Esther Ijewere

In self development June 13, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

LYDIA OLADEJO: ”I SNATCHED BACK MY INNER POWER AND CHANGED THE GAME”

Most people find it hard to believe me when I say I’m an oddball (considering the fact that I’m usually the life of the party, anywhere I go)..but that’s just the truth. While growing up, I felt that I didn’t really fit in at home or in school but I just played along and did what I was told to do..but I felt out of place! I was quite a spontaneous and stubborn girl so I broke lot of rules and jinxs. I didn’t want to look like a bastard so I stopped being myself and tried being all obedient.

While my friends were writing love letters in primary school, I preferred writing short stories..I even dared to start a mini magazine then, and forged an imaginary email address..lily@yahoo.com (lol, what was I even thinking??). In secondary school, I tried writing love letters but i failed. I was contented writing abusive letters upandan because I could abuse a ghost then!

I knew I didn’t really fit in but I was trying my very best to fit in so everyone wouldn’t see me as a weirdo. I wanted to be a whole lot in the future so I kept on changing careers and when people started tagging me as being unserious, I chose to be a lawyer but I knew I had a lot of talents and wanted to maximise all my potentials! I gained admission into tertiary institution and rushed into a relationship so I could prove to friends that I wasn’t all ‘holy-holy’ and I ended up burning my fingers in the process!

Arrghhh, let me cut the whole story short! All my life, I tried too hard to please family and friends..literally everyone, and then everyone started taking me for granted. I wanted everyone to pat me on the back for being a good and obedient girl. I looked for love in the wrong places. I wanted kudos for stuffing my real self into a dark closet, and embracing a personality that ‘suits’ everyone. The love didn’t come, the validation and pat on the back didn’t come too. Instead, I got cheated, insulted, and disappointed repeatedly.

I finally gave myself a knock on the head one day and realized I wasn’t really living..I decided to stop giving a damn! I snatched my inner power and changed the game! I stopped pleasing everybody. I love laughing and smiling a lot but changed because people told me it was all weird and annoying..but now? I laugh with careless abandon! I used to talk a lot but tied up my tongue because people and boyfriends didn’t like my opinionated self..but now? I talk and ask questions..i talk to everyone, including babies and old people (I can talk and greet for Africa.) I left toxic relationships and stay away from people that try to frustrate or judge me! I no longer struggle with making career decision because I now realize that I am made to be an entrepreneur! Yes, I don’t stress myself up by trying to fit in. I am happy the way I am. I talk and relate with everyone I meet without having to pretend to be who I am not! I am truly living now!

It doesn’t matter who you are, don’t try to change to please people (except if you are a mean, awful person). Be your own kind of DUFF, be your own kind of geek. Be you. Do you. Don’t try to be who you are not, just so you can find love or acceptance. We all are not perfect but we are perfect enough in our Creator’s eyes! Be proud of your flaws. Don’t try to hide under anybody’s shadow except God’s own, of course. Seek validation from God, not human beings! If you feel the need to change your lifestyle, do so…not because anybody ask you to, but because you want to.

I Am Lydia And I Am Proud Of Who I Am. I Don’t Follow The Crowd Anymore, I Walk Alone And I Am Not Afraid.

*drops pen*

Written by Lydia Oladejo

In Career Gems June 12, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

BISHOP MIKE OKONKWO SWEEPS HIS WIFE OFF THE FLOOR WITH A SURPRISE SECOND PROPOSAL AFTER 37 YEARS OF MARRIAGE!

Bishop Mike Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) surprised his wife, Peace Okwonkwo, of 37 years with a second proposal, on Sunday June 11, 2017. He went on his knee and proposed to her in the presence of his congregation after they had a thanksgiving session during the service to mark her 65th birthday.

Peace Okonkwo has once told Kemi Filani that her husband (Bishop Okonkwo), couldn’t propose to her when they first met becausehe was shy. In her words;

“Bishop is a very shy person and he could not talk to me. After the Civil War, everybody started to go to church because there was nothing to look forward to..he could not propose to me. It was his elder sister that walked up to me on his behalf.”

