MEET ARIANA
Do you remember? Your dreams as a little person? Those that took you to magical spaces and zones that asked a lot of your imagination. It’s quite surreal to accept that some were born blessed enough to land upon the pedestal of their dreams and others have to work tirelessly towards these goals. No matter the pathway, one thing is assured, if you are determined enough to dream big, these dreams might come true.
We caught up with a big dreamer who is in the process of manifesting her childhood visions. Boi Beatrice Kenneh is a Filmmaker and Entrepreneur, she loves to tell stories and has a unique eye for quality and good content.
She loves when people call her King Boi and often revels on that through her creative work which she channels through social media campaigns and advocacy, most of which centers on environmental sanitation. She started calling herself ‘King’ when she discovered that she was the only human responsible to make magic happen for herself, this notion helps her face fears and challenges as they arise.
I first met her a few years ago, as a branding enthusiast who attended a branding bootcamp that I facilitated with Freetown Business School. Totally amazed at her spurts of growth and zest for bringing stories to life, we thought her story fit to be a suitable outlet of joy, motivation and a source of hope. Behind the scenes with King Boi is an unfolding story, that we could all learn from and emulate.
It’s time to get to know KING BOI:
Boi was raised in catholic, traditional primary schools; St. Teresa and St. Anthony’s and as expected found her way to the prestigious St. Joseph’s Secondary School (Convent).
As a child she longed for love that she didn’t receive growing up (being adopted by her aunt- her mum’s younger sister). She hails from an intricate web of siblings, that she draws strength and dynamism from. Very often than not, she dreamt of traveling far away from home where she could be appreciated, valued and find belonging. She wanted to be seen, recognized by a society that understood her creative expressions and desire for exploration.
In the beginning she wanted to be a lawyer but later fell in love with the skies and hoped to become an air hostess. She thought this would help her feed her wanderlust. Thankfully these desires manifested differently, showing up in work and learning opportunities that propel her into exploring the world.
The back story for most creatives in previous times is a total disregard for formal forms of learning, very often ‘drop outs’ or so-called unintelligent students were expected to opt for these careers. King Boi hails from a new generation of entrepreneurs who thrive on the foundation of knowledge that stems from possessing unique certifications and grounding.
Ms. Kenneh has navigated her way into earning a Human Resource Management degree from the University of Makeni (UNIMAK) plus a certificate and diploma from the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology.
As a child living with her mama, she said, she was an extreme extrovert with loads of energy wherever she went. Literally lighting up every room she found herself in, but that changed when she went into her adoptive home. There, she became an extreme introvert, the only bliss she derived was from her daydreams about the possibilities in her future.
When she left her adoptive home in her 20’s, she was yet to find her skills nor discover her talents. Often, she felt of no use to herself with no straightforward guide from mortals, just her innate belief and faith, trusting in the immortal (Holy Spirit).
Eventually this led her to discover her mission, goals and objectives which were and still are, to be a positive change maker, to be counted among the powerful filmmakers and female entrepreneurs in the world. She is committed to working towards this mission head on and fervently. Boi never slacks on seemingly small opportunities that may offer interesting business links. She values patience, and having a positive mindset.
As she ascends into her career, the journey has been a teachable one. Where Boi has pushed herself to observe and record the traits that often derail successful young people especially women in achieving their dreams. She thinks inconsistency, lack of perseverance, impatience, envy, jealousy, dishonesty, greed, inferiority, low self-esteem syndrome and ego are major factors. In her view, she thinks most young people do not want to go through the stages that lead to success.
Boi believes that the secret to living the life of your dreams is to find what you really want to do, do it with diligence even if it doesn’t generate lots of income for a start. Stay investing in your skills and passion, God will support with His blessings.
As she continues growing her brands Branic Essentials and NeinGwei, she seeks to create more visibility search and grab more opportunities ahead. Someone can patronize through collaboration, partnership and award contracts.
Boi is very confident in her work and believes that her brands can generate a positive change for Sierra Leone and the world.
Branic Essentials is an agro and cosmetics business that is working under the raider and will soon be visible to the public, same as NeinGwei a multimedia organization.
In the past couple of months, she has stayed active in multitasking to match the needs of different projects and strives to always meet deadlines. Some people say she puts her whole self in a project and hardly gets time for herself, this has motivated her into building a team she hopes will own the vision. King Boi would love to work with entrepreneurs or organizations that have the same vibe and vision as hers and are willing and ready to face whatever challenges may come with growth.
Boi believes in mentorship; she says her mentors and model are segmented:
The First ones are Jesus Christ and Mary the mother of Jesus. The patience they exhibited in accomplishing their mission on the earth makes always yearning for the same kind attribute.
The second ones are my mother and director (Lansana Mansaray, aka Barmmy Boy) the humility these people possess, is unimaginable.
The third segment is full of mentors that she has admired from afar, to list a few, (others she is yet to meet or put names to):
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Ariana Diaries Founder: Ariana Oluwole, her persistence spirit is admirable.
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Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr: She is an exceptional woman.
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Fatima Bio, a woman who knows what she wants and how to get it.
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Arthur Alexandria Pratt: his radicalism gives good tension in one place and rises to solve some problems in other situations.
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Suliaman Stephens: his enthusiasm and care, are unmatched.
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Women that are resilient and relentless in their work and go for what they want in Sierra Leone and the world without limits.
Herself; Boi says that despite everything she has faced and still encounters physically, spiritually and mentally, she values how she has found the courage to keep becoming.
HER WORK
Boi has been featured on the New Boats that premiered on the 31st March 2023, as a translator and Blind Tales, which was screened at Freedom festival in Hull city, UK in July 2021.
Link:https://instagram.com/
Instagram: The New Boats
YouTube:https://youtu.be/
