Esther Ijewere

In Editor's Choice November 26, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Meet Magret Isedowo, The Highly Sought-After Make-Up Artist in Canada

A famous writer once said creativity is your best makeup skill, don’t be afraid to experiment with it. Makeup artists are experts at using make-up compounds to tint, conceal, or otherwise alter a person’s look for the purpose of beautification.

Makeup artists use their talents and their tools to makeover, transform, and improve a person’s face (and sometimes their body). Their work corrects imperfections, highlights positive attributes, and remedies issues.

According to Makeupartist edu, The best makeup artists command lofty fees and possess loyal clients, whether they are transforming performers to create an accurate visual representation, or perfecting brides for one of the most important days of their lives.

This is what Canada-based make-up artist Magret Isedowo represents in her sector. A woman who knows her craft and gives it her best.

In this chat with the Women of Rubies team, she shares her Inspiring story, her love for make-up and her spa.

Meet Me

My name is Olufunto Magret Isedowo, born and raised in Nigeria, I’m a Professional Make-up Artist based in Ontario, Canada and while I enjoyed working in all sectors of the Beauty Industry, my passion is Make-up and Facials which led me to start BreezyPro & BreezyLuxeSpa.

The Journey So Far

I explored the Beauty Industry in 2012 which made me enrol in an Aesthetic Program at Everest Beauty College, Ontario Canada. I have a Diploma in Phlebotomy from CJ College, worked in a few laboratories and later enrolled in an Advanced Medical Aesthetics Program at IBI College, Ontario Canada.

Why I Pitched My Tent In The Make-Up Sector

My love for Make-up and Beauty has been with me my whole life, specializing in a wide range of luxurious and personalized beauty services including Make-up, Facials, Micro blading, Lash Extensions, Waxing, Brow Lamination and Lash Lift. Each application I do is assessed according to multiple factors including personality, comfort level with makeup and personal image.

I tailor my work accordingly, the result is a satisfied client that feels as beautiful and unique on the outside as they do on the inside.

Read: 5 Female Make-up Artist In Nigeria Every Woman Should Know

My Aspiration

I love learning new things, being inspired, and connecting with creative people. I take pride in creating beautiful work and hope I can be fortunate enough to do what I Iove for the rest of my life.

Connect With Margaret

Studio Address: 4000 Steeles Avenue West, Woodbridge L4L4V9

Instagram Pages :

Make-up : https://instagram.com/breezyypro?igshid=MTg0ZDhmNDA=

Spa: https://instagram.com/breezyluxespa?igshid=MTg0ZDhmNDA=

In Inspiration November 25, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Nadia Murad: The Nobel Peace Prize Winner Who Set Up Fund For Survivors Of Wartime Rape

Nadia Murad was born into a farming family in Kojo, Iraq. She belongs to the Yazidi ethnic and religious minority. When she was 19 years old, the Islamic State attacked her village and killed 600 Yazidi men, including several of her family members. ⁣
⁣
Murad and other young women were taken prisoner and subjected to beatings and rape. She managed to escape, however, and make her way to a refugee camp. There she was offered the opportunity to move to Germany, where she now lives.⁣

She was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2018 alongside Denis Mukwege for ”their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.”⁣
⁣
On October 30, 2019, Nadia and Dennis set up a fund to provide reparations for survivors of wartime rape.⁣
⁣
The Global Survivors Fund will provide tailored support to help people recover from the emotional and physical trauma they have experienced. This could be in the form of financial compensation, support to access healthcare services or return to education, or assistance with getting somewhere to live.⁣
⁣
The fund will also support governments to set up their own reparation schemes.⁣
⁣
Commenting on the development, Nadia said ”Reparations are a step toward restoring dignity to survivors who often do not have any means to seek justice for the pain and suffering they have endured.”⁣
⁣
”A global fund is an innovative solution to providing survivors with a path towards healing, and it signals that our collective conscience acts in the name of humanity.”⁣

Nadia’s Story

“Nadia Murad is herself a victim of war crimes. She refused to accept the social codes that require women to remain silent and ashamed of the abuses to which they have been subjected. She has shown uncommon courage in recounting her own sufferings and speaking up on behalf of other victims.

