Interviews&profile - Women of Rubies

In Inspiration March 27, 2023 By Women of Rubies

Toyin Ndidi Taiwo-Ojo: Attitude Of The Society Towards Gender-Based Violence Is A Big Challenge

The beauty of being a legal practitioner is understanding the plight of those you defend, and advocating for them. Not many Lawyers can multi-task and deliver successfully both ways, but Toyin Ndidi Taiwo-Ojo is breaking boundaries in her profession as a Lawyer and Human rights activist. She is not only “walking the talk”, but also lending her voice to the voiceless, vulnerable, and marginalized in society.

The amazing legal practitioner is also the founder of Stop The Abuse Against Children and Women Foundation, popularly called Stop the Abuse foundation. The seasoned negotiator and mediator bagged her law degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University, also known as the Great Ife. She has worked in various notable firms.

She was one-time welfare secretary of the NBA Ota, Ogun State branch, and is currently a member of the NBA national NHIS committee, she was also at one time the Personal Assistant of the wife of the Executive Governor, of Kogi state, a position she held until she resigned in 2017 to face her advocacy passion squarely. A human rights advocate, she sits on the board of some notable charities in the country and has a great passion for vulnerable children, women, and the environment.

She shares her inspiring journey, and tips on the right way to report cases of violence and abuse.

Childhood Influence

Growing up with a widowed grandmother in the village, it was all too easy to understand the hardship that women and children face especially in a deeply patriarchal society. Also, seeing my grandmother stand up for herself and persuade her kinsmen to sell land for her when it wasn’t the norm to do so prepared me for this future.

The inspiration behind Stop the Abuse Against Children and Women Foundation

I have always offered pro-bono legal services to indigent people but my vision became clearer in 2015 when a young boy of six years named Promise was stabbed by his mom with a broken bottle as a sort of punishment for allegedly “ defiling” a two years old girl. There and then, I knew I had to do something. Most parents were ignorant of acceptable methods of disciplining, kids were being subjected to the most ludicrous form of abuse in the name of punishment, being raped and maltreated, and sometimes needing rescue from even their parents!

Being a legal practitioner, and human rights advocate and managing it all

Honestly, it has been God but having a supportive husband has made the journey easy.

Impact of Stop the Abuse Foundation since Inception

Oh wow! Stop The Abused was registered in 2018 and has rescued over 30 young girls from physical and sexual abuse. We have also rescued women from domestic abuse. Our food drives and economic empowerment interventions have affected more than 5000 families and it is still counting. Stop The Abuse Foundation is also keen on advocacy and sensitization and more than 10, 000 persons have been affected through our grassroots mobilization. The far reach of our constant appearances both on TV, newspaper, radio, and social media on advocacy and sensitization cannot be overemphasized.

What the Government should do to support the GBV sector

I think the government should support critical stakeholders by providing Funds! A gender purse should be set up with critical stakeholders and philanthropists to run it just like CACOVID was set up during the covid crisis of 2020.

Most shelters run by private owners are poorly funded. As of now in Nigeria, the cost of justice for survivors is very high! Within Lagos alone to rescue a child, one must be thinking of spending between 40,000 to 50,000 naira at least from providing vehicles for arrest to logistics of investigations with the police. When the suspect is arrested, one also must provide the vehicle to court and a lot of other sundry things. Government should be deliberate and help to see that our laws are more robust in tandem with current realities. This brings us to the issue of access to justice delivery. Countless adjournment makes the victims oftentimes give up but if cases were treated speedily, it would encourage victims to seek redress in court.

Challenges of my work

The attitude of society towards gender-based violence is a big challenge. The culture of silence being encouraged by our people is one example, victims of gender-based violence are not “supposed” to speak up or talk less about fighting for justice especially when the perpetrator is a family member, their extended family believes that the victim speaking up will break the “unity” of the family. This brings us to victim blaming. The general belief that it must have been what the victim wore or did that seduce the rapist is another sociocultural challenge. Our people see anyone who fights for other women as an over Sabi, the challenges are too numerous

Other projects and activities

We currently apart from rescuing victims and offering legal, paralegal, and psychosocial interventions free of charge. We also do food drives and economic empowerment for widows. We are currently looking at building a transit shelter for children. We are also planning a skills acquisition center to help indigent women who are survivors of domestic violence to become economically empowered to fend for themselves and their children.

What do you enjoy most about your job? The thing I enjoy most is the smile I get from survivors after a rescue! The smile often carried the whole message of gratitude, hope, and relief. Knowing that you have made a difference in the life of someone who has given up hope is quite exhilarating.

3 women who inspire me and why

My grandmother Blackie Ekwutoziam Awana is my first role model, she taught me that women can be anything they want to be! From being widowed at an early stage and quite illiterate, she questioned the tradition of not selling land to women in her hometown even when the woman had the money. She is an unsung hero. Women all over the world striving for a better life, keep inspiring me to be a better version of myself.

To women in abusive marriages who are afraid to flee

The covenant of life is far greater than the covenant of marriage.

Steps to take to seek justice for cases of domestic violence and rape

For a rape victim, the first is to speak up, do not let anyone shut you up. Speak your truth. If it is a recent rape incident, do not clean yourself(vagina) up and if you must, clean up, use a white handkerchief, tie the handkerchief in a clean white nylon, then go the hospital before going to the police. Call a human rights organization. Better still, call the human rights organization first to give you moral support as you fight for justice.

Being a Woman of Rubies

Honestly, my joy is to see more women and children free from all these indignities.

