The Women Entrepreneur Awards (WEA) is a concept created to encourage, support and empower and celebrate Mauritian female entrepreneurs from different sectors, and to showcase their contribution in the Mauritian economy.
WEA was crafted with the goal to celebrate women’s achievements and successes as small, medium or big entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs in Mauritius are invited to submit their applications for the inaugural edition of the Women Entrepreneur Awards. The deadline for applications is 31st May 2023.
The Women Entrepreneurs Awards are also being supported by a range of Ambassadors with experience of entrepreneurship across a wide range of sectors. On that note, we caught up with Sameera Chattun Koyratty and she shares insights on her journey as an entrepreneur. Excerpts:
- What inspired you to get started as an entrepreneur?
My passion and positive attitude inspired me to get started as an entrepreneur! My family taught me to have a strong foundation. They taught me to stand up for thing I believe in!
- Can you tell us about your business?
I run a training centre “Safe Sha Training Centre Ltd” where we deliver mainly IT trainings to kids as from 8 yrs., to students and professionals and my second business namely “Beach and Sportswear Ltd” with my aunties and my mum. Apart from this – I am also consultant for another family business which is our Restaurant namely “Chez Rasta” and on top of all this I am the Mauritius Chapter Lead for Women in Tech Africa. I am also an Alumni Mentor through Cherie Blair Foundation – where I got the opportunities to mentor other women entrepreneurs.
- What are some of the main challenges you have faced as an entrepreneur and how have you overcome them?
Woman entrepreneur and challenges: It’s a FREE subscription 😊 everyday…people always have different challenges. Limited funding! Fear of failures! Inadequate system support, inappropriate / unfavourable business environment and gender inequality! How do I overcome them – by remaining focus in what I do! Perseverance, hard work, never let down!
I am not that kind of person who sit on the side and daydream 😊 I do what I think about! I do not care what another think about myself! Each one has their own opinion and each one see things differently! It’s all about the belief. I will always think outside the box.
Optimistic at heart – whenever there was and there is a new project, I always look for possibilities instead of looking for all the problems! I have the “can do” attitude! Always ready for a challenge… I always tend to look for solutions…always fixing things in life. Know when to back off and let something go!
- What would be your advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs, based on your personal experiences?
Follow your dream. Your passion -be bold in what you do, never underestimate your inner power as a woman. Make memories than money, be known by your passion and not by your position! Measure success by happiness😊
- Why are you supporting the Women Entrepreneur Awards as an Ambassador?
Everything has been said early – passionate about what I do and supporting women for any cause is my passion! Just as it is important to have women friends…it is also important to have a network of women around you. Networking do bring support to each women (like it happens in my case, surrounded by amazing and powerful women). And not to forget as Ambassador of Women Entrepreneur Awards – I am here to celebrate each other / praise each other’s ideas. Build each other up, help each other up and talk to each other…
It should be highlighted that the participation in the awards is free of charge. The awards are open to women-owned businesses where a woman is the sole shareholder, and also to women co-owned businesses, where the woman owns at least a 50% share of the business. Awards will be given under a number of categories, starting with those a turnover of less than MUR 1 million, with MUR 5-10 million of turnover, and rising to those over MUR 10 million.
The Women Entrepreneur Awards are co-founded by entrepreneurs Kirti Sheonarain, Marie-Noëlle Elissac-Foy and Jyoti Devi Boneeyad. The trio met on a project “12 Parkours Fam Morisienn” in 2022 and decided to join forces to launch this initiative.
