Recap Of Festival du Feminin Nairobi 2019- 2nd-3rd Nov 2019

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November 7, 2019

Recap Of Festival du Feminin Nairobi 2019- 2nd-3rd Nov 2019

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A Recap Of The Incredible Festival du Feminin

Festival du Feminin is a sisterhood movement founded in Paris, and since then has developed in more than 10 countries (Canada, USA, Mexico, Colombia, India, Morocco, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand). For the first time ever it was brought to Nairobi.

Last weekend on the 2nd and 3rd of November the Festival du Feminin was held at the Tribe Hotel. Attended by women from all over, the event kicked off with an amazing opening ceremony and ended with a big bang on the 3rd of November. During this two-day festival, women went through an amazing transformative journey. They got to share, transmit and celebrate precious moments of their lives leaving feeling inspired and happy. Jessica Pelham & her team pulled off an incredible event which touched so many women. There was an Art auction held on the evening of the first day where artists gave their paintings for auction, the monies from which is to go towards different charity organisations. Amongst many of the artists who gave their paintings, Peter Elungat a renowned artist gave two of his paintings towards charity. Keep an eye out as the auction will continue online. For all those women who couldn’t attend this year, make sure you attend the next event. Below are the images from the two-day festival!

Gallery

A Growing Global-Awakening Sisterhood Festival

“Women empower one another when they connect with their inner selves, with one another, and with the world”

Festival du Feminin® is an international event for women of every culture to experience awakening and empowerment in a safe and intimate environment.

It is a journey of self-discovery that allows us to feel, access and reconnect with the multiple facets of ourselves, breaking away from the rigid expectations of peers, parents, colleagues, partners, and society at large.

Festival du Feminin Nairobi 2019 has partnered with Village Market’s CSR projects, supporting children in need

What To Expect?

Through interactive workshops, get ready to celebrate a two-day event devoted to body-mind experiences, women’s personal growth, hosted by an array of local and international facilitators. There is a range of inspirational events awaiting participants to nurture every aspect of their being.

There are more than 20 workshops to choose from. Some are more dynamic in nature, brought to life with song, raising us up through movement, a chance to release and let go. Yet others are softer and subtler femininity in motion.

Other workshops are more reflective, where we delve into exploring our psyche, our emotions, our weak points, discomforts, and what we have trouble expressing. We will connect through experiential workshops, forgiveness circles, dance, voicing our truth, art, singing bowls, and more.

Open to all on Saturday Evening: Exhibition of artworks by Gaby, Anne, Milena, Usha, Niketa and more with an Art Auction to raise monies for several chosen foundations to support women and children.

MEET THE WOMEN:

Gisèle BARADEL (France), a professional dancer and Latin dance teacher for the last 15 years, is currently a Primitive Expression dance therapist following the teachings of France Scott Billman, who initiated and developed the discipline. Gisèle co-founded CalorDanse school and is the choreographer of a Samba filles group. She is passionate about percussion music and the powerful opening transformative process that dance creates within a group, between a couple, and inside a person: letting go, daring to move, pelvic fluidity, easiness to guide and acceptance to be guided. Today she runs group sessions in Primitive Expression.

Linda BLANC (Singapore), is a corporate lawyer who turned her passion in ashtanga yoga, insight meditation and Taijiquan martial arts into a full-time wellness occupation. She runs the Chen Style Taijiquan martial arts school, which is the Nairobi branch of the Chenjiagou Tiancai Taiji Academy located at the birthplace of Tai chi in Chenjiagou, Henan in China. Her taijiquan lineage stems directly from the source.

Amber VAN DEN BERG (Great Britain), spent 15 years in PR and sales before turning to Qi Gong and Taijiquan for ultimate healing and holistic well-being. Passionate about our living/working environments, she is currently a student at the European College of Feng Shui run by internationally renowned Classical Feng Shui Master and Qi Gong/Tai Chi instructor, Howard Choy.

Onyxe ANTARA (USA) is deeply committed to how sacred witnessing of personal journeys can expand world views and transform lives. She is the founder of HeartSpace, a body of work that focuses on deep listening, clearing emotional tension in the body, connecting with our Divine Essence, and learning to live a purposeful life with heart-centred presence. As a Regional Coordinator for Gather the Women, a global sisterhood dedicated to changing the world one woman and one circle at a time, Onyxe facilitates multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-faceted women’s circle worldwide. She received a degree in Mind-Body Transformational Psychology from Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Arizona, USA.