In Inspiration March 27, 2023 By Women of Rubies

Esther Enewerome Odafe: Writing A Brilliant Book Involves A Lot Of Research

A notable Author once said; “There is no friend as loyal as a book”. Reading is like a voyage through time, the more that you read, the more things you will know. We can’t downplay the culture of reading, and authors who write and curate the contents we digest.

Award-winning Amazon bestselling author, Esther Enewerome Odafe is one of such authors promoting reading culture, and also helping professionals, entrepreneurs, organizations, and individuals fulfill their dreams of becoming published authors.

The famous writer has worked with local and international clients to birth top-notch quality books that reflect their personal or business brands with 0% plagiarism. Her passion for equipping individuals with the right knowledge and skill set for decent work and economic development in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 8) has led her to birth a Facebook community of passionate and talented individuals who want to earn from their skills and grow their businesses.

Esther was shortlisted for the 2018 African Writer’s Award- Flash fiction category and; the 2020 SME100 Nigeria 25Under25 Awards- Creative Writing & Content Creation category; and her book won the 2021 Bookney Book of the Year Award.

She is also the founder of The Midas Touch Literary Services and co-founder of Bookney. Her works have appeared in local and international magazines, blogs, and television programs including Writers Space Africa magazine, Freelancers magazine, and Patabah books blog

She shares her inspiring journey with Esther Ijewere in this exclusive and insightful interview.

Childhood Influence

Growing up, my parents would buy me storybooks to read, and I believe it was their way of helping me to cultivate a reading habit. The great thing about reading is that it sharpens your mind and makes you want to bring your imagination to life through writing. Today, as a ghostwriter, writing a brilliant book involves a lot of research, which has to do with intensive reading. So, yes, my childhood prepared me for what I do.

The inspiration behind Bookney and From Hobby To Career Africa

Bookney was founded by me and Precious Osikha in 2020. In 2019, we noticed many authors complained about intellectual property theft, people selling their books and making money off them. This was what prompted us to start a unique and safe platform for book reading and publishing with better incentives for both authors and readers. I started the Facebook group, From Hobby to Career Africa out of a passion for equipping individuals with the right knowledge and skill set for decent work and economic development in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 8). My goal is to help passionate and talented individuals who want to earn from their skills and grow their businesses.

The journey so far

It has been an interesting journey so far, but not without challenges. However, persistence and seeing the bigger picture of my dreams have kept me going.

Being an author, ghostwriter, editor, and managing all the hats I wear

For me, it all boils down to knowing what jobs to take and how to arrange my schedule. Anytime I feel pumped to work, I do all the ‘heavy-lifting’ jobs and reserve the more fun ones for when I am lethargic and need an energy boost.

The ripple effect of training 100 newbie writers

This is certainly one of the most fulfilling things I have done. Getting testimonials and seeing milestones from past students about how they have put the training to use either by working for companies or running their businesses makes me happy. Also, helping clients who never thought they could become authors write their books and become bestsellers is fulfilling.

Challenges of my work

The major challenge for me would be meeting several deadlines around the same time. As someone who wears many hats, jobs come in at different times with varying deadlines. Sometimes they are so close, that it becomes hectic meeting those deadlines.

3 women who inspire me and why

My mum is my number one inspiration because of how resilient she is. The next person would be Esther Ijewere for her doggedness in helping people notwithstanding the outcome. Last but not the least, I would say to myself because of how determined I am to achieve my dreams.

Nuggets on how to become a successful ghostwriter and editor

The first thing I would recommend is to love knowledge. Whichever way you want to gain knowledge about new things is up to you although, I would recommend reading wide as your best shot. Also, develop the habit of being meticulous if you are not because you need this trait to deliver excellent work. Finally, learn the act of marketing your services and closing sales because, without sales, you are just not in business.

Being a Woman of Rubies

I am a woman of rubies because I am valuable, strong, and giving. Every business venture I have started, every book I have written, has all been intending

Contact details;

Social media handles:

Instagram: @enewerome

Facebook: Esther Enewerome Odafe-Ohakah

Email: contact@estherenewerome.com

www.estherenewerome.com

In Career Gems March 22, 2023 By Women of Rubies

8 Inspiring Nigerian Women Making A difference In Canada

These women have been able to break the barrier that prevents black women from reaching the top of their careers. They have been celebrated for their accomplishments, and recognized for changing narratives and making room for other women to thrive through their various endeavors.

In celebration of International women’s month, we highlight these 8 Nigerian women who are making us proud In Canada.

Esther Ijewere

Esther is the founder of Women of Rubies, a newspaper columnist, author, public relations and media strategist, and women’s advocate. She uses her online platform as a storyteller to highlight the contributions of Nigerian-Canadian women across the country.

Her work as a community builder and activist has been instrumental in helping to bridge the gap between the Nigerian and Canadian communities, creating a sense of belonging and connection for those who have immigrated to Canada. As a gifted storyteller, Esther uses her storytelling skills to raise awareness about social issues and inspire others to take action.

Esther’s stories often focus on the experiences of women, particularly those of Nigerian-Canadian women, and the unique challenges they face as immigrants in Canada.

She also anchors a talk show_ “Get Talking with Esther” an online talk show aimed at helping individuals put their thoughts to words, promote positive living, and find their voices

She was recently recognized as of the 100 Most Influential Female Founders in Africa.

Inspiring Nigerian Women In Canada — Esther Ijewere-Founder-Women of Rubies

2. Chioma Ogamba

Chioma is one of the most sought-after Immigration consultants in Canada. She addresses Business Immigration, Student Visas, Residency by Investment, and Citizenship. The amazon is the founder of Kisha Immigration, a licensed immigration firm found in Alberta, Canada. Her brand was formed out of her drive for assisting people to look for greener pastures abroad and put smiles on people’s faces through their dream actualization.