See photos from the Thanksgiving service, below;

In Interviews&profile June 12, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

#PROFILE| MEET VALENTINA TERESHKOVA, THE FIRST WOMAN TO FLY TO SPACE

Valentina Tershkova was born on 6 March 1937. She is a retired Russian cosmonaut and politician. She is the first woman to have flown in space having been selected from more than 400 applicants and five finalists to pilot Vostok 6 on 16 June 1963. She completed 48 orbits of the Earth in her three days in space.

She was born in the village of Maslennikovo in Tutayevsky District, in central Russia. She went to school in 1945 at the age 8; however, she left school in 1953 and continued her education by correspondence courses.

She became interested in parachuting from a young age, and trained in skydiving at the local Aeroclub, making her first jump at age 22 on 21 May 1959; at the time, she was employed as a textile worker in a local factory. It was her expertise in skydiving that led to her selection as a cosmonaut. In 1961, she became Secretary of the local Komsomol (Young Communist League) and later joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

In order to join the Cosmonaut Corps, Tereshkova was honorarily inducted into the Soviet Air Force and thus she also became the first civilian to fly in space.

Before her recruitment as a cosmonaut, Tereshkova was a textile-factory assembly worker and an amateur skydiver. After the dissolution of the first group of female cosmonauts in 1969, she became a prominent member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, holding various political offices.

Even though there were plans for further flights by women, it took 19 years until the second woman, Svetlana Savitskaya, flew into space. None of the other four in Tereshkova’s early group flew, and, in October 1969, the pioneering female cosmonaut group was dissolved.

In Interviews&profile June 10, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

#INTERVIEW: “FIREFIGHTING IS A PERSONAL CALL FOR ME” -DOOSHIMA DENNIS, FEMALE FIREFIGHTER

You must have seen her by now, the female fire fighter whose picture went viral few months ago, Many people were in doubt when they came across her picture on social media but she is very real and also passionate about her job. Dooshima Dennis studied Mass communication but got motivated to join the fire service after her cousin got burnt to death due to carelessness. She has been in this business for over two years and loves her job passionately, the native of Tiv Benue State shares her story in this exclusive interview.

Inspiration

I’ve always wanted to do something out of the ordinary with myself , something challenging. In fact helping people connect with work and play that makes them happy is a key reason why I do my work with passion. Humanitarian service

Full nature of my job

A typical day for me is quite challenging because no event of fire is identical immediately we receive a distress call and turn out from our station headed towards the scene of incidence and while people are running out of the building we are running in. It’s not an easy job to do, but once you put your mind to it, trust me you can.

My parents’ stand concerning my choice of career

As a young girl, my method of helping others step away from stress was humor , I believe my Angels parent will be proud of what am doing.

Challenges

This can usually be the tragic effects of a bad situation or event that you strive to prevent or make better ……. and sometimes can’t despite our best efforts, not being able to avert or alleviate people’s suffering at that point in time saddens my heart. Sometimes I just imagine the faces of those I love in the faces of the people we are trying to help ,as I pray to God that my family and loved ones will never be placed in such situation

Doing a job which many people consider as exclusive to men

“The risk firemen go through is extremely high so there’s this belief it’s a man’s occupation (dangerous). Also, there’s a tendency to often think that women’s physique or psychology hasn’t quite gotten what it (takes) to be on the front line.”

Greatest reward

For me it is the fact that I am able to become a small link in helping people who are in deplorable conditions and to be able to see the joy in their eyes when they receive aid – especially children, women and men. It brings tears to my eyes. I am happy to be a helping link. They were in a bad situation and because of an intervention they are now able to be in a different situation and that is most rewarding.

Loving my Job

The best part of the job for me is knowing I’m doing my part to make a difference. With all the negatives people tend to attach to us, we’re on the ground to do some good. Whether paid or volunteer, that’s what this job is all about. There will never be a better feeling than knowing you did your part in saving someone’s life, possessions, or home. Thanks to all of the fellow brothers and sisters for doing your part.”

