Women of Rubies

Connect with us

Facebook Instagram Linkedin X-twitter Youtube
Menu
Join the Community
Author

Esther Ijewere

Browsing
Imposter Syndrome
In self development By

#MONDAYMOTIVATION: 8 THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU ARE FEELING UNMOTIVATED

Being unmotivated is a nasty feeling. You get stuck trying, and no matter what you do during your day (eating your meal, talking to your boss, reading an article), everything seems to blur into sheer dullness.

What this boils down to is a growing pile of assignments and an incredibly dissatisfied you. Don’t let this feeling control you and your life. Break out of it by doing at least one of these 8 simple things that will ignite your motivation.

1. Make a to-do list

Sometimes, there’s a gazillion things we need to do, which could take a toll on our willingness to work. Especially when nowadays our emails get flooded and the tasks we were never assigned to, multiplies. That’s why I always compile a to-do list that covers the 3 main assignments I need to do. Anything minor, I do them at the end of the day or in-between my breaks.

Phone. Laptop. Good old post-its. Use whatever suits your style. As long as you write down all the tasks you got to do the night before, you’ll be prepared for tomorrow’s work. Regain control of your life and sort your priorities. Nothing drives people more forward than usefulness. So let that feeling overcome any procrastination or laziness and start writing that list.

2. Get rid of social media

Social media may seem like a godsend, but it can also be work’s worst enemy. Let’s admit it — almost all of us have secretly peeked at our Facebook or Instagram feed behind our boss’s back. While it seems harmless to take a quick glance from time to time, it actually kills your motivation and stops you from doing what matters most.

According to a study in Irvine, it takes 25 minutes for us to regain our focus after getting distracted. Think about all those wasted minutes every time you check your notifications or browse through your friend’s feed. Remember, your day is more real than people’s updates. Make it productive, and shut down your social news feed. You’ll feel so much better — I guarantee that.

3. Remember what you’re grateful for

Look at what you have, not what you wish you had.

Your computer, your phone, TV, heating, air conditioner, fridge, home. These are all things to be grateful for. But first and foremost is your health and your ability to read this. Don’t you realize how great your situation is? Then what’s stopping you from working hard towards living the life you want?

The faster you understand the importance of the little things you have, the better and more motivated you’ll feel. Want a suggestion? Write ‘thank you’ notes to all the things that make you happy. No one needs to read them — just you.

4. Do what makes you happy

Based on a study by economists at the University of Warwick, happiness makes us 12% more productive at work. We have more energy, learn faster, make better decisions, and work better with others.

How to feel happy? Grab your favorite book and start reading, call your best friend, make yourself a nice cup of coffee, or watch some inspirational YouTube videos. The possibilities are endless.

5. Move your body

Stop for a moment and examine your physique. Did you exercise? Did you step out of the house?

If not, you might want to plan some physical activities to get your blood flowing. This will give your mind a good break from stressing over on the unfinished tasks from your to-do list. Keep your body strong — your mind will follow through.

6. Start small

If you can’t seem to start on anything no matter how hard you try, maybe you’re pushing yourself too much. Start with small steps instead.

Instead of writing a book, write a page first. Make it a habit to write 100 words, then 200, then 300 words, until you finally get to one page. As the time passes, you’ll eventually be able to write a chapter. The idea to keep pushing yourself into achieving the small goals, so you feel more pumped up the next day to do something greater.

7. Aim big

Yes, you should start small, but always aim big. This means having a clear image of your goal before your eyes at all times. More importantly though, aspire to make it happen with class. You get nowhere if you only dream and don’t deliver.

So if your goal is to finish college, expand it with being ‘at the top of your class.’ If you want to be a successful blogger, think higher and aim to attract editors from highly-reputable sites to republish your articles.

It’s more tempting to finish a task when you know how the rewards will pay off in the future.