Chioma is a first-class honors graduate of Applied Business Computing in the UK. She also schooled in four other countries: Canada, Nigeria, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. She moved to Canada as a permanent resident and obtained certification in Information Technology, Immigration Consulting, and an MBA in Business Administration.

Immigration Consultant in Canada — Chioma Ogamba- CE0-KIsha Immigration

3. Eno Eka

Eno Eka is a business analyst and change manager based in Calgary, Alberta. She is an award-winning career coach and speaker who has been recognized for helping more than 20,000 professionals around the world kickstart their professional careers. She is a business analysis content developer and course instructor at the University of Manitoba. She is the CEO of Eny Consulting Inc and the Founder of Business Analysis School.

4. Adedoyin Omotara

Adedoyin is a life coach, business coach, speaker, women empowerment advocate, and beauty entrepreneur. Born in Uk to Nigerian parents, her passion to live a purposeful life made her abandon her thriving Corporate Engineering field and turn into a women’s empowerment advocate and beauty entrepreneur.

The inspirational icon founded her well-structured company Adoniaa Beauty which can stand the test of time after retirement by attending business courses and investing in business coaches.

Adedoyin extends the business knowledge gotten from running her own company to others and she has helped a lot of business owners start, structure, and grow their firms productively.

Inspiring Niigerian women in Canada — Adedoyin Omotara | Image: Sheleads

5. Beauty Darosa

Beauty Darosa is the owner of Naija Jollof, a Nigerian food counter located in Westwood Square Mall in Mississauga, and other locations across Canada. Naija Jollof is a business that serves Nigerian dishes. Their food counter was birthed with their goal to prepare Nigerian traditional food and street food that Nigerians in Canada can enjoy especially Jollof rice.

6. Moyosore Sadiq-Soneye

Moyosore Sadiq-Soneye is an accomplished and versatile professional, holding dual qualifications as a lawyer in both Nigeria and Canada. She has obtained a Master of Law degree from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and holds two diplomas in Paralegal Studies and Immigration Consultancy, asides from her LLB & BL.

In addition to her legal career, Moyosore is a writer, movie producer, and coach. She has produced three Indigenous Yoruba-language movies: Isipo, Ebi Mi Ni, and Asepamo, which are currently available on AfricaMagic (DSTV) and YouTube platforms.

7. Adekelu Ogunleye

Adekelu a.k.a Kelu is an entrepreneur who owns Kelu Cooks, a business firm that focuses on tantalizing Intercontinental and African meals. The serial entrepreneur also owns other businesses, called ‘international Obioma,’ and Kelz cleaning services because of her passion for cleaning and organization skills.

Adekelu has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Lagos, in literature. She obtained a diploma in developmental service work program from Cambrian College, Canada from which she was given the ‘Leadership Award,’ and ‘Building Momentum Award.’

The talented fashionista obtains a style consultant certification to take her potential to another level. Adekelu Ogunleye’s passion for humanity ignited her interest in social work.

Nigerian Women in Canada — Adekelu Ogunleye

8. Monisola Kusanu

Monisola is the founder and CEO of fast-growing Sugartowndesserts, a cakes and desserts catering brand that provides custom cakes, desserts & chocolate-covered treats for all occasions and celebrations.

The brand has since grown in leaps and bounds. Sugartowndesserts is known for its unique tastes, colorful designs, and Customer-centric offerings which stand them out from the pack.

Monisola has a BSc in Statistics from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria. Her statistical knowledge helps her to better understand her customers, optimize her production process, improve her product quality, and increase profitability. She is revered for her commitment to excellence, eye for detail, and innovative ideas.

See the first list of 16 Nigerian Women making us proud here.

In Career Gems March 21, 2023 By Women of Rubies

Meet Patience Masua,The 23-Year-Old Member of The Namibian Parliament

At 23 years old, Hon. Patience Masua is Namibia’s youngest Member of Parliament. She was appointed as a Member of Parliament by President Hage Geingob in April 2021 following Defence Minister Peter Vilho’s resignation, making her Namibia’s and one of Africa’s youngest MP.

With a history of serving as the Secretary-General of Namibia National Students Organization (NANSO) and as the Speaker of the University of Namibia (UNAM) Student Representative Council (SRC), Hon. Masua holds a Bachelor of Laws( LLB) from the University of Namibia ( UNAM) and previously served as the Head Girl of Delta Secondary School in Windhoek.

Apart from her work in politics, Patience is very passionate about empowering young people through education and currently serves as the Namibian Country Director of the Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYOF).

Early life

Masua was born in Gobabis, Omaheke, on 7 January 1999 after which her family moved to Windhoek. She attended pre and primary school at Kleine Professor College. However, she finished primary school at Suiderhof Primary School and proceeded to complete her high school at Delta Secondary School Windhoek where she served as Deputy Head Girl in the Learners Representative Council.

Student politics and activism

Patience entered mainstream student politics and activism in university, primarily through her newspaper opinion pieces and then serving in the student union as Faculty Representative for the University of Namibia Faculty of Law. Later she ran for the position of Speaker of Student Parliament of the UNAM SRC and won it in 2019. Thereafter she served as Secretary-General for the Namibia National Students Organisation (NANSO). In 2022, Masua inspired women leaders at Women Leaders Expo in Dubai. She shared her story as a politician and lawyer, fighting for equality and justice in Namibia.

