Startup Story
Alexina Phiri is the founder and ceo of Adona Foundation, a global women’s rights organisation that aims to inspire, empower and educate girls and women across the world.. She is a lawyer with over seven years of experience in implementing international-level policy to tackle issues such as human rights, governance and counter terrorism. Her most recent role was with the UK’s Department for International Trade. As a British Diplomat at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Alexina spearheaded international summits including the Africa Investment Summit in 2019 and COP26 in 2021. She is a former Acting British High Commissioner to Zambia (2019) and Acting Deputy British High Commissioner to Botswana (2020).
LoA chatted to the impact-driven Alexina Phiri this month to learn more about her childhood experiences and inspiration in Malawi and her drive to make an impact in the lives of women and girls in Africa and the world.
What does your company do?
Adona Foundation is a global women’s rights organisation that aims to inspire, empower and educate girls and women across the world. We work in solidarity with partner NGOs on various initiatives to improve access for girls and women in education. Our mission is to inspire, empower and educate women throughout the world in order to alleviate poverty. Our vision is for a world where girls and women are valued as equal members of society and empowered through education to achieve their goals.
Founded in 2018, Adona has had direct impact on over 100,000 women globally through social media campaigns, distributed over 4,000 reusable sanitary pads through local partnerships in Africa, and conducted self-defence seminars in Asia and Europe.
“Our mission is to inspire, empower and educate women throughout the world in order to alleviate poverty.”
“Our vision is for a world where girls and women are valued as equal members of society and empowered through education to achieve their goals.”
What inspired you to start your company?
Growing up, I must say I was surrounded by amazing people. They instilled in me the courage to dream as big as I wanted; the confidence to make my dreams a reality; and the strength to not only work towards my goals but to always try again when I don’t succeed.
Spending part of my childhood in Malawi with my grandmother made me realize very quickly that not all women have grown up in an environment where their dreams are considered valid. And when women did have the courage to dream, they sometimes didn’t have access to resources or given the confidence to fulfill their ambitions. This had a huge impact on me really understanding poverty and inequality at a very personal level, and on dedicating my professional life to figuring out how to tie those two societies. This inspired me to co-found the charitable organisation Adona Foundation, with the aim of empowering women to find their voice and strive for their dreams.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Adona aims to amplify the voices of women. We want to create a platform where women can learn from each other’s experiences and provide support to one another. This means being more accessible to one another and bridging the gap between ‘I can’t and I can’. We must work together to ensure that we are taking the opportunities to uplift each other, to give back, to teach, to learn, and to simply just be visible.
Tell us a little about your team
Adona Foundation works with many women around the world to bring to the spotlight their life experiences and journey. We also work in solidarity with NGOs on various initiatives to improve access for girls and women. Our team is filled with energy and enthusiasm to make the world a better place for women and girls!
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
As a former Miss Malawi UK, I was always passionate about helping others, in particular women. I started my own YouTube Channel in 2016 ,' Women's Voice' where I interviewed women that inspired me. I then went on to found Adona Foundation in 2018 with the aim of empowering women to be whatever they want to be and do whatever they want to do.
“Spending part of my childhood in Malawi with my grandmother made me realize very quickly that not all women have grown up in an environment where their dreams are considered valid.”
“Adona aims to amplify the voices of women. We want to create a platform where women can learn from each other’s experiences and provide support to one another.”
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Adona Foundation is due to release its first book on the 30th September.
Product description - I Am Adona is an inspiring collection of stories by African women about what they view to be their countries greatest achievement in advancing women’s rights and empowerment. Edited by Alexina Phiri, CEO of Adona Foundation, the book is the perfect gift for people of all ages to celebrate the accomplishments of women empowerment in these countries and challenge themselves to think of what more can be done to sustain these efforts to strengthen women’s rights and empowerment. Topics range from reproductive health rights, period poverty, the aviation industry, the legal system and many more. This book encourages readers to think about women’s rights and empowerment in their own country and what more can be done to uplift women using examples from the stories.
The collection includes writings from an array of women who are trailblazers in their field including 2020 recipient of the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award, Victoria Rubadiri; best-selling author Aiwanose Odafen; Botswana’s first TED fellow and LGBT Activist, Katlego K Kolanyane-Kesupile; and many more. I Am Adona features powerful stories from: Hilina Degefa, Faith Kaoma, Mwanahamisi Singano, Victoria Rubadiri, Katlego K Kolanyane-Kesupile, Faten. Aggad, Aiwanose Odafen, Ynis Isimbi, Ulemu Hannah Kanyongolo, Mbalenhle Matandela, Madia Thiam, Albertina Palalane Namburete, Carolyne Madubuike, Henda Chennaoui.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Being able to help others realize their potential and achieve their dreams.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
The most important thing is to start. Believe in yourself always and make sure whatever you are doing you are passionate about it! Don't be afraid to ask for help... more times than none someone has come across your problem and there is a solution for it. It goes without saying, but carry on. There will be times where things are looking difficult and you feel like giving up but always remember what made you want to start your journey and be committed to seeing it through no matter how long it takes.
Contact or follow Adona Foundation
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL alexinaphiri@hotmail.co.uk
Why LoA loves it…
At Lionesses of Africa, we love nothing more than hearing the inspirational stories of impact driven social entrepreneurs who want to positively impact the lives of others on the African continent and around the world. Through her work at the Adona Foundation, Alexina Phiri is a real change-maker doing just that. Because of her vision and her mission to make a difference by empowering women and girls to take control of their lives, their bodies, and their destinies, she is fulfilling her own journey as an impact driver. Inspirational! — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa