Women of Rubies
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Esther Ijewere

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Eva Mendes Highlights The Importance Of Eliminating Gender Roles In Her Household

Eva Mendes just gave fans another rare glimpse into her home life, telling the world that gender roles don’t exist in her and Ryan Gosling’s household.

In a recent and rare interview with Forbes, Mendes talked about how her partner Gosling of the household, admitting she’s “not an amazing cook.” However, she sees this dynamic as a valuable lesson for their daughters Esmerelda and Amada. 

“Hopefully it’s showing my girls that there are no gender specific roles that one must take on and that we are partners in this and that we’re all partners in this, not just Ryan and I, but our children as well,” she said.

The 2 Fast 2 Furious star added, “It’s a team effort every day, so if they see him and I switching off doing certain things that again aren’t specific to stereotypical gender things, I think that just creates balance and harmony.”

Many stars have been raising their children in a gender-fluid household, teaching their growing kids that they don’t need to be limited by gender roles if they don’t want to be.

Mendes and Gosling originally met while co starring in the film The Place Beyond the Pines, dating soon after in 2011. They share two daughters together named Esmerelda, 7,  and Amada, 6.

After giving birth to them, she decided to take a step back from acting to focus on her little family. She addressed it in response to an Instagram comment, saying, “As a mother now, there are many roles I won’t do. There are many subject matters that I don’t want to be involved with, so it limits my choices and I’m fine with that. I have to set an example for my girls now.”

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I Started My Business Out Of My Passion For Humanity- Dr. Joy Ezeike

Life they say has different faces and only the tough people can stand the challenges involved. It is better to fail in novelty than to succeed in imitation, a belief that makes Amb. (Dr.) Joy I. Ezeike is unique in life; she believes in her own concept of creating a different world in business and personal life.

A woman of many parts, Ezeike is an entrepreneur and business professional par excellence, a renowned certified media expert with global training experience, and an astute personality with proven managerial and administrative competencies. She retired to a private personal business after several years in the banking sector.

Her love for photography, cinematography, movie production and event management spurred her to establish a media company, Omas World of Glamour Ltd. As the Founder/CEO of the organization, she made sure that the required energy that engenders business growth was invested and the company grew to become the number media company in the city of Port Harcourt, with strong presence in Lagos and Abuja.

Her contribution to the social-economic development through the media industry earned her different awards from different reputable bodies, including religious organisations, in recognition of her role in society and capacity building. The most recent is the Garden City Advancement Award where she received a platinum honors as enterprising personality of the year in 2021. Also, the Rotary Club of Ogudu GRA honoured with an award in recognition of her service to humanity.

A honorary doctorate degree holder (Hon. Causa) in media and art from Omini Bible University Oklahoma USA, She shares her inspiring story with Esther Ijewere in this interview.

Childhood Influence
GROWING up and family life in a humble background got me ready for life. I grew up in a very peaceful, fun and loving family with parents who taught me almost all I know. Of course, I didn’t know I would be here right now doing this, but somewhere along the line, it came to me and ever since, to the glory of God, it has been a success story.

Inspiration Behind Omas Group Of Companies And Omas Mega 4 Projects
Love and Passion for humanity; the passion to create unending employment for the young ones in our society. The Holy Spirit has been the guide and anchor: He directs, and I simply follow.

The foundation for hope is an NGO set up to cater for the elderly, helpless and needy of our society. My Story is a movie about my life to give hope and belief to others who are either upcoming or think they have lost it in life. Face of Omas is a pageant brand geared towards uplifting the girl child, while Omas studios TV is an online platform.

The Journey So Far
It Wasn’t smooth at first, but the Holy Spirit kept me going, so, I Thank God for the success we enjoy today. It’s been a tough yet fun ride; I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me.

What Informed My Decision To Leave Banking Sector For Entrepreneurship
I left the bank because it was pre-planned; I left to be a mother to my children and a wife to my husband. My regional manager refused me leaving thinking there was a problem at the home front, but there wasn’t any. I didn’t just believe in people taking care of my kids, so I took a sabbatical leave from the bank. But business came calling and I answered; I can return to banking at any time.

Society And Its Support For Women In My Kind Of Business
Societal support doesn’t really count for me, because society is not the vision bearer; they won’t really understand your drive. My pulling force in life/business has been heavenly support and that is what really counts for me. But then, generally, it will be better if society will support women, especially in the media industry.

Three Women Who Inspire Me And Why
I have drawn inspiration from many Nigerian women, the likes of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Rev Nches Iredu. Then on the international scene, you have the likes of Michelle Obama etc. These are women, who have been on various ladders of leadership, and some are leading big organisations and institutions. So, they inspire me a great deal; it makes me believe that there is no limit to what a woman can achieve.

Achieving Work-Life Balance
It has been God; He makes all things possible. He keeps giving me top-notch dedicated workers who always key into the vision. How I do it, I don’t know; God just keeps making it happen. I must tell you that it is not always very easy balancing marriage and work, as both are demanding, especially when you have children to take care of. However, marriage should not deter women from working and even giving sufficient time to work.

These days, the emphasis is no longer on the housewife; this is because to catch up with the demands of the family requires all hands to be on deck. As a matter of fact, I have provided strong support for my husband as long as the day-to-day running of our home is concerned. Over time, I have understood the home front and also my career; it takes dedication, absolute dedication, and self-sacrifice to balance the demand from the home front and career.

Truthfully speaking, I work hard and I give time to my work. I even work at night, yet I still find sufficient time for my husband and children. One thing that has helped me is my time management skill and I think people should learn the principles of time management; it will help them to balance the time they give at home and at work.

Challenges Of My Work
Lack of Government support and lack of collaboration with established firms in putting Nigerian media at the top sector. Dealing with young minds and eradicating poverty by creating unending employment requires a lot of investment. We need well to do individuals, firms, and the Government at both state and federal levels to come in and support training and equipping these young minds so we keep them off the street.