“Nadia Murad is a member of the Yazidi minority in northern Iraq, where she lived with her family in the remote village of Kocho. In August 2014 the Islamic State (IS) launched a brutal, systematic attack on the villages of the Sinjar district, aimed at exterminating the Yazidi population.

In Nadia Murad’s village, several hundred people were massacred. The younger women, including underage children, were abducted and held as sex slaves.

While a captive of the IS, Nadia Murad was repeatedly subjected to rape and other abuses. Her assaulters threatened to execute her if she did not convert to their hateful, inhuman version of Islam.

“Nadia Murad is just one of an estimated 3,000 Yazidi girls and women who were victims of rape and other abuses by the IS army. The abuses were systematic, and part of a military strategy. Thus they served as a weapon in the fight against Yazidis and other religious minorities.

Watch: How To Be A Competent Leader

“After a three-month nightmare Nadia Murad managed to flee. Following her escape, she chose to speak openly about what she had suffered. In 2016, at the age of just 23, she was named the UN’s first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking.” writes.

Source: Nobel Prize.org, Guardian

In Inspiration November 25, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Meet Samira Sanusi, The Survivor Advocating For Sickle Cell Warriors

Samira Sanusi has first-hand experience living with sickle cell disease, which took over most of her childhood and life. At age 15, she developed serious health complications due to the disease, and this sent her on a 7-year journey to fight for her life.

She eventually had a bone marrow transplant in the middle of it all, in 2004, which cured her of the disease.

Now, Samira has devoted her time and life to catering for warriors living with sickle cell anaemia. She founded the Samira Sanusi Sickle Cell Foundation to achieve this purpose.

Raising Funds For Sickle Cell Warriors

Samira’s bone marrow transplant didn’t come at a small cost and she recognizes that not everyone will get the opportunity to undergo the procedure. To this end, Samira’s SSSCF raises funds to cover the costs of care, basic medications and hospital treatments for people from low-income families living with sickle cell disease.

SSSCF also provides affordable routine checkups, blood count and health evaluation for patients; encourages patients to become advocates in their schools and communities; and encourages genotype tests in pre-marital screenings.

Watch: Importance Of Therapy To Healing

SSSCF is a fully unified team of members who share same values when it comes to sickle cell disease; volunteers who donate their time, expertise & resources towards executing the initiative’s agendas and student-based community development building.

Samira Sanusi’s Book

Samira is the author of two books, “S is for Survivor,” and “I Wrote This For You”. Samira recounts her experiences with sickle cell disease and her journey to the cure as well as her work in activism in S is for Survivor.

Samira’s books have won Marine Platform Prize for Writing in Northern Nigeria (2015); and Nigerian Writers Award – Advocacy Book of the Year (2017).

The Journey So Far

Samira has always been passionate about social responsibility – she was a volunteer at Sickle Cell Aid Foundation between 2012 and 2013; also in 2013, she served as a social worker with AlUmmah Foundation; and in 2014, co-founded Water for Sustainable Living Initiative which aims to provide safe and clean water to rural communities that lack access to it.

Samira is a 2018 nominee for The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) Prize for Advocacy.

We celebrate Samira for establishing a pillar of support for sickle cell warriors and their families.

Source: Bellanaija

Fly Fitness Factory Partners With Rubies Ink To Empower Women

Fly Fitness Factory recently partnered with Rubies Ink Initiative and Women of Rubies to empower women with basic skills. The women were trained online in different skills such as; Content Writing, Make-up and gele, and skincare.

Fly Fitness is one of the most popular fitness and wellness organizations in the ancient city of Ibadan. Their offerings includes but not limited to personalized training programs, wellness management, supportive community, group training sessions, nutritional guide, diet plans and lots more

Philanthropist and multi-award winner, Bolarinwa Kashif O who founded the company alongside his wife supported the women in a bid to strengthen their goal for wealth creation through poverty alleviation programmes.

