 Thank you for keeping us company here at Y254 TV. In case you're just getting to join us, my name is Grace Meingy and this is why in the morning hashtag Wednesday that is WCW and strength of a woman where we get to encourage each other as women and get to highlight notable women in the society doing something out here. And of course this is our first conversation this day so you've not missed a lot. If you missed the giggles, you're here for the conversation. And we are glad you could join us. Let me just let you know where you could find us on our social media handles, interact with us across our social media handles at Y254 channel. And in case you're not able to access our live TV, you can be able to access our live streaming at www.kbc.co.ke forward slash Y254. And before I talk a lot, so before I talk a lot today it's about young women in the place of leadership with me in studio. I have Elsie, I have Elsie with me in the studio. She is a young director, yes, yes I said a young director, a lady doing quite a number of notable things in the society, but to crown it all she is a model. So before I get to speak for her a lot, Kariboussana Elsie. Thank you so much Grace. We really appreciate your coming. Thank you. So before we dig deeper into the discussion, please let us know who are you, what do you do then we can get talking about the conversation today. My pleasure. My name is Alison Boye, I'm 18 years old, I live in Nairobi, I speak English, Swahili and French. In short, I'm saying I'm Alison Boye Kabau. I almost disappeared, let me tell you, I almost disappeared so I was like, are we in Kenya? Where are we? We're good too. Don't worry I got you. But it's a good one. You got me there. You really got me there. Okay. So what were you saying? Sorry, I rudely interrupted you. It's okay. I'm Alison Boye Kabau, I'm 18 years old, I'm a student at Alliance Francais, studying French. I'm also a student at Zitec University, studying international relations. I'm a model currently having two titles, Miss Kitengila 2022 and 2023 and Miss Tranquility 2021. I'm a director for Natural Talent Modelling Agency, I'm a makeup artist at Pangs of Nairobi, I'm also an actress at Kickoff which is also under reverb nation. Yeah, that's it. Wow. I feel like, what was I doing when I was 18? That's what I'm thinking. That's what I'm actually thinking about. Grace, what are you doing when you are 18? Someone here is a director, she is a model, she holds two titles. Congratulations. Let me just begin by saying congratulations. So before we even get to talking about, let's just start where you've introduced yourself. How do you handle all this? It's basically my mom. When she sees opportunities, she loves to grab them. Because actually when she was 18, she didn't do much and she wanted to do much, but you know, African parents back in the days, they didn't allow it. So she said that her daughter won't, she won't suffer. So like she told me that to become a model, she also, when I finished high school, I finished last year on April. So after high school, I did make-up artistry because you know that long period, my mom told me that you can't stay at home. Why are you staying at home? And there's a lot to grab out there. So I did make-up artistry. Then modeling, I started way back in 2020. Since the corona period, we were not going to school. So my mom told me you can't stay at home. Whether she really hates me staying at home, like why, what are you doing? So I started modeling in 2020, but I started competing in last year 2022. Yeah, so basically on 2020, I was just training and all, but I didn't go into any pigeons or any competitions. Yeah, now in 2020, now I started using my skills, my learning skills, and then I started networking. Oh wow. So your modeling career was buffed while you were in high school. Yeah. So how did it play out when you went back to school? When I went back to school, I just kept it on hold because I can't focus on two things. And I was actually in boarding, so I could not be able to juggle two things. I just wanted to focus on my studies. Then modeling can just do it afterwards, since it's not a temporary thing, it's just a permanent thing. I am one person who loves, and people oriented, so I love hearing stories from people. And I feel like I want to ask, now this is a person I'm asking, for that big breakthrough to come, of course we have all gone through something. We all have a story that pushed us to the limelight, or we have a story that pushed us to doing notable things in the society. I mean, there's something that fuels your passion, there's something that pushed you to wanting, in as much as your mom has been your support, there's that thing that has pushed you, there's that story, maybe something you've gone through, something you're fighting. Do you have a story you could share with us? Just an inspiration. Before I started working, catwalking and all, I used to see modeling shows like Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, they were just walking out there, and you could see their body structure, the way they face people, the way they catwalk, and the pictures they used to take, as you know, modeling pictures, they're just outstanding, they're just fabulous. So I was wondering, why can't I do that, since what's not driving me to do that? So I actually never