Mariette Nguessan, a fourth-year law student at Carleton, sat down with the Charlatan’s Hannah Thompson to talk about Chicken Soup For The Woman’s Soul, a Facebook page with healthy lifestyle tips for the modern woman.
The Charlatan (TC): When did you decide to start your page, Chicken’s Soup For The Woman’s Soul, and when did you actually set it up?
Mariette Nguessan (MN): It’s really random because I was actually in São Tomé and Príncipe (a country in Africa). It’s an island where my dad lives. And I was just in my bed, bored, and I’ve always had a passion for cooking, and because I was bored, I [was] like, “You know what, why don’t I give women advice on how to stay healthy, how to cook, everything that I love to do.” I’m really passionate about hygiene. I’m really passionate about cooking and fitness and healthy eating, so I’m like, “Why don’t I just start a page?” And that’s how it started. I was just bored in bed and the idea came to me.
TC: Where did you get the idea for Chicken’s Soup For The Woman’s Soul?
MN: The page is about empowering women and it’s very comforting because I give a lot of advice so that women know that they’re not alone when they’re going through rough things in their lives, like relationships and all the other problems they have. It’s a page for women and it’s supposed to be comforting like chicken soup.
TC: What’s the goal of the page?
MN: It’s really to exchange with other women how to stay healthy, little tips they didn’t know before that make a huge difference on how to stay clean and how to stay beautiful because a lot of times, we don’t even think about these things. And we have busy lifestyles. We’re in and we’re out. We don’t really think about the little things that make a difference on how people perceive us and how we are.
TC: How do you decide what goes onto the page?
MN: Inspiration. If nothing comes to my head, I don’t put anything. If I’m busy, I don’t put [anything]. But if an idea comes in my head, I just go and I do it. So basically, inspiration, whatever comes to my head.
TC: Where do you find the time between your studies to update the page?
MN: I don’t really. I mean, sometimes [when] I study, I’m like, “OK, I’m going to give 10 minutes to just do this really quick.” I mean, I try, but when I don’t have time, I don’t do it. I don’t force myself. It’s a project. No one’s rushing me. It can be here for years. I’m not in any rush to do anything.
TC: Does anybody help?
MN: No. Well, I ask people to share input if they have any, but no one really helps me with the page. They just put what they think. They just contribute to what I write, so that’s really cool.
TC: Who are you targeting with your page?
MN: Women, women and women, because men, we’re tired of them, you know? They’re their own species. Us women, we need to come together and just be the best that we can be. You know, women, we are the future. Like Beyoncé said, “Girls, we run this world.” That’s my view on things.
TC: Where do you see the page going in the future and do you think it’ll go past Facebook?
MN: I’m a firm believer. I believe in God and whatever happens in life, happens. I don’t do things to try to get recognition. I do it because I love it. And if it does go past Facebook, that’s what God wanted and obviously he has a bigger plan for me.
But you know, I take things step by step. I don’t really plan my life. I just do things because I love [them].