8. Take a break

As much as you might think taking a break is lazy advice, it isn’t. Sometimes, when we get too invested into something that consumed more of our time than we anticipated, we become irritable which shatters our motivation. That’s why it’s important to know when to stop and how to do so.

Go for a walk, visit a friend or simply stay at home and watch a few hours of Netflix. Your brain needs a little time off as much as you.

Credit: Tifanny Sun; The Writing Cooperative

by
Keep Reading
In Interviews&profile By

ENCOMIUMS AS TOYIN ABRAHAM TURNS HERBAL MEDICINE VENDOR

Friends and colleagues of celebrated actress and filmmaker, Toyin Abraham, have commended her decision to become a herbal medicine vendor.

Celebrities such as Annie Idibia, Mercy Aigbe, Adunni Ade, Dayo Amusa, Chioma Akpotha, Faithia Balogun-Williams and Venita Akpofure took to their respective Instagram pages to praise the controversial nursing mother.

They described her action as commendable and worthy of emulation. @annieidibia1 wrote, ‘‘I just want to use this medium to congratulate My Gurl @toyin_abraham on the launch of her new project, a solution for women with infertility issues. As a woman I  understand how personal this is and I  could not be prouder (sic)’’

Aigbe, on her part wrote, ‘‘This is a big congratulatory message going out to my very good friend @toyin_abraham on the launch of her project. This is a big win for women all around and I am so glad to be a part of the story. It’s time we stop spending fortunes on fertility drugs and treatments…(sic)”

‘‘This is a congratulatory message going out to my colleague @toyinabraham on the launch of her project. It’s such a big win for women all around and I am so glad to be a part of the story (sic),” Adunni Ade also wrote on her IG

Toyin said her journey to conception was what opened her eyes to what she described as the wonders of traditional African remedies (herbs).

Source: Punch

by
Keep Reading
In Interviews&profile By

“IT’S A PRIVILEGE TO BE WINGED THE FIRST FEMALE FIGHTER PILOT IN NIGERIA”- KAFAYAT SANNI

Kafayat Sanni made history on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, when she became the first female fighter pilot in the 55-year-old history of the Nigerian Air Force. After emerging as the overall best pilot at the NAF 401 Flying Training School, Kaduna State, in 2017, she was sent to the United States of America to train at the US Aviation Leadership Programme. Upon the completion of the programme, Sanni is back and was decorated alongside 12 new fighter pilots at the NAF Headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday.

As she grabbed the first female trophy in flying Alpha Jets and others, her colleague, Tolulope Arotile, also trained at the Starlite International Training Academy, South Africa for 14 months, to become the first female combat helicopter pilot. After a decoration ceremony attended by the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen, the females, alongside their male counterparts will soon be deployed to the North-East to join in the Boko Haram counter-insurgency operation and other internal security operations across the country.

In an interview with Punch, she speaks on her achievements, playing a big role as a female officer and her contribution to counter-insurgency.

Read excerpts from the interview:

On how she felt concerning her achievement in the Nigerian Air Force

It is a privilege for me to be winged as the first female fighter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force. My appreciation first goes to the Almighty God for making this possible for me. It also goes to the Chief of the Air Staff for giving me the opportunity and for making this possible.

On being the first female fighter jet pilot

It was what I wanted to do. And I felt that everyone is not supposed to fold their arms and watch what is happening in our country. Everyone could always play their part. So I did not think there was any reason for me to think that it is not possible for me to actually fly the jet because there was no female that ever flew the jet. I believed I could achieve it and I did.

On contribution to counter-insurgency operations

It will motivate me of course. There are other pilots there in the fronts and they are playing their part. They have been doing their best. So I am also just going to join my male counterparts in the insurgency fight and every other thing that have been going on in our country. So I am just going to get there and play my part.

Advice for younger girls who would like to be in the military

The advice I want to emphasise to them is that they should never say no to opportunities. They should always strive to be the best and put in their efforts. They should never look at anything that seems to want to overpower or overshadow them. For me, you can always attempt things and if they do not work out well; fine. But at every point in time, you just need to put in your best.

