Esther Ijewere

In Interviews&profile October 3, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

#7QUESTIONS| “BUSINESS KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT”- ESTHER RAPHAEL

Esther Raphael is the founder of Green Bliss Smart Projects and Resources Limited, the 1st Online Innovative Company in Nigeria.With over 9 year work experience, Esther have served in different capacities in the corporate world.She has a sales career background of over 3 billion Naira sales deal portfolio mostly closed online.

Esther answers our #7questions below;

1. What is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear at the moment have been centered around my spirituality and aligning my thoughts to create certain desired outcomes in my life

2. In your darkest moments, what do you do?

Hmmmm, In my darkest moments, I cry. I cry indoor mostly. I just sit or lay down and cry and remind the Universe of all that my heart truly yearns for, to create solutions and wealth for the greater good of humanity.

Yes, so, I think majorly, I cry and begin to pen down my thoughts as I am able to think through how I got to that point, what I can do right and what I should leave to remain the way it is.

3. What is that one thing you would like to change about yourself?

Hahaha, maybe my big head and possibly certain religious orientation

4. Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Five years from now, I see myself and my strong supportive, loyal team managing over 46 premium short-let homes and creating more accessible online marketplace for start-ups

5. What keeps you going?

The voice inside of me. I am strongly motivated by the understanding that I was born to live, love and grow, that keeps me going.

In business, because we are open to strategic partnerships, our partners and the passion of our team members keeps me going.

6. What is your stand on feminism? Do you consider yourself a feminist?

You see, on the subject of feminism, I like to focus more on the advocacy of treating everyone with same level of respect, love and rights, irrespective of the sexual organs or identities. This also touches their various religious beliefs, sexual identity, color and tribe.

So, at all times, I’d like to be identified as someone who advocates not just for women but also for all.

7. What keeps you up at night?

Business, I stay up most times to analyse the activities around the company and come up with alternative ways of handling things.

Want to be featured on our #7Questions? Kindly send a mail to info@womenofrubies.com

In Interviews&profile October 3, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

LOLA OMOLOLA IS GIVING WOMEN A VOICE WITH FEMALE IN

When news broke in 2014, that terrorist sect Boko Haram had kidnapped 276 girls from their school in Chibok, Borno state, Lola Omolola was troubled. She felt the need to do something, to get women to speak up, stand up and tackle the issues they face.

Her first thought was to find women who were, like her, losing sleep over the same issues as well as get women together and form some sort of a resource.

A year later, shortly after the #BeingFemaleInNigeria hashtag trended, Lola decided to start a secret Facebook group called Female In Nigeria (FIN). It is a safe space for women which allows them express the complexities of their shared struggles.

In Nigeria for example, it is unusual and not expected for a woman to speak up about the struggles she’s facing. She’s encouraged to endure whatever she’s going through, and focus on being decent, building her family, or taking care of the men in her life, depending on the stage she is at life.

Lola started by sharing stories of the women had heard about, sometimes one liners or nothing more than a paragraph, and soon enough, members began sharing their stories. Steadily, a tribe was being formed, people were getting the love, support and encouragement they need and others were getting healing they needed.

Today, FIN is now Female IN, to reflect a broader group of women, as it now has over 1.7 million members who are not just from Nigeria or Africa.

Lola earned her Bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism from Columbia College, Chicago and worked as a journalist in Nigeria before moving back to Chicago in 2011 and worked at Community Counselling Centres where she assisted people with mental health issues.

Lola later on, started her own website called spicebaby.com where she was providing recipes for Nigerian food. Then she created Female IN in 2015.

Lola is looking to bring FIN offline, by “creating resource centres around the world in strategic places where women know that they can walk in and have the experience that they have in our Facebook community, because there are women who don’t have access to the Internet”.

Lola has met with Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg and was selected as one of the 100 beneficiaries of the Facebook Community Leadership program.

In 2018, Lola was named in ONE’s Women of the Year 2018.

We celebrate Lola for starting a movement that is saving lives and impacting millions of women around the world.

In Uncategorized October 3, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

FATIMA TOGBE IS BUILDING A FASHION & LIFESTYLE EMPIRE FOR YOUNG MUSLIMAHS

As a young muslim woman, Fatima Togbe, couldn’t find magazines with stories she’s interested in or the ones that give insight to the issues she’s dealing with.

