important to me because if I’m not able to really identify who I am, then how can I actually challenge the girls to figure out who they are. So my work is very personal, but then it’s also very interrelated to everything else that I do because it requires that work and that self-worth can be exhausting. It can be tiring. It can be you know, like it can be a lot of things.

Damianne President: [25:41] Do you have any regular strategies or processes or practices that you think helps you with this?

Aisha Addo: [25:51] Honestly sleep. Yeah. I feel like sleep really solves a lot of things and drinking water really. I was sharing something a couple of days ago and I’m like, I will outsleep you. I enjoy my is one thing that I do not play with it, so sleep. And once you’re able to get a good night’s sleep, sometimes you’re able to just explore and allow yourself to just go with the flow.

Damianne President: [26:18] That’s so interesting because like what’s coming up for me as you see sleep and how important it is is that that’s something that I’ve been really feeling, and we have an idea, or we have an intuition that we’re more patient with other people when we have slept enough. But now I’m thinking I guess we could also be a bit more patient with ourselves when we’ve slept enough as well.

Aisha Addo: [26:48] Absolutely. Something that I have to check for myself really early on is that I cannot expect something from someone else that I haven’t given to myself. And that notion of being more patient with other people and not being as patient with myself, like I I’ve gotten to a point and this is something that I’m still exploring where, you know, I’m like, why is that? Like, why am I so open to being patient with other people, but not extending that same level of patience for myself. 

 I think that’s one of the reason why I love the fact that my girls challenge me so much because it’s like, if I say something to them that I’m not doing, they’re like, Aisha you can’t say that because last week you said this, this, this, this, this, so that accountability and that accountability to self is very, very important.

Damianne President: [27:44] There is somebody who’s listening who is a girl, or who is mother and father, uncle, et cetera of a girl, do you have an invitation of something that you would like to invite people to do to help support a girl in their life?

Aisha Addo: [28:05] Yeah, that is a good question. And I’m going to share what I always say to folks, and this is something that even for myself, I always have to remind myself of. Be very mindful of the words that you impart into the lives of the little ones around you because words in itself are our life and are powerful and your words have the power of building up or breaking up.

So just be very mindful of that and be conscious of how some of the things that you say, although my be jovial to you, can actually be detrimental to a young girl’s self-esteem. So that’s always the thing that I say is be mindful of your words. Be mindful of the words that you’re saying to them, but also be mindful of the words that you’re saying to yourself and ask yourself where some of these things come from.

Like, if you know, you’re saying to your young girl, Oh, you know, you got a bit big or you got a bit skinny and all those different things, where are those things stemming from, and how is it actually going to be affecting her in the long run? Because one thing that I’ve learned is that women are nurturers and women can nurture love and they can nurture pain.

So the things that we might not necessarily think of as important or the things that we might not necessarily think of as vital is actually shaping them up to becoming the person that they’re going to become in the future. So look at the young girls in your life, look at the girls in your life, and ask yourself before you actually utter words, is this word that I’m going to say going to build her up or is this going to turn her down?

And if the answer is that it’s not going to build her up, then don’t say it. So it goes back to the old adage of if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. And I think this goes for adults as well. If you don’t have nothing nice to say, just don’t say anything, because your words are life.

Damianne President: [30:16] I love that. And I also think if you can interrupt yourself, you can flip that and find something positive to say about the person that you were thinking of criticizing or saying something not encouraging too; that could be the next level of the challenge.

Interrupt yourself when you were about to say something that’s not nice to a girl or anyone and change it into something positive instead.

Aisha Addo: [30:42] Yeah, absolutely. And I mean there’s nothing wrong with criticism. You just have to criticize with love. You have to criticize with understanding and patience. This notion is not to say that you, you shouldn’t correct when a young girl in your life does something wrong, but again, communication is very multifaceted and it’s not just one way. So just being aware of all those different nuances and how it shows up and how it plays a role in the lives of young people.

Damianne President: [31:09] I’m curious what you think about this? I was listening to a podcast, Higher Learning last week, and one of the hosts said that you shouldn’t tell girls that they’re beautiful. Both hosts are black and then the other host said, Oh, please tell black girls they’re beautiful all the time, as much as you can, because that fights the mainstream ideas of what beauty is. How does that sit with you?

