Riddled with anxiety as to what the next step will be or where the next crumbs of food will come from, was the last thing Glo Diamond real name Glorainne Francis remembers before she collapsed and found herself in Hospital.
“I left home (Zimbabwe) at very young age of 18 to settle in the United Kingdom,” recalls Glo Diamond
Before she left home she was working at a casino while waiting for her Advanced Level results.
“I was making a lot of money so my mum and I decided to help out some relatives with money to travel to the Uk, in the hope that I will follow and stay with them.
Little did the former Harare Girls High student know that she would become a beggar and destitute in a foreign country.
“Upon arriving in Britain I tried to contact my relatives I had assisted but they had changed their contacts and didn’t want anything to do with me.
“For the first time in my life I had to learn how to beg,” she says with a fading voice.
And for the better part of her life, she was to sleep at a train station with no blankets.
The Hospital experience which turned into a blessing in disguise
As the cold weather of Britain would take its toll on her, she collapsed and found herself in a hospital.
“The doctors said it was Hypothermia (a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature)
“In the hospital, I then met a student nurse who remembered me from an interaction we had had in Zimbabwe where I used to work,after being discharged she took me into her small room,” she narrates.
The one event that changed everything
“I got my first job at McDonalds where I was earning £3.40 per hour,” she told Zimbuzz.
“I started exploring alternative ways of making extra income and since I was involved in a lot of arts activities in school,I organised my first gig which was a celebration of the Zambian Independence day.”
It was from that experience that she started getting heavily involved it the promotion of arts activities that at one point she was working and managing a club with King Alfred as the DJ.
Her influence and income started growing rapidly to such an extent she was now organising bigger events.
Then the bigger things started happening
She then brought to the UK ,Brenda Fassie,Temptations and a whole lot of the big names in Dee Jaying
Glo Diamond is now involved in a lot of Public relations work and has worked with people like former heavyweight boxers like Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson.
She is also involved in Talent Mangement and currently works with Football clubs in England.
She also led a team that fundraised for the Zimbabwean 2012 Olympic Team where she convinced fellow Zimbabwean and Boxer Derick Chisora to donate to the team.
“One of my proudest moments was when I brought Oliver Mtukudzi to the icon O2 Venue,”she said.
Glo diamond was recently named among the Top Black Entrepreneurs in Britain
Glorianne is now CEO of Gloramo Concierge & PR Ltd and Director for African Partnership Ltd and has won many awards for her commitment and dedication to raising profiles, creating platforms and supporting upcoming talent.
Women Economic Forum profiled her as a conscientious, resourceful and creative Brand strategist and International Public Relations Communications Consultant with a talent for spotting opportunities with a natural innovative and creative flair to source and present dynamic marketing solutions within commercial constraints.
In 2013 she was also awarded an Empowerment Ambassador award for her commitment to empowering and support people in her community.
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