�� Today is my birthday.

And as I reflect on my journey, I realise— my confidence didn’t come from a course or a stage. It came from a line of women who walked through the dark with fire in their hands.

I was born at 3am on a cool winter night in rural Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Not in silence. But with laughter, footsteps, and the voices of seven strong women who walked five kilometres by torchlight to see me safely into the world.

They strapped a rock to my mother’s back to keep me from arriving too early. She sped ahead, determined. By the time they reached the hospital—I was already here.

�� I was so small they called me Kadiki—“Tiny.” But I was born fierce. Born to speak.

My grandmother—my namesake—called me Getrude, a name she mis-spelled and never corrected. Because in my culture, to change a name is to erase a story.

I carry many names: Getrude Ruwadzano Munyaradzi Bere Matshe.

Meaning of my names is Spear of Strength. Harmony. Comforter. Hyena. Rocks.

Every name tells a story. Every step I’ve taken —from that tiny ward to global stages — was shaped by these women.

So today, I speak not just for myself. I speak for them. My mother and my grandmothers and the strong line of women before them.

And I speak for you.

If you are a woman over 50— If you’ve been silent too long — If you feel like your story is too small, too old, too messy—

Let me tell you something: Your voice is your legacy. It’s time to use it.

Comment “SPEAK” or message me directly and I’ll send you my free guide to unlocking your story and becoming a powerful speaker.

Let’s honour the women who came before us — By becoming the voice they never had.

By Getrude Matshe, Founder DiversityConnector & HerStory Circle, FinTech & EduTech; DEI Consultant, Philanthropy Consultant, Podcaster. TEDx Speaking