Jenna AMERSI Hi world, it’s me Jenna! An integral spiritual healer, Inner child therapist, systemic constellation facilitator, psychologist, NLP master, a universe explorer, a friend… but most of all I’m just human 🙂 I’m not here to change your minds about the great beyond, I’m just here to take you on a magical journey through time and space.
I’m just glad to get a chance to share my perspective with the lovely people in the room. The world is a mystery full of heartbreak and history… revolutions and peace… distraction and creation!

Claudia Milena VACA (Colombia and USA) is an artist, she divides her time between the Americas and Africa. She combines her passion for art, colours and shapes with her love for nature and travel. She runs regular art safaris and art tutorials with a live model in Kenya and Colombia. A lawyer and entrepreneur, Claudia’s passion for art has taken her to explore our world and the portrait of ‘I am’ to new areas of discovery. “Art has been my dear long-time friend, it has helped me translate and simplify in shapes and colours the beauty I see, a friend that takes me to an intimate place of peace. No sunrise or sunsets are the same, art is an expression of the change around us and within us.”

Rosaia RUBERTO (Italy) has an M.A. in Sociology, with Post Graduate Specialization in Women Studies, Gender, Sexual & Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Care, Women Empowerment. She started this journey as her own healing journey. After sexual abuse, thyroid dysfunctions and chronic pain, her calling was to return to loving her body and her life. She is as a trainer, mentor, specialized in gender equity, women empowerment, sexual violence prevention and care in Africa. Rosaia has 20 years’ experience in international development supporting communities in need, she is a certified life coach, holistic yoga teacher, and founder of yemaya women program.

Marianne VERRIJT (Netherlands and Kenya) is a very passionate and authentic trainer. Born and raised in the Netherlands, from a very young age she knew that the world was bigger than only the little village she grew up. And even bigger than what we could see with our eyes. She is fascinated by people, connects with them from the heart and loves to find the uniqueness in everyone. She has a degree in community development, group dynamics and intercultural communication and is an international NLP and systemic work trainer with 24 years of experience.

Alice BLANCHARD (Scotland) is a psychotherapist in private practice with 28 years of experience. She is the Director of a Wellness Centre she founded out of her passion for and commitment to an integrative approach to mental health and wellness. She cofounded EMDR Kenya Trust offering advanced trauma training to mental health professionals in East Africa. Much of her practice is committed to working with men, women and teens recovering from trauma.

Cathy KILONZO (Kenya) is a dance and fitness professional with over fifteen years of experience in both fields. Catherine’s passion for dance and wellness lead her to create AFROBICS. This is a form of African Dance, aerobically choreographed to African rhythms. It an authentic, fun, unique and simple but effective dance workout that can be enjoyed by all age groups. She has a diploma in group fitness instruction and aerobics and it has enabled her work in some of the best gyms in Nairobi.

Amina FORAMITTI (Argentina) holds a graduate degree in Architecture, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and has won various design awards. She is a Health Coach, trained and certified by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN). As a Health Coach, Amina is passionate about acting as a supportive mentor and wellness authority helping clients feel their best through food and lifestyle changes by tailoring individualized wellness programs to meet their clients’ needs. She uses a holistic or integrative approach to both diet and lifestyle changes to improve their clients’ health. Working as a guide towards an overall healthier life, Amina considers her clients’ nutrition patterns, relationships, physical fitness, spirituality, and more. Amina is a mother of three and resides in Nairobi, Kenya.

Wanjeri Gigi MAHIHU (Kenya) has over 30 years’ experience in the broad field of psychology, is very well versed in both clinical and corporate therapy. She has a BA in Psychology and an MA in human behaviour and an MSC, International Hospitality Administration and is a Consultant psychologist. Schooled in the USA and UK, she has through the years developed a unique model for interventions, transformation, and treatment with success. She has high regard for positive psychology and wellbeing as part of her wellness programs, which she frequently presents to organisations and institutions as “health chalk talks”. Wanjeri has designed several programs for rehabilitation and patient care and is the founder of Touch of Health wellbeing centre located at liaison house, state house avenue. She is also a fine artist.

