Celebrating Strong & Diverse Women: Wanda du Toit & Magdel Kemp, KAMERS/Makers Owners | KAMERS/Makers
Happy Women’s Day, South Africa! This week we are celebrating strong and inspiring women from various walks of life. Business women, mothers, trendsetters… these ladies inspire us.
Today we chat with our very own Wanda du Toit and Magdel Kemp, KAMERS/Makers Business Owners and two strong women with such diverse talents, who lead us in making KAMERS better every day.
Wanda’s words on women:
I write this as a woman and as a mother. As part of a tribe that has been hunted for all eternity it seems. Why some men have the need to rape and kill us, remains a mystery. Is it because we are weak, or could it be that we are so powerful, that for some, to destroy us, is the only option?
Remember the men. Fathers and brothers who stand beside us. In mourning too.
Even though we live with devastating statistics where girls and women are slain daily, I am forever optimistic about this country. I think it is because I work with strong women. Some of whom have had to battle against all odds to survive. Have had to provide for their families using their talent and skill to run successful businesses. And in doing so, they empower fellow women. Few things restore one’s worth more, than creativity. It feeds your soul and heals many wounds.
Thank you wonderful girls. You are truly the backbone of our fragile society.
A post shared by wanda (@bliss_full_life) on Apr 19, 2015 at 7:16am PDT
A post shared by wanda (@bliss_full_life) on May 24, 2017 at 8:14am PDT
Magdel shares her take one being a woman:
In my vroeë twintigs het my toekomstige man vir my gesê dat ek asseblief nie my standpunt oor feminisme met mense moet deel nie! Ek kon nie die sin insien van vroue wat met soveel verbetenheid wou baklei vir hul eie regte nie. Dit het te veel na ’n baklei teen mans, eerder as vir iets, gelyk. Vandag weet ek dat ek bloot so bevoorreg was om – anders as soveel voor my en soveel steeds vandag – altyd erkenning en geleenthede te kon hê as vrou. Ek kon studeer, oorsee reis, werk en toer, werkservaring opdoen in Suid-Afrika en my eie loopbaan begin met ongelooflike vrouens as voorbeelde. My vrouwees was nog nooit vir my ’n struikelblok nie.
A post shared by Magdel Kemp (@magdelkemp) on Jun 19, 2017 at 8:22am PDT
Ek het getrou met ’n liberale en moderne man. Saam maak ons kinders groot, is kreatief saam, droom oor wat ons nog alles wil doen en bereik, en ry ons fiets oor naweke. Ons het geen vaste rolle nie: Ek maak nie kos nie; hy haat begrotings opstel en rekeninge betaal. Hy tel ons dogter op vir balletklas en ek bel die loodgieter as die wasbak lek. Van die begin van my loopbaan by KAMERS/Makers was ek omring met sterk en suksesvolle vroue.
A post shared by Magdel Kemp (@magdelkemp) on Dec 24, 2016 at 4:31am PST
Ek het oneindig baie respek vir al die sterk vrouens in my lewe. Dit is vrouens wat daagliks tientalle balle in die lug hou en hul mede-vroue aanspoor op die pad. Dit alles met ’n glas wyn in die hand.
En ek treur saam – nou net met baie meer insig as destyds – met vroue wat steeds onderdruk is; minderwaardig voel, of mishandel word.
#kamers2017. Kasteel. My awesome team
A post shared by Magdel Kemp (@magdelkemp) on May 27, 2017 at 2:12am PDT
Main photo: Charl du Preez
entrepreneurship, inspiration, Magdel kemp, Wanda du Toit, Women, Women's Day