Other Projects And Activities
The Face of Omas will be coming soon with the view of uplifting the girl child. The Foundation for Hope is already catering for children in orphanage homes amidst plans to do some big charitable works and medical outreach in villages. Omas Studios TV has already started filming programmes and TV content for the general public. My story has been shot with the 1st episode already out on YouTube.

To Young Women Who Want To Go Into Business
First of all, clearly understand your vision and follow it up. Have a passion for your business. Passion is what drives you in any business, not minding how much you earn. Be a person of integrity; never be a two-sided person in business. Make the Holy spirit your everyday companion. ‘Women should be goal-oriented, women should focus on their goals and be intentional about them, the opportunities to excel in life are equal for men and women’ -alluring_jloo

Business Nugget
Do not worry about success at startup, stay dedicated and work towards being significant. With determination, success will come naturally.

Why I Am Extending My Business To Lagos
We have touched young lives in Port Harcourt and we are doing the same in Abuja, why not Lagos? We are excited to see Omas World of Glamour enter the Lagos market. We have been able to provide our clients with media production services that produce measurable results, as well as insights for future expansion and now we are here in Lagos. This will be an advantage for customers in the Southwestern part of Nigeria, as we are here to provide them with the best delivery and pricing.

The most exciting facet that we look forward to is continuous development, allowing us to achieve our vision of being the foremost media production company with a global outlook.

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My Mission Is To Empower 5000 Young African Women With Basic Digital Skills- Excellence Joshua

A famous person once said; “Innovation is the outcome of a habit, not a random act.” That is what technology has done to the world; it made us recognise the power of consistency and focus.

Excellence Anurika Joshua belongs to the crop of women who are making a difference in the world through technology, and lifting other women while at it. She is the founder of Techy Train incubator, a Nigerian-based onshore and offshore training and outsourcing organisation that specialises in equipping African young women and female entrepreneurs with digital skills to empower them to get jobs in their countries and to also maximise remote job opportunities around the world. This will help in reducing the gender wage gap and to also support capacity building among African companies and startups development worldwide.


A Digital Media Consultant, Pan Africa social entrepreneur, and a blooming African development expert who has trained and created job opportunities for over 3000 young African Women in the Tech Space since 2019, in 2021, she started the Tech-Up Girls Initiative with her team to empower 5000 young women across Africa with basic digital skills before the end of 2022. The World Bank Fellow, and recipient of the AGS survivor-woman award is also the winner of Mentoring Her Pitchathon, as well as the 1st Runner-Up of The Youth Innovation Challenge by The Funding Space. In 2021, she emerged as one of the winners of the Startup Lab Pitch Competition of the Nigeria Tech Summit. A trailblaser who is passionate about using technology to drive change across areas in women, health, and education, she shares her story with ESTHER IJEWERE In this interview.

Childhood Influence
Yes, my childhood kind of did. My dad used to have a business centre even before I was born; first in Niger State and eventually in Abuja, the University of Abuja campus precisely. When I was about seven years old, on my birthday, my dad bought me a typewriter as my birthday gift and a book to learn how to type.

My mum used to be an accountant and a clerk with the then NEPA. She knew how to type very well, so she would teach me how to do ASDF and ;LKJ, you know, and all of that. I learnt how to type; that was when I was in primary three. But as I grew up, when I finished primary school, my elder brother and I would go to my dad’s business centre to help him with work. We would do things like photocopy, lamination… of course those are tech skills. So, we did all of that.

Then, when I grew a little bit older, he would tell his staff who were computer typists to teach me the computer, so they would teach me how to type and apply shortcuts on the computer. They taught me, so I knew how to type very well such that when I was in senior secondary school, I think or after junior WAEC, I was typing for money. Then a page was typed for N70 or N100? And we had so many people doing projects. It was a university environment, not everybody could own a computer or a laptop at that time, so people had to patronise business centres. And, yes, I knew how to type really fast.

My brother got more interested in coding, in software, and things like Oracle and all of that and he went further to explore that area but me, I just liked it; I love gadgets a lot. And my dad got me a phone; I think in 2006, I had just finished JSS 3. I never thought that I was going to be doing anything tech or digital skills like this; I didn’t think of it that way. But really, it helped. We would always go to my dad’s business centre to help him and I was exposed to all of these and he would just tell us, ‘don’t worry, when you are in school, when you get to the university, you won’t be stranded; you can always start your own business centre or do something.’

But you see, my story of survival from abuse pushed me to help other women and I didn’t think initially that my background was going to give me ease transitioning to tech. But here I am today; I am doing all of it. I think, yes, a part of my childhood actually prepared me in a way for what I do now.

Inspiration Behind Techy Train Incubator
In 2018, I was 25 years old, a fresh graduate from the university. I had just separated from my then abusive husband and fled with my two-year old son; I had no job, had a neurological breakdown, and was absolutely broke. I was desperate to survive. And while at it, I realised that the African society is not kind to helpless women and there were not many options for me. Despite being a graduate of Medical Laboratory Science, when life hit me hard, like it does to more than 21 per cent of Women in the world, the only lifeline I found to rebuild myself was through technology skills and digital solutions.

As soon as I began to make headway, I was determined to help other women do the same as well. I founded the Techy Train Incubator, a social enterprise to bridge the gender employment gap in Africa by training women and girls on digital skills, equipping them for the future of work and the right employability and helping them get jobs.

So far, I have led a team that has trained successfully over 7000 young Women across 21 countries in Africa on relevant basic digital skills and helped over 3500 outsource their talent globally, thereby fostering the economic development of women especially in Africa.

The Journey So Far
So far, I have led a team that has trained successfully over 7000 young Women across 21 countries in Africa on relevant basic digital skills and helped over 3500 outsource their talent globally thereby fostering the economic development of women especially in Africa. I have won a few grants that have accelerated our work and reach across Africa.

I started a foundation in 2021 funded by the Techy Train incubator to train young girls and ladies for free in relevant technology skills, especially those with financial challenges and with no jobs to cater for themselves and their children. My mission in this is to empower women and youths with tools to work their way out of poverty, care for their families and strengthen their communities. As there are so many opportunities in the Tech and online space that are yet to be tapped, I believe that with thorough guidance and training, we can help women, especially those who are suffering in abusive marriages, become financially independent, leveraging just their smartphones and the internet; helping them set up a thriving business online. It will also prevent more young women from being vulnerable to abuse.