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

TEXAS CHEERLEADER JUMPS OFF HOMECOMING FLOAT TO SAVE CHOKING TODDLER

Tyra Winters, a Rockwall, Texas high school cheerleader, saved the life of a little boy who was choking on the sidelines during the homecoming parade. 

Winters was sitting atop a homecoming float waving to the crowd when she noticed the toddler choking on a piece of candy.

“He was turning purple, so I immediately jumped off the float, I ran down to the kiddo, and I was like, ‘I got him’ and I grabbed him from the mom. I grabbed him and tilted him and I gave a good three back thrusts and he ended up spitting up,” Winters told CBS DFW. 

The child’s mother, Nicole Hornback, said that the Rockwall High Senior saved her son Clarke’s life. 

“I was sitting right next to him, I just happened to look over. There was no noise, no coughing, no breathing,” Hornback said. That’s when Winters came to the rescue. 

“She saved my baby. I commend her for being a teenager and being trained,” Hornback said. 

After Winters saved Clarke, she did what any teenager would do and ran to get “back on the float before [she] missed it, she told NBC DFW. Hornback said she never had the opportunity to properly say thank you so she wrote a message on Facebook about what happened, thanking the 17-year-old for saving her son’s life. School administrators saw the note and arranged for the two to meet at the school. 

Clarke and Winters greeted with a high five and Hornback said that she really didn’t have the words to properly express her immense gratitude. 

“The words that you would say to anyone who does something for you is ‘thank you.’ But that doesn’t seem good enough,” Hornback said.

Winters wants to be a pediatric surgeon and was trained in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver at her mother’s group home for foster children. Despite all of the praise she’s receiving, she said she really was just trying to help. 

“I know they’re calling me the town hero,” Winters said. “It’s super exciting to own that title. But most importantly, I’m just glad the boy is OK.” 

A round of applause for this real life hero and future doctor.

Photo Courtesy of Rockwall ISD/Facebook

Source: Beacauseofthemwecan

by
Keep Reading
In Interviews&profile By

MEET THE WOMAN WHO’S HELPING WOMEN OF COLOR SECURE A SEAT AT THE TABLE IN CORPORATE AMERICA

As it stands, women make 80 cents to every dollar earned by men. But, for women of color, that gap is far larger with Black women earning 61 cents to their white male counterparts and Native American and Latina women earning 58 cents and 53 cents, respectively. 

Working to help address not only this wage gap, but the many other biases and micro-aggressions that women of color face in the workplace is entrepreneur and author Minda Harts. In her latest book, “The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table,” Harts provides actionable and relatable tips for how women of color and their allies can make an impactful change in the workplace. 

“I realized there was a gap in career development geared towards Black women and women of color,” Harts told Because of Them We Can. “Most of the career narratives are written through the lens of a white man or woman and I felt we were being left out of the conversation.”

Harts continues by saying she wanted women of color to read about some of the shared experiences they face in the workplaces and walk away with the tools needed to not just survive corporate America, but also thrive in it. 

Referring to her book as a “love letter to Black and brown women,” Harts explains how her book is a continuation of the company she started in 2015 called The Memo, which is a career development platform for women of color.

Unlike other career books that offer a one size fits all approach to achieving success in the workplace, Harts says “this book is different because the career narrative is written by us, for us.”

“As Dr. King so eloquently wrote in his letter from the Birmingham jail, ‘we will live in the monologue and not the dialogue,’” she says. “I wanted that for Black and brown women at work.”

Harts, who is also an assistant professor of public service at New York University, is currently on tour helping to bring discussions about her book and the many issues women of color face in the workplace to cities across America. Known by many to be a career revolutionary, she says she hopes her book will teach women of color how to be better advocates for themselves at work and how to quantify their worth. 

