Startup Story
Everyone needs a mentor in life and in business, but often for young people in particular, mentors can be hard to find. One woman entrepreneur, Charzade Araujo, founder of Teen Mentors in Mozambique, has made it her goal to provide that solution.
LoA met with the inspirational Charzade Araujo this month to find out more about her story and her vision for the future.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Charzade Daia Araujo and I am the Director and Mentor of the Teen Mentors Mozambique project, mentoring children, adolescents and families. Teen Mentors was created in Mozambique in 2017 when I made a career transition. Since its opening, Teen Mentors has worked with students from several schools in Maputo, in addition to teenagers and families who attend our institute. Our mentoring is based on four behavioral profiles, these are self-knowledge, personal development, emotional intelligence and vocational guidance. Today Teen Mentors employs two employees, and we subcontract various services from small entrepreneurs. Personally, I bring 18 years of experience to the business as a professional in the area of Financial Management with three multinationals. I graduated in Management and Business Administration, and have a Masters degree in Neurolinguistic Programming.
“As a professional, in Finance and Human Resources, I did some work with Universities and I noticed many gaps in young people, and many difficulties being experienced by them in entering the job market.”
What does your company do?
At Teen Mentors, we specialize in the mentoring of children, adolescents and families.
What inspired you to start your company?
As a professional, in Finance and Human Resources, I did some work with Universities and I noticed many gaps in young people, and many difficulties being experienced by them in entering the job market. 80% of them were taking the wrong courses. This situation moved me a lot and I felt the need to develop something that could help teenagers even before they entered University. My goal is to help more young people to enter the job market. Also, mentoring families so that they can help their children even more by passing on appropriate moral values, and helping them to overcome the challenges of educating, and preparing their children for life.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
We work with teenagers, and we prepare them from an early age to face life's obstacles. We teach them to deal with the challenges of life. to make plans, achieve their dreams, and we pass on the moral values that can last for a lifetime. We help families with the best tools so they can also help their children, motivating them, respecting them, developing empathy, and harmony between parents of children. We are currently helping families not only in Mozambique, but also in Angola and Portugal.
“I felt the need to develop something that could help teenagers even before they entered University. “
“We work with teenagers, and we prepare them from an early age to face life's obstacles.”
Tell us a little about your team
We have a newly graduated Psychologist and a Social Media Manager.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I graduated in Management and Business Administration in 2004. I have 18 years of experience as the financial manager of three multinationals, and the last company I participated in the launching of it, being part of a group of five. Seven years later it was the moment that I decided to make the career transition. I had 160 employees in the last company, I accumulated some functions, in addition to financial, and I was responsible for Human Resources and for logistics, which helped me a lot when I decided to make the career transition and fulfill my own dream of helping more and more people.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
My plan is to transform more and more teenagers and families, with joy, doing workshops in schools for families. I want to motivate and teach many more families, in Mozambique and internationally. I want to be able to help more teenagers and young people get off drugs and build their new version of themselves to continue the journey of life, with joy.
“I want to be able to help more teenagers and young people get off drugs and build their new version of themselves to continue the journey of life, with joy.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
The realization of a personal dream. To be able to help thousands of people with their processes, and to be able to help other families by employing them in the company. My goal is to impact thousands of lives and to live my purpose.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Entrepreneurship is about solving problems. My first advice would be to understand what problem is affecting you. You need to realize that it is possible to have a solution to this problem. Find an area that you really like, and that you are able to work in with love, with passion, and not just for the money.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL charzadearaujo@gmail.com
Why LoA loves it….
At Lionesses of Africa, we love to see women entrepreneurs who are driven to make a difference, to change lives for the better, and to create opportunities for a new generation of young people to fulfill their potential. Charzade Araujo, founder of Teen Mentors, is one such person. She is driven to help teenagers to find solutions to the challenges and barriers to entry they encounter in the world of work and higher study. She believes in the power of mentoring to make a difference to the lives of these young people, who need advice and support in order to realize their own talent and aspirations. Charzade is an inspiration, and importantly, is making a real difference to the lives of young people in Mozambique, Angola and also Portugal. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa