Today is Nancy Isime’s birthday. Pretty OAP and actress, Nancy Isime is plus one today, December 17 and she is celebrating with beautiful photos and a retelling of her success story.
Nancy who hosts the Hip TV show, ‘Trending’ took to her Instagranm page to reminisce about her journey to stardom in a three-part post detailing how she went from doing ushering jobs at 17 to modeling then auditioning for presenting roles and then acting.
Read her posts below.
source: stargist.com, instagram
Media Mogul and talk show host, Oprah Winfrey has been pronounced as the winner of the Cecil B. de Mille Golden Globe Award. This is the very first time a black woman will be winning the award
The Cecil B. de Mille Award is given annually to a talented individual who has made an incredible impact in the world of entertainment. Previous recipients include Audrey Hepburn, Barbra Streisand and Denzel Washington.
Oprah whose success story has inspired many truly deserves such a monumental award as she represents the strength of black women and how much we can achieve through hard work.
2012 recipient of the award, Morgan Freeman made the announcement during the Golden Globe 75th Anniversary Special that aired on Wednesday night.
A big congratulations to Oprah. See the announcement below
Credit: fabwoman.ng, youtube.com
Viola-Nuela Echebima is the first class Law graduate from the University of Nigeria who also finished with a first class at The Nigerian Law School to emerge as the Best Graduating Student.
The pretty lawyer was among 4,294 candidates called to the Nigerian Bar on Tuesday, December 12th.
She is one of the 28 candidates who bagged a First Class after the August 2017 bar examinations.
Saudi Arabian women will be able to drive trucks and motorcycles, officials have said three months after the kingdom announced a historic decision to end a ban on women driving.
In September, King Salman issued a decree saying women will be able to drive from next June as part of an ambitious reform push in the conservative kingdom.
The Saudi General Directorate of Traffic gave details of the new regulations that will follow the lifting of the ban on the official Saudi Press Agency late on Friday.
“Yes, we will authorise women to drive motorcycles” as well as trucks, it said, adding that the royal decree stipulates that the law on driving will be “equal” for both men and women.
There will be no special licence plate numbers for female-driven cars, it said.
But women involved in road accidents or who commit traffic violations will be dealt with at special centres that will be established and run by women.
Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world to impose a ban on women driving and its maintenance was seen around the world as a symbol of repression in the Gulf kingdom.
Its historic decision to allow women to drive from next June has been cheered inside the kingdom and abroad — and comes after decades of resistance from female activists, many of whom were jailed for flouting the ban.
Saudi Arabia has some of the world’s tightest restrictions on women.
Under the country’s guardianship system, a male family member — normally the father, husband or brother — must grant permission for a woman’s study, travel and other activities.
Source: pulsenews
In August 2001, Chigoziem Emereuwa lost her entire family in a car accident that claimed the lives of all her siblings and parents, The beautiful graduate with Phd in Pure Mathematics from University of Pretoria didn’t let that deter her from pursuing her dreams.
She went back memory lane on the fateful day that changed her life forever and said “I only remember being in the back seat, playing a travel game with my sister and then waking up in the hospital” ,my life switched from one moment to the other, I didn’t even get the chance to mourn properly as my aunts and paternal family made sure I wasn’t alone.
The part-time Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Mathematics at the University of Pretoria, South Africa shares her touching yet inspiring story and what kept her going in this interview.
Childhood
I loved my childhood, it is one of those times in my life I can’t stop talking about. It was filled with lots of activities, I played soccer, I climbed trees, I rode bicycles, I did a lot of outdoor activities and I also watched a lot of cartoons and movies. During school times, I played a little less because I had to go to school, do my homework and a little schoolwork afterwards. However, during the holiday, my mum wouldn’t register my siblings and I for holiday lessons because she believed that our brains need to rest, so we had all the time to do all the things I mentioned earlier. In a nutshell, that part of my childhood taught me that relaxing and taking a break is just as important as working. So in a way, yes, some parts of it made me who I am.
Losing my entire family in a fatal accident
During the first few years after the accident, I became a little moody, I wasn’t as playful as I used to be. I also began to spend most of my time indoors and my grades went down a lot too. My paternal aunt took me in immediately after my parents’ funeral, her children treat me like I am one them, since the last child is older than I am, I am now the official ”last born” of her family. However, she died after I got into the university but my cousins don’t treat me any differently till today, in fact one of them flew in to South Africa to attend my Masters graduation ceremony. Their unconditional love and support together with that of my paternal aunts, uncle, cousins and my Godmother got me through that painful time.