Community Work

In 2021, Masua founded the Patience Masua Foundation Africa (PMF Africa). PMF Africa was established with the mission to empower young Namibians in the areas of education, entrepreneurial development, capacity-building and research.

In Inspiration March 15, 2023 By Esther Ijewere

Moyosore Sadiq-Soneye: Founder Of Naija Lawyer In Canada

Moyosore Sadiq-Soneye is an accomplished and versatile professional, holding dual qualifications as a lawyer in both Nigeria and Canada.

She has obtained a Master of Law degree from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and holds two diplomas in Paralegal Studies and Immigration Consultancy, asides from her LLB & BL.

Moyosore is currently employed as a Refugee Decision-Maker with the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, while also running her own law firm, Mo’s Law Office, with a focus on Mental Health Law, Wills & Estates, and Immigration (@moslawoffice on Instagram).

As an immigrant herself, she knows first hand the emotional stress that comes with Immigration Law. She seeks to understand each client and their unique legal needs. At this firm, Clients are not file numbers.

Moyosore Sadiq-Soneye – NaijaCanadaLawyer

At present, she is focused on crafting a compilation of uplifting poems and affirmations intended for young black girls

Moyosore is also the founder of the one-stop platform for foreign-trained lawyers, @naijalawyerincanada, where she and her team provide impeccable services. The platform shares features of Nigerian lawyers who have completed their licensing process and have been called to the bar in a province in Canada. These features inspire many lawyers and assist with networking.

Moyosore is a dedicated and proud mother of three Queens-In-Training, one of whom is a child author of an Amazon bestseller, “The Story of the Missing Piece.” She is also a passionate mentor to many children, helping them to discover and develop their talents and inner creativity.

In all, Moyosore wears many hats and is a lover of community service. She is passionate about women, children and vulnerable people.

MEMBERSHIPS

Canadian Bar Association
Ontario Bar Association
Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers
Toronto Lawyers Association
Canadian Association of Nigerian Lawyers

In Inspiration March 14, 2023 By Women of Rubies

Omotoke Olugbode: I Want Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder To Have Access To Therapy

Omotoke Olugbode is an inclusive education advocate with over five years experience in education, community service, and advocating for children with disabilities.

She holds a Bachelor Degree in Education (Educational Foundation and Counseling) from Obafemi Awolowo University and a certificate in Youth Mental Health First Aid in USA. She is a Mandela Washington fellow and a 2020 LEAP Africa SIP Fellow.

She has spoken at International conferences including, The Concordia Summit at the Grand Hyatt, Voice of women at Wagner College. She also had an internship opportunity with the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability, Philadelphia, USA.

Omotoke believes education is the bedrock of everything and without it she would not have been able to achieve all she has. She is the Founder and CEO of The Autism Awareness Foundation and Theraconnect.

Childhood Influence

Growing up was a bit challenging, but I grew up in a family full of love; my parents are loving and amazing people,my mum is the disciplinarian while my dad condones me a lot; people often say it’s because we look alike. I never had all I wanted while growing up, but received love from my sisters all the time; we shared everything, and we confide in each other.

My upbringing definitely contributed to what I do now, I understand the pain of women with children with disabilities in rural communities having been born and raised in one at Oworonshoki community. My passion for setting up The Autism Awareness Foundation came from my personal experience too.

Inspiration Behind Autism Awareness Foundation (TAAF)

The Autism Awareness Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that raises awareness about disability and inclusion of children with disability in the classroom and society while eradicating stigmatisation and marginalisation. We ensure children with disability, especially children on the autism spectrum disorder, get access to good and quality therapy for early intervention to function and get included in the school system as most children with disability are always denied access to inclusive and quality education.

The Foundation started in 2017 where we create awareness for children on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We have been involved in active teachers training and parental support group. Due to our work expansion and experience, we set up the social enterprise of THERACONNECT as physical connecting platform before thinking of the App. Currently, since May 2018, we have been involved in outsourcing over 50 therapists and special needs educators to parents, teachers and school.

Passion For Inclusive Education

I am a Teacher by profession, and I got into the teaching profession as a zeal I have for teaching, which was further influenced by my friend who had a disability during my secondary school days; I watched how she couldn’t get the adequate and efficient education during our school days. Teachers would rather not have her in their classroom and she most often does not come to school at all.

That experience made me developed a passion to become a teacher and a deep commitment for children living with disability so that I could be able to teach them in the classroom. After my University Education, I discovered that my teachers then could not teach my friend because they do not have the knowledge and skills to teach children with disabilities. The spark and motivation to start my social initiative came after reading an online article about a mother with a child with Autism, how people referred to her child as being possessed; this brought back memories of my experience in secondary school with my friend.

Other Projects And Activities

Apart from my NGO, The Autism Awareness Foundation, I am also an Innovator; THERACONNECT is online App where parents can connect with therapists without leaving their home, which saves them stress, money and time. I am a social entrepreneur, I currently run a social enterprise called The Sensory Place, which focuses on sensory materials, toys and montessori schools equipment for parents and schools owners while also consulting for schools on issues pertaining to inclusion in their classroom and connecting with therapists to schools and parents.

Achievements ‎As A Global Youth Figure

My achievement on inclusion has always come through my NGO; my impact has made over 100 parents access therapy for their children for early intervention, increase the awareness around autism spectrum disorder to over 5000 people in the community through our annual Walk Aware Autism and trained over 1000 teachers on skills needed to include children on the spectrum in their classroom both online and physical training with the advent of our online support for 30 parents as a form of continued training and counseling.

In all of this, my greatest achievement is when parents call me after their kids have been able to achieve a developmental milestone and when they get accepted in an inclusive school, the joy and smiles on parents at such moments always mean everything to me.