“Every time we have the opportunity to make an ask, we are helping chip away at the wage gap,” she says. “Every time we don’t ask, we widen it. I realize that just because you ask for more money doesn’t mean you’ll always get it, but at least you’re working on the part of the equation that you can control.”

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

ASTRONAUTS TO MAKE HISTORY WITH 1ST-EVER-FEMALE SPACEWALK

Two female astronauts are close to accomplishing something no women have done before.

U.S. astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir will step outside the International Space Station Friday morning, the first time in history that two women have done a spacewalk together.

Koch and Meir are expected to spend more than five hours outside the space station to replace a failed power controller, according to NASA.

The remaining four astronauts aboard the International Space Station, all men, will remain inside while Koch and Meir complete their work.

NASA is marking Friday’s “HERstory in the making” by asking schoolteachers to share photos of their students celebrating the spacewalk, according to The Associated Press. NASA has a “HERstory” oral history project documenting the experiences of women who have contributed to the space agency.

Koch and Meir both joined NASA in 2013, the year NASA’s astronaut class was 50% female. Koch is also on her way to making history with a 300-day mission, which will be the longest single spaceflight by a woman.

The astronauts were asked in an interview from space earlier this month about whether they mind having their accomplishments qualified by their gender.

Story continues

“In the end I do think it’s important because of the historical nature of what we’re doing and in the past, women haven’t always been at the table,” Koch said on NASA TV. “And it’s wonderful to be contributing to the human spaceflight program at a time when all contributions are being accepted, when everyone has a role, and that in turn can lead to an increased chance for success.”

“There are a lot of people that derive motivation from inspiring stories from people that look like them and I think it’s an important aspect of the story to tell,” she said.

sonos sonos One (Gen 2) – Voice Controlled Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa Built-in – Black read more

Meir added, “What we’re doing now shows all the work that went in decades prior. All the women that worked to get us where we are today. I think the nice thing for us is we don’t even really think about it on a daily basis. It’s just normal. We’re part of the team.”

Koch and Meir’s spacewalk comes seven months after NASA had to cancel its first attempt at making “HERstory,” because the space station did not have enough medium-size spacesuits on board.

Koch and another astronaut, Anne McClain, were supposed to make the first all-women spacewalk back in March.

When Koch and McClain, who is no longer on the ISS, discovered they both needed to wear a size medium in the “hard upper torso,” or the shirt of the spacesuit, the walk was canceled.

NASA faced swift backlash from people who viewed the spacewalk cancellation as yet another sign of women being held back on the job.

The decision by NASA though was largely one borne out of logistics, as there are a limited number of spacesuits on the space station and NASA has lacked the funds to update its spacesuits in recent years.

(MORE: NASA’s interns remixed Ariana Grande’s hit song to promote its next mission)

Since the cancellation of the female spacewalk in March, NASA has been preparing its spacesuits for a series of 10 spacewalks.

The International Space Station is now equipped to make four complete spacewalking suits, with two “hard upper torso” components of the same size to be available at any time, according to NASA.

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

MEET THE SENEGALESE DESIGNER MAKING MATH CHIC

Diarra Bousso uses algorithms to create designs for her line DIARRABLU.

Who knew that math and fashion could work together so seamlessly? Apparently Diarra Bousso did, the self-described “Creative Mathematician” and mastermind behind DIARRABLU. The Senegalese serial entrepreneur and multidisciplinary artist left a career of trading on Wall Street to pursue design and it paid off. She has just been awarded a coveted spot as the Designer in Residence at the San Francisco Fashion Incubator for her innovative use of equations and algorithms in her beautiful designs.

The name DIARRABLU is a portmanteau of her own name and the color blue, representing the infinity and abundance of the ocean. The fall/winter collection “Linguère,” named for the Wolof word for a royal female, launched earlier this week. Linguère pays tribute to the tradition of strong Senegalese females of antiquity—specifically the Jolof Empire of the 14th century from which Bousso descends. We caught up with her to ask a few questions about what it is like to merge the nerdy with the glamorous.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Nereya Otieno for OkayAfrica: When did the idea to start a fashion line first come to you? Did you foresee it when first leaving trading in Wall Street?

