Angwech fostering careers, saving marriages through fora

Diana Angwech is an advocate and Business Development Manager at Shonubi Musoke & Company. She has been an advocate for close to 10 years of exceptional legal practice. Angwech is the founder of the ‘Alabaster Ladies Conference’ which she started seven years ago. For the seven years it has been in existence, the conference has brought together women from all walks of life from around the country to share knowledge and strengthen their Christian walk in all spheres of their lives.
“It is a platform for women to access mentors under All Saints’ Cathedral Church. For a week, trainers, women get to share as they get training, listen to speakers and counsellors on different topics as a way of receiving mentorship,” she relates.
Angwech was inspired to start the conference because of her passion for public engagements and creating platforms that encourage people to access mentorship and share knowledge whether in a formal setting or an informal one.
“Seven years ago, I was leading a group of youth but I kept noticing that the girls seemed to have very critical issues that threatened to overwhelm them. Then I started wondering as to why there were no other ladies to turn to. I realised that because of our interest groups, young marrieds group, mothers’ union, Christian women, there was division and young ladies were going through so much with no outlet,” she explains.

Why Alabaster
So Alabaster came to be where women would be able to exercise, coaching and networking are part of the weeklong conferences. There was need for a solution to bridge the gap. With a friend Edith Kembabazi, they hosted the first conference under the theme, ‘Made for More’. The name of the conference, ‘Alabaster Ladies Conference’ has meaning and purpose to it.
“Alabaster is a white stone that was used in the biblical days to curve vases and these cases would carry precious oil. The white stands for purity, the vases, stands for constant molding and the precious oil is to remind you, you are always carrying something precious.”
“During the conference, there are teachings geared towards equipping women. We have candid women discussions on real life issues such challenges in marriage, challenges in singlehood, in-laws, money and many others,” Angwech explains.
Speakers at the conferences are chosen depending on the topic and have mainly been ladies. This year’s line-up is unique. The seventh edition, running from 12th to 19th, will have more men than ever. The commonality is that all speakers are chosen from churches.
Part of the fruits of Angwech’s efforts have fruited include different women finding mentors, restoration of marriages, habitual change, healing of emotions and increased professionalism because of the coaching and mentoring.
The conference audiences are in the region of 300 women, sometimes more. On the lawyer’s wish list is a plan to grow the change conferences in terms of influence, impact and number.

Away from Alabaster
Away from organising conferences that allow women have better relations and shine in their careers, she loves reading books. “I aim to read at least one book a month, books open your mind to dream. I like creative writing so I blog. I fancy music and can hold a tune. Leadership is at the fore of everything I do and raising leaders” Balancing between work and church work is a little tricky.
Besides working at Shonubi Musoke & Company, she is chairperson of Young Lawyers Committee at Uganda Law Society. She is also a board member of Abide and Church. “I usually say I have four jobs. I have learnt that there is no such thing as balance. Multi-tasking means something suffers and so at any given time one will always be more pressing than the other, but three things have worked for me, team mates, technology and the ability to know which one needs priority at any given moment,” she sums it up.