Challenges

Challenges are bound to happen, will happen and they still happen. One of the challenges I faced is the stigmatisation and marginalisation that comes with working with children with disability, which is a big problem of acceptance and inclusion. Another challenge is the myth associated with children with disability as a punishment from God.

As such, most parents in my community prefer to keep their children at home and lock them inside rather than bring them out for assessment and therapy, as most schools won’t accept them. Even when schools finally accept them, other parents in the school sometimes withdraw their children from the school, saying they don’t want their children to catch the disability.

Finally, I am faced with the challenge of lack of trained teachers to facilitate learning in the classroom. I have been able to overcome these challenges through training and holding meetings with school owners to explain that disabilities are not contagious and children benefit more when they learn in inclusive settings.

Women Who Inspire Me And Why

One of the women who inspire me is Clare Henshaw, she runs Girls Inspired Foundation. She has gone off to inspire many girls and yet with a humble and kind spirit; I am surely learning humility from her.

Another is Jasmine; Jasmine is a mother to a child on the autism spectrum disorder who I met in Philadelphia. Despite her position, she has constantly been reaching out to me on how to provide support for more mothers in Africa and especially Nigeria.

Lastly is my Mother, being a mother to four ladies without a boy child, I know we all know how the narrative would have been, but she has kept it all together and always there for us her children. She constantly teaches faith and trust in the most difficult time.

Advice To Young Women

I will tell them to explore all the opportunities they have at their disposal, aim for the sky and land among the moon, dare the impossible and to keep showing up for themselves. I will tell them that impossible is nothing and they are born to do great and amazing things. They should never underestimate themselves and to keep shattering limits and breaking new grounds.

In Inspiration March 12, 2023 By Women of Rubies

Stephanie Obi, Techpreneur and The Queen of Online Courses

Stephanie Obi is popularly referred to as the Queen of Online Courses. She is an award winning business coach and the founder of TrainQuarters, the first female owned tech platform which provides tech support to thought leaders so that they can create and promote their products with ease.

She is the creator of the Course Launched Delivered program, which helps female thought leaders to earn Six Figures from creating and selling evergreen online courses.

She has helped some of Forbes Africa’s most powerful women and LinkedIn Top Voices to launch their courses and is the author of the Amazon best-selling book, Knowledge Is The New Gold.

Stephanie Obi is a recipient of the Beta Gamma Sigma 2021 Entrepreneurial Achievement Award, the Social Media for Social Good Award and was named one of the “100 Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria” in 2017 by Leading Ladies Africa.

She has spoken at the Women In Management, Business & Public Service Annual Conference, one of the largest women in leadership conferences in Africa, as well as The Lagos Business School’s Entrepreneurship Expo and Contest.

She’s a First-Class Graduate of Computer Science and holds an MBA from the prestigious Lagos Business School.

Early Life

Growing up, all the women entrepreneurs she saw owned mom and pop shops. They never grew to be CEOs of big companies and so Stephanie didn’t even know that women could be CEOs. It was not on the cards for her and she thought the best she could be was to rise up the career ladder in a good job, get married, have children and be satisfied.

Her perception started to change when she started to see other women who were mothers and wives and had founded successful businesses. She started to see that it was possible for her. What made their stories so profound was that they were just like her. African Women.

Representation matters. If young girls see other women who look and sound like them founding companies, it helps to build a pipeline of women founders.

This for Stephanie, is why she believes that the biggest hindrance to women founding companies is the lack of representation. If women see women who are just like them founding companies, they will be inspired to start.

To empower women to become founders, Stephanie’s company has helped thousands of women to start an online course business using their different training programs.

Bridging the gap

In the course of the trainings, she also noticed that a lot of women were not tech inclined and this stopped them from really growing. In order to resolve this challenge, they built an easy to use online business platform, TrainQuarters which makes it easy for women to create and sell all their training products online.

Stephanie believes that female entrepreneurship will go a long way to alleviate the effect of poverty in African households. With more disposable income in the household, children can be exposed to more opportunities.

Stephanie is particular about women empowerment because she believes that when women are empowered, communities become empowered.

She also believes that there are problems that women are in a better position to solve just because of their feminine nature. If women become founders, they will be able to contribute their innovative ideas to solving problems that society has.

Stephanie mentioned practical ways that women can be empowered and in her own words, “One powerful way to empower more women to become women founders is just by showcasing the stories of diverse women entrepreneurs from different backgrounds. Women should be exposed to more female founders as they grow up, and as much as possible, entrepreneurship should be a part of the curriculum in schools.”

“Access to funding will help a lot of women to become founders however a lot of women struggle to access the available funds because they cannot pitch themselves. There should be training programs focused on teaching women how to pitch and to access funds. It will also help if women can become investors because investors tend to invest in people who look like them.”

Through her website, she has reached over 82,000 people in over 10 countries.

She has also been recognized as one of the 100 most inspiring women in Nigeria, and won First prize at the Wimbiz Impact Investment Competition.

In Inspiration March 11, 2023 By Esther Ijewere

Erelu Bisi Fayemi: Every Woman Deserves A “Wrapper” And Support

Erelu Bisi Fayemi has many years of experience as a gender specialist, policy advocate, and social change philanthropy practitioner. Asides being the Wife of the former Governor of Ekiti State, she is also the co-founder of African Women’s Development Fund, (AWDF) – the first Africa-wide grant-making fund, and served as the first Executive Director from 2001-2010.

The passionate advocate and Author of several bestselling books is currently Principal Partner, Amandla Consulting , specializing in leadership development for women, while she also runs an online community where she lends her voice to issues that affects women and encourage us to rise above whispers and use our voice, resources and position where it matters.

BAF as she is fondly called is also UN Women Nigeria Senior Advisor, and was recently appointed as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at King’s College, University of London.

When her husband Dr. Kayode Fayemi took office as Governor of Ekiti State on October 16th 2010-2014, Erelu became actively involved in a range of policy advocacy, grassroots empowerment and social inclusion programs in Ekiti State. She led the campaign to enact a Gender Based Violence Prohibition Law (2011) an Equal Opportunities Bill (2013) and a HIV Anti-Stigma Bill (2014).

She serves on the Executive Boards of the African Women’s Development Fund, and the Global Fund for Women USA. She is Chair of the Advisory Council of the Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund and also serves on the Governing Council of Elizade University, Nigeria.

Erelu is the author of ‘Speaking for Myself’: Perspectives on Social, Political and Feminist Activism in Africa (2013), ‘ Speaking above a Whisper’ , (2013) an autobiography and ‘ Loud Whispers’ (2017) She also co-edited ‘ Voice, Power and Soul’, with Jessica Horn (2008) a compilation of images and stories of African Feminists.

During the #Covid19 Pandemic, Erelu Bisi gave hope to several women across Nigeria through her “A wrapper for Women Initiative” , and supported over 60,000 households in Ekiti.

She shares her Inspiring journey with Esther Ijewere, In celebration of her 57th birthday today. (Interview was first published on June 11, 2020)

Inspiration behind ‘A Wrapper for Women Initiative’

In October last year, I gave a brief speech at the annual Arise Women Conference in Lagos, convened by Pastor Siju Iluyomade of the RCCG. In my speech I asked the question, ‘Where is your wrapper’? I told the story of how, years ago, I was attending a meeting in Uganda, where we learnt of how a woman went into labour in one of the local markets. Other women in the market rallied round her and held up their wrappers to give her privacy, while those who knew what to do helped deliver her baby right there in the market’. What those women did can be found in many African communities, including here in Nigeria.

Those wrappers symbolize solidarity, unity, love, protection, care and so on. If we want to be blessed as women in any way, Where is your wrapper? Where is your wrapper for the poor widow who is struggling to pay the fees of her children? Where is your wrapper for your wealthy but very sad friend who is experiencing domestic violence? Where was your wrapper when a woman told you she had been raped but you asked her what she was wearing? After the speech, I wrote one of my weekly Loud Whispers articles and called it ‘Where is your wrapper?’. I did not expect the reaction to it.

It seemed to resonate with so many women and men around the world. Up to that point, I had been planning to start an interactive online forum as an extension of our work on the Above Whispers website. Many young women ask me to mentor them, so the easiest way to do this is taking advantage of social media. In addition, a lot of women need help with modest contributions that could make all the difference.

That is why I decided to start The Wrapper Network, for women who need a wrapper and for women who are prepared to give wrappers to other sisters. I am flagging it off with an initiative for some women entrepreneurs to mark my birthday on June 11^th. The Wrapper Network will be able to support up to 40 women with between N50,000-N200,000 for various businesses. I hope that the sisters who will benefit can go on to bless other sisters with a wrapper when things are good for them.

My Impact During This Uncertain Time In The World

It has been a rather strange period, not being able to move around freely, and having to do so with care when restrictions were eased. I travelled to the US and UK early March, and when I came back, I went into self-isolation for 14 days. After that, I started working on our Food Bank in the State, a project I have been running for a number of years now. During this COVID19 period, we have been able to provide support to people during the lockdown period. Over the past two months, we have been able to support up to 60,000 households across the State, and we are still giving out palliatives. I have also been supporting families with donations.

To Young Women Who Want To Go Into Politics

Women should not cede political space. Women are the ones who keep party machineries running, and they are the ones who get the short end of the stick when there is a victory. Any woman who is thinking of contesting should get involved in community affairs, go home to your community and let them know you. If at first you don’t succeed, try again.

On The Pattern Of The Two Rcent Rape Cases And What We Can Do Collectively

It is such a terrible situation. On the one hand, this is not news to those of us who have been working on these issues for a long time. We have been talking about Sexual Violence for ages but very few people have been paying attention. Now that we have social media and all the attention it commands, information gets around quickly, and it is easier for people to respond to what they see and hear in very passionate terms.

I told a group of friends the other day, the groundswell of survivors’ voices we are hearing now is what breaking the culture of silence looks like.

Now that survivors know they might be heard and justice is not beyond their reach, more people will be willing to come forward. We just need to make sure that we do not fail those who have the courage to do so, and for those for whom it is too late like poor Uwa, we need to make sure that her killers get what they deserve. At a time like this, we need to keep up the momentum, we need to keep being angry and we need to demand action and results.

My Birthday Message To Young Women All Over The World

The late Maya Angelou once said, ‘Be Present in the present’. In my own interpretation of Maya’s words, being present requires you to read as widely as you can, ask questions, raise your voice, be open to learning and relearning. Being present means self-esteem, self-awareness, courage and presence. Be present. Absence is not an option.

Take a look at other related interviews we’ve had in the past:

In Inspiration March 10, 2023 By Women of Rubies

Sally Suleiman: Community Service Increases Your Social And Relationship Skills

Sally Suleiman is an extraordinary humanitarian. She lends her voice to the voiceless, and disadvantaged persons in the society on and offline.

The notable Humanitarian, Strategist, Writer and a Media Personality is also the founder of The Isolycia Foundation – a Non Governmental organization that focuses on Education for underprivileged children.

