Interviewer: Joyce Chiamaka Nwezeh
Nominee: Coach Caroline
Category: Education & Academic Sector
“By teaching for more than 20 years, I believe I’ve been impacting lives already.”
Coach Caroline Farirai
Introduction
In this conversation, we speak with Coach Caroline Farirai, a Vice Principal, educator, and leadership coach based in South Africa.
Recently nominated in the PAWES 2025 Awards Education and Academic Sector, she shares her journey, her inspiration, her impact, and her vision for future change through the power of education and confidence-building.
Coach Caroline Farirai
My name is Caroline, but many know me as Coach Caroline because I am an educationist with an education background, and I am also into coaching. I’m currently a Vice Principal in a college in South Africa. I’ve been affiliated with organizations like CBW as well as Junior Chamber International, a global leadership organization that deals with leadership empowerment.
I stand for the education space, the sector I was nominated for, because I believe education opens doors. That’s who I am. Thank you.
What Inspired Her Career in Education
Coach Caroline Farirai
I grew up in a rural village. My mom administrated a small school on a government-owned farm. She didn’t believe I could attend that school, so I was sent to boarding school. During holidays, I would return to my grandmother. But my mom’s voice was always in my ears. She always said, “I want you to be educated. Be skilled in something first.”
She made it compulsory in our household to have a skill before getting married. She would say, “Before a marriage certificate, you need an educational certificate.” That’s when I made up my mind that I was going to do this.
My dad also encouraged upgrading ourselves because Zimbabwe’s economy wasn’t doing well. I didn’t want a man to come and tell me to “upgrade” myself. I wanted to already be empowered, confident, and educated.
The Pivotal Moment of Realization
Coach Caroline Farirai
The pivotal moment was when I realized confidence can actually be taught. I had completed my first degree, but confidence was still not there. When I became a coach, confidence made sense to me. I realized you don’t need to look a certain way to excel.
Sometimes I would go for interviews. Yes, I had my degree, but when asked, “Tell us about yourself,” the lies I told myself would come up. I would stammer. They would wonder if I got the degree the right way.
But after coaching—and coaching others, especially women—I realized confidence can be learned and can be taught. You can have a PhD, but without confidence, you can remain silent. For your voice to be heard, you need confidence.
So I decided: I’m adding coaching to education. I’m educating myself to coach others.
Her Contribution & Impact
Coach Caroline Farirai
I’ve been teaching for more than 20 years, and through teaching I believe I’ve been impacting lives—though with teaching, feedback takes years.
Coaching is different. Feedback is immediate.
I coach many women, including interview coaching, through my company, the Fatherly Coaching and Mentoring Foundation. I am also affiliated with JCI, a global foundation enhancing leadership qualities in youth. My passion is the youth and confidence-building, especially for women.
This nomination is a testament that I am impacting lives. Confidence is everything. Your background or physical appearance doesn’t matter—if you believe in yourself, it will work out.
I believe education empowers, and confidence sustains that empowerment.
If She Wins the PAWES 2025 Award
Coach Caroline Farirai
If I win, it would be more than a personal milestone—it would be a platform for purpose.
First, I want to be a voice for those who cannot be heard.
I want to empower graduates who are unemployed, and women in male-dominated environments. If coached well, one can even create employment.
We aren’t trying to compete with men; we want to complement them.
Secondly, I want to empower communities through confidence clinics, accessible to all women—from the lowest to the highest levels. Confidence is a tool for healing, especially for women who have faced trauma or great losses.
Lastly, advocacy through storytelling. Women heal through hearing stories of other women who made it. Sometimes women compare instead of empower. We compare Brazilian weaves and makeup instead of saying, “I have your back.” I want to change that.
Growth Strategy & Sustainability
Coach Caroline Farirai
My growth strategy has two key components:
- Capacity Building
In my coaching, I have models for individuals and corporate clients. To stay sustainable, I must enhance every model so it remains relevant—incorporating changes such as AI. I need the necessary resources to continue impacting lives. - Collaboration
I collaborate with organizations, NGOs, universities, and HR corporates to offer something for everyone in the education sector. I am also considering incorporating associate coaches so there is monitoring and evaluation. You cannot work alone and assume you’re doing well. Feedback refines growth.
That is my sustainability tool.
