Meet Zamariya “zee” Clemons

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zamariya “zee” Clemons a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Zamariya “Zee” , thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.

Generosity authentically comes from within. At Village of Women, one of the primary skills taught is cultivating a heart of gratitude. We’ve been blessed with so much; our community provides so much that it’s inevitable that we give back. So, during our monthly meetings, we also set aside time to perform an act of service for our community. Whether it’s a personal hygiene drive, serving and preparing meals for people in need, or creating holiday cards for retirement homes, our hearts are in the community.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am Zamariya Clemons; many people refer to me as Zee, and I founded the non-profit organization Village of Women. “VOW” is a nonprofit organization established in Greensboro, North Carolina. This modern-day charm school exclusively mentors girls aged 8 to 13, teaching them etiquette and life skills such as cooking, financial literacy, and social graces. We accomplish this by engaging students in activities such as consumer science, STEAM, and performing arts. Furthermore, we encourage career exploration by providing “day in the life” experiences in the professional lives of numerous minority women in the community through simulation activities.

We have a school-year program that meets monthly on Saturdays or Sundays, as well as a week-long summer camp in which we explore up to three occupations per day while also learning basic life skills such as cooking and sewing.

What distinguishes my brand is that we are unlike any other youth program because we are inclusive  and purposeful about the events and activities we offer to our youth. “For the kids, from the kids,” we’ve listened to what they aspire to be and what they are interested in discovering, as well as the gaps in the community, and we work hard to provide them with the resources they need to learn those skills or to explore careers.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I don’t consider my journey to be complete. VOW is two years old, and we are entering our third year of school year membership, so there has been a lot instilled, but there is still plenty to learn, and even when VOW is well established, we will continue to be intentional about learning to improve the village.

However, being resourceful was one of three things that contributed to the journey’s memorableness. I am quite crafty, so I make and produce practically everything for the organization, which would cost us hundreds of dollars. Second, be grateful. Everything is donated at the village, including individuals time, monetary support, and in-kind products. A grateful heart can undoubtedly make a significant difference in people’s desire to donate. Optimism can be maintained by saying “yes, but” to a negative scenario and then identifying a positive outcome. Mindest matters.

My advice to any one looking to get into community youth development programming or nonprofit do your research and way your options, finally know your community to help or create chagne you have to know the needs of your community to prevent pointless or repetive programming within the community.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

There is always room for partnerships and collaborations! There are three methods for taking part in this. The first is career exploration, which is open to all women, with a focus on minority women who want to share their careers and engage in occupation-related simulation activities with our youth. Second, we are seeking partners that are interested in providing for the youth!, whether it be materials to support events or funding for the development of the village. Donors and partners are always needed and greatly appreciated. And third, collaborators on community events are always welcome. Reach out with ideas! If you’re reading this and see a few ways you’d like to impact the village, please contact us via email at Vowvillageofwomen@gmail.com or through our website, Vowvillageofwomen.com, under the tab “Give.”

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Pixels by AM Instagram: Pixelsbyam

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