She decided to do something about it. She wanted to create a platform for Muslimahs “between the ages of 21 and 35, modern, educated, fashion forward and trendy with a sound foundation in their love and dedication to Islam.”

“I love fashion so much and love magazines like Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and Glamour, but I can’t wear half the things in them, nor do the topics meet a lot of my own needs,” she told Guardian in 2017.

The magazines focused on muslim women were “boring.” “No one was really writing about issues that pertain to Muslim women and to a younger new generation of us,” she added.

She decided to start Hayati Magazine, in 2012, to meet this need. Today, it boasts of thousands of followers across social media and website.

Fatima built Hayati into a community where muslim women can talk and read about real issues without fear of judgments. It is a fashion and lifestyle platform for the young Muslimah.

In 2015, she launched Hayati Retail for Muslimahs to shop fashion pieces that appeal to their faith.

To celebrate its 5th anniversary in 2017, Hayati Magazine, hosted the inaugural edition of Hayati Fashion Week which held in Abuja for 3 days, with over 200 guests and 14 designers showcasing their work.

Fatima is a 2016 nominee for The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) Prize for New Media category. She was also listen in YNaija’s inaugural #WOKE100 list.

Fatima has worked with brands such as Vlisco, Golden Morn, and Maggi. She’s building a reputable media company for the young Muslim woman, and we are definitely rooting for her.

In self development October 3, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

GENEVIEVE NNAJI’S ‘LIONHEART’ IS NIGERIA’S SELECTION FOR 2020 OSCARS

The Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC) has selected Genevieve Nnaji’s ‘Lionheart’ as Nigeria’s submission to the International Feature Film category of the 2020 Oscars.

According to Channels News, the committee announced the selection on Wednesday, following a statutory vetting and subsequent voting of entries received from Nigerian filmmakers at home and abroad.

’Lionheart’ was produced by Chinny Onwugbenu, Chichi Nwoko, Genevieve Nnaji and directed by Genevieve Nnaji, premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and got featured as the first Netflix original film produced in Nigeria.

The movie stars Pete Edochie, Genevieve Nnaji, Nkem Owoh, Onyeka Onwenu, Kanayo .O. Kanayo, Chika Okpala, Kalu Ikeagwu, Sanni Mu’azu, Yakubu Mohammed, Ngozi Ezeonu, Peter Okoye (P-Square) and Chibuzor Azubuike (Phyno).

‘Lionheart’, which is Nnaji’s directorial debut, tells the story of a young woman, Adaeze Obiagu (Genevieve Nnaji), who becomes saddled with the responsibility of running her sick father’s business under the suffocating supervision of an uncle, played by Nkem Owoh.

Adaeze’s competing business instincts and family obligations become a catalyst for drastic change not everyone is ready to embrace.

The 12-man Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC), is chaired by Chineze Anyaene with Mahmood Ali-Balogun as vice chairman.

In self development October 3, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

GHANAIAN SCHOOLS INTRODUCES SEX RIGHTS EDUCATION

Sex education in Ghana has sparked outrage, as it is being described as “demonic” and “satanic.” Churches argue that the move is meant to introduce homosexuality in Ghana

The education sector in Ghana is set to undergo a new phase of comprehensive sexuality education in attempts to conscientize students about their sexual and reproductive health rights. But this new development has been met with hostility from both teachers and churches.

The new sex education program is running under the banner Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and targets primary school children aged 4. The overall objective of the planned sexuality education program is to equip children with full knowledge about their sexuality and reproductive health issues. It is intended to help “nurture positive attitudes, open-mind, respect for self and others, non-judgmental attitudes and a sense of responsibility concerning sexual and reproductive health issues”.

The initiative is being backed by the Ghana government working in conjunction with the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). CSE is also supported by the governments of Sweden and Ireland. This is not only a program peculiar to Ghana as it is being launched in Ghana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Introducing sexual education to children as young as 4 is something that is defended by the government – they argue that “subject content of the CSE would be age-appropriate to enable pre-schoolers to be empowered with values that would protect them from sexual harassment.”

But not everyone in Ghana is in alignment with these proposed plans. Churches and teachers have opposed the move citing moralistic issues. They say that CSE is an evil plan manufactured to make children amenable to the ideas of homosexuality, bisexual and transgender activism.