Mission To Empower 5000 Young Women Across Africa With Basic Digital Skills Before The End Of 2022
I set up The Tech-Up Girls Initiative bootcamp with my team to empower 5000 young women across Africa with basic digital skills within three years, starting in June 2021. However, this goal was achieved within a year. So far, over 3330 have been empowered from across 19 countries in Africa and assisted over 400 women in being gainfully self-employed using digital skills. The final cohort where over 1700 young girls are enrolled will be completed by June 24, 2022.

In January 2022, I set-up the Tech-Up Ladies to teach young Nigerian female graduates how to code and become Software Developers. Nine young ladies were trained within 10 weeks for FREE and completed their training in March 2022.

Being A World Bank Fellow, And Winning The AGS Survivor-Woman Award
First, the World Bank Fellow award, I had just started Techy Train not too long ago and then I applied and pitched my business to go into the Access Bank Womenpreneur Pitch-A-Ton and I didn’t really think I was going to be selected. I scaled through the first stage and then I got selected among 50 women that were trained by the International Finance Corporation and World Bank Group for that programme and it was a phenomenal experience. We went through quite a number of unique business skills training; very practical hands-on and it was just too good. So, after that, part of the award we were given was becoming World Bank Fellows and it’s really a boast. It has been a good one. It is not just about that; it is about the community that we have found and the support and the leverage that we have had since then. The AGS survivor-woman award is something that is very remarkable to me that I just will not forget, because it was my very first attempt at sharing my story, so Mwanga Africa was partnering with the AGS tribe, now Herconomy, to share stories that touch lives. I was very reluctant, I didn’t want to share it and for some reason, I won. For me, it wasn’t that; it wasn’t about the prize money of $1000 that was given. It was the fact that my story was valid; it was the fact that for the first time, I was vulnerable enough to share my experience and it changed my life. I used a part of that money to get my very first new laptop and then I registered for Codecademy to study full-stack web development and that was a journey to greater things in my life.

So, I feel privileged. It also gave me quite some visibility and from then, I saw that I was not alone. So many people were going through the same experience I had, but were not bold enough to come forward and I saw myself providing help and support to most of them.

Society And Its Support For Women In Tech
I think right now, not many women are in the tech space and despite this, I don’t see so much discrimination. I think in the tech space, it is more about how good you are. If you are good, they give you the opportunity; so, it is not about being male or female. At least, I have not experienced that. I even see that they want more women, but we don’t have so many women that are skilled enough to do the job required so the gap is wide.

You see, they always want women; I don’t think they discriminate. I think there is just so much to be done, and I think that more people should support and encourage women to actually go in that field. If it is in that angle, then I think yes, we should support more women to go into tech.

Three Women Who Inspire Me And Why
First, my mum; the woman is so resilient, determined and powerful. She’s one person who if she’s backing you, you can go to sleep. She literally keeps encouraging me. I admire Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji for her tenacity. I admire Dr Lola Adeyemi for her heart. She’s a gift that keeps giving and constantly sees the good in others. In the work I do, I have to keep giving, keep impacting with or without external support and remembering her and what she has done for me, I am encouraged to do more.

Challenges
Some of the challenges I have experienced in my line of work include inconsistent power supply. You don’t have power, you don’t even have fuel to power the generator; it could be a lot of work. Another thing I have experienced is being able to balance work and family; it can be a whole lot especially parenting my son alone. There are sacrifices and things I have to give up to actually make some things work.

Thirdly, it is not easy to build a business with a good structure in Nigeria. Many things, many people want to relate with you one on one, so it was very difficult transitioning that we have a team and this is how things will work.

Other Projects And Activities
We have the Tech-Up Ladies. In the Tech-Up Ladies, the plan for 2022 is to empower 20 young women with software development skills. We have empowered nine already through a 10 weeks programme; they finished on March 31, and it’s been phenomenal.

Now, moving on from the Tech-Up Girls that we are achieving in a bit, we are looking forward to partnering with well meaning Nigerians, Non-profit organisations and people that are interested in empowering women and girls, especially with tech skills in Nigeria and across Africa. We are looking forward to partnering with them to facilitate programmes to reach more people. We have a system that works, we just need resources to channel them to reach more people.

We are also working on leveraging partnerships with other African countries to go there and empower girls there but to use local content for girls in those localities. Most importantly, we are also working on building a marketplace for women in tech from Africa where they can sell their skills to individuals and corporations around the world. The platform is to be built specifically for women in tech and by women. We are looking forward to resources to make this happen.

Being A Woman Of Rubies
It is the fact that Excellence has gone through a deep furnace experience. So, when I teach, I don’t teach from my head knowledge. I know what can work, because it is not abstract knowledge; it is because I have walked the path. I have gone through the pain. I have seen all of it; I have seen the failure, I can pre-empt what will work and what will not work. So, I am not going to give motivational talks or just hype women. I am not telling them where I have not been. I am not bringing them out from where I have not been. I know the road; I have been out of ‘prison’’ so I know how to show them out so that is what makes me unique. Despite it all, I thrived against all odds; coming out and now going back to bring out other people from there.

Advice For Young Women Who Want To Pitch Their Tent In The Tech Sector
I will say come in, come on in; there is more than enough room for you in tech. There is a uniqueness that women bring into developing products that are created in tech that men alone cannot bring. So, I would say please and please do come on to tech; come and humanise technology. We love you, we appreciate you and we would want to see you. I think there is room for you to be all that you can be without limitations, without discrimination. I think more women should come.

Important Tech Nuggets
In transitioning to tech, do not think abstractly; discover what tech skill intersects with your academic background, experience and skills, as well as which will remain relevant down the road. Do not learn a skill just because others are learning as well.

