I come from two generations of women who had to start over.

Sharleen with her grandmother, a groundbreaker who worked for the National Railways of Zimbabwe — With my grandmother

My grandmother was a groundbreaker. She built a remarkable life in Zambia; she and my grandfather owned businesses and were well-off. But when her husband passed away, she lost everything. In a moment, the life she had built and the security she depended on changed forever. She had to migrate to Zimbabwe, where she started over and became the first woman in her town to drive a car. Today she still runs a mini grocery store at the town centre, where she goes every day; she's almost 90!

My mother's story was different, but no less defining.

Sharleen and her sister with their mother, who rebuilt her life in a new country — My sister and I, with our mother

She was an incredible dancer and one of the first ballerinas at the time. When she lost her father, her family migrated to Zimbabwe. There, she was an administrative professional until the country's hyperinflation stripped away everything she had worked for. She was forced to begin again in a new country in South Africa, taking on menial jobs to provide for her children and create opportunities that hadn't been available before. She eventually went back to Zimbabwe, and today she's a life-changing advocate who has helped introduce new laws to legislation that protect abused children.

Watching these women shaped my understanding of what it means to build a secure life as a woman.

I witnessed resilience.

I witnessed sacrifice.

I witnessed courage.

But I also saw how quickly circumstances can change when financial security isn't established, ownership isn't created, and there isn't a framework that can withstand life's unexpected seasons.

Their sacrifices became the foundation of my opportunities.

Four generations: Sharleen's grandmother, mother, Sharleen, and her daughter — Four generations. My grandmother and my mother left amazing legacies of sacrifice. I am here because of what they carried.

Years later, I migrated to Australia with my husband and our two children.

In many ways, I was starting over for the second time.

But this time, I realised something important.

I wasn't starting over in the same world they had.

"I was starting over in a world with unprecedented access to information, education, technology and systems. A world where knowledge is no longer reserved for a privileged few, but is available to anyone willing to learn, apply it and build."

That realisation changed everything.

Legacy Department was born from that conviction.

While I cannot rewrite the stories of the women who came before me, by God's grace, I can help write a different story for the women who come after.