She has impacted and put smiles in the lives of many children through her educational outreach.

Sally Suleiman is an Alumna of Middlesex University where she studied International Business and she’s part of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Sally through her social media platforms has become an household name, using her voice and resources where it matters.

She has worked in the oil and gas industry for more than ten years, as well as in the media for ten years. She excels at brand management, project management, sales, marketing, administration, customer service, company development, and content production.

She has received the necessary training and grooming to become a purpose-driven individual with a drive for success and an appetite for excellence, making her well-suited to make a meaningful contribution to any assigned team and the company as a whole.

Sally shares her inspiring journey, and how her mom’s death changed her perception of life in this exclusive interview with Esther Ijewere.

Childhood Influence

I was such a generous and empathetic child. I loved to do things for people, I loved to help the poor. I started helping when I was in primary school, I would give the less privileged my old school items and even share my lunch and lunch money with the underprivileged. So I had that path right from my childhood.

My childhood wasn’t the best. I lost my Mum when I was 5years old. This made me grow up very fast and opened me up to challenges that a 5years old shouldn’t be going through. My Mum was a great woman, she was a teacher, she was my best friend, she was my everything, that was a very painful experience for me and my siblings.

Things changed when my wonderful stepmom came into the home, I am who I am today because of this woman, she made sure that I grew up in the way of the Lord, she taught me almost everything that I know today. I owe my success to her.

Inspiration behind Isolycia Foundation

The Isolycia Foundation was inspired by my love for education especially at the elementary level. I believe that every child should be in school, peculiarly at that tender age. So the Isolycia foundation focuses on education for children in rural areas. We also sensitize parents on the need to send their children to school. I formed the name from my late mum’s name and my step mum’s name.

The Journey So Far

It’s been humbling so far. Every challenge I face teaches me a lesson, so I’m grateful.

Supporting The Less Privileged And Using My Platform For Social Good

I love the fact that I wake up fulfilled doing what I love to do. I love the fact that I’m able to touch lives and inspire people. I get messages everyday from people saying how much I inspire and motivate them, this is enough impact for me knowing that I am touching the world one day at a time.

The Impact Of Being A YALI fellow

It has helped through learning by taking their courses. I’m a professional at what I do because of the available resources YALI provided.

Coordinating A Giveaway Platform Online

Giveaway platform just like the name implies, is a platform where I give out things to people, this is part of my Social responsibility for being a media personality. I also help promote small businesses through this platform, I open them up to their potential clients.

Positive And Negative Side of Being a Social Media Influencer

The positive side is impacting lives and making money (LOL), the negative side is sometimes you get misunderstood and you get attacked. You experience bullying, hate and all sorts. But I have learnt to ignore and focus on the positives and those who love me.

Challenges Of My Work

It could be tasking financially because I do not depend on anyone, I do everything from my pocket. Also managing my time can be challenging. I have so much to do but little time.

3 Women Who Inspire Me To Be better

HE Toyin Saraki

HE Bisi Fayemi

And the most recent Vice President of America, Kamala Harris.

These women inspire me in different ways. Their passion, their success, the change they bring in their various fields inspires me.

Nuggets on the power of community service

Community service connects you to others. It allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place.
Community service increases your social and relationship skills
Community service also increases your self-confidence. It provides a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment.

I’m going to leave a quote by Denzel Washington – “At the end of the day it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished… it’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.”

Being a Woman of Rubies

I’m a woman of rubies because I stay positive, i inspire and impact lives.

In Inspiration March 10, 2023 By Esther Ijewere

Detorera Obimakinde: If You Ever Walked Away From An Abusive Relationship,You Won

Detorera Obimakinde is a banker with over 10 years work experience. Her failed marriage, subsequent abuse physically, emotionally, psychologically and verbally in another relationship, having a child out of wedlock, struggle with career and other unpleasant experiences sent her on a quest to find her voice and decided she was going to overcome all the challenges she faced.

This and the thirst for her own personal healing gave birth to her NGO, The Renewed Woman Foundation (The RWF) ,a place of hope and strength for women of all background where they can draw strength and inspiration.

The NGO is poised to help other women gain back their voices, see life from positive perspective regardless of whatever challenges they’re going through. The foundation is helping them heal, gain strength to forgive themselves and others who hurt them.

She believes there are people in the same or worse situation she was years ago but are unable to find help. Adetorera is actively committed to mentoring several young girls in her community.

The amazing amazon graduated from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun state, proceeded for her BSc in International Relations from Lead City University and went on to get her MBA in Marketing Management from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State.

She is also an entrepreneur and a mother to a lovely boy. She shares her story with Esther Ijewere in this interview. (First published in 2019).

Childhood Influence

I never had a childhood that prepared me for all these. My parents have been married for about 40years now and I have never seen my dad raise his hands against my mom. Yes the quarrel and argue but I never saw them confront each other. Growing up I never lacked anything , all I saw around me was love and care. My 2 siblings and I are also neatly-closed . As a matter of fact, for me before my marriage in 2013, life was beautiful. I never encountered any challenge until then. I made my papers once, got into school once, didn’t struggle to get a job, you understand. So I never thought I would be here.

Meet Me!

I had my primary, secondary and tertiary education in Abeokuta too. Before proceeding to Ibadan for my B.Sc. at Lead City University and NYSC at NTA.