Being a PHD holder in Pure Mathematics..
I am not a PhD holder yet, I’m still in process. My paternal family helped me make the choice when I was applying for university, I continued with it because I realized that it creates a foundation for a lot of disciplines and career paths. I could be a lecturer, I could go into finance, I could do something that borders between Engineering, Physics and Chemistry which is what I am doing at the moment. The opportunities are endless. At the same time, I might increase the amount of females we have in the field and possibly inspire a few others to join in the fun.
What and who inspire me
My inspiration comes from a lot of people and almost everything. When it comes to academics, I look up to my supervisor, his brilliance is quite intimidating. However, my paternal family has a few PhD holders and at the moment, I am not the only PhD candidate in my family. I have family here, my uncle is a professor in his field and his wife has two Bachelor’s degrees, two Masters degrees and an LLD so when I need a personal push, it’s always a phone call away. There aren’t a multitude of women in my field so anyone I meet or read about is an inspiration for me. Being an orphan, I admire anyone or group of people who try to make life easier for the less privileged especially because some of the people who give their time and resources don’t understand how much their gestures no matter how little gives hope to the less privilege. These things make me want to be in position where I can positively affect lives which in turn makes me want to be a better person. I really can’t make a list of people because it would be endless, I’m a gatherer of inspiration.
How I felt when my story went viral
I was overwhelmed, humbled and at the same time scared. It drew a lot of attention to me and I’m not used to that. It’s always been me, my family and my small circle of friends so when people I didn’t know started telling me how they found the story inspiring and motivating, I began to realize it too. I have lived my life thinking the story was sad and it might attract some sort of sympathy which I didn’t want so it wasn’t always the first thing I said. Now I am honored that people can draw motivation and inspiration from it.
Greatest reward
Personally, I find joy in teaching and interacting with students. When I get a result after so much work, the feeling is priceless. There is no greater reward than joy and affecting peoples’ lives positively.
Challenges
The greatest challenge is being in the right frame of mind. My career requires a lot of studying so my supervisor always reminds me that being in the right frame of mind is the key. This is because we have no external equipment, it mostly come from our minds, so even if we have all the tools we need (e.g theorems, articles…) and the books, we could spend months on a problem only to solve it in a matter of days when you’ve gotten the right momentum and focus. That is when that extra hour of study or the late nights pay off.
Women in my line of study have been given enough room to soar…
We are in a time where women empowerment seems to be the goal of a lot of organizations and institutions so we are given some sort of support and funding. Academia needs funding, with it you can attend conferences, buy the necessary books, sponsor your education and supervise students as well. For students, there are funding opportunities and some that are dedicated to women like Margaret McNamara Memorial fund, L’Or´eal-UNESCO for women in Science Programme, etc to help bridge the gap and motivate younger women to further their studies in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM) fields. There are also associations like African Women in Mathematics, that help give and find the necessary support that we need.
Other projects and activities
Currently, I chair the Student Postgraduate Committee of the Mathematics and Applied Mathematics department at the University of Pretoria, I also represent my department in a similar committee at the faculty level. Occasionally, I do volunteer and assist with drives to gather supplies and clothing for the homeless.
On giving up
Well, it gets hard at times and I get tired, I need breaks which I take and wish could last forever but giving up is not an option and I remind myself that there is no room for that feeling.
I am a Woman of Rubies
I am someone who believe in possibilities. I am trying to lead a life that shows that we have to work hard to get to wherever we want to be but at the same time, understand that it is okay to ask for help when you need it.
Final word for women who have lost hope or in the process of giving up on themselves
All I can say is that life is beautiful, there’s always at least one person who hasn’t given up on you. So pray if you believe in God, focus on all the good things that has happened in your life so far and have faith that everything always works out in the end. When you find what you love doing, stick with it because in the long run, you will be grateful that you did and you might turn out to be a source of inspiration for someone else.
Comedian, Lepacious Bose, took to her Instagram page on Wednesday, December 13, 2017, where she wrote about her past struggles with weight loss and how she now admires herself.
“So I notice I have never gotten into the WCW thing lol…. I finally decided to crush on ME today. Don’t get me wrong I am absolutely in love with myself, I love to take pictures and talk about my weight loss experience but that took over 25 years of my life. The devil stole 25 years of my life due to weight and hypothyroidism. I suffered in silence because no one understood my issues, I didn’t even understand myself.