Asides running his companies, the duo also give back to the society by supporting vulnerable persons, empowering the youths and organizing sensitizing workshops such as his; “School Is Not Scam” project.

An initiative aimed at fighting miseducation, and helping to reverse the trend that education isn’t ultimately profitable, especially amongst children of low-income homes, In a bid to restore hope, educational value and create a better Nigeria.

Their Fly Fitness Factory gym has become a safe haven for pregnant women, where they are assisted with stressless delivery through healthy exercise, the gym boasts of world-class equipment and it is one of the most visited in the ancient city of Ibadan.

Speaking on the why they supported the empowerment skills acquisition programme, the couple had this to say; “We love to see women excel in their chosen field, we believe that when these women are empowered, life becomes easier for them, we look forward to partnering with Rubies Ink and Women of Rubies for future projects beneficial to humanity”, they said.

Follow Fly fitness factory on social media to know more about their activities

Website: flyfitnessfactorg.ng

How Wendy Nwajiufor Is Using Her Youtube Channel To Touch The Lives Of Women In And Outside Canada

Wendy Nwajiufor fondly called Chylove by friends is an award-winning Content creator, Director, Executive Director and Entrepreneur. A graduate of Computer Science with Masters in Human Capital Managemnt. She has a passion for helping people and seeing everyone succeed and this led her to venture into many initiatives geared towards the empowerment of women and professionals to become the best version of themselves.

Wendy’s Partnership with Youtube

Her passion for sharing important information including, healthy and family living led her to start a YouTube channel that originally focused on unique and delicious meal recipes inspiring people through her humble lifestyle as a Nigerian Immigrant in Canada with her family.

As the channel grew, many of her community members and subscribers wanted her to share more of her Canadian Journey and lifestyle – which led her to enter into a partnership with YouTube in 2020 to reach more audience and today the channel has grown to over eighteen thousand (18k) subscribers. Incredible and remarkable success stories have been shared by her subscribers regarding how helpful her content contributed to their migrating to Canada.

Passion For Tech

Wendy Nwajiufor is also a Brand influencer for companies and organizations some of which are Teddy Blake, Zinff Optical, Biocosmetics, Wraptucknmore and many others. She is also a Director with BlackTECH – an organization that focuses on empowering professional immigrants with capability-building tech skills to beat underemployment. Wendy is also the Executive Director of the NIPCA Women in Tech Working group as well as the Founder of Intentional Women Foundation – an organization focused on supporting black and racialized women to become economically empowered thereby contributing meaningfully to their families and society.

Her passion and work have seen her travel to 5 continents and several countries including Dubai, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. She is very passionate about family upliftment and women empowerment especially racialized and black women to become all they have aspired to achieve.

Other Area Of Expertise

Wendy‘s Specialty includes Business Development, Planning and Coordination, Business Analysis, Agile Scrum Master, Strategy/transformation and Content Creation. She’s certified with multiple international certifications such as SAP ERP Certified Human Resources (HR), PSM1, Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and Certified Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). In her spare time, she loves having quality time with her family, shopping, Cooking, and listening to good music.

In Inspiration November 14, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Queens Of The Sky | Meet Annabel Vundla And Refilwe Moreetsi, Two Black Female SA Pilots Who Just Made History

Captain Annabel Vundla and First Officer Refilwe Moreetsi are not just queens of the sky, they are history makers. The amazing pilots, who fly South African Airways planes, became the first black African female pilots to operate an SAA flight in its 88 years of existence.

Captain Annabel Vundla and First Officer Refilwe Moreetsi operated the flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town on Tuesday, 25 October 2022. The whole crew on Flight SA346 was female.

Captain Vundla made history for the second time. She is SAA’s first black African female captain. She is also a military flight instructor and a Presidential pilot.