On whether Nigerians are sensitized on how to avoid and manage fire outbreaks

Awareness is on yet a lot of people don’t seem to take heed when it comes to issues of safety as compared to security. So many houses in Nigeria don’t get to meet up safety standards or fire prevention and protection system of a building, yet when there is an incidence of fire we blame the fire services for what’s not. A building should have an alternative exit door, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, fire blankets etc. Every fire starts small except for an explosion and reaction of highly flammable liquids and gases. However, if a fire does break out in a building it is necessary for someone to use the fire extinguishing media to prevent fire spread or extinguish the fire while it’s just developing while u call the fire service. But most people just blame firefighters for what’s not. what’s your line of defence against fire in your house?? Does your house have emergency plan?? Do you have fire service no?? Are there alternative sources of water in your premises/area such as reservoir, hydrants etc. to enable firefighters refill their fire trucks in case they run out of water? Remember every fire starts small and can be prevented if you adhere strictly to safety instructions like, having fire extinguisher, good housekeeping and so on. SAFETY SHOULD BE OUR WATCHWORD and it starts with YOU!!!! A big mansion worth millions or a small bungalow just for you to rest your head after the hectic day at work shouldn’t be neglected in terms of provision of fire safety and prevention gadgets. As it goes prevention is not just better but also cheaper. Awareness is on and we’ll not rest on our oars until we expunge the scourge and manage call fire.

Other projects and activities

As a child I said if one day I can support and help others, I will do it. It was a personal call. Being a humanitarian provides me with the opportunity to exert all effort possible (physical and intellectual) to save lives and give hope to burn victims -affected populations

Who and what inspires me

So often in life, it is hard to feel like we are making any real impact. Doing a good deed is always nice, returning a lost phone to a stranger, buying a homeless person a plate of food, helping an elderly person up or visiting orphanages , these acts all help somebody and make you feel good. But, what if your impact wasn’t just a temporary thing, what if it not only changed somebody’s day, but changed their life?

How I unwind

I work 5 days a week – I like to watch movies, read, visit with family and friends, go shopping and travel. Basically anything that keeps me occupied and that I enjoy doing.

Final word for women who aspire to go into my line of work

Be yourself, stay out of trouble and stay healthy. Be open minded and flexible, willing to try new things and listen to new ideas.

In Career Gems June 8, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

“I BELIEVE IN STANDING UP FOR YOURSELF , BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE WILL DEFEND YOU BETTER THAN YOURSELF” – BISOLA AIYEOLA

Her romance with Thin Tall Tony, Bisola Aiyeola was greatly criticized especially when it became known that she is a mother

In an interview with Ebuka Obi Uchendu on “Rubbin Minds,” The Big Brother Naija star Bisola explained that she doesn’t regret her actions in the house.She explained that if all she did on the show was done by a single father, he would have been hailed.

According to her:,

There’s a stigma attached to single mothers especially if you have a child outside wedlock. You’re judged. A lot of people actually said to me that they thought I had my child when I was in secondary school but no I was a grown woman. I was 23-years old when I had her.

But you know, they make it seem like the whole world is against you. It’s now up to the woman to bring herself up and I have an amazing family. My mom has always been on my side. If I was a guy, I would be celebrated more.

On Tiny Tall

No. I don’t want to dwell on the issue. Personally, I don’t think there is nothing he has to explain to me. I would like him to go on with his family. I don’t want to cause any problems, especially with social media.

Although, I felt like he did me wrong. I felt like we were friends, the least you could do is tell me this and tell me to keep it a secret and I would have done that. I felt he did me bad on that but that’s just about it. It was a game. But I’m seeing it from the game perspective like he felt that was the way he felt he could play his game and I can’t judge him for that.

But moving on now, there were times we’ve been at gatherings together and we take pictures and the next thing, I start getting DMs and comments saying, “why is she standing far away from him?” and people take this thing really seriously and I’m like, “I’m trying to make the most of this platform, he’s trying to make the most of this platform, like, he’s doing his business, I’m doing my business.”

The show is over and it’s real life now. I just felt he did what he had to do.

Bullying & Anger Issues

I try as much as possible to let myself out when I’m upset. I’ve lived a number of years in my life bottling things in and it didn’t do me any good. I walk around with this lump in my chest upset at somebody who doesn’t even know that they upset me. So, if you make me upset, I’ll just let it out and once it’s done, it’s out there. I do not like bullies personally.

I have friends who I have stood up for in times past, like, “why are you doing this to this person because she can’t talk?” so, when people are saying I have issues, I say maybe it’s their own way of making me look bad on the show but I’m not a bully.