I wanted to have a fashion line since I was very little but it always felt like a far-fetched dream. When I was working on Wall Street, I got even more inspired and excited about the idea. I also was getting more involved in the creative scene through photography and blogging. When I left trading it was with the goal to start a fashion line right away, even though I had no experience in the field back then.

Did the idea of merging mathematics and algorithms with fashion come naturally to you? Or was it more of a stretch?

I always loved mathematics and liked the idea of using geometric shapes and cuts, but the idea of using algorithms didn’t come until I joined the Mathematics Education program at Stanford. We had this amazing professor named Jo Boaler and her work was focused on Creative Mathematics. I was like “wow, what a cool way to describe one’s work.” I started brainstorming in my free time and started toying with the idea of using math in the design process itself and not just the cuts.

After graduation, I started graphing equations, creating shapes and getting really excited. By December 2018, I had generated hundreds of designs algorithmically and decided to work on a collection while in Dakar. We made the first prints and I decided this was going to be the new direction.

So, wait, yeah—how does your process actually work?

I use equations to graph lines, curves, parabolas, hyperbolas, basically anything that can be represented by a math equation and graphed. Then I focus on where those lines and curves meet, which creates kind of random shapes. Then we hand paint those shapes using a color scheme that I’ve chosen.

What do you think it means to use algorithms in instances of self expression and art?

I think it is very empowering. It is a merger of the authentic and the automatic that can be extremely rewarding. Math is limitless, numbers never end and the fact that it is my tool for creation makes me feel like the opportunities are endless. Sometimes, I can stay up all night after writing new algorithms and experimenting with all the iterations that can come out of it. By just changing one number in your equation of flipping the signs, you get a complete new set of patterns. It is so mind blowing!

Your current collection is meant to evoke feelings of the 14th century Jolof Empire, how does it feel to use such contemporary methods in order to create the past?

I have always been fascinated by the past. Perhaps because it is somehow mysterious and hard to grasp. Growing up, I was always excited to dress up on special days as a traditional Wolof princess. My grandma would share her old clothes and resize them for me and I would get traditional braids and jewelry. I am from the Wolof ethnic group in Senegal and my parents raised us with a lot of cultural and historical references. My dad would always tell us stories about our grandparents and mom secretly thinks she is the style heir of the family.

Revisiting Senegal’s past with a collection was very exciting. I wanted to evoke that sense of comfort, freedom and power in traditional wear while adhering to the color palette of the fauna and flora of the Jolof region in Senegal. Clothes are convertible and adjustable just like the traditional boubous and wrap skirts and colors follow an arid climate’s palette of camel undertones and green accents. The algorithmic patterns are abstractions of animal inspired prints and have names like Gyraf and Zybra.

What do you think technologies like this mean for the future of fashion?

I think technologies like this have the potential to make fashion more efficient and circular. In our case, designing our prints algorithmically allows us to generate hundreds of options but only printing the ones that our audience responds to via social media. This has allowed us to reduce fabric inventory wastage by 80% and take a closer step towards sustainability.

What’s next for you and DIARRABLU?

The focus for me is to use this amazing opportunity to scale with the support of Silicon Valley tech executives through the program and expand both our online and store footprint to be able to reach more consumers around the world. We are also working on exciting initiatives to expand our design universe from clothing and accessories to art and interiors. Finally, working towards sustainability is a big goal for us with a focus on more circular solutions to textile design. I hope we keep growing and sharing our story of the intersection of tradition and algorithms with a larger audience.

