My first income as an independent
consultant, was not only more than I had
ever earned in a day, it also marked a
significant positive milestone in my journey.
About two years earlier of starting my
business, I had lost my first beautiful boy
who was born with an extremely rare
disorder called Lissencephaly - a condition
where the brain remains smooth without
developing any folds or grooves.
It impacts the neural and mental
development of the child. I discovered
that this disorder was carried through a
gene passed on from my lineage. Later,
after just having started my business, I
had two more children who sadly were
affected with the same condition. Both
children were unable to walk, play or live
normal lives. They needed special care
and like all children the warmth and love
of their parents. Strangely I did not see
this situation as a burden but an
inspiration to want to do more, give more
to make a difference.”
Typically in a situation like this, the
general social norm is for a woman and
a mother to stay at home and give her all
for her children. The latter Hawa did, but
also chose to follow a path that opened
new doors for her growth and the
reciprocated growth and development of
other women, business executives and
working parents .
This need to grow, took her business from a
small room at home, to a formal business in
Robertsham, Johannesburg, South Africa and
further away into the rest of Africa and Middle
East. Today Training Excellence operates from
offices Internationally servicing a vast and
diverse clientele of different nationalities and
diversity.
Hawa also credits her unsung heroes. “ It is
important to acknowledge at this point that all
this would not have been possible had I not
negotiated my support network. My husband
Rasheed for one, left his job and profession
to support me in the business which was fast
growing and needed more than just my
efforts.Twenty years on, Rasheed and I have
through Training Excellence created new
possibilities for hundreds of executives,
women and youth. My vision of enhancing
the Executive Presence (EP) of people and
enabling them to achieve the extraordinary in
their personal and work environment leaves
me with a daily comfort and appreciation for
my role as shaper, coach, trainer and mentor.
In a way it has become my dedication to my
beloved children who have sadly since
passed on. I am proud that Training
Excellence, my last and now only child, has
shaped the lives of executives, women and
youth in both the developed and developing
world – working with corporates and entities
like the World Bank; in South Africa, the
United Arab Emirates, across the African
continent, United States of America, Turkey
and Europe.
Ernest Henley’s poem, Invictus reads,
“strength in the path of adversity” , leading
Hawa to study and qualify as a Neurolinguistic
Programming (NLP) practitioner. She also
trained and continues to practice as a life
coach, Ecometric and Hypnotherapy
I remain
Practitioner.
humble yet grateful for
the acknowledgment which is.