The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) – a grouping of over 200 denominations in Ghana – has denounced this program, describing it as satanic. The graduate teachers’ umbrella body has also said that they were not consulted on the new development.

Rev Prof Paul Yaw Frimpong-Manso, the GPCC president said, “I call it Comprehensive Sexuality Education it is Comprehensive Satanic Engagement.”

Moses Foh Amoaning, leader of National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values said that CSE is an educational move clothed in ulterior motives, and also posing that the secret move is to introduce homosexuality. The pressure group is vehemently against homosexuality.

The prevailing notion is that introducing sex education to children who are not yet sexually active is simply demonic. And the move is expected to be put in motion next year.

Header image credit – GBC Ghana

In self development October 1, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

THESE 3 ZODIAC SIGNS MAKE THE BEST WIVES

Whether you believe in the power of zodiac signs or not, they are here to stay. At the very least, they’re a fun way to analyze others and talk about our personalities. Here are the top three signs that are supposedly the best matches for marriage. Is your sign on the list?

CANCER

The Cancer woman is a queen. . She is deeply emotional and she rocks it. She will love you unconditionally and she will show it to you every chance she gets. She will make a cozy home for you and she will go an extra mile just to make her family happy. She is real mother material because of her unconditional love. Her children and her family will always come first. Sometimes, they can be drama queens, but that is due to the enormous amount of emotions they’ve got to give. Nevertheless, if you marry a Cancer woman you won’t regret it, ever.

ARIES

She is a real overachiever She will do literally anything to fulfill her goals. She is adventurous and passionate and most importantly, she is not afraid to speak her mind and to stand up for herself or anybody else for that matter. She is a true alpha, and if you’re brave enough to spend the rest of your life with this strong personality, keep in mind that you have to keep the fi-re burning. Remember that she will be there to support you no matter what.If you manage to score an Alpha Aries, you won’t regret it because she will bring out the best inf you. She will make your life fun with the energy she brings to it.She is a very determined and strict but loving mother who will raise winners and leaders.

LEO

She is a warrior She needs her spotlight, but if you’ve found your way to her heart, she will let you in and share her spotlight with you. She will be loyal to you and she will never let you down. She needs someone who is as determined and strong as she is. She will never fall for an ordinary man. She will put her family ahead of everything and she will treat her family as a real ‘mama Leo’. She will give them nothing but pure, selfless, and unconditional love.

This Article Was First Published on “herway.net”

In self development September 29, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

HUSBAND DEMANDS DIVORCE IN LETTER TO WIFE, HER BRILLIANT REPLY MAKES HIM REGRET EVERY WORD

In a world that can in turn seem grim, serious or boring, a funny anecdote is always welcome. I don’t know if you’ve read this before, but if not it should give you a chuckle. And if you have, I’m sure it’ll make you laugh again. It has all the ingredients of an entertaining story — drama, retaliation and an unexpected ending… It starts with a letter from a husband asking his wife for a divorce.

But it’s his wife’s brilliant reply that gets all the laughs. . Share it if it also gives you a good chuckle!

Dear wife,

I’m writing you this letter to tell you that I’m leaving you forever. I’ve been a good man to you for 7 years & I have nothing to show for it. These last 2 weeks have been Tophet.

Your boss called to tell me that you quit your job today & that was the last straw.

Last week, you came home & didn’t even notice I had a new haircut, had cooked your favorite meal & even wore a brand new pair of silk boxers. You ate in 2 minutes, & went straight to sleep after watching all of your soaps.

You don’t tell me you love me anymore; you don’t want relationship or anything that connects us as husband & wife. Either you’re escape on me or you don’t love me anymore; whatever! the case, I’m gone.

Your EX-Husband

P.S. don’t try to find me. Your SISTER & I are moving away to West Virginia together!
Have a great life!

Dear Ex-Husband,

Nothing has made my day more than receiving your letter It’s true you & I have been married for 7 years, although a good man is a far cry from what you’ve been.

I watch my soaps so much because they drown out your constant whining & griping. Too bad that doesn’t work.

I DID notice when you got a hair cut last week, but the 1st thing that came to mind was ‘You look just like a girl!’ Since my mother raised me not to say anything if you can’t say something nice, I didn’t comment.

And when you cooked my favorite meal, you must have gotten me confused with MY SISTER, because I stopped eating pork 7 years ago.