Source: Okay Africa

by
Keep Reading
In Rubygirls By

“I DON’T ALLOW ANYTHING LIMIT ME FROM GOING FOR WHATEVER I WANT”- ADURAGBEMI AKINTEPEDE

Aduragbemi Akintepede is a nineteen year old undergraduate of Law at Olabisi Onabanjo University. She started writing at the early age of nine and published her first book, a play at the age of fourteen. She has also authored “New Cheese,” a memoir and “Late Last Year,” a short story.

Aduragbemi has a passion for writing, campaigning for women and child rights, acting, teaching and humanitarianism.

One Good Turn” which is her first published book is currently on Ogun State Ministry of Education Science and Technology’s Approved List of Textbooks for use in Junior Secondary Class Two, Literature-in-English text for 2019/2020 academic session in schools across the state.

She shares her inspiring story with me in this interview.

Childhood Influence

My parents are educationists, my dad used to be a civil servant at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology while my mom is a teacher. So, as a little child, I had access to books early. While growing up in primary school, my dad used to have lots of books hanging around the house and some on shelves. I read “Eze Goes to school, Mayor of Casterbridge, Merchant of Venice, Things Fall Apart and books by Wole Soyinka which I didn’t understand but always kept reading. They informed my early writing and I started writing my version of stories as they came to me, in drama, firstly on the plain back of A4 papers not in use anymore at home, then, later I progressed to notebooks when I was admitted into secondary school.

My love for the female gender also grew from my home too. I have two siblings and they are both girls. So, we’re three girls. Our experiences while growing up as children made me love and appreciate femininity. That made me drift more towards the female gender, identifying with their struggles, empathizing with experiences of adult females around me, having a great feeling of joy when females around me are excelling and achieving feats.

My writing journey

I discovered that I love imagining stories and writing them out. Like I said, I started with drama, writing out dialogues. It was fun. Allowing my imagination run wild, writing things I felt should come after another. I had a friend in Junior Secondary Class One then who I write with on notebooks. I wrote my first play in Primary Four. I wrote the second with her. I had graduated to writing stories on notebooks. I would sit with her during break or after exams and start writing. It was our way of playing. Suggesting a plot of action, creating our characters to suit it. Making the dialogue flow. Everything was fun to us.

My friend left my school after our Junior Secondary education. In Senior Secondary Class Two, with the help of my parents, I was able to publish my first book, “One Good Turn Deserves Another.” A publisher advised them to let me publish my stories, so, my play was worked on and I became an author at fourteen.

Started at age 9 and publishing my first book at 14

Looking back, I must say that the journey so far has been God’s special grace. I am not the most creative or talented among my peers, I am still a budding writer but so far God has helped me to transition from then till now. When I started out, writing was a childhood hobby and I had the desire to make great impact, do great exploits even at my young age and that childhood dream is still driving me and I hope younger ones and adults alike can read from me and know that age can never be a determinant or barrier to success.

Being a Government endorsed Author at 19

I must say that being a government endorsed author at such a young age is an incredible honour for me and I’m still in awe of it. I should be the youngest author on the entire list of recommend texts for secondary schools in the state and I feel so honoured. It is also a great encouragement to me and to fellow young people that your age notwithstanding, you can be anything you set your mind to become.

My passion for women, child rights, humanitarian work and it’s Impact

I am passionate about women and children. For women, I recognize and can relate to their strengths, struggles, challenges and flaws.

We have single mothers in our society, we also have women who are married yet single in the actual sense because they bear the entire responsibilities of the home or are denied of marital bliss, love and affection. Naturally, I have a sense of empathy for them and it breaks my heart when I hear sad stories about women being abused, sidelined, going through one pain or the other.

I have always been passionate about the reading culture, mostly for teenagers because I feel it is declining in my generation and it is important to start with the little ones.

I did a revision to my first book early this year shortly before it was adopted by the Ogun state government for Junior Secondary Class Two. I ensured I included lots of vocabularies in it, some of which I learnt myself during the course of writing. It also has questions for each Act in the play. All of these were put in place so that as much as students are reading the didactic part of it with morals being instructed into them, they are also adding to their wealth of knowledge and usage of new words and can also attempt questions on what they have read.