 

 

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I Started Omas World Of Glamour Out Of My Passion For Humanity- Dr. Joy Ezeike

Life they say has different faces and only the tough people can stand the challenges of life. It is better to fail in novelty than to succeed in imitation, a belief that makes Amb. (Dr.) Joy I. Ezeike is unique in life, she believes in her own concept of creating a different world in business and personal life. Amb. (Dr.) Joy I. Ezeike is a woman of many parts, an entrepreneur and business professional par excellence, a renowned certified media expert with global training experience, an astute personality with proven managerial and administrative competencies.

She retired to private personal business after several years in the banking sector in Nigeria. Her love for photography, cinematography, movie production and event management spurred her to establish a media company known as Omas World of Glamour Ltd. As the Founder/CEO of Omas Group of companies (Omas World of Glamour Ltd, Omas Studios ltd and Omas Multimedia Ltd), she made sure that required energy that engenders business growth was invested and the company grew to become the number media company in the city of Port Harcourt. Presently, the company has a strong presence in Lagos and Abuja.

Her contribution to the social economic development through the media industry earned her different awards from different reputable bodies including religious organizations in recognition of her role in the society and capacity building. The most recent is the Garden City Advancement Award where she received a platinum honors enterprising personality of the year in the year 2021. Also, the Rotary club of Ogudu GRA District gave her an award in recognition of her service to humanity.

Dr. Joy has an honorary doctorate degree (Hon. Causa) in media and art from omini Bible University Oklahoma USA. She shares her inspiring story with Esther Ijewere in this interview.

Childhood Influence

Growing up and family life in a humble background got me ready for life. I grew up in a very peaceful, fun and loving family with parents who taught me almost all I know. Of course, I didn’t know I would be here right now doing this but somewhere along the line it came to me and ever since to the glory of God it has been a success story.

Inspiration Behind Omas Group Of Companies And Omas Mega 4 Projects

Love and Passion for humanity, the passion to create unending employment for the young ones in our society. The Holy Spirit has been the guide and anchor, he directs, and I simply follow. The foundation for hope is an NGO set up to cater for the elderly, helpless and needy of our society.“My Story” is a movie about my life to give hope and belief to others who are either upcoming or think they have lost it in life. Face of Omas is a pageant brand geared towards uplifting the girl child. Omas studios TV is an online platform.

The Journey So Far

Wasn’t smooth at first, but the Holy Spirit kept me going so I Thank God for the success we enjoy today. It’s been a tough yet fun ride, I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me.

What iinformed my mdecision to Leave the banking sector for entrepreneurship

The bank because it was pre-planned, I left to be a mother to my children and a wife to my husband. My regional manager refused me leaving thinking there was a problem at the home front but there wasn’t any. I didn’t just believe in people taking care of my kids so I took a sabbatical leave from the bank, but business came calling and I answered. I can return to banking at any time.

Society and Its Support for women in my kind of business
Societal support doesn’t really count for me, because society is not the vision bearer, so they won’t really understand your drive. My pulling force in life/business has been heavenly support and that is what really counts for me. But then, generally it will be better if society will support women especially in the media industry.

Three women who inspire me and why

I have drawn inspiration from many Nigerian women, the likes of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Rev Nches Iredu, at the international scene, the likes of Michelle Obama etc. These are women who have been in various ladders of leadership, and some are leading big organizations and institutions so they inspire me a great deal, it makes me believe that there is no limit to what a woman can achieve.

Achieving work-life balance

It has been God, he makes all things possible. He keeps giving me top notch dedicated workers who always key into the vision. How I do it I don’t know, just God keeps making it happen. I must tell you that it is not always very easy balancing marriage and work as both are demanding, especially when you have children to take care of, however, marriage should not deter Women from working and even giving sufficient time to work. These days, the emphasis is no longer on the housewife, this is because to catch up with the demands of the family requires all hands to be on deck. As a matter of fact, I have provided strong support for my husband as long as the day to day running of our home is concerned. Over time, I have understood the home front and also my career, it takes dedication, absolute dedication, self-sacrifice to balance the demand from the home front and career. Truthfully speaking, I work hard, and I give time to my work, I even work at night, yet I still find sufficient time for my husband and children. One thing that has helped me is my time management skill and I think people should learn the principles of time management, it will help them to balance the time they give at home and at work.

Challenges of my work

Lack of Government support, Lack of collaboration with established firms in putting Nigerian media at the top sector. Dealing with young minds and eradicating poverty by creating unending employment requires a lot of investment and we need well to do individuals, firms, and the Government at both state and federal level to come in and support in training and equipping these young minds so we keep them off the street.

Other Projects and Activities

The face of Omas will be coming soon with the view of uplifting the girl child. The foundation for hope is already catering for children in orphanage homes amidst plans to do some big charitable works and medical outreach in villages. Omas studios TV has already started filming programs and TV contents for the general public. “My story” has been shot with the 1st episode already out on YouTube.

To young women who want to go into business

First of all, clearly understand your vision and follow it up. Have passion for your business. Passion is what drives you in any business, not minding how much you earn, but to bring an end product of perfection/excellence. Be a person of integrity, never be a two-sided person in business. Make the Holy spirit your everyday companion. “Women should be goal oriented, women should focus on their goals and be intentional about them, the opportunities to excel in life are equal for men and women” -alluring_jloo

Business nugget

Do not worry about success at startup, stay dedicated and work towards being significant. With determination success will come naturally.

Why I am extending my business to Lagos

We have touched young lives in Port Harcourt and we are doing the same in Abuja, why not Lagos? We are excited to see Omas World of Glamour enter the Lagos market. We have been able to provide our clients with media production services that produce measurable results as well as insights for future expansion and now we are here in Lagos. This will be an advantage for customers in the south western part of Nigeria, as we are here to provide them with the best delivery and pricing” She stated. The most exciting facet that we look forward to is continuous development, allowing us to achieve our vision of being the foremost media production company with a global outlook.