told my mom about this, then when she told me to catwalk, I was just, oh, did you read my mind or something? Because I just wanted, I really love Gigi Hadid, because you see her body structure, it's really good, and then she makes a lot of money through modeling. So what's driving me to do modeling, it's just that, yeah, I want it to be like them. I just say that one day I'll be on heels, one day I'll be on the runway catwalking, and one day I'll be like one of them. Oh wow. Yeah. How many awards do you have? Just two, I've been to two pageants recently, and I just took the crown, both of them. The one from Kitingela? Yes. And the other one? Yes, and Miss Tranquility. Sorry? Miss Tranquility. Miss Tranquility, yes. Do this, do this, just curiously asking, do these awards come with like, so the way we see Miss Tourism, Miss Kenya, they come with a budget, they come with something like, they come with a budget for the specific Miss Beauty pageant to do, what do you call this? To do a project, a project, a CSR for the community. So do the awards you got have something of the sort? Maybe I can speak for Miss Tranquility, I can say that they just give you support, since when you just want to do a project maybe, you make a poster about it, and then they just contribute your money, and then they support you, especially the organization. The organization is the Resertia team, they just support you, and for Miss Kitingela, well we are working with the youth affair for Kitingela, he told me that he wanted to support me in all my projects, so I'm looking forward to it. Okay, so do you have projects that you'd want to do, like something, assuming that you have something that fuels your passion, we've seen different pageants, or other beauty pageants doing different things, there was one who was very famous, a country member, and I don't want to miss both, there was one who was very famous for tourism, and she was very famous for planting trees, and you know, ensuring a greener Kenya, and then there's another one who was very passionate about women, giving sanitary towels, so do you have a project that is very dear to your heart that you'd want to say as you grow in your career in modeling and beauty pageant trees that you'd want to follow, a certain, what do you call it, a certain project that you'd want to do for the society? I've done two projects, that's one for Pad Drive, where we gave out pads, especially here in the streets of Kunanga Street, along also Jivanji, since a lot of women are out there and they don't have any money to buy their own pads or something. Then we planted trees, especially in Kitingela, using this title Miss Kitingela, and we were with the aspiring MCA, Mr. Alex Sinkett, where he organized that tree planting, and also we went there and planted various trees, and also we were working out on some various upcoming projects, like we want to, especially we want to plant more trees, since especially our world today, it's so messed up, especially with the sun and the rains are not coming. And we also want to carry out street feeding. So how do you intend to do the street feeding, like where specifically? We want to go like in town, like you see when you're working in town, then some various street children just come to you like day 10, day 20, why not just give them food? But not only in town, but in various places like Kibera, Madare, such places where people are starving and they don't have food. So I assume that by the time you're thinking about doing the street feeding, you have a team you're working with? Yes. So you have a team? Yes. This team comprises of? It's the Nature Talent Modeling Agency which comprises of various models and also the producer, the manager. The manager, she is a very famous model. She is Miss Africa Unite where they are competing in Botswana this year. You see, she has various connections and very models who are out there who want to help us. So our team is really big. I can say it's big. So it makes sense you are a part of a larger group. So how are you going to identify the genuine, needy cases and people who are impostors? Because people around here, they have good hearts, they want to help. But then you encounter a group of, how are you able to ensure that the help you give goes to the really most needy people and not just people who are impostors? First of all, you know, when you look at somebody, you can see that they are really needy. They also have body structure as in some people are really skinny. You see that this one is not pretending. This one is not just an impostor but he really needs help. He just needs food. And you see, maybe in children home, you see those are not impostors. Those are really children who need food. And you see, like in town, some people are just con men, they just want money. And I'm not so sure about that but my instinct to just tell me this person just needs food because you see, by looking at that person, you just know that you really need support. Okay. I feel like we should probably, because now today we are talking about women and you know, we are not limited to, the conversation is not limited to one side. I want to ask, how far have you gone with your makeup classes? For my makeup classes, I studied at Linton's Beauty College. It's located in Westlands. They offer a three-month course, especially when you