About those new silk boxers: I turned away from you because the $49.99 price tag was still on them, & ; I prayed it was a coincidence that my sister had just borrowed $50 from me that morning.

After all of this, I still loved you & felt we could work it out. So when I the lotto for 10 million dollars, I quit my job & bought us 2 tickets to Jamaica But when I got home you were gone.

Everything happens for a reason, I guess. I hope you have the fulfilling life you always wanted. My lawyer said that the letter you wrote ensures you won’t get a dime from me. So take care.

Signed,
Your Ex-Wife, Rich As worship & Free!

This Story Was Originally Published On newsner.com

In self development September 29, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

MOTHER GETS A KIDNEY FROM ADOPTED SON

Foster mother Ingeborg McIntosh describes the first time she held Jordan in her arms as “love at first sight” and fought tirelessly to adopt him. Little did she know, he would return that love with equal fervor when she needed it most. When you hear about stories in which someone “pays it forward,” the kind gesture is usually something small, such as buying a meal for a stranger. The size of the deed doesn’t necessarily dictate how meaningful it is, but in this case, paying it forward literally saved a life.

The McIntosh family had cared for 125 foster kids over the years, but no one stole their heart like Jordan.

Jordan was raised in Ingeborg’s home, but his biological mother didn’t want the family to adopt himShe preferred that her child be adopted by Black parents.

But it was impossible to find a home for Jordan, so when the boy was 4, he was adopted by Ingeborg.

“He was a part of the family, no matter what.”

Two decades later, Ingeborg received difficult news: her doctors informed her that she had polycystic kidney disease and needed a kidney transplantation. Jordan decided he couldn’t stand by and watch his mother suffer. He decided to act, without his mother even being aware of his plans.

He booked an appointment to see if he was a match for transplantation. He was.

“I feel like this was my calling in life, I guess,” Jordan says.

“Hopefully I can do more for her as I get older, but for the moment, it’s the least I could do.”

Ingeborg insisted that he not go through with his plans, but Jordan’s mind was made up.

When Jordan talks about his mother, his love and devotion are clear: He can barely talk about her kindness without crying.

“Everything she’s done for me since I was a kid, I just wanted to give it back to her, and show her how much I appreciate her,” he says

Despite all the struggles and tough times, this story ends happily. All because of the strong bond between a mother and her son.

This article was originally published on boreddaddy.com

In Interviews&profile September 28, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

NORTH CAROLINA WOMAN WHO BEGAIN COLLEGE AT 12 RECEIVES DOCTORATE AT 23 – VIDEO

Julia Nepper is just 23 years old, but she already has her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. Her mother, Nadine Nepper, knew early on that Julia was gifted. “We didn’t think she was being challenged enough,” Nadine recalled in talking with local station WECT. “It was suggested if we wanted her to excel, we’d have to pull her out and homeschool her.” So, for four years, Nadine and her ex-husband home schooled their daughter.

And by the time Julia was 12 years old, she was ready for college. She entered Cape Fear Community College and got her associate’s degree at age 14. Then, she got her bachelor’s degree from UNCW at 16 and now her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin at 23. “I’m so proud of her,” Nadine said. “All that hard work has paid off. It’s hard to believe she was kept back in kindergarten that one year.”

“Most of the people I’ve met, in my life, could have done what I did if they had the right support,” Julia said

“I don’t fault my parents, pushing me, with regards to my education. Clearly, I could handle it and it worked. So they must have done something right.” For the first time in over half her lifetime, Julia is facing a period of her life when she doesn’t have any homework. “I’ve been in college most of my life and I haven’t really been in the real world,” Julia said. “It’s exciting but actually scary to go out and get a job.”

While her mother would love for her to come back home, Julia has other plans. In fact, she’s even thinking about trying to get a job in Japan. She’s been ambitious her whole life, and she isn’t about to stop now, after all. Congratulations on your graduation, Julia!

This Article Was First Published on thegrio.com

In self development September 28, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

23 YEAR OLD KATIE DAVIS ADOPTS 13 DAUGHTERS

At the young age of 18, no one would think a homecoming queen and senior class president would trade her life for something so extraordinary. Her name is Katie Davis, the girl who chose to follow God’s calling on her life more than following, what the world calls, “greater opportunities” for her. God wrote these desires on her heart