—

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Dr Nimi Ekere
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First Lady Of Lagos, Others To Speak At Nimi Ekere’s Strive Conference on May 27th

It is said that it or easier to build strong children than repair broken adults.  Being a child in today’s world is unarguably not as seamless as it used to be as there are so many distractions that appear alluring that children encumbered with.
Technology,  westernization, peer pressure influence, poor parental guidance and a whole lot more are just a few of what this generation of children have to grapple with.
A lot of them want to be heard but no one is listening and in no time they are caught up in the web of gross moral decadence and irresponsible living.
The STRIVE conference is an annual event that is aimed at bringing children together to educate, inform and guide them on the path to go and how to navigate the dark corridors of the menaces in the society and stand out to become responsible leaders of tomorrow.
The theme of this year’s conference is; Creating a Better Future for the Nigerian Child.
There will be speakers of international repute that will take them on Cybersafety, Character Development,  moral values and Etiquettes, Mindset Re-orientation, Purpose Discovery and a lot more.
The conference will also have in attendance top government dignitaries like the amazing first Lady of Lagos State,  Her Excellency,  Dr Ibijoke Sanwo- Olu and the Lagos State Commissioner for Education,  Mrs Folashade Adefisayo.
According to the organizer; Dr. Nimi Ekere;  ‘Strive’ conference,  is first of its kind for children, in Lagos State. This conference will have notable speakers, child advocates, religious leaders and role models speak to the children on how they can stay away from vices, protect themselves from abuse, live their dreams and become whatever they set their hearts to become. It is going to be a phenomenal one and the first of its kind in the country and Africa.

 Dr. Nimi Ekere,  a Consultant Family Physician, a Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Family Physicians. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants and a Certified Management Consultant. Dr. Ekere is a Certified Management Specialist with distinction in Time Management from the London Graduate School. Dr. Nimi Ekere is also a child advocate, author, speaker, coach and humanitarian.

She is also an author of four books for children, pre-teens, teenagers and parents on the dangers of child sexual abuse with effective remedies. Three of these books are government-approved for use at schools in Lagos State. Just recently, all four of her books were approved and added to the curriculum of the Rivers State Ministry of Education to be used in primary and secondary schools in the state.

Date is Children’s Day, 27th of May @ Afe Babalola Hall,  Unilag, Lagos State at 9am. 
This event is for children aged 10 to 18 years old.
Admission is free for all children  if you are however registration is required for children not coming from schools and non students( not older than 18).
Event will be streamed on Facebook( Smileandshine Children’s Foundation.
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I started Omaness Skinfood To​ Empower And​ Enrich The Lives Of Women- Ifeoma Adibe-Chukwuka

From the humblest of beginnings, Ifeoma Adibe-Chukwuka began her journey into social entrepreneurship at 19 when she founded her first non-profit organization​ ​(AYECI Africa) focused on providing educational intervention and access to work opportunities for young people and women in low-income communities.

Ifeoma is also the Founder and CEO of The Omaness Skinfood Company, an indigenous skinfood production company which began its operation in 2018.​ ​She broke the ​mould​ to become West Africa’s first homegrown skinfood products company “with an all-women direct distribution and merchant force”, as she likes to say.

Social Impact, Economic Empowerment and African Development- These three​ ​words best describe Ifeoma’s focus as an Entrepreneur. In 2019, Omaness launched the Business of Skinfood Program, a unique distribution model that allows Omaness to retail its products directly to consumers everyday through an all-women merchant force! The Business of Skinfood program is a deliberate approach to unlock a generation of new sustainable income source for women and exemplify the ideal of creating African-based solutions to African problems.

With over 40 products in the market, Ifeoma is breaking boundaries through Omaness Ski​n​food. She shares her inspiring journey exclusively with Esther Ijewere in this Interview.

Childhood Influence

One of my childhood dreams was to become a beauty queen. I recall being fascinated by the world of beauty pageantry. I was not only drawn by the glamour and I was deeply inspired by the way beauty queens used their voice and their platform to advocate, raise public awareness and support for worthy social causes. I remember I had a diary where I wrote down the names of several beauty queens and a portfolio of the social causes they were involved in.

As a teenager, this experience helped influence my ambition, and nurtured my interest to become a social change agent.

Today, I am a social entrepreneur who advocates strongly for women empowerment, education and local enterprise development. I may not be your regular beauty queen but I’m living out the childhood dream I once had to use my voice, skill and platform for social good!

 Inspiration behind Omaness Skinfood

 Before starting Omaness Skinfood, I had spent over a decade working and creating charity interventions for young people and women in low-income communities. During that period one of the things that became a pressing concern for me as I worked in those communities, was how I could help women who struggled with financial inadequacies and lack of opportunity to earn a decent income.

In 2016, while I was pregnant with my first child, I got a gift of shea butter from one of the women who was a beneficiary of my organization’s community learning program and I had my first real skin-enriching experience with that shea butter! The shea butter was so good and I wondered why this woman wasn’t making more money from her produce? It was this question that sparked the idea for Omaness Skinfood!

I thought to myself “How can I use my platform to get more people to know about this woman’s amazing local produce and get them to buy?”​ ​This was when I realized that if I can do this, I would have created a solution that can enable local artisan women earn more and have a sustainable income source.

This is what inspired me to start Omaness Skinfood, knowing I could create a social business that would enable me to enrich the lives of women in a sustainable and profitable manner!

The journey so far

Initially, when we launched Omaness Skinfood products the reception was slow because the majority of our target consumers were only used to foreign cosmetic products, while others were interested in skin whitening products. But over the last 4years since we launched Omaness Skinfood, we have stayed true to the mission behind the brand that is “to use naturally-active homegrown ingredients to create functional skinfood products best suited for the African skin” and I must say that our consistent brand positioning is gradually paying off as the consumer reception for our products has improved compared to when we first started!

What motivated me to start my entrepreneurship journey at age 19

 I founded my first non-profit organization (AYECI Africa) at 19 while I was a student at Lagos State Polytechnic. My campus was located in a low-income community and I witnessed first-hand the lack of learning opportunities and exposure that affected many low-income students.  This became my motivation for venturing into social entrepreneurship and founding AYECI Africa. With funding from corporate sponsorship and volunteer support the organization provides access to learning, employability skills and dignified livelihood opportunities for under-served young people and women.