Captain Vundla was born in 1980 and attended Kingsway Christian School for her primary education before moving to Mmabatho High School from 1991 to 1997.

Upon completing her Matric, Captain Vundla joined the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for about two years. After serving in military training, she joined the South African Air Force in January 1999 and became a Presidential Pilot.

She has flown the Presidential Inkwazi BBJ1 (Boeing 737-700) jet, Falcon 50 and Citation II (C550) planes for 23 years.

In 2010, she joined South African Airways as a pilot., becoming the national carrier’s first black female captain.

Moreetsi attended Merensky High School from 2001 to 2005 before enrolling at Stellenbosch University. She attained a Higher Certificate in Military Studies and later a Bachelor of Military Science in Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology with distinction.

In 2006, she joined the South African Air Force as a pilot.

From 2008 to 2009, First Officer Moreetsi did a Pupil Pilot Course with the Central Flying School in Langebaanweg.

Despite achieving all these, First Captain Moreetsi felt this was not enough.

In 2010, she went to Starlight Aviation Group and got a Private Pilot’s Licence. The same year, she also went to the Helicopter Flying School.

From 2011 to 2013, while in the air force, Moreetsi was the Limpopo/Mpumalanga Branch Coordinator for the South African Women In Aviation.

The pilot then left the South African Air Force and joined South African Express Airways as First Officer from 2014 to 2016.

Two Black Female South Africa Pilots — Captain Annabel Vundla and First Officer Refilwe Moreetsi

First Officer Moreetsi’s academic pursuits resumed in 2016 when she enrolled at the Da Vinci Institute. In 2020, she graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Business Management, specialising in Aviation Management.

From 2016 to date, she has been with South African Airways, where she was Senior First Officer and later promoted to Deputy Fatigue Risk Management Specialist.

In June 2022, First Officer Refilwe Moreetsi was promoted to Fatigue Risk Management Specialist.

She had words of inspiration to girls on the day of her historic flight with Captain Annabel Vundla this week:

“My message to young girls is that your dreams are valid. If this is a career you would like to follow, it is possible. Your gender and your race are not a barrier.”

In Inspiration November 7, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Everything You Need to Know About Judge Rochelle Ivri – Biography & Facts

Judge Rochelle Ivri is one of ten citizenship judges in Canada and a paralegal professor at Mohawk College in Hamilton. She has a degree in Criminology from the University of Windsor, a post-graduate certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from York University and has co-authored the textbook, Tribunal Practice, and Procedure for Legal Professionals.

Career of Rochelle Ivri

Rochelle was the first Black person to be appointed as a board member on the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library Board. She served for 8 years as a board member of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library Board. . She was also the first Black person to be appointed to the Council of the College of Midwives of Ontario, where she served for 8 years, 2 of which involved being on the Executive Board.

Additionally, Judge Rochelle was a member of the Discipline, Appeal, and Review Committee of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council. She currently sits on the board of Bravo Niagara!

She is the first and only Black woman to be appointed to the inaugural Niagara Region’s Women’s Advisory Committee. Judge Ivri is the co-founder and facilitator of a mentorship program for Black youth.

Passion For The Black Community

Judge Ivri is committed to enriching her community and ensuring that the voices of Black women are included and heard. During her eight years as the first and only Black woman appointed to the Council of College of Midwives of Ontario, she made certain that Black women’s experiences and perspectives were included in the development and implementation of policy affecting the regulation of maternal health in Ontario.

Award and Recognition

In 2019, she was awarded the Woman who Rocks Award for Hamilton. In 2020, she was a finalist nominee in the Education/Mentorship category for the YWCA Hamilton Women of Distinction Awards. She was awarded the Leading Women, leading Girls, Building Community Award for her work in Kitchener Centre.

Judge Ivri was awarded the Lincoln Alexander Award in 2021 by the Law Society of Ontario making her the first paralegal to ever receive this recognition in its nearly 20-year history.

Family of Judge Rochelle Ivri

Rochelle and her husband, Eldean, have 4 children. She is passionate about human rights, the Charter, and encouraging good citizenship and civic engagement in the diaspora.

