Teakisi is more than a blog to me. My focus from the beginning was that this was going to be a blog that makes a difference. I have and always seen and perceived Teakisi as a means to empower African women – whenever they may be in the world. This morning I was honoured to receive the Versatile Blogger Award on behalf of Teakisi. For a relatively new blog, I was surprised but equally humbled that my blog had been noticed in the big world of bloggers. I have to admit that I did not know anything about this award before receiving the email with the news. But since then I have found out that the Versatile Blogger Award is received when bloggers nominate other bloggers who they believe deserve the recognition for the high quality standard of writing, uniqueness of the bloggers content, passion and love displayed throughout the website.

This award comes with rules too;

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you with links to their site
2. Share 7 random facts about yourself
3. Select 8-15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow that deserve this awesome award.

Building up Teakisi and getting it to where it is now was tough sometimes, and that is why this award is so very encouraging, especially being that it is recognition from other bloggers. The award is also special because it means that people are reading and liking the posts written by the team of African women behind Teakisi.

As the rules state …

1. Thank the person who nominated the blog and include their link in this post.

I would like to thank Nicole Anderson at Camping for Women (a one-stop online resource for women who love the wonderful outdoors) who nominated the blog. Nicole Anderson is based in Australia and created her blog so she could give readers and other travellers an opportunity to talk about their travels.

2. Share 7 random facts about myself

• My favourite colour is black
• I hate writing, yet am a blogger
• I have a ten year old son
• I am originally from Rwanda
• I hate wigs or weaves
• My son Kimi, is my ultimate source of inspiration
• I am Teetotal

3. Select 8-15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow that deserve this awesome award.

In no particular order, here are the 8 bloggers/blogs that I feel deserve this award.

1. Nellie Umutesi at Adventurous Chica (www.adventurouschica.com)
2. Team Afrobloggers at www.afrobloggers.wordpress.com
3. Richard and Clare Talbot-Jones at Talbot Jones Risk Solutions (www.talbotjones.co.uk)
4. Joan and Angela Semanda at Imigani (www.imigani.com)
5. Reem Gaafar at Life From Reem’s Perspective (www.reemgaafar.blogspot.co.uk)
6. Minna Salami at MsAfropolitan (www.msafropolitan.com)
7. Mpinga ya Mugema at Ribara Uwariraye by MamaZumzum (www.mamazumzum.wordpress.com)
8. Mahbuba Matovu at Fabs Culture (www.fabsculture.com)

You all deserve the award and I can’t wait to learn 7 new things about you!