Wellness Through The Eyes Of African Women- Ms. Jolly Mutesi4 min read

Name: Ms. Jolly Mutesi
Role: Miss Rwanda 2016, Miss East Africa’s Vice President & Girl Child Activist.

QN: What does wellness mean to you ?

Wellness for me as an African Woman is the ability to put myself first, take care of my emotional, physical and mental health without having to rely on someone else.

QN: Are you currently prioritizing your well being? Why? If Yes, how?

Yes. I prioritize my wellness because I believe that no one pours from an empty cup, therefore what I give must be reflected from what I have .

It all begins with me first, from how I treat myself but I am also intentional about other external factors. I have learnt to be very kind to myself, prioritize my wants, give myself anything that I desire and is within my abilities. If it’s a good shoe, a small vacation or good cloth, I indulge myself whenever I can.

I am very mindful when it comes to my diet too. Simple gym exercises or jogging… Since I am not such a gym person for my physical wellness.

As a knowledge seeker, I am very intentional with what I feed my mind!

I have always been a perfectionist who wants things done a certain way with timelines and it would frustrate me if things did not go my way but I have learnt to be kind to me, forgive me, do my best and let the rule of nature to take its course. This has contributed a lot to my mental well-being.

Last but not least, I am very adamant with what I want. I am very intentional with who I surround myself with, be it in the work space, friends or family. I set boundaries on how I relate with people. We may not have so much in common but we must have purpose in common. Without that, it’s difficult to keep you in my space. If you are that negative person you have no seat at my table, be it family or friends. I know that my power is within me and I do not give room to any person who would disrupt that.

As a public figure, I have labored to be my authentic self and preserve who I am. As a woman, It is very important to know who you are but also learn to preserve who you are so that you are not swayed away by anything. It is also very important not to be petty or trivial but be objective and optimistic about life. This mindset has greatly contributed to my wellness.

Lastly, I celebrate myself for every small achievement. I celebrate myself for my hard work, resilience, determination or any small achievement but I always remind myself to stay grounded because humility is a value that is so dear to my heart . One mistake every woman should try to avoid is to sit and wait to be celebrated. Just celebrate yourself for those small steps or achievements it will boost your confidence and give you a better well-being.

QN: What can we do to make wellness a priority?

The gospel of Self love and care should be echoed as many times as possible, women should know that self love or putting yourself first is not selfish, if it is, then so be it!

To those who are married, more often than not they are expected to give a lot more to spouses or kids, some say that you need to compromise a lot on your needs to keep a man which is a very lame language! No woman should die at the expense of keeping a man, men are not objects or pets to keep, every woman should work to keep their wellness intact not to keep a man.

To the other singles, by society standards, in as long as you are a woman, you are expected to always serve at the beckon of another person by compromising your needs just because you are a woman.

Women should be constantly reminded that it is very important to love themselves first because we can’t give what we don’t have, you can’t give love from a state of frustration, fatigue and poor state of mind.

“note that self care is not selfish”
#thisisjolly

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Biography:

 

Jolly Mutesi, Miss Rwanda 2016 is an entrepreneur, a girl child rights activist and advocate for women empowerment.

She currently holds the role of Vice President/ Judge for Miss East Africa’ beauty pageant.

Jolly was the first beauty queen to represent Rwanda at the Miss World competition in 2016.

During her reign as Miss Rwanda 2016, she participated in Miss World 2016’s Beauty with A Purpose competition and emerged as one of the Top 25 finalist.

Jolly has aspired and worked towards bridging the gap between the youth and the government so that young people can participate more in government programmes.