Related:

Olunike Adeliyi: Biography, Facts And Life Story

In Entertainment November 16, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Olunike Adeliyi: The Canadian Actress Taking The Film And TV Industry By Storm

Olunike Adeliyi is a Canadian actress, writer, and producer. She got her big break in the hit television series Flashpoint where she played Officer Leah Kerns. Since then, she has built an impressive resume and inspired other women to chase their dreams.

The Early Life of Olunike Adeliyi

Olunike Adeliyi was born in Toronto, Ontario to Sunny, a Nigerian salesman and Roxy, a Jamaican nurse. Raised in both Jamaica and Canada, the well-travelled actress ultimately earned a place at the highly coveted American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.

Education

Adeliyi had her primary education in Canada. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts In Newyork. Reportedly, she used to visit Brooklyn, New York, for her acting career and returned to her home country.

Career

Her popularity gained momentum after her appearances in films and TV shows like SAW 3D, French Immersion, The Listener, Being Human, Republic of Doyle, Lost Girl, Christmas Horror Story, Killjoys, and The Girlfriend Experience. In 2012, Adeliyi was nominated for “Best Performance by a Female – Film” at the Canadian Comedy Awards for her performance in French Immersion and won the 2014 Black Canadian Award for “Best Actress.”

Some of Adeliyi’s critically acclaimed stage performances include Macbeth (Unit 102 Theatre), HER2 (Nightwood Theatre) and Bleeders (Summerworks).

In 2019, she starred in the horror feature She Never Died, which premiered at LA Screamfest, where she was nominated for best actress and at the Blood in The Snow Film Festival, where she won the award for best actress. Olunike has performed in theatres throughout Canada and the U.S. playing leading roles in many productions.

Recognition and Award of Olunike Adeliyi

Olunike was nominated for “Best Supporting Actress” at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards for her role in Boost; “Best Performance by a Female – Film” at the 2014 Canadian Comedy Awards for her performance in French Immersion and won the 2011 Black Canadian Award for “Best Actress”.

She recently received the 2022 Rising Star Award from the Excellence Awards program of the Afroglobal Television channel in Toronto. Away from her awards, let’s take a look at Olunike’s journey into motherhood.

Motherhood

Olunike Adeliyi and her daughter, Alesha Bailey

The amazing thespian is a mother of a beautiful daughter named Alesha Bailey, an actress. However, the details regarding her baby papa are missing. Further, the actress shares a good relationship with her daughter, and the mother-daughter duo is often seen enjoying with each other on different media platforms.

We celebrate Olunike for her tenacity, passion for her craft, and for creating room for other women to thrive.

Related:

Everything You Need to Know About Judge Rochelle Ivri – Biography & Facts

In Inspiration November 4, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Google Doodle Celebrates Jollof Rice With Haneefah Adam’s Art Illustration

Google Doodle is celebrating Jollof rice today with Haneefah Adam’s art illustration , though the official day is August 22. According to Google; “jollof rice, a quintessential West African dish simmered in reduced tomatoes, onions, peppers and regional spices.”

Nigeria-based guest artist, Haneefah Adam made the beautiful live-action doodle of jollof rice, The beautiful part of the doodle is the way it ended. They showed the different side dishes like plantain and chicken you can eat jollof rice with.

The beautiful soundtrack featured in the doodle is by Senegalese Jazz musician, Herve Samb. It is safe to say Google created a balance of Jollof rice origin and the country where it is eaten the most.

Describing the doodle, Google writes that, “on this day each year, rice farmers plant and reap a bountiful harvest, and cooks across West Africa prepare to make fresh Jollof. Also known as benachin and thieboudienne’

They also elucidated the origin of jollof rice. It is believed to have first been prepared by the Wolof tribe in the 14th century. “The Wolof Empire, ruling parts of modern-day Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania made Jollof rice popular.”