“I hated myself and was constantly suicidal yet I made people laugh (what an irony). I cracked jokes about my weight because it was the only way I knew to look like I didn’t care. Yet I cared!!! Countless times I would have a great performance but drive home in tears, it was a crazy, roller coaster feeling. It was not just the weight it was much more but I could not explain it. I was scared. I would be on stage and have a brain fog and forget a joke right in the middle of delivery, just go blank, and have to come up with stuff on the spur of the moment to cover for the lapse, I started to dread performing.
“Trust me I have gotten into my car before and took me about 10mins to remember exactly where I was going, I just sat there, tears of frustration rolling down. (One day I will write it all in a book). It’s hard enough to loose weight but to loose weight while having hypothyroidism is almost like fighting demons, I just wanted to sleep and not wake up, why won’t God be kind and do that for me? I could not sleep unless I was heavily sedated with sleeping pills and could not boot in the morning without a strong cup of coffee….
“Am still trying to lose about 20kg, it’s getting harder lol… It’s getting more difficult to say no to things I used to love lol…. It’s been almost 5 years on this crazy but amazing journey, 5 years of pain, tears, frustration, laughter, joy and triumph…. 5years of wanting so badly to Bing on a bowl of ice cream or a bag of malteasers but not giving in. 5 years of dreaming of chease cake lol…. I might dream for a long time. 5 years and a lifetime to go, because I AM WORTH FIGHTING FOR. MY NAME IS LEPACIOUS BOSE AND I AM A THYROID WARRIOR, A SURVIVOR. #stilltoolegittoquit,” she wrote.
Lepacious Bose pulled a surprise on everyone when she drastically lost a lot of weight after years of weight struggle.
Since then she has become a voice for those who are on the journey to losing weight. She once called out some fans who criticised the weight of fellow comedian, Seyi Law‘s daughter.
Source: pulse.ng
Hello WORriors! It is #ThrowbackThursday and we are throwing back old photos of Actress and producer, Uche Jombo!
See photos below;
In what can be described as the first of its kind, Artelier Lifestyle Consultants, Nigeria’s leading Etiquette and Image Consultancy, on Saturday, 25th November, 2017, graduated the first class of “Future First Ladies”™, after an intensive Finishing school, Mentoring and Coaching programme designed to give a balanced spiritual and social foundation to young ladies aged 18 and above, equipping them to become well rounded leaders.
The eight week practical learning sessions had profound female leaders and role models spend time with the ladies from 10am to 2pm each Saturday, imparting various skills required for them to become more eloquent, make better decisions, be more successful financial managers, demonstrate social etiquette skills, and master personal style among many others.
During her session, Former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Unoaku Anyadike, spoke to participants on how she developed a personal style and grooming regimen, which helped her stand out and become a two-time national and international beauty queen in addition to maintaining an elegant, fashionable image.
Top Regional HR Director, Folake Adeniyi-Adeleye, also shared tips from her journey to building an enviable global career and how to navigate workplace harassment. Mrs. Yetty Williams, founder of Nigeria’s foremost parenting platform, LagosMums, mentored participants on what they need to do before saying “I Do” as well as how to create the ever elusive work-life balance.
Celebrity Stylist and Chief Executive Officer of Hyperfashun, Ifeoma Odogwu, took the students on a practical session in putting together a stylish wardrobe and staying fashionable on a budget while Africa’s Premier Wealth Coach and author, Omilola Oshikoya, also spoke to the “Future First Ladies”™, on how to become a “Richer Woman”. The participants were given autographed copies of her best-selling book, “The Richer Woman” courtesy of the organisers.
Africa’s top Cosmetics company, House of Tara, facilitated a hands on session where the ladies were shown how to create different looks, using the right makeup products for individual skin types.
Commenting on the finishing school experience, one of the participants, Yemisi, said “..attending the finishing school was a life changing experience for me, things I took for granted such as my dining skills and makeup routine were emphasised – on how they help to project me for a more successful outcome in life. I learnt so much that I am already implementing on my job and in personal projects. I definitely recommend this for every woman out there, it is never too late to attend a finishing school.”