Aisha Addo: [31:43] Yeah, that’s actually a really interesting point. I do think that you should tell girls they’re beautiful all the time, including black girls, especially black girls, because like she said there’s so many different things that you’re fighting with on a daily basis. And I make it a point that every time I see a young girl, really reinforcing her.

So if I see a young girl, I’ll say Oh, your hair looks really nice or I’ll say you look very beautiful, like, Oh, you’re so beautiful, really reinforcing her. And it’s not saying it because I don’t think they’re beautiful or their hair is nice or anything like that. No, because I feel like you have to constantly hear those things. You have to get those words of affirmation. And when you’re not getting those words of affirmation, it’s easy for you to then start seeking it from elsewhere and start seeking it from unhealthy places. So really, yes, do tell Black girls they’re beautiful. Tell girls they’re beautiful. Tell the young boys in your life that they’re handsome and they’re worthy.

 Reinforce your kids, like really, and truly. Reinforce them in every aspect because society is telling them to be a lot of things by themselves. So if you’re not creating a space that allows for them to tap into their inner self and tap into their strengths, it’s so easy for them to be carried away. So yeah, reinforce them. Tell them they’re beautiful. Tell them they are handsome. Tell them they’re hard working. And the thing that you shouldn’t do under any circumstance is compare them to anybody else but themselves.

Damianne President: [33:13] That’s such a great point because I know when I speak to my sister, sometimes that comes up of situations where we’ve been compared one with each other. None of those are really helpful because we’re all individuals.

I have three short questions to finish up. So those are quick questions with one sentence answers maybe. 

So question one, what are you doing in the 24 hours before a big meeting? So let’s, for example, you need to raise funds because you’re in the entrepreneurial space. You were about to go into a big meeting, what are you doing 24 hours before.

Aisha Addo: [33:53] I’m sleeping.

Damianne President: [33:58] There’s a good theme coming up there. You’re consistent. 

So you’re super productive. What’s the most important tool in your toolbox that makes everything else a little bit easier or more focused.

Aisha Addo: [34:11] My journal and my pen, because I love to write everything down. So yeah, these are my go-to. That’s everywhere, I always have my journal and my pen.

Damianne President: [34:22] What’s your favorite way to recharge and what do you do for fun?

Aisha Addo: [34:26] I love to travel. I love to sleep – I think I’ve mentioned that several times – and really just taking care of myself, so doing little things, doing facials, getting a massage, all those things, but really just spending time with my own company and appreciating myself.

Damianne President: [34:44] What are you doing to recharge yourself in COVID times?

Aisha Addo: [34:47] Oh, in COVID times, sleep.

Damianne President: [34:51] If you had to choose, this could be a longer answer, but if you had to choose, are you choosing to go with your head or your heart and why?

Aisha Addo: [35:01] Yo, this question is actually a very good question. And it’s a very conflicting question for me because it’s a constant dilemma. But I’m someone that is very heart heavy that always goes with my heart. But then there’s been moments where when I go and listen to my head, my heart is like told ya or my head is like, told ya.

So it’s a very conflicting question, but when it comes to my work, I’ll definitely say my heart. When it comes to family, I would also say my heart and when it comes to everything I guess, and everyone else, my head. But yeah, it’s a really hard question for me personally to answer because it is a current dilemma.

So thank you for that.

Damianne President: [35:58] As we finish up today, is there anything else that you would like listeners to know, anything I haven’t asked or anything that’s on your heart?

Aisha Addo: [36:07] Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me. And I think the last thing that I would definitely share with the listeners as a reminder is for you to stay true to yourself and that in wherever you find yourself and whatever you find yourself doing, stay true to your calling. Stay true to yourself and remember that you’re worthy. Even in instances where you might feel unworthy, you’re still worthy. So that will be it.

And then my last call to action is we are looking for mentors for the application. So please reach out if you’re interested in being a mentor. You can follow me on all social media platforms, as well as aishaafua. My personal website, well business website, powertogirls.com, personal website aishaaddo.com. My DMS are always open. And if anyone ever needs to dig deeper into some of these topics, I’m more than happy to do that. And thank you so much, Damianne for having me.

Damianne President: [37:16] You’re welcome. And definitely all of those links will be in the show notes so that people can visit all of those sites and connect with you.