My Goals

I intend to have a book drive in primary and secondary schools firstly in Ogun state where it is a recommended literature text, then, extend it to other states. I also intend to partner with brands mentioned in the play such as Bigi Drinks, Mentos Sweet and Nestlé as well as foundations owned by youths to have book reading sessions, talks, acting out of scenes from the book and also donating books to schools in indigent areas where students cannot afford to buy notebooks not to talk of literature texts.

Other Projects and Activities

I am also a member of organizations which give me platforms to reach out to these category of people I’m passionate about. I belong to Junior Chamber International Nigeria (JCIN), Jesunpadabo Charity Initiative which is a Christian missionary intitiative where people are fed with both the word of God and material needs too, Our Little Gist Foundation where we reach out to the girl child. By God’s grace, I am an executive member of these organizations and my activities in them always bring me a step closer to my dreams.

Balancing it all

I am a Law student in my third year, I don’t really have to give a detailed report to my parents on my academics because they trust me well enough to balance it all. However, I am accountable to my elder sister who is a medical student and also to an older friend of mine. They monitor my grades and academic progress. So, because I know I’ll have to give them a detailed report at the end of every semester, I ensure I perform well.

I also have people who do not cease to remind me to balance everything together. I have seniors in my Law faculty who commend me for doing well in other areas and also urge me to excel in my academics, so, I can be given a platform on my valedictory day to talk about school and my writing as well.

Personally, while following my passion, I always remind myself that I must excel in other areas too. So, I always try to create a balance, write or carry out other activities during semester breaks or periods I don’t have school work to do. I attend tutorials too almost every weekend and so far I have been excelling greatly in my academics.

Challenges

I am a young writer and as much as I really love writing. Most times, I lose interest in finishing up a story I’m working on. I keep procrastinating or waiting for inspiration. So, far, the knowledge that I am to take the first step- start writing, even if I feel inspired at the moment or not has been of great help. It is more like a farmer who keeps waiting for the sun to come out before setting out, he will definitely fail.

I also have a particular person, my older friend whom I mentioned earlier, Lanre Omodele who really keeps me in track. He gives me deadlines to finish up a story I have lost interest in or been procrastinating.

On Giving up

No, there hasn’t. I am passionate about everything I do and that drives me. There are times I feel discouraged or have low moments but there has never been a time I felt like giving everything up. When I’m down, I turn to God for strength, allow myself to drop my fears and worries at His feet and walk into His rest. My parents have also been very supportive. They help out in almost all areas and are fully involved in every process; writing, editing, publishing and marketing. The immense support and sacrifices of my family, adults who believe in me and youths alike keeps me going.

Being a Woman of Rubies

I feel so honoured to be a Ruby Woman and I feel that what makes me a Woman of Rubies is that I don’t allow anything limit me from going for whatever I want and also the courage to always do things afraid. I also feel that my desire to impact and impart younger generations, to be an epitome of the saying, “it is never too late or too early to start something new or achieve great feats,” makes me a Woman of Rubies.

Dear Young Woman….

For young women who are hesitant to take a leap of faith even while being afraid, I will advice them with two of my personal quotes from my second book, a memoir, “New Cheese” which goes thus:

“Work on self discovery and dare to be a new, better and positive version of you than you were yesterday.”

“Embrace you, assess you, celebrate you and above all, love you everyday to know you deserve the newest cheese out there!”

 

by
Keep Reading
In Interviews&profile By

MEET ADESEWA JOSH, BROADCAST JOURNALIST & FOUNDER, PROJECT SMILE AFRICA

Adesewa started her career as a child actor both on stage and on screen, and then went on to become a TV show host, working alongside veteran comedian and actor, Julius Agwu.

She was also on a Nigerian reality television show called Next Movie Star.