Ngozi Princewill Utchay, Founder/CEO, Artelier Lifestyle Consultants said, “the Future First Ladies Finishing school, Mentoring and Coaching Programme was initiated to fill a gap in the society” , which she had seen occur frequently where young women ended up living average lives because they lacked the right spiritual foundation and had little or no access to the right role models to guide them in making sound decisions. We are pleased at the feedback from this inaugural session.
Future First Ladies Finishing School, Coaching and Mentoring Programme ran from Saturday 7th October, 2017 to Saturday 25th November, 2017 and was generously supported by Yves Rocher Nigeria, House of Tara, Onobello.com, Events by Maryann Colette, Genevieve Magazine, LagosMums and Prime Chinese Restaurant.
See photos from the event below:
So, a friend of mine told me some time back that he was writing a book (I think) and he wanted people to write about one or two topics in the said book. Pondering over this few times, there were so many topics that came into mind (being the kind of person who talks to myself aloud about different topics mostly). So I had to finally settle on one topic that has been on my mind for a while now which is summarily about one’s PURPOSE in life. This is an excerpt of what I wrote, Hope you enjoy reading.
”I remember back in Secondary School there was a time where a book titled ‘Purpose Driven Life’ was very popular amongst students and I remember there was one particular girl in my dormitory who was very serious about it. She practically always had it in her hands. I used to wonder what all that farce was about.
Fast forward to about a year ago, I started thinking deeply about the reason I am on this earth. I mean even with us human beings, everything we create and use has a purpose for which it was made. For instance, we have invented telephones for communication purposes, as well as cars for easier transportation, clothes to cover our nakedness, houses to serve as a confinement where we could lay our heads among others. In fact, let us take a house for example, why would one (especially in these recent times where the economy is very tough) just waste money in buying a plot of land, employ workers to start a foundation and then commence the construction of the house FOR NO REASON OR PURPOSE. I mean even the richest man wouldn’t do that…..at least he would want to put his money into profitable use though he has it in abundance.
Likewise, we human beings have a CREATOR (forget all those ridiculous stories about the Big Bang and Evolution of Man from an Ape like Animal and what have you). This creator surely had a purpose for us when he made us. I mean if the inanimate objects we human beings create have purposes then how much more won’t we ourselves have purposes for which we have been brought forth to this earth. I mean we were created on the last day of creation and I am sure God saved the best of all his creations for the last so He would have adequate time to complete EVERYTHING in style.
So back to the story I started with of the ‘Purpose Driven Life’ just summarises the fact that firstly there is a PURPOSE attached to life and subsequently that purpose MUST drive or guide a person’s life. As simple as it may seem, it is a quite complex concept and sadly many people are miles away from their purpose and chasing after things they have been told they are supposed to pursue or things that look good to the eye which could be in the form of degrees, relationships, careers and so on. I think that is the most dangerous thing ever yet little attention is paid to that. Let’s take parts of the body into consideration,,,, Imagine your arms doing the talking or your ears breathing instead of your nose you will be scared right? I mean that is not its rightful job. But funny enough it is not scary that somebody who is actually supposed to be a teacher finds himself working in a bank and does not consider that SCARY enough. I mean all that matters is the money right because on average many people are much more concerned about their incomes and care less about whether or not they are ACTUALLY enjoying it.
The thing is, when you serve a different purpose other than what you were created to do, you automatically prevent someone else from fulfilling theirs. So, it’s like a ripple effect. So back to my example, someone who was probably supposed to be taking the position you have at the bank finds him or herself doing something else. Just because of one person’s mistake or should I say inability to identify their God given purpose. But you see, to identify one’s purpose too is not as easy as knowing the purpose of the things we human beings create for ourselves. I mean some people are born with extra ordinary talents such as singing, dancing, painting, acting, playing football among others. Others too are academically gifted. That is talent and NOT purpose. The difference is simple. Your talent might be singing well but the purpose that heavenly or succulent voice is supposed to serve is probably to draw someone towards God or to inspire people but when you end up addressing your singing or should I say the song to the wrong audience you have missed your purpose. Sadly, many people might have started out doing the right things regarding their purpose but have been snatched by the pursuits of money, fame, power and what have you.
