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Monica Cheru-Mpambawashe Lifestyle Editor
“I am not selling a commodity. I am playing with people’s lives. There are the parents’ finances and a student’s future. “I deal with human lives. My job is about people not statistics. And the greatest moments are when I get feedback to say that the job has been done.
“Like when I received an email from a young person saying, ‘My dream has come true.’ I never forget that this is someone’s life, not just a job.”
That is how vivacious Lisa Manoussis explains the role that her organisation Global Education plays in society. It places students with universities worldwide.
Manoussis says that Zimbabwe has earned a place of great respect in top notch learning institutions across the world and as a Zimbabwean she is proud of that culture. “I have had Swansea (University) asking to meet UZ School of Management. The pro-vice chancellor of Jane Cook (Australia) comes here each year to recruit medicine students.”
It is easy to substantiate her claim as each year we see a host of adverts from foreign colleges once the O and A Level results come out. It is clear that Zimbabwean students are a highly sought-after commodity.
The rise to become an accredited agent of many high class universities in the world has not been an easy one for Lisa, mother, wife, daughter and career woman.
Manoussis established Global Education in 2006 in South Africa to avoid direct competition with another placement agency where she had worked for several years. It was only when the owner sold out that she established a Zimbabwe branch.
Prior to that she was a secretary at the Hellenic School, a job she had taken on to supplement the family income and ensure a good education for her children.
“I grew up in a strict Greek family. So I did not go out. I got married at 18 to the first man who came along and had my sons. I was a stay at home wife. Then my father who was on the board of Hellenic School told me about the vacancy for a secretary and I applied and was accepted.”
What started out as just a job was to turn out to be the first step in a passionate career in which her primary role is to assist young people realise their dreams by helping them identify and apply for the right course at the right place.
One day a teacher at the school went to Lisa and told her that she was applying for a place for her son with a foreign university. The university had then asked her to be their Zimbabwean agent and told her to open an email account. Like most other adults 20 years ago, the poor woman had no idea what sort of creature that might be and asked Lisa to assist her.
So Lisa did and an agency was born. Lisa worked with agency part-time and on weekends more out of passion than anything else. Then one day some developments forced Lisa to tackle her boss head on and she found herself jobless at eight thirty in the morning.
But she was not ready to retreat back home to be just another housewife after so many years of drinking the heady liberation of being a working woman.
“My brother who was an executive at JP Morgan encouraged me to go it alone and that is what I did. So I went to SA because I felt too loyal and did not want to compete with the agency that I had just left,” Lisa explains.
It was not easy to set up shop in South Africa while her family was in Zimbabwe. A host of personal problems also seemed to find that an opportune time to dog her. She lost her mother and her marriage failed to survive a rocky patch.
But she did not look back and today she is right at the top in her chosen field. She has become the go to person for all discerning parents looking to place their children in schools abroad.
“All my students do not require SATS to get into university because of my reputation. I have excellent relationships with many embassies to ensure that the application for visas is smooth. We also do Pathways to give a chance to students who normally would never get in and save them a year of waiting. I have hosted the biggest expo with many international universities in attendance.”
She says that integrity and genuine care for people are the two secrets to her success.
“First of all we do not charge exorbitant placement fees as we are genuine accredited agents. Secondly I do not take money from people under the pretext that I will pay the fees on their behalf. They pay directly to the university and I only help in cases where a person does not have a visa account. I will also not take on a student who does not qualify.
And I would never send a child to a school I have not personally been to.” Lisa constantly commutes between Zimbabwe and SA and owns houses in both countries although she is clear that she has no conflict as to just where her home is.
Outside the office she says she loves cooking, especially baking and often makes bread to de-stress.
“All that kneading takes a lot of physical energy and you work out a lot of emotions that way. So sometimes I find myself baking at night”
She laments the lack of Greek eateries in Harare after the closure of The Taverna. But for business entertaining she just loves Amanzi for their eclectic menu which means anyone and everyone will always get something they like. And they do have a couple of Greek dishes.
Her personal style is classic, a choice only for people who like elegance and are confident enough to carry it off without giving a jot about trends.
“I go for what looks good on me, not fashion. Kiki Divaris always says that you should never throw away a piece of clothing because it will come back into fashion.”
She is also into pieces by Nero, the Zimbabwean hand artist.
Online Reporter