I believe in standing up for yourself and if you can’t defend yourself, just go ahead and defend yourself because nobody else will defend you better than yourself. I’m not a bully. Maybe I talk a lot, yes, I’m a bit expressive and it’s something I learned in the later part of my life and I don’t regret it.

https://youtu.be/Lk4PBc7r3yg

In self development June 7, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

#WCW: CELEBRATING ADESUA ETOMI!

Adesua has featured in quite a number of films, including, The Arbitration, The Wedding Party, and Falling. Her performance in Falling earned her the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award for Best Actress In A Drama. Other notable films she has appeared in include A Soldier’s Story (2015), Out of Luck (2015), and Couple of Days (2016). She also played Shiela in the fourth and fifth seasons of Shuga, a television soap opera about HIV/AIDS, among others.

Adesua Etomi also has lots of awards and nominations to her name.

Women of Rubies celebrates you, sweet Adesua ‘Susu’ Etomi!

In Career Gems June 5, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR EVERY DECISION I MAKE, BUT THAT’S NOT WHY I LOST’ – HILLARY CLINTON

Yesterday, former Democratic presidential nominee, Hilary Clinton was at Recode’s Code Conference in California where she took questions form the panel and made some startling revelations too.

According to her, ‘I take responsibility for every decision I make, but that’s not why I lost’.

She went on to say that when she became her party’s presidential nominee, she inherited “nothing” from the committee. “I’m now the nominee of the Democratic Party. I inherit nothing from the Democratic Party. It was bankrupt, it was on the verge of insolvency, its data was mediocre to poor, non-existent, wrong. I had to inject money into the party to keep it going.”

Then she alleged that former FBI Director James Comey’s decision on October 28, 2016, to send a letter to Congress about her email controversy was simply devastating.

“I can’t look inside the guy’s mind. He dumped that on me on October 28, and I immediately start falling,” she said.

She also specifically called out The New York Times for its coverage of the issue saying ‘they covered it like it was Pearl Harbor’.

Asked whether she will run for president again Clinton quickly answered, “No.”

In self development June 5, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

FRANCISCA OGUNLADE: 3 REASONS WHY CORPORATE EMPLOYEES FAIL AS ENTREPRENEURS

Please hold on, I really don’t mean to scare you. However, 75% of corporate employees fail in business; be it a side business or a full time business after years in corporate employment. Have you ever wondered why it is so?

At a time, I thought it was a jinx, as I could not imagine how a high flying employee could fail woefully in a personal business. I have also had my fair share of failures but now I know better.

Let me share a bit of my failure story.
One beautiful afternoon, I got a call from a colleague and he introduced me to a wonderful health product. The interesting part was that I would get paid for using the product and get commissions from inviting people into the business. It was a networking business.

Being a sales person at work, I saw this as a walk over and I invested in the business immediately. My dear reader, I never smelled any commission as I could not introduce any one to the business. It is over six years now and I still have some of the products in my home. Let’s just say I leant how to fail honourably.

In the last three years, I have invested in three businesses and I am bold to say that I have made considerable success in each of them. This success rate did not just happen, it is because I have learnt from my previous failures and I’d love to share same with you. For the sake of this article, we will call our case study Sunshine.

Order
Sunshine works with a pre-listed job description and role assignment. For 7 years, Sunshine resumes to her job function each day, working through her duties in a breeze and she has imbibed this way of life subconsciously. She sees life in this form of stability and order. This is the mindset that Sunshine takes into the business world. Sunshine does not know that building a successful business requires a level of disruption. Things hardly work out as planned especially for start-ups. Order is her first shocker in the business arena, as there is every cause for alarm.

Research
Sunshine is a very busy hard worker and she hardly has time for social functions except family events. During one of such events, she got talking to a cousin of hers. He cousin invites her to a trending business and voila, her mind is made up. She resumes to the office and tries to contain her excitement till she shares her new found business idea with her colleague at work. Her colleague leapt for joy at the idea and Sunshine went ahead to invest in the business. Sunshine has set herself up for failure as she did not research her market and only got counsel from her busy colleague just like herself.

Capital
Sunshine once failed in a business before she started. This is because Sunshine was waiting for the big lump sum as her initial capital to start. Eventually, sunshine got her huge capital and invested all into her business. She made the huge mistake called OVER CAPITALIZATION. She invested more in finesse instead of founding values. I have been there so I know. The chilling boxes I bought when starting out in my event planning business are presently used as storage boxes in my home.