Adesewa earned her undergraduate degree (Biochemistry) from the University of Ado Ekiti and also holds a professional certification from the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology.

She received a Certificate in News Production and Reporting from BBC World Service in 2009, and in 2012, earned a certificate in TV Presenting from UK’s Aspire Presenting Institute. She also holds a Certificate in Basic Presentation from Radio Nigeria.

In 2011, she completed her postgraduate diploma in International Relations from Lagos State University, and earned a master’s degree in Politics and Global Affairs from Columbia School of Journalism in 2017.

Adesewa joined Channels Television in 2012 as co-host of Sunrise Daily.

In 2015, Adesewa was assigned to the United Nations headquarters in New York to report on Nigeria’s rotational presidency at the Security Council.

She also was host of the Emmy nominated UN documentary, 21st Century.

Adesewa joined TRT World News in 2017, working as a correspondent at its Africa Desk and also as producer of The Newsmakers, a TRT World’s flagship current affairs programme, featuring in-depth reports and interviews with the drivers of the biggest stories of the week.

Adesewa has told hundreds of stories about community development and gender based issues in Africa since she began her career, bringing the right nuances and perspectives to African stories in international newsrooms.

In 2013, deciding not to just tell people what’s wrong with the world they live in, but being a part of the change, Adesewa founded Project Smile Africa, to address some of the issues she has reported on over the years.

Through Project Smile Africa, Adesewa works as a community development strategist, identifying key development issues in poor rural communities and proffering sustainable solutions.

Adesewa won the Xceptional Women in Media Awards in 2014 for her reporting on community development issues in Africa. In 2017, she was a nominee in The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) Prize for On-Air Personality (Visual). She was also named in Leading Ladies Africa’s 100 most Inspiring Women in Nigeria list for 2019.

We celebrate Adesewa for being a voice for the voiceless, and for contributing her skills and resources to community development.

Source: Bellanaija

 

by
Keep Reading
In womenofrubies By

MEET ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT ADVOCATE OLANREWAJU ONIYITAN

For any economy to grow, necessary support must be given to its SMEs  Olanrewaju Oniyitan is one of the private individuals doing this.

Olanrewaju is the founder and CEO of W-Holistic Business Solutions (W-HBS), which works closely with entrepreneurs, international and local private sector actors, federal and state governments, development agencies, academia, membership-based organisations and non-profits to deliver real impact, value and results through projects supporting economic growth and development.

W-HBS does its work through access to finance, skills development, enterprise development, business advocacy and reforms and gender and social inclusion.

She is also the Project Director for the social impact projects of the firm: Future4Kids Africa and Sustainable Education & Enterprise Development (SEED).

Through SEED, Olanrewaju supports and advocates for schools serving children from low-income families.

With Future4Kids Africa, Olanrewaju inspires children and young people to become innovators, entrepreneurs and out-of-the-box thinkers to make our world a better place for everyone.

She began her career at KPMG Professional Services, working in the Business Advisory and Risk Management Units and since then, she’s worked closely with various businesses, governments, development agencies, academia, associations NGOs and foundations, in a wide range of sectors.

Lanre works as a Private Sector Development Consultant for a DFID/Adam Smith International M4P initiative – Enhancing Nigerian Advocacy for a Better Business Environment (ENABLE) Nigeria – set up to strengthen Business Membership Organisations in Nigeria.

She has worked on several international development projects such as: Business Innovation Facility (BIF); Developing Effective Private Education Nigeria (DEEPEN); Growth and Employment in States 3 (GEMS3); Market Development in the Niger Delta (MADE); amongst others.

She has also worked with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF); World Bank/Growth and Employment (GEM)-Business Innovation & Growth (BIG); Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWIN); among others.

She’s also authored two books: “The Twin Jobs Challenge” and “Minipreneur”.

Olanrewaju is also a 2019 participant in the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa programme.

Source: Bellanaija

by
Keep Reading

©2026. WomenofRubies. All Rights Reserved.