Nyasha Gwatidzo‘s journey is a testament to the incredible potential of starting small and dreaming big. From the humble beginnings of her kitchen table, Nyasha embarked on a mission to address a pressing social problem. Little did she know that her determination, passion, and unwavering commitment would propel her towards running Banya, organization that is making a profound impact on society and generates $10M in annual revenue.
Nyasha Gwatidzo was born in a rural village in Zimbabwe and came over to the UK in the 1970’s. After finishing her A levels she gained a degree in Chemistry then enrolled to do a PhD at Imperial College, London. Realizing solid chemistry wasn’t her passion, she enrolled and completed Gestalt Therapy and Contribution Training at Pellin Institute. Five years later she gained an MA in Therapeutic Childcare from Reading University. She then work with adults and children with emotional issues. Nyasha is now a qualified psychotherapist, social worker, coach and mentor.
As a black African woman, Nyasha faced discrimination throughout her journey. However, she overcame all the challenges and developed a successful social enterprise through sheer determination and passion.
Her vision for the future is to make global connections and to mentor social entrepreneurs through Walk With Me as well set up a £100 million social impact investment fund. These will help people, especially women, to reach economic independence through enterprise as well as create meaningful jobs for the youth.
Nyasha wrote a book in 2015 after walking the length of the River Thames (206 miles) “Walk with Me through 16 Inspirational Business and Life Tips”. This was then followed by ith a 225km walk across Zimbabwe in June 2017. The more recently completed is the Stepping Stones 114 mile walk through the Channel Islands over the course of 10 days in June this year. It raised funds and awareness for the charity Vana Trust. Nyasha is also in the process of writing her book “I’m not just a foster carer”.
Nyasha has a husband Paul, three adult children and one grandson. She also volunteered for a number of organizations and won a variety of business and community awards. She enjoys walking and reading and her passion in life is helping children to reach their best potential.