There are still other factors like Trust and Processes but I will be stopping here for today. I hope this article has helped you think things through, even as you start your business.

Do feel free to comment on other factors you know so as to help that corporate employee venturing into starting a side business.

Source: Bellanaija

In Career Gems June 1, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

UNFPA AMBASSADOR STEPHANIE LINUS VISITS DRC ON INTERNATIONAL DAY TO CREATE AWARENESS ON OBSTETRIC FISTULA

As part of her commitment to raising awareness on maternal health issues, the UNFPA Regional Ambassador for West and Central Africa Stephanie Linus visited the Democratic Republic of Congo in commemoration of the International Day to End Obstetrical Fistula.

The theme of this year’s commemoration was tagged “hope, healing and dignity for all”, and it featured several activities aimed at giving hope to girls and women around Africa. From 23rd to 25th May, Stephanie participated in a span of activities which included the screening of her award-winning movie ‘DRY’, a private luncheon with African Ambassadors in the DRC and a visit to women repaired of fistula at the Biamba Marie Motombo Hospital in Kinshasa.

While speaking to the Ambassadors, she requested them to work through their governments to do more for the girl child with an emphasis on education, ending child marriage, ending obstetric fistula, improving access to health care.

The over 300-persons audience at the private viewing of DRY consisted of African Ambassadors in the DRC, Donors, Regional Director of UNFPA for the East and Southern Africa Region, UN heads of Agencies and Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Ministers and High Ranking Government Officials, Young parliamentarians of DRC, Representatives of International and National NGOs, Members of the Civil Society and various media representatives.

During her address, she declared that the theme of the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula “hope, healing and dignity for all” is food for thought and that it is time to act and actively seek ways to do more to change unhealthy behaviors, to improve health systems, and improve human rights for all.

“Women should not die while giving life. Girls have rights that need to be respected-education, decent jobs, choose who to marry and when to have children and how many of them. Every woman and girl have a right to be treated with respect and dignity”, she stated.

She challenged the audience to constantly ask themselves the question – What is it that I can do more and do better?

Stephanie also met young artists in the National Institute of Arts in Kinshasa whom she encouraged to look around, pick up the issues that are affecting the society and pass messages to end those ills through arts, music, movie and drama.

Stephanie Linus was named the UNFPA Regional Ambassador in March 2017 in recognition of her far-reaching advocacy for the rights of girls and women. As Regional Ambassador, she will help advocate and raise awareness on maternal health issues across Africa, whilst encouraging policies and laws that protect the rights and dignity of the girl child.

See more photos

Stephanie Linus flanked by Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA Regional Director East and Southern Africa & other Special Guests

Stephanie Linus & Amb. Abdou Abarry, African Union Representative

Private Luncheon with African Ambassadors in the DRC

Stephanie Linus & Diene Keita, UNFPA DRC Representative

In Interviews&profile May 29, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

#PROFILE | MEET MILDRED JEFFERSON, THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO GRADUATE FROM HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

After graduating from medical school, she did a surgical internship at Boston City Hospital, becoming the first woman to do so. She was also the first female doctor at the former Boston University Medical Center. She would later become the first woman to become a member of the Boston Surgical Society.

In 1970, Jefferson became one of the founders of Massachusetts Citizens for Life. She later helped found the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC). In 1971, she became a member of the NRLC board of directors. She became the vice president of the National Right to Life Committee in 1973 and then was elected as chairman of the board the following year. Mildred then was elected as president of NRLC in 1975 until 1978.

In 1980, she helped NRLC start a political action committee because she believed it was important to lobby and support pro-Life candidates for office. While a Republican, she helped democrat Ellen McCormack run for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 1976. Apart from NRLC, she served on boards of directors of more than 30 pro-life organizations.

She is also noted for changing Ronald Reagan’s stance on abortion from pro-choice to pro-life. He wrote to her in a letter, “You have made it irrefutably clear that an abortion is the taking of a human life, I am grateful to you.”

Jefferson was a self-described “Lincoln Republican” and served on the 1980 Massachusetts Reagan for President Campaign.

Mildred Fay Jefferson died on October 15, 2010.

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