 How I Impact​ed​ the lives of over 30,000 youths and raised over N250m funding support

 First, there’s a sense of fulfilment that comes with this kind of achievement, knowing that what I do is making a real difference in the lives of people who would not have otherwise benefitted without my intervention.

Secondly, I feel a sense of responsibility to do more! Knowing that there are millions of other young people and women in need of social intervention.

 Challenges of running my business

 First, one of the challenges we encounter at Omaness Skinfood is (impact) sourcing of our raw materials. Our business model at Omaness Skinfood is deliberate in its approach at ensuring women are key players and direct beneficiaries in supplying our raw materials. However, because the majority of these women are rural dwellers with limited access to mechanized processing equipment, we usually face the challenge of sourcing bulk materials within a shorter time frame. There is also the challenge we face with cumbersome government policies and rising cost of production that are unfavourable to growing businesses like mine.

Omaness products, our skinfood programme and accessibility of our products

Our skinfood products at Omaness are formulated to be functional to address common African skin concerns. We use naturally-active homegrown ingredients like shea butter, dogonyaro, tamarind, baobab etc. to create products that provide nourishment, healing and help our people put their best skin forward! Our skinfood products are sold directly to the final consumers through our authorized skinfood merchants. We created the business of skinfood distribution program onboard women to become independent retailers of our skinfood products, The program provides training, business support and empowers women to earn and build their own skinfood retail business.

How Omaness has impacted the women’s community

Since our official launch in 2018, Omaness has continued to enrich the lives of women. As a women-driven and impact-focused skinfood company, we have been deliberate in our approach at ensuring women are active players and profit fairly in every stage of our value chain. Omaness has continued to enrich the lives of women who are part of our supply chain in Badagry, Maiduguri, Nsukka, Tede,and Akure. We are also providing employment for the women who work in our production facility and creating an opportunity for hundreds of women to earn profitably by retailing our products as Skinfood Merchants.

What I enjoy most about my job

One of the things I enjoy most about my job as a social entrepreneur is the sense of purpose and fulfillment it gives me, seeing that my work is solving a social problem and making a real difference in the lives of people, communities and the African continent!

 3 women who inspire me and why

First, would be Sara Blakely, an American female inventor, entrepreneur and founder of Spanx, a global leading shapewear and undergarment brand. I admire how she built her company from scratch into a global prominent brand now worth over $1billion. Next would be Tara Fela Durotoye, a Nigerian beauty entrepreneur and founder of House of Tara International. I admire how she pioneered the bridal makeup profession in Nigeria and a prestigious Nigerian-owned makeup line. Finally, would be Madam C.J Walker, I got to discover her story through a Netflix true life inspired series. It was so inspiring watching her story about how she created a homemade line of hair care products for Black women and her rise from poverty to becoming one of the wealthiest African American women of her time! One thing that stood out for me about her was how she built her haircare empire and financially empowered over 20,000 black women who sold her products.

 Message for young women who are trying to go into skinfood business

 There is room for more! We are yet to scratch the surface of Africa’s skinfood sector potential!

 Work-life balance

 First, I am able to manage it all because I have an amazing support system. I am blessed to have a husband who understands, supports me fully and is constantly encouraging me to succeed! As a mom of 2 daughters one of the things that have kept me grounded is the aspiration to become the woman they can look up to and I hope my career and impact as an entrepreneur play a role to help them see that they were born to make a difference!

Being a Woman of Rubies

 I am a woman who continues to use her work as an entrepreneur to serve and enrich the lives of others!​ ​This is what makes me a WOMAN OF RUBIES!

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Titilayo Olurin: What Should You Do When You Feel Like The Odd One Out?

My sisters share a close bond, one that I envy. Whenever I am around them – which is not often, I feel like a stranger looking on from the outside. They speak as if in codes or parables that I do not understand.

“Wait, what? What did you say?” I would ask in the middle of the conversation, looking from one sister to the other like a lost kitten.

One of them, perhaps the older one, would repeat what she had said earlier. It could be a comment or question on something as random as a TV show or book.

“Oh, okay!” I would respond, nodding and smiling, pretending to understand.

Of course, I do not understand. I do not watch the TV shows they watch and I do not read the kind of books they read. So, all I do is nod as much as I can or smile when I think I have to.

They share jokes that are lost on me, and when they laugh long and hard, hitting each other on their shoulders, I only look on in amazement.

“What? What? Share the joke!” I would say, peeling my eyes off the TV for a moment and shifting excitedly in my seat.

The other sister, would repeat the joke, laughing heartily, but I would only stare blankly, the corner of my mouth not even twitching into a smile.

They speak the same way; I have heard that we all do. With my sisters, though, it goes beyond the voice, intonation or pronunciation. They think the same way, too; the way you would if you were raised in a largely conservative home.

One is my twin sister and the other is my big sister. Yet, it feels like they are the twins, and I am the other sister just hanging on. When I am back home with them, the sisters bond over what you would call “kitchen gist” as they cook or sit idly around the kitchen table. They say that kind of gist is the sweetest, but I have no idea, as I am not there to share in the gist.

I am not sure how it makes me feel. Maybe sad, alone, or dejected. But mostly, I feel like the odd one out.

Is being the odd one out such a bad thing?

“No, it is not a bad thing. You are not a bad person for being the odd one out. The fact that you are a good person could be the reason you are the odd one out. So, no, it isn’t a bad thing,” Adetoun, a Lagos-based nutritionist, insists.

If being the odd one out is not such a bad thing, why does it sound like the worst thing that could happen to someone and why do people feel hurt about it? I’ll admit that I have felt like the odd one out around my sisters for the longest time and it has always made me feel bad. It just hurts to be that one person that is different from her sisters and cannot talk to them the same way they talk to each other.

“I guess you can say that there is a feeling of being left out that comes with being the odd one out. And just because the word “odd” sounds like a bad thing, it makes people think of it as something negative,” the nutritionist explains.