How then do I know my purpose or better still know it and fulfil it accordingly. Know the Creator. Knowing God as the Creator is different from knowing of. It may sound cliché but the more you draw closer to your maker, he continues to lead you to your purpose. It may not be an easy ride as you may have to try out some few things along the way, be told NO severally, fall down and rise again few times among others but that is all part of the growth purpose. How you get to your purpose may also be dependent of how BIG your purpose is. Yes, some people’s purposes are bigger than others….and that is how it is. If the road seems tough and thoughts of quitting sets in like it always would and has, just remember how your mum had to carry you in her womb for 9 months and for some over that. The pain and struggles she had to overcome….I mean she had an option (you may disagree) but still thought the end product which is YOU is worth all that struggle. So imagine how the end product (YOUR PURPOSE) will be worth it if you draw closer to God, stay under HIS feet and allow him to teach and direct you towards YOUR PURPOSE”.
P.S I have recently started to discover my purpose and I am loving it. I mean there is this innate peace and satisfaction when you find that thing which comes easily to you whilst making an impact in your audience’s life in a positive way. Truthfully it is WORTH it though it has been a long way coming! You can find yours too!
ABOUT GERTRUDE SAYS
My name is Gertrude Asumadu, a 24 year old young lady who is passionate about women empowerment, girl child education and overall helping others to achieve their own dreams. I am a graduate of University of Leeds with a degree in BSc (Hons) Economics. My time in university was the turning point for me I believe as I have been able to stretch myself and in essence on way to achieving my purpose.
Please feel free to contact me on various social media platforms so we can start working together!
Email: asumadugertrude@yahoo.com/asumadugertrude@gmail.com
LinkedIn: Gertrude Asumadu
Twitter: @AsumaduGertrude
Facebook: Gertrude Asumadu
Hello WORriors! It is #WCW and our Woman Crush is Taiwo Ajai-Lycett!
Taiwo Ajai-Lycett is a Nigerian actress, journalist, television presenter, and cosmetologist. She is a feminist and was the first editor of Africa Woman magazine in the 1970s.
Lycett was born on 3 February 1941 in Lagos, Western Region of Colonial Nigeria. Her father was of Awori heritage. She was educated at Mt Carmel Convent School, Lagos, before proceeding to Methodist Girls’ High School, Lagos.
To further her studies, she traveled to London to study business and administration. In London, she took courses at Christine Shaw School of Beauty Science in London, where she received a certificate in Cosmetology. She also attended Hendon College of Technology, where she obtained a Higher National Diploma in Business Studies in 1969. While studying, she worked as a waitress at Lyons Tea Shop, then moved to the Post Office and later advertising. In the Post Office, she started as a personal secretary in 1962 and later worked as a senior secretary in the office of Lord Hall.
She moved to advertising and was in the personnel department of advertising firm, Young and Rubicam. She then worked as a personal assistant to the managing partner of Gresham Broad and Co, an accounting firm.
Her acting debut was in December 1966 in Wole Soyinka‘s The Lion and the Jewel, a two-act comedy directed by William Gaskill at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Her acting debut was not planned, she was in the rehearsal hall of the play when she was asked by Gaskill to be a participant. After the encouragement she received following her performance and the invitations from producers that followed, she decided to take a career in acting seriously. She enrolled at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
In 1972, she left her corporate career and joined the Traverse Theatre Group for the Edinburgh Festival. She was later in a string of television and stage shows. In 1973, she was in Amadu Maddy’s play Life Everlasting at the Africa Centre, London, and later in the year, she was in Peter Nichols’ The National Health during the Festival of British Theatre. In 1976, she played the lead role in Yemi Ajibade’s Parcel Post at the Royal Court Theatre. Together with the actor Louis Mahoney and the writer Mike Phillips, she was a director with the Black Theatre Workshop in London.
She returned to Nigeria in 1971. She has featured in several notable Nigerian films, including Tinsel, the award-winning Nigerian soap opera.
In 1975, Ajai was invited to join the staff of Africa Magazine published by Ralph Uwechue. Later, she became the pioneer editor of Africa Woman magazine, a women’s magazine for Africans in the diaspora. As editor, she was a participant at the United Nations International Women’s Year.
On 1 October 2006 she received a national award of Officer of the Order of the Niger, decorated by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In February 2008, at an All-Star Gala held at Theatre Royal Stratford East on the 10th anniversary of Tiata Fahodzi, she was honoured as a leader of British-African theatre, alongside Dotun Adebayo and Yemi Ajibade.
She is a Fellow of the Society of Nigerian Theatre Artists (SONTA).
Women Of Rubies celebrates you, ma!