“Women are needed to create a new paradigm of leadership in the world”
HerStory National On-line Ceremony on August 2022
As we step into the eighth month of the year, we need renewed hope, courage and love to begin the month with much needed inspiration. With this in mind, on August 6, 2022, WFWP USA honored four exemplary women who are leading and inspirational in the field of media, academia, health and wellness. Each woman shared the challenges and insights from their life journeys with the 62 participants virtually and it was emceed by Mrs. Natascha Phillips, GWPN Southeast Region coordinator. She then introduced Mrs. Katarina Connery, WFWP USA Vice-President who welcomed all the guests and presented the video message from WFWP USA President Angelika Selle who shared her congratulatory message and explained about the history of WFWP.
President Selle quoted Mother’s Moon message: “I sincerely ask you to follow the path of a true mother, the path of a true wife, the path of a true sister and the path of a true woman leader, who will build a unified world where freedom, peace and happiness overflow.” She encouraged that women leaders are needed to create a new paradigm of leadership in the world today and to influence the world with our unique feminine values and motherly hearts.
Each awardee was then introduced briefly with her bio as well as a personal sharing from the person who recommended them. The award was presented virtually by Vice-President Katarina Connery and called on each of the ladies to share their stories.
Read below for a snippet of their stories and lessons shared upon receiving the HerStory Award.
Ms. Cassandra Tindal
The first speaker of the day was Ms. Cassandra Tindal: Visionary Founder and Executive Producer of Womenz Straight Talk Television, Editor-in-chief of Womenz Straight Talk Magazine.
She shared that she believes that peace starts with love. One’s purpose in life; no matter their profession, culture, background or religion is to bring love, light and meaning to humanity. Love has the ability to transcend our worlds, create new life and move our hearts to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us.
“I remember when I held my new born baby in my arms and she looked at me and smiled for the first time. A feeling of love and joy, sparked my life and gave me joy in such an indescribable way. When we plant a seed, it blooms and brings forth a miracle. When I learned of Mother Moon’s story, her God-given birthright and purpose as the Mother of Peace, I could clearly see the miraculous life that God ordained to bring about love and peace to this modern day society and humanity through her life’s journey. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, although I was always a woman of faith, it wasn’t until that moment when I began to take my faith to a whole new level of trust. I witnessed my own miracle first hand, when God healed me. I heard him say, ‘I want you to trust me’ and I did just that.”
To read Ms. Cassandra Tindal’s bio and to see the full recording of her award and speech click here.
Grandmother Perci Ami
Grandmother Perci Ami: Ambassador for grandmother educators, author and speaker.
She shared that before her daughter went on her heavenly journey, she left a poem with her and this poem became her life purpose.
“My job is to always remember her words and to live based on what she saw in me, but more so what I saw in her. My story is about creating memories that we get through our bloodline or through our experiences. This allowed me to raise my daughter and also work with people everyday. My bloodline is Hopi. My people were the first people of this land yet they were not recognized by the powers that be in this land. In my memory I hold the memories of these fragments, of a time when it was not popular to be Native and not even being recognized as citizens even though they fought for this land. One of the teachings I have carried with me as I travel the world is, ‘When the grandmother speaks then the world will begin to heal.’ My role is to speak and bring about healing.”
To read Grandmother Perci Ami’s bio and to see the full recording of her award and speech click here.
Dr. Imani Ma’at
Dr. Imani Ma’at: Co-Founder & Owner Sankofu Institute for Wellness, Progressively Yours Podcast, CEO Healthy Haiku Productions
She shared that we are always growing and recreating ourselves. Life is better, richer and more exciting when we do so.
“The first challenge I encountered was just believing in myself. My mother taught me that I could do anything and that if someone does it, I can too and I took her seriously. I looked for leadership roles in all things I did. The second was pushing past fear. Some things seemed so scary but I learned to do them anyway. Even though I get nervous, I love to share powerful people and stories with the world. My favorite quote is by Marianne Williamson: ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.’ Our playing small does not serve the world. In my last job with incarcerated men and local detainees, I could see how their lives could change through poetry and prose, meditation, lessons of self-love and forgiveness, my job was to teach them that they were not defined by their orange outfits or past transgressions and that they have a purpose in this life. We all have distractions in our lives that may hinder us from pursuing our dreams. You have to get past the distractions and get back on track.”
To read Dr. Imani Ma’at’s bio and to see the full recording of her award and speech click here.
Ms. Justine Manabat: Health Services Pathway Advisory Council Vice-Chair, Kapolei High School, Health Careers Academy Educator
Ms. Justine Manabat
She shared that the overarching quote for her story was from Mother Moon, ”Turn passion into purpose, purpose into principles”.
“ I never really wanted to be a teacher but here I am in my alma mater 20 years later. The reason is because I was put in a situation where I was a teacher in the health careers academy. I was thinking about long term goals for the kids and this made me think about being a certified nurse aide to gain industry experience for them. One of the challenges we faced was disinfecting masks since we did not have masks available. My true passion for getting into healthcare was my mother who unfortunately was diagnosed with an illness and she had to undergo a long surgery. This is the reason I teach the kids about empathy and how to take care of people. We have goals for our kids and ensure that they are exposed to different opportunities for their future. We ensure that they feel that they have a place to belong. I want them to know how to truly care for people and that is why I continue to do what I do.”
To read Ms. Justine Manabat’s bio and to see the full recording of her award and speech click here.
The event concluded with a group picture, announcements and short casual sharing from all the participants.