I have also thought about how being the odd one out in a group is not unconnected with odd numbers. If you think about it, you will observe that even numbers can even themselves out while odd numbers cannot. What I mean is, when there are three siblings or friends or roommates, two will be closer, no matter how close all three are. The two will share secrets that they probably will not share with the third. They will connect on a level that they might not connect on with the third. These two leave the third one out without even knowing it.

“I have two best friends. I’ll call them A and B. The three of us hang out almost all the time. When I want to talk about boys or rant about my relationship woes, I know better to call A than to call B. When I want to talk about work and work-related matters, I would much rather call B. But because I tend to talk more about my relationship woes, I am closer to A than B,” Adetoun says, in a sense buttressing my point.

In a group of even numbers – let’s say four, for instance, the situation is different. Each pair can be closer than the other pair without anyone feeling odd or left out. Now, I might be wrong, and it is not always the case, but this is often how it happens. It is the same way it happens in movies, sitcoms and TV shows. In the sitcom, ‘Friends’, you cannot help but notice that while all six are close, Joey and Phoebe are closer than the other four, Monica and Chandler are closer than the other two, and that leaves Ross and Rachel to be the couple – at least, for the most part of the show.

Do you perhaps find yourself in a group where you are the odd one out – whether it is a group of odd or even numbers? Do you feel like the odd one out, not just among friends or siblings, but in a work setting or environment, at gatherings, events, church, or some other space? How does it make you feel? Find honest advice from real people on how to deal with being the odd one out here.

Don’t see it as a bad thing – “Being the odd one out isn’t a bad thing. It just means that you are different, and different is okay.” – Nene. 31.   

It might actually be a good thing – “What if you are the odd one out because you are the one who does not gossip, the one who minds her business, the one who works the hardest? Tsk! Don’t sweat it, child. That is a good thing. Keep at it.” – Chioma. 36.

Stop trying to fit in – “Well, because you cannot; that’s why you should not even try. If you could fit in, you would have without even trying.” – Omotoke. 24.

Don’t let your uniqueness scare you – “You have your idiosyncrasies, just as everybody has theirs. But don’t let this scare you. You cannot fit into every group you find yourself in.”  – OJ. 33.

You might not be the odd one out – “It is probably just all in your head. You’re imagining or overthinking things. Either way, do you and you’re good.”  – Kolade. 44.

 

 

 

Titilayo Olurin is a writer whose stories and articles have been published on various online platforms. A love junkie, as she often describes herself, she is on radio every week talking about relationships, dating and family. She spends most of her time curating and creating content around these same topics on her Instagram page @toastlinewithteetee. You can connect with her on Instagram and Twitter @titilayo_olurin.

 

 

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‘My Mother’s Legacy Is The Inspiration Behind Black Diamonds Support Foundation’-Adefunke Oluremi Adewumi

Adefunke ​Oluremi ​Adewumi is a goal getter and a force to reckon with. She is committed to supporting indigent communities, providing shelter for homeless victims of domestic violence , and empowering widows and single mums across the nation, through her non-governmental organisation, Black Diamonds Support Foundation (BDSF).

Adefunke’s popularity increased with her annual outreach tagged ‘PROJECT 5000’ – An event which comes up every year, on the 26th of December, and brings together a minimum of 5000 indigent children from various slums across the state, and they are given free medical attention, free back-to-school packs, food, clothing, and a Christmas party.​ ​Her passion for seeing both children and adults live to their full capabilities and for women to thrive, birthed her creating the ‘ UNMASKED – Her Truth’ event, which allows women to be free, and be themselves, without the fear of being judged or condemned.

The Alumni of the University of Ado-Ekiti and Master of Arts in International relations and strategic studies​ from Benue state University​ is also the CEO of The Food Sense Shop- A business that boasts of selling a variety of African items across the world.

 

​Defunke is a passionate ​Gender-based Violence advocate​ ​who has continuously used her platforms to advocate and support victims of domestic violence, rape , child abuse and molestation​. and lend her voice to voiceless single mums in the society​​. She is committed to adding value to humanity and living intentionally.

She ​shares her inspiring ​journey ​with ​Esther Ijewere​ in this interview.

Childhood Influence

I was born into a family filled with love and independence, my was my first role model , she was a skillful entrepreneur and counsel head  . My mother was a perfectionist, and she could multitask diligently. She was a major mentor in what I’ve grown to become today. My house was always occupied by total strangers, homeless and orphaned children, widows and impoverished women and men because my mother was a philanthropist to the core. She embraces everyone and would even prefer to give her last drop of water to a thirsty stranger than for her to drink it.

I would say the life she lived molded me into what I do now , going over the edge to get things done and being able to spearhead multiple things at a time from my childhood .

Inspiration behind Black Diamonds​ ​​Support ​ Foundation​ (BDSF)​

My mother’s legacy is the inspiration behind Black Diamonds Support Foundation, she was a lover of children , women , widows , orphans and the homeless. After she passed on to glory there were lots of people who depended on her for survival and I could not sit by and watch her legacy die.

Why I bring 5000 indigent children together for my annual project

Yes I do that to put smiles on the faces of these underserved children in mostly neglected communities. We have been running it for years. Unfortunately, ​It couldn’t ​​hold in  2021 due to the covid 19 safety guides , instead we did project 5000 food boxes , we supplied 5000 families with raw food items that is enough to last for the festive period ( rice , noodles , spaghetti, semo, oil, garri, yam flour , pepper and tomato pastes) we also supported children with back to school items like bags and books.

Motivation behind​ my foo​d items brand​; ​ “Food sense​ shop​”

The Food Sense Shop was born out of my love for healthy foods, I appreciate nature alot and it had always been my dream to own my own raw food brand where I can change the common use of additives and chemical preservatives in our food items. Majority of the sickness out there is as a result of unhealthy foods and drinks we take in. To cause a change in getting local foods without preservation, led me to start the food sense shop.