CHI CHI (Kenya) will lead the art auction event, highlighting the story behind the artworks and the link to the festival. All proceeds to charity, including Euphrasia Women’s Centre, Village Market Education Campaign, Orkonyil Mural Project, Local Aid.

PERFORMANCE BY SHIRLEY G (Kenya) Shirleen Githinji, started taking singing seriously when she was around 7 or 8, so she has now been singing for about 9 years. “I would personally say that the music that I write best describes how I feel at times, and I also try to write music that people can relate to because sometimes music is all you need to feel understood.”

Alex CHICHON (Germany) “I live as a world child, not belonging to any religion or nationality and yet connected to everything. I am a yoga and martial arts teacher, and librarian. I love nature, books, travelling, dancing, music and life in its different facets. In my opinion, we women should reach out our hands in love, peace and respect and create a better present and future with our strength and knowledge, Mother Earth and all living beings.”

Milena (Germany) came to Africa when she was one-year-old. She grew up in Kenya and due to her father’s love for Safaris was regularly out in the bush from an early age. In those early years, her love for nature and Africa was born. Much to her parent’s dismay, her main activity on those Safaris was to collect all manner of insects and take them along, as she considered their car to be an “insect bush-taxi” – and you never leave friends behind. The love for Nature and Africa has stayed with Milena since these early years as her main source of inspiration.

Niketa (Kenya) believes that art brings meaning to our lives and is essential in sharing the experiences of our cultures. She paints and constructs fabric collages to commemorate our ever-changing urban and natural surroundings. Her themes often highlight issues around gender roles, water access, environment degradation and endangered wildlife. She says- ” Childhood memories, travel and social issues inspire me in the form of a bustling transport junction, city street, or school children walking home from school, each moment a chance to be grateful, stop, breath and be present in the moment.”

Usha HARISH (Kenya) Wildlife Photographer, Safari Planner and Passionate Naturalist. A qualified Chartered Accountant turned photographer and avid traveller, Usha loves wildlife & nature and likes to capture the emotions of people and animals alike in their natural habitat. She wants to showcase the wilderness around and spread awareness to the world about conservation through her work. Beautiful colours, animal patterns and animal behaviour intrigue her as much as the act of translating those into images using the camera.

Anne BARADEL (France) My place of creation is Orange, in the south of France. My work is characterised by urgency, a melee, a face to face, something like an acceptance of what will arise, like a taming constantly to start again. My painting is as a writing, a question, each table as incessant variations around the feminine body, reshaping, the look, the place. The artists and movements that inspire me, are ancient and medieval sculpture, Rodin, the drawings of Giacometti, Lucien Freud, the trees of Holan, Matisse, Yves Klein, Picasso and Soulages.

Dr. Shazia HASSAN (Pakistan) Born in the United Arab Emirates & then later moved to Papua New Guinea from where she graduated with her medical degree. She is married to a Kenyan and Kenya is her home now. She has always loved art from a very young age and whenever she finds some time she is ever ready to create magic with her brush. Since she has moved to Kenya she has spent some time working on art pieces here and there. The piece she is donating is called “Mwanamke” which literally translates to “woman”. The wrinkles on the woman’s face are a witness to her hard work. She never gives up and works tirelessly to provide for her children and family. This piece was chosen to appreciate all women.

Sylvie Baradel (France) has made Bangkok her home over the last ten years, intensively travelling worldwide and passionately enjoying being a businesswoman in the fashion and jewellery corporate world. Through her participation at the Women’s Forum for the economy and society in Myanmar and The Worldwide Entrepreneurship Forum in Singapore, she met committed women and men who inspired her to share her enthusiastic energy to support spiritual values and ideas empowering people to open up to more fulfilling and more conscious relationships and dimensions. She is Asia ambassador, developing and has been supporting Festival du Féminin® worldwide for the last five years.

Maéva MICHEL (France) is a singer who grew up with music, especially singing. In her early childhood, with her first experience of a live concert in the choir “La Villannelle”, she had a mystical experience: feeling the energy passing from the public to the choir during the silences between the pieces, and from the choir to the public during the pieces. She was able to put words to this experience much later in her life. Since then she realizes that all her life she tried to feel this again. Now she knows where she can find it, and her goal is to share it.