want to do a certificate level. So I've just done a certificate. So you're done with it? Yes, I'm done with it. What do you call this? Trying to get the right wording for it. You know skincare routine. Yeah, I do. I want to ask you. No, that question has crossed my mind because I was like, today we are talking about women and there are women out here. But really, personally, I've been a victim of that until recently where I had a problem with skincare routine. Do you mind taking us through, probably skincare routine? There's maybe someone who's wondering, what do I do to my face? What products do I use? We don't have to probably talk about the product, but we could talk about, you could help us or talk to us about basic skincare routine. What I can tell you about women is that she used Ganyar. Because you see, like Aziad, let me just use an example like Aziad. Aziad has skin rosso. It was filled with pimples. And you see, after using Ganyar, her skin is so smooth and you just wonder, but the magic is Ganyar. So like, Ganyar has various products as in the exfoliating, the sunscreen, the scrubber, the face mask and all. And you see, like, when you follow that procedure, I guess it's good for you. Okay. I want to come to the level of someone who can't afford products. Okay. But they want to do something at home. Like something that they can't afford to buy. A homemade. Yes. This routine just thinks that people can do around the house. You know, like, how do you wash in your face? What do you do, like, in terms of, I want you to, I want us to come to the level of someone who's there and they're like, I can't buy these products, but I need to use the locally available things around me. Okay. What I can advise them is that she is like natural things, like aloe vera. Aloe vera, when you apply it on your face. Yes, I know aloe vera cannot be found, but it's cheaper, especially when you buy it. And it's really good in your skin, because it brightens your skin. And also, I'm rubbing your face with ice. It's really good, since it's... it's... it's easy to pause. And also turmeric and plus maybe over curds. I usually use... personally, I use homemade products like avocado, turmeric, coconut oil in applying in my face, and it really works out good, especially coconut oil when you use it as your day-to-day oil routine in your face, face oil. It really... it makes your skin glow, as in it glows. Then for the pimples, when you get back at home, maybe you should wash your face and with soap, because you see, some people say that your skin is oily. Yes, it does, because when you get back at home, you might get acne, you might get acne, and your face is so oily, as in it glows, and it glows. So it's... your skin is oily, because then it leads to pimples. Then maybe applying sunscreen when you go out there, because nobody likes sunburns. Nobody likes sunburns. Then washing your pillowcase. It's really healthy, as in washing after one week, because your pillowcase may be oily, but it's not oily, and it's not oily. Then it's really sensitive, as in the face, it's really sensitive. My victim. My victim. I think before I started... I think before I started actually taking the wash, the wash your pillowcase maybe seriously. Let me tell you, the point where I started washing, like taking seriously washing my face, the ideal is that my face, this side, has turned, like turned. It had very, like very profound outbreaks. I was wondering, what's happening to my face? Why do I have outbreaks? So I started reading, and I was like, oh wow, probably me, me, after like two to three weeks, and then I was like, I don't, I don't finger my hair because I'm this one. So if I'm not sure, why am I wearing stockings and bonettes for, why, for who, for where? But yeah, I really, I really get it. I think that that area where I lack before we talk about something else is drinking water. Yeah, it's a challenge because actually me, I usually encourage myself that I need to, the doctor has advised that she drink like eight glasses per day but none of the struggles are quite at your killer time as you know, there are no glasses that I don't have. As in consistency, it's quite at your, always expected to imagine that there are two, two, two, two. So that's the one challenge that I have. Yeah, I try a lot drinking water but it's a, quite at your eye. That is not actually my problem. My problem is I feel what I don't just worry about. Even if I try to put things, I've tried decorating what I have tried, putting things in it and cucumbers, lemons, carrots. Please. With any brands so far? For the modeling agency. Other than just the modeling agencies, have you worked with any brand? No, not yet. But it's something that you'd want to give a try? Especially seeing my face on one of the billboards as in advertising maybe something. It's my dream. Why French though? Why are you starting French? I actually wanted to ask you that when you actually spoke in French and then I got confused. So why French though? I study French because my course really needs a foreign language and also for the international relations, it deals globally and not just, not inside just the country. So I need to learn like one foreign language. Also I'm thinking of studying French. I mean Spanish. I really get the language so so fun. How do you how do you think or how do you