Salome’s insights into ‘The Citizen’ unique initiative

“Mom, how many times do you mention The Citizen Rising Woman Initiative (RWI) per day on the phone?”

That was just after I had made more than ten different calls coordinating different interviews for a new week before hanging up.

With a broad smile on my face, I looked at my daughter Victoria, 9, and realised that my other two children, Mary, 11, and Davinus, 7, were all smiling back as they waited for an answer.

So I tell them, “Countless times that come with a name change at work as my colleagues call me by the project name, Rising Woman, and not Salome,” we all burst into laughter.

This has been my life for three years as the RWI Coordinator. Beside this role, which I hold dear, I’m also a senior features writer for The Citizen and serve as the Vice Chairperson of the Dar es Salaam City Press Club (DCPC).

Rising Woman is an initiative that celebrates women in leadership. With the aim of bridging the gender divide, we tell success stories of women who have made it to the top of the corporate ladder. The hope is that through these stories, we will be able to show women’s capabilities as leaders and also inspire the next generation of female leaders.

I have been fortunate enough to coordinate this initiative since its establishment in 2021. For three years, I have organised nearly 200 profiles published in print and on The Citizen’s digital platforms.

My role includes being on top of all editorial plans, including identifying potential candidates for profiles, planning for interviews, creating a publishing plan, linking up fellow journalists with the interviewees, and working closely with other departments to align how best we can serve our clients.

This is all possible through teamwork in connection with Mwananchi Communications Limited’s tagline, Building Together as we Empower the Nation.

Heading the initiative for three years has been an exciting journey and a great experience that has elevated my skills and continues to shape my career journey of 15 years in the media industry.

My journey at MCL started in 2006, when I reported for my field attachment. Even though today I write for an English outlet, The Citizen, my first stint was with our sister Kiswahili newspaper, Mwananchi.

It is thanks to the former Mwanaspoti managing editor, Frank Sanga, who is currently the managing editor at Azam Media, that I was trusted with my first career gig as a beauty columnist.

It was such a massive task, but I was willing to work hard and was ready to learn. Also, my background in beauty pageants as Miss Morogoro third runner-up and Miss Municipal 2013 later became an asset in the execution of my duties.

In order to get the job done, I reached out to different people in the beauty industry to widen the scope of my knowledge and also get new ideas for my column.

Initially, the concept of having a mentor was alien to me. But it later dawned on me that Mr Sanga was actually my first mentor.

I would reach out to him for study and career guidance when I went back to school. Soon after my graduation, I reached out to him again and asked him about what it takes to be a volunteer.

He advised me to come back to MCL and asked me to volunteer for The Citizen as a business correspondent. I was then promoted to a retainer at the features desk and was later given full employment as a features writer.

My journey to covering women’s issues came about after MCL decided to create “product ownership” and advised staff to find a predilection—something they are passionate about. I was consequently assigned to coordinate the Woman magazine that comes out every Saturday.

Due to my track record coordinating the Woman Magazine, when Rising Woman was established in 2021, it came as a natural selection that The Citizen Managing Editor, Mpoki Thomson, decided that I should spearhead the project.

I never realised how much of an impact it would have on me or how big of a task it is. But I’m glad that I didn’t turn the opportunity down; in fact, it helped build my leadership muscles, and I have been able to learn new things and meet different people who have had a positive impact on my life.

The fact that RWI is now three years old and continues to impact the lives of many women is a blessing. This has been made possible through on-the-job training, mentorship support, and teamwork—without forgetting the tears, sweat, long work hours, late-night calls and texts, and some disappointments here and there—that have made these three years all worth the while.

As someone who has been trained and groomed mostly by female editors as my immediate bosses, with the exception of one or two who were men, the ability that women possess in executing their roles has manifested itself over and over.

In fact, I can say that women possess a certain unique ability and understanding, which gives us an advantage. A case in point happened in February 2007, after I became a mother. Five months later, I was assigned a story in Same District, Kilimanjaro Region. I had to travel with my newborn.

This meant I had to travel with a babysitter. The finance office advised someone else with no baby to go in my place. However, my former female editor, Loy Nabeta, insisted that having a child should not cost her job. The assignment was approved, and I traveled.

Such experiences have made me realise there are things female leaders can understand better than their male counterparts. To promote gender equality, we need to have more female leaders.

Some other key lessons I have learned over the years are that teamwork plays a big role in achieving goals. Being able to identify challenges as a team and find the best way to address them makes a workplace a safe place to be.

RWI has taught me that you will not grow if you remain in your comfort zone. You need to take the journey that scares you the most, because through that experience, you will learn something new.

Through listening to the bold moves that different women have made, I was able to overcome my own fears and accept big offers such as moderating corporate events, something I would have shunned in the past.

I also learned that it is also important to communicate what you do when you get a platform. This widens your chances of being recognised and given opportunities. You also need to remember to celebrate small wins.

Another key lesson is that when you are tasked to do something, invest time in learning and understanding what it takes to execute the role, do good work, and let it speak for itself. More skills, money, and opportunities will knock on your door the higher you go.

It is generally a journey worth taking, despite its challenges, and I apply skills gained over the years to sail in the boat.

I grew up in a very loving family. I am a dad’s daughter; my father chose to believe in me, which gave me a warm and nurturing environment, knowing that I am loved for who I am.