Jean SANGALE (Kenya) is a dedicated, enthusiastic and inspired Breath Work Facilitator. After nearly half a century of trying to manage the symptoms of depression using a variety of practices she never felt she really had a handle on her depression and feared the episodes. That is until she started working with conscious connected breathwork. It has led her on a journey through her psyche and her body. Revealing wounds and motivations and a new understanding of herself. The same person but completely different. “I’m back in my body and my life with more joy, a spring in my step and a song in my heart” She now shares her ever-growing knowledge and experience of the fantastic tool/technology/function/gift that break work is. “I revel in Breathwork every day.
Living it, loving it and learning it. I continue to be in awe of the practises especially as I work with more and more people and witness their joy, revelation and hope renewed by the grace of breath.” Be inspired. Breath in life. Make space for your Breath.

Hodan MOHAMED (Somalia) is a Life Coach, Trainer and Businesswoman, founder of Dodilion Success. Hodan provides support services and consultancy to a wide variety of corporates either in the capacity of executive or as a business partner or consultant. Her philosophy is to build a long-term business partnership with her clients where interpersonal relationship, reliability, assured quality and target-oriented modern technology are the major building blocks. Hodan has a lifetime of experience in functional fields, grouped together with Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) the objective of providing appropriate business solutions and empowering individuals to gain their full potential. Hodan delivers Human Development Training, Life, Executive and Business Coaching, Sales, IT and Go to market strategy, and Motivational Speaking.

Jessica PROCTOR PELHAM (Portugal and Great Britain) has a double honours M.A. from Oxford University and has worked on five continents. She is married with three children one daughter and twin boys and divides her time between Kenya, the UK and Portugal. In 2019, she founded Expat Expert and Access Business, dedicated to supporting expatriates living abroad or returning home after postings overseas. Jessica was a facilitator at Festival du Féminin® Bangkok 2019 and is the Co-Organiser of Festival du Féminin® Nairobi 2019. She’s an Inner Child Therapist.

Madhvi DALAL (Wales) dared to spread her wings and she has soared. She risked dipping her hands in her mark on each. Today she is multifaceted – a Pharmacist, Dancer/Choreographer, and Social entrepreneur. Her exemplary work in each has won her numerous awards including the Welsh Asian Woman’s Achievement Award two times over in the professional and Arts/Culture categories. Madhvi is the founder of PadMad. PadMad is a social enterprise that is working in Kenya, Somaliland and UK on addressing period poverty.

Shilpa SHAH (Great Britain and Kenya) is a Life Coach, Trainer of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming). She trains and certifies professional coaches. She has 24 years’ experience and her passion is to empower leaders to gain self-mastery and to overcome their challenges. She believes that once a woman is mentally, emotionally and spiritually empowered they can impact their own families, peers and communities with ease. She loves the tools of NLP, coaching, Hypnotherapy and applies these to enhance leadership, communication and self-mastery. Shilpa loves to coach one to one worldwide online and in-person she has facilitated countless transformational workshops in Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia. Her background includes teaching French and Spanish at secondary school in UK, Thailand and Tanzania and she is a certified Yoga Teacher. She now lives in Nairobi with her husband and daughter. Her hobbies include painting, yoga, meditation and walks in the forest.

Mary M’MUKINDIA, MBS, ACC is a certified executive leadership coach (CELC) who specializes in helping senior leaders, C-suite executives and women professionals recognise their innate capacity for achieving superior results. Mary is also a Business Consultant, Leadership Trainer and Public Speaker.

With a passion to empower women through networking and therapy, Riya Sharma SHAH is a clinical hypnotherapist, with a deep interest in NLP. She is the co-founder of the African Girl Foundation, a non-profit organisation devoted to keeping underprivileged girls in school, by providing them with free reusable sanitary pads. Riya is a well-known radio personality with over 15 years of experience in the media industry.

Pinky GHELANI, with a combined platform that is on an upward trajectory, she has attracted an impressive amount of fans. Currently, she a High-Level Influencer for UNHCR and champions the cause for the plight of refugees. To play her part in the LuQuLuQu tribe, she launched an initiative to support the livelihood of refugee women living in Kenya.

Salma MAZRUI-WATT has worked as a management and institutional development specialist in the private health care and advocacy sectors in Kenya for over thirty years. Her life’s passion has moved her to become a wellness and executive coach. Salma has a BSc in Economics, an MBA, a Certificate in Coaching and Corporate Governance and a postgraduate diploma in Nutrition. She is working towards accreditation as an Associate Certified Coach with ICF & NLP Practitioner Certificate.

