Vipingo Ridge Celebrates International Women’s Day

Vipingo Ridge Ltd proudly celebrated International Women’s Day with a vibrant and inspiring event dedicated to honouring the incredible women within the organization. The day was designed to promote empowerment, resilience, and collaboration, aligning with the international theme of March 8th 2025; Accelerate Action; encouraging women to break barriers, seize opportunities, and support one another in their professional and personal journeys.

Of the over 400 team members at Vipingo Ridge, we have over 100 women in the team. The ladies turned out wearing the international event colours of the day, white, purple or green, ready to engage in the important focus for the event.

Putting Exercise at the PGA Baobab Course

The celebration commenced at 9:00AM at the PGA Course, where participants took part in a friendly putting competition at Hole No. 1.

The activity was to promote a spirit of healthy competition, challenges status quo and comfort zones, with the winner, whose ball landed closest to the hole, receiving a Vipingo Ridge- branded golf t-shirt, cap, or a pair of shorts as a token of recognition.

Following this, the event transitioned to Shariani Hall, our main conference centre facility, where teams engaged in an interactive word puzzle challenge. The activity reinforced the importance of teamwork and mutual support, echoing the essence of women uplifting each other. The first team to complete the challenge emerged victorious, setting the stage for an afternoon of inspiration and camaraderie.

After refreshments and networking, the highlight of the event unfolded—motivational talks from three accomplished women of Vipingo Ridge, each sharing their journey of perseverance, growth, and leadership, perfectly aligned with the theme Accelerate Action.

Inspirational Talks: Women Who Embody “Accelerate Action”

Keynote Speaker: “Action Drives Success”

The first speaker, a distinguished guest and Homeowner at Vipingo Ridge, recounted her inspiring journey from humble beginnings, facing significant challenges as a woman, wife, and mother.

She emphasized the power of perseverance and the importance of exceeding expectations in the workplace. Her message was clear: success comes from going beyond assigned duties, embracing new challenges, and acquiring new skills.

By continuously learning and growing, women position themselves as strong contenders for advancement when opportunities arise, reinforcing the idea that action drives success.

Guest Speaker: “Personal Brand Integrity”

The second speaker, Elizabeth, our Executive Housekeeper, delivered an empowering speech encouraging women to be bold, especially in leadership positions.

She spoke about the challenges of managing and instructing people older than oneself, stressing the importance of confidence and resilience to ensure that tasks are effectively executed. She emphasized the need to uphold good morals and self-respect in the workplace, discouraging the acceptance of favors for personal gain and instead advocating for hard work and dedication to achieve success.

Her key message was to let one’s work speak for itself, being a brand through excellence and integrity.

Guest Speaker: “Advocating for Women”

The third speaker, Mama Gladys, a long-serving female supervisor in the security department since 2008, shared her experience navigating a traditionally male-dominated field. She highlighted the struggles of balancing demanding work hours with family responsibilities and the lack of female representation in decision-making roles.

Recognizing this gap, she took the initiative to voice the concerns of female security officers, leading to her appointment as the first female supervisor. She has since dedicated herself to mentoring younger female officers, ensuring they are equipped to step into leadership roles. Her story underscored the theme Accelerate Action by demonstrating how women can drive change by advocating for themselves and others.

Guest Speaker: “Women Empowerment through Mentorship”

The fourth speaker, Mama Sophie from the Greenkeeping Department, provided a compelling narrative of her career progression. As one of the first employees at Vipingo Ridge, she worked tirelessly on the golf course despite facing challenges under a male supervisor.

Through perseverance and commitment, she earned a promotion to supervisor, where she took on the responsibility of training new casual staff. Her hard work not only helped shape the team but also enabled her to provide for her family, ensuring her children received an education. Today, her daughter has joined Vipingo Ridge as a security officer, continuing her mother’s legacy.

Her story reinforced the theme by demonstrating the long-term impact of empowering women through mentorship and skills development.

A Moment of Reflection: Personal Pledges to Support Women

The ladies were taken through a reflective exercise. Each attendee received a small card and was encouraged to write down a personal pledge on how they would support other women.

They were asked to keep this card as a reminder to track their progress and hold themselves accountable for their commitment to uplifting fellow women.

Vote of Thanks

The event concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks from Chizi Mangale, a dedicated member of the Laundry Department. She expressed her deep appreciation to the Vipingo Ridge management for making the day memorable and for going the extra mile to ensure women felt valued.

She emphasized that not all companies make such an effort to celebrate their female workforce, let alone provide them with a dedicated day to reflect, enjoy, and share in moments of joy.

She encouraged the women to continue uplifting one another, recognizing the delicate balance women maintain between their careers, families, and motherhood.

Closing with joy

As the celebration drew to a close, the atmosphere was filled with music, dance, and laughter, culminating in a joyous photo session that captured the essence of the day.

The women of Vipingo Ridge departed feeling inspired, appreciated, and empowered, ready to take action in their personal and professional journeys.