“Each country has added its spin to the recipe and West Africans engage in humorous banter over who makes the best Jollof. These friendly rivalries, known as the “Jollof Wars,” have become an African cultural phenomenon.” Google writes.

The most competitive countries are Nigerians and Ghanaians. Google elucidates the difference. “Nigerians use long-grain rice that absorbs more spices, while Ghanaians use basmati rice with a more aromatic flavour.”

In 2016, Haneefah won the #TechMeetsArtNG exhibition, sponsored by Samsung Nigeria and Rele Gallery. The competition was a culinary exhibition aimed at exploring the artistic presentation of some of Nigeria’s local meals.

It’s beautiful to see our food being celebrated, and the work of one of queens highlighted on a global platform.

See some of her work below;

In Inspiration November 2, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

#WCW| Claudette McGowan,The Canadian Tech Guru Creating Room For Other Women

Claudette McGowan is a global information technology leader with more than 18 years of success leading digital transformations, optimizing infrastructure and designing new approaches that improve service experiences.

She has worked in the technology industry for several organizations such as Deloitte, Metropolitan Police Services, North York General Hospital, Bank of Montreal and TD Bank.

Claudette began her career at BMO in 2000 and held multiple senior leadership roles including Chief Information Officer, Enterprise Technology Employee Experience. In 2020, she joined TD Bank as Global Executive Officer for Cyber Security.

In her spare time, Claudette writes books for children, builds robots and is the founder of the Black Arts & Innovation Expo. Claudette holds a Bachelor of Arts from Lakehead University and a Master of Business Administration from Athabasca University.

She is the recipient of several prestigious awards: In January 2020, she was selected as an honoree at the Jamaican Canadian Association’s 20th International Women’s Day event for her groundbreaking work in STEM. In 2019, Toronto Life recognized her as one of the city’s Top 50 Most Influential Torontonians, Women’s Executive Network recognized her as one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, AdWeek Magazine heralded Claudette as a Toronto Brand Star, and the Digital Finance Institute honoured her as one of the Top 50 Canadian Women in FinTech.

In September 2019, Claudette also had the honour of moderating what is being hailed as ‘the most insightful one-on-one conversation’ with Former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, in front of a sold-out crowd of 3,000-plus at Elevate, Canada’s largest technology festival.

Claudette was recently honored by Afroglobal TV as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadian , she also received the Science and Technology Excellence Awards

We stan a queen!

Esther Ijewere

Meet Magret Isedowo, The Highly Sought-After Make-Up Artist in Canada

Meet Me

The Journey So Far

Why I Pitched My Tent In The Make-Up Sector

My Aspiration

Connect With Margaret

Nadia Murad: The Nobel Peace Prize Winner Who Set Up Fund For Survivors Of Wartime Rape

Nadia’s Story

Meet Samira Sanusi, The Survivor Advocating For Sickle Cell Warriors

Raising Funds For Sickle Cell Warriors

Samira Sanusi’s Book

The Journey So Far

Related:

Fly Fitness Factory Partners With Rubies Ink To Empower Women

Related:

How Wendy Nwajiufor Is Using Her Youtube Channel To Touch The Lives Of Women In And Outside Canada

Wendy’s Partnership with Youtube

Passion For Tech

Other Area Of Expertise

Queens Of The Sky | Meet Annabel Vundla And Refilwe Moreetsi, Two Black Female SA Pilots Who Just Made History

Everything You Need to Know About Judge Rochelle Ivri – Biography & Facts

Career of Rochelle Ivri

Passion For The Black Community

Award and Recognition

Family of Judge Rochelle Ivri

Olunike Adeliyi: The Canadian Actress Taking The Film And TV Industry By Storm

The Early Life of Olunike Adeliyi

Education

Career

Recognition and Award of Olunike Adeliyi

Motherhood

Google Doodle Celebrates Jollof Rice With Haneefah Adam’s Art Illustration

#WCW| Claudette McGowan,The Canadian Tech Guru Creating Room For Other Women

Useful Links

Subscribe Now