Sonal Ahuja SINHA is a clinical nutritionist who specialises in therapeutic diets.
With a repertoire of close to 8 years of experience working in top hospitals of India like Apollo, Fortis & Wockhardt as well as an MNC pharma brand like Abbott Healthcare, she brings much more to the table than tips on weight loss. Her portfolio includes giving nutrition support in the treatment of critical ailments like renal failure, cardiac problems, diabetes, cancer as well as patients suffering from depression.

Pauline MACHARIA is an Accredited Customer Experience Professional (AXPA) with a career spanning over 20 years. She has a global outlook marked with exemplary leadership expertise attributed in her ability to define and execute strategy, operations and relationship service models across London, Singapore, South Africa, Dubai & Germany. She currently works at SBM Bank Kenya Ltd, as Chief Customer Experience Officer.

Kelly ABURI, founder of Hob House, and a pioneer influencer of South-South Women, an international network of female role models leading positive change through action and cooperation across cultures and providing platforms across continents to amplify the voices of inspiring and aspiring women throughout the Global South. Kelly’s passion is good, nutritious food that has an impact on the way we live, and on the environment. She was awarded the International Humanitarianism Business Award in 2005 by Kofi Anan and Mary Robinson he Tetra Pak Middle East Entrepreneur Award in 2001.

Narissa ALLIBHAI Fondly known as Child of the Earth, Narissa practices sound healing with the Tibetan singing bowls, a form of Nada Yoga that she studied in Nepal. She is also a certified Hatha yoga, pranayama and meditation teacher. Her journey started with meditation at an early age, and a deep connection with nature. She is a rare creature to spot as she is usually wandering in remote parts of the world – which she writes about on her backpacking blog nomadgirltales.com. She hopes to inspire people to dare to live their dreams with her own story living a nomadic life outside the system.

Noor VAIANI (Pakistan) is a Transformational Mindset & Action Coach. Qualified via ABNLP as an NLP Coach, NLP practitioner, Timeline Therapist, Family/Systematic Constellations Facilitator and International Life Coach, she is passionate about creating clarity, confidence & freedom for women to lead fulfilling lives aligned with their true selves. She holds space and with life-changing tools, techniques and powerful questions, she helps her clients one to one to uncover enlightening awareness about their behaviours and patterns, remove their fears, release unwanted baggage, let go of limiting beliefs and access inner strength, love, compassion, motivation and focus. Noor also loves facilitating groups of people on enlightening, motivational and empowering topics.

Emily ONYANGO, BA in communication currently studying, with diplomas in journalism and theology. I am currently the K-youth media. Co-coordinator K-youth media, a non-profit organization that trains young women from informal settlements to use media as a tool to bring out issues of gender-based violence, issues that have been normalized and are taboo to talk about in the community. In 2019, we released a short film after training in #METOO movement. The film was directed and produced by 10 young women, screened in Nairobi and in Sweden. I am passionate about photography, making documentaries and changing the world through film. I practice taekwondo and I’m a classical musician, and I enjoy spending my free time meeting new friends, travelling and reading novels.

Stephanie KANE I’m a 3rd-year psychology student, photography lover, animal and nature enthusiast and a philanthropist. I’m excited to have the opportunity to capture the great moments and emotions we’ll share together.

Laura MARIANI I’m passionate about photography, writing and dancing. I try to cultivate all my passions, but the one I concentrated first and for a longer time is dancing: I pursued a diploma in classic ballet advanced with the Royal Ballet of London and certificates of Pilates with CYQ of London. As for my interest in photography and writing, I collaborate with the blog WandergirlsItalia and I’m the curator of their Instagram profile. My mission has always been helping the others for this reason after 1 year volunteering in the Red Cross I did my studies in nursing and after my degree at the University Bicocca of Milan I worked for the Hospital A. Manzoni of Lecco till 2015, when I went to Kenya to volunteer as a nurse in St. Therese Mission Hospital in Kiirua.
My friends describe me as full of joy, outgoing and passionate for everything I do. I’m a good listener and I would like to leave a good memory of me in everyone I’ll meet in my life.