see yourself marrying what you are starting by now plus what you are doing? Have you pursued sorry if I missed that but let me just ask it again. Have you pursued fashion as as a class as a course? Like you go to school study for modeling and stuff? No. I just do modeling as of my activity. But you got accepted into agencies. Will you want to venture into a school to study it as a profession? Yeah. Taking it seriously. Yeah, I don't mind at all. Yeah, I don't mind. So how do you feel or how do you think you're going to marry international relations or why do you see these two meeting when you imagine you as a person you've done international relations and you're also a model probably to semi-topia first by experience you know. So how do you see yourself marrying these two I feel like they are in two different worlds. Yeah. I'm just imagining how do you see them together. For international relations you can be a diplomat and for a diplomat you need to be outstanding since your own country it's sending you to various other countries to represent them. So like fashion you can do fashion as in about the wearing because you can go like always in the VV into other countries. So like the clothes that you're wearing it really speaks a lot about people especially the representation towards people for a diplomat they usually wear like maybe suits yeah maybe official clothes but you know you see there are type of various official clothes that they don't look good as in but in my fashion I can really apply that especially in my wearing as we approach towards the close of this conversation there is this there is this conversation that has been making rounds cross social media Twitter and the like and there is this there is this concern or rather outcry if I've had call for lack of a better word let me just call it outcry of young people being included in the leadership positions what do you take on that being a young leader being a young leader it's really motivating because you can't really grasp a lot you can't really manage various things for example like me I'm being a director at the age of 18 that's really outstanding especially for me especially for my age I even I can't imagine that I'm a director to 18 for the youth yeah it's really nice being a leader at this time cause like maybe let's say we are just practicing and you see when we are being leaders for now in the future we can be like really amazing leaders out there so since we are used to these things at a tender age and you see like maybe when we are maybe 30 years old we can't find it difficult being a leader or maybe appointed a leader of many people you can't really manage it what are your aspirations as a model what do you see yourself five years from now in the future five years in the future as a model like what are your aspirations as a model as a person being a high fashion model especially in developing countries like you see like those models that work really confidently showing kissing their designers the designers clothes like yeah I would like one day to be there maybe in five years time anything else what do you want to tell us about yourself about just basically what I can say about myself is that I'm happy for where I am right now I'm happy for I'm really glad what I'm doing right now and I'd really like to tell people that when you get a chance just grasp it all because you see yes some chances maybe not be the best thing for you but you see when you just grab it and the chances chances chances chances chances one day you'll make it and that chance maybe the one chance it's can really lead you to something greater and it can really change your life so don't just sit there at home just do something extraordinary like She used her talent in which she led her. She used her talent very well and you see where she's leading up to. The last question. Last, last one. Okay. I'm not a past cheque editor. I'm not a past cheque editor. The last question. Tell us your social media handle. And give a shout out to anyone you'd want to give a shout out to use that camera. On Instagram you can find me at lcwkmo and also on tiktok you can find me at e.l.s underscore ie. And I really thank my mom for the fascist they can meet. Thank you mom. I love you. And also for my friends. I love you so much for the support you've given me. And thank you I2504 for hosting me. It has been really great. I loved it. You're welcome. And we went to the Kachikas we had before the show began. And here we are. It's been a good one. Thank you. Thank you for making time for coming, for the notable work you're doing. We hope that as time progresses even as you get to get more experience, more people supporting what you're doing, you'd really spearhead a great course in the society. So we wish you all the best. Thank you Grace. With your welcome anytime. That was it from this first conversation on strength of a woman. We were talking to Elsie Kamau who is a young director at 18. Ooh, what are you doing at 18 Mimi? What are you doing at 18? But yeah, this is quite notable. Elsa is a young director at 18. And we've had a comprehensive discussion on the role of women in leadership. Plus the role of young people. And a little bit about everything you've had. That is all we had for you from strength of a woman. But do not touch that dial. Values coming back with WCW.