My passion and drive for issues that affect women and children, such as rape, domestic violence and molestation, and we can get the society involved

I have been a victim of domestic violence, sexual assaults, child discrimination and abuse. This has been a drive for me to rescue as many as I can and my late mum for women and children when she was alive had been a force to do more than she had done. The helplessness of vulnerable women and children are heartbreaking, they can be traumatizing. I can’t just keep quiet when I know there is something I can do in my little way to help people. I can identify with them, I’ve been in their shoes, their hurts and abuse and hunger is like mine. We have gone to slums across the country to do our bits and we hope they pass it on too.

Challenges as an entrepreneur and stakeholder in the GBV sector

The economic meltdown is a major challenge for an entrepreneur like me, the prices of raw materials have skyrocketed by over a 100% and this kills business by paralyzing the demand curve. Despite being in the business of locally harvested crops. As a GBV Survivor and advocate, the laid-back attitude, insensitivity of our people, the cultural patriarchal communal living system, impunity, lack of funds and emotional trauma we face is extreme these days. Forget all the paperwork and policies. We are still far behind in getting it right as a country in the area of prompt sensitivity to GBV.

other projects and activities

Unmasked hertruth: A women group we created to intentionally be Deliberate to be better as women in all ramifications. A healing, learning and networking hub for women 16+.

We are also  trying to raise funds for our humanitarian projects this year and extend our Humanitarian Services to more zones in Nigeria, and expand food sense shop in a global model as the number one choice for African (Nigeria) locally foods suppliers.

3 women who inspire ​me​ and why

My late Mum: She was a phenomenal legend. A giver per excellence. Philanthropist to the core who goes all out of her way to ensure women and children in her community do well. She is a lover of Humanity, she works for others to be happy

Tobore​ Anne Emorhokpor​: She is ​the ​drive for the majority of our projects and goes all out to ensure our humanitarian projects do not go unaccomplished. Our coming together had helped us to achieve so many feats because she is selfless and committed to ensure women and children are not helpless in her own way.

Ellen DeGeneres: Her heart of giving is second to none and she is non judgemental and love everyone no matter who they are and help as many as she can help, without thinking of who or what they are

My perception of marriage as it relates to the  Nigerian society

To me marriage is a union of togetherness and when I say ‘togetherness’ , it is in the entirety of its sense , in all aspects of the union .  I am not a believer of the average Nigerian mentality that most couples practice, you’re married and you can both do what you like in the way that pleases either of you, a union should be about support, communication, motivation, growth , loyalty, commitment and a foundation built on God.

Stigmatization of single mums 

​There is so much stigmatization, Cultural setbacks and society victimizing single mums. There is so much to be done, but if single mums can give support to each other,dignifying their option of taking the bold steps of living for their kids despite societal judgmental insensitive patriarchal approach to them, they will rise above all the odds that is a daily factor to limit them from their goals in life. I will also want single mums to stop the pity party victimization of themselves. Being a single mum is not a disability. Be dignified

Being a  Woman of Rubies, mom, entrepreneur, women’s advocate, and support system to many, and managing it all

I take each day as it come​,​ as I know that each of these roles must not fail. So I do well in planning, delegating duties to others.

—

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Meet Funke Adeoye, The Lawyer Who’s Helping Prison Inmates Get Justice & Advocating For Reforms

Funke Adeoye, a public interest lawyer who’s the founder and executive director of Hope Behind Bars Africa, a community of volunteers building a social profit organisation committed to restoring justice, dignity and hope to the lives of women and men living behind bars with particular emphasis on indigents, women and young inmates.

Funke‘s goal is simple: to promote the development of effective and sustainable interventions for increasing access to justice, human rights and reducing a cycle of recidivism/re-offending among women and juvenile offenders housed in correctional facilities in Africa.

Funke decided to become a lawyer because she wanted people, especially the underserved, to access justice. While writing her thesis on prison reforms in Nigeria, she decided to do something about the problems she discovered – so many people in prisons are poor and they can’t afford legal representation; then there’s the issue of lack of information. This idea became more concrete when she volunteered with an NGO and visited prisons.

After she spoke to lawyers about the situation of things, they told her they want to act, but they needed a platform, and she decided to create one.

Today, with headquarters in Abuja, the organisation works with volunteers in Abia, Niger and Nasarawa states in Nigeria.

Since founding the non-profit in May 2018, Hope Behind Bars Africa has represented well over 50 indigent awaiting trial inmates in criminal and human rights cases in Abuja, Niger and Abia states, many of whom should never have been in prison in the first place.

The non-profit’s welfare interventions have reached over 1000 inmates at Suleja and Keffi Prison. It is advocating and working towards the emergence of a humane and secure correctional system where justice is easily accessible to indigents and people who find themselves behind bars are corrected and empowered to prevent re-offending.

Funke is a 2019 Accountapreneur with Accountability Lab and a Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide Makwanyane Institute Fellow.

We celebrate Funke for being a voice for the voiceless and for leading a change in the Nigerian correctional system.

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Meet Karen Uhlenback, The First Woman In History To Win Nobel Prize In Maths

Karen Uhlenbeck, a mathematician and a professor at the University of Texas, emerged as the first woman in the world to win a Nobel prize in mathematics. The Abel Prize, modeled by the Nobel Prize and awarded by the King of Norway to honor mathematicians who have made impact in their field, began in 2003 and since inception has only been awarded to men.

However, Uhlenbeck who is known for “the fundamental impact of her work on analysis, geometry and mathematical physics” changed that. The award comes with a cash prize of about N253 million and a recognition as a giant in the world of mathematics. Uhlenbeck is renowned for her work in geometric partial differential equations as well as integrable systems and gauge theory, Gucmakale reports. It was gathered that one of her most famous contributions were on pioneering the field of geometric analysis in which she created theories of predictive mathematics. Among her colleagues, Dr. Uhlenbeck is renowned for her work in geometric partial differential equations. Photo: UGC. Source: UGC

The minister was recognised for how he initiated a reconciliation process between his country and its long time enemy, Eritrea. According to the prize’s committee, it gave the award to Ahmed to encourage its peace-making effort even though there are still many things to be done.

According to the prize’s committee, it gave the award to Ahmed to encourage its peace-making effort even though there are still many things to be done.

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