I got a job with Coolfm/Wazobia FM shortly after and spent a few years there before joining the banking industry since over 7 years now. Currently I’m a service leader in one of the branches of keystone bank. I’m passionate about anything concerning the welfare of girls and women. I believe every woman deserves to be heard and deserves an opportunity. I love to travel, watch movies and make friends

Failed Marriage And Finding My Voice Again

I guess I married for the wrong reasons. I didn’t know why I did and what I wanted out of marriage, I ended up marrying wrongly. Although at 26 I wouldn’t say I was young but I was naive , and I also think the man I married wasn’t sure he loved me because he never stood up for me, he never struggled to be better and never took responsibilities for his actions.

And then while trying to get out of it, I got trapped in the hands of a self-acclaimed prophet. And that was where the real lesson began. I was battered, suppressed, oppressed, humiliated, trampled upon, and lied against, manipulated. Infact, I totally lost all the self-esteem I had.

I was obviously affected at work and people who wanted to take advantage of me took it well, so in was demoted.

I got depressed, developed high BP, wasn’t sleeping and could barely take care of my child( thank God I had a very supportive mother and maid).

But a friend whom I’m grateful to , linked me up with a woman of God who helped me get back myself and of course my mother who prayed and fasted for me to be able to escape the dungeon I was. And so that’s how the journey to rediscovering and finding my purpose started.

Touching Lives Through RWF

Through Renewed Woman Foundation, over 100 women have found a place to share their experiences, connect with others who have gone through the same, thereby understanding that they aren’t alone after all. Collectively we’ve built an haven of support, hope and strength for women of all background, thereby drawing strength and inspiration from each other.

In this place, women are able to reach out without fear of being judged and assured that they will find whatever help they seek, physically, spiritually, emotionally and sometimes financially. At the end, we have testimonies of women who have gone on to heal, be better women and chase their dreams once again.

Challenges

The challenges basically is finances and getting the right people to support the vision. One tree cannot make a forest. Yes there are alot of people out there but are they the right people. One needs God to choose partners in a journey like this.

Time is also a major challenge, especially because of my kind of job. The RWF would have done more work if I had a more flexible schedule.

Being A Mom, Banker And voice for Women

Ummmmm… What’s that quote again? ‘You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only option you have’. For me it’s been dedication, commitment, tenacity, purpose and perseverance. Being a Mom taught me dedication and commitment (chuckles, I bet a lot of Mom out there will nod to that). I know that my darling son is my utmost responsibility and biggest commitment so it keeps me going even in the darkest days. Being a banker taught me tenacity. Any banker will tell you that.

From meetings to targets and everything it comes with. And finally being a voice first for myself and then other women taught me first purpose, because before coming into that space I was lost. Like a ship without a sail. I found purpose and then developed perseverance to stop at nothing until my dreams are realized while helping other women achieve the same regardless of their stories. And that’s basically how I manage it all. And above all, I can say I’m utterly blessed with the most amazing family and friends. And they sure make my journey through it all memorable.

Reward

The greatest reward so far is the positive feedbacks that I have gotten from people who have attended our conferences, meet me one on one and who have been impacted by what we do. Alot of lives have become better through the RWF. And that’s an absolute joy to me.

5 Years From Now

In the next 5 years. I hope we are able to reach out to more women in south west and then move beyond the shores of this country. I look forward to patterning with both government and private organizations to organize various skill acquisition trainings for various survivors of DV. Because I’ve long discovered one of the major thing that keeps a lot of women in abuse is lack of financial capacity. So if they know help is ready available, perhaps more women will be encouraged to leave to live. So in 5 years I hope to have train hundreds of women in various skills and organized at least 20 conferences across 5 states.

Government Has To Do More For Victims Of Domestic Violence

Yes, I do believing in recent times and in such State as Lagos, the government has been of immense help towards helping DV survivors. But I strongly believe the government need to do more. The seemingly rise of DV in recent times isn’t necessarily because it’s just happening, rather I will say it is due to the emergence of social media. Social media brings everything to light these days and we are able to see clearer the plight of most women and men alike. So the government need to do more.

Pass stricter laws that keep abusers behind bars and for long too. There is a strong need for a physical safe havens, where women in DV can run to for refuge and know they are safe there until they figure out what to do with their lives (I’ve seen too many DV victims who ran away from their abusers but couldn’t find any safe place only to end up back at the abusers place).

The government need to provide schemes that not only provide skills but also basic finances to begin with. There are major roles our parents need to play too. I believe I am able to easily get back up and be where I am today because I had a good support system from my family.

Enough of parents insisting that their children in abusive marriages just so the society and their churches can see them as good people. If your child comes to you about being abused, as a good parent, your first response ought to be leave to live. There is no trophy given in heaven to anyone for dying in abusive relationship or marriages.

I am Precious, I am a Woman of Rubies

My strength , the acknowledgment of my state and the desires to help other women come out better makes me a woman of Rubies. Rubies although are precious, they undergo hard and tough process to become a precious gem and that is my story.

For Women I Abusive Relationships

Death is inevitable after all, one day we all will be called home. But please make sure you aren’t leaving that decision in the hands of an abuser to make for you. Do not lay your life on the altar of anyone’s anger and madness. God created us for purpose and to make His name glorious, you must never let anyone deprive you of that.

Stop focusing on what people will say, do not be fooled by a lot of people’s hypocritical ways. You will be shocked to find out what goes on behind closed doors. It is easier for people to come on social media and project whatever they want you to see about them and their marriages. And if care isn’t taken, you’d be swallowed into that lie and begin to live a make believe.

Know and own your truth. You aren’t alone, and because you chose to walk out of an abusive marriage doesn’t make you a failure, instead it makes you a conqueror. And like a dear friend use to say ‘If you ever walk away from a no good, manipulative, demeaning and abusive relationship or marriage, you WON’!

Choose your own life, you come first. Leave to Live.