Westridge local, Lucretia Splinters has been selected as a Google Women Techmakers Ambassador.
Splinters, who is an entrepreneur, leader and activist, is also a former Meta certified community manager, and has been making strides in her community markets space.
According to the programme, “Women Techmakers Ambassadors are leaders around the world who are passionate about empowering their communities through organising events, public speaking, creating content and mentoring. With access to a global community and exclusive resources, Ambassadors are helping build a world where all women can thrive in tech.”
Splinters says this is a great honour.
“Our people need role models that they can relate to so that they know they can achieve great things too,” shes says. “I would like to see poverty alleviated in our communities and more opportunities for women and youth.”
Splinters is the founder of the Mitchell’s Plain Entrepreneurs Hub and currently runs the community market in Ward 81 alongide the local councillor, Ashley Potts.
“I am an alumni of Facebook’s Community Accelerator Programme 2021-2022, was a speaker for Facebook Community Summit SSA 2021, celebrated by Meta as one of 21 community leaders in the world that inspired them in 2021.
“My company, one of the first in the world and first in South Africa, to be certified in community management by Meta in November 2022 and got selected to become a Google Women Techmakers Ambassador on 31 July (this year).
“I am also the business champion for Ward 81 in Westridge and am very proud of the Mitchell’s Plain Community Market that my company started in collaboration with my ward, in February (this year),” she says.
“I found out about the Women Techmakers Program through Facebook. I checked out the requirements and they support community leaders that empower their communities through organizing events, public speaking, content creation and mentoring. I do all of these already and thought it would be a good opportunity so I applied and got in.”
Her work is inspired by making a difference in the lives of the people around her.
“I can’t keep on seeing people suffering and knowing that there is not every resource available to our citizens, I try to fill in the gap wherever I can and my mission is to build sustainable communities,” she says.
To the young girls and women out there, she says: “Don’t curb your enthusiasm. You can achieve whatever you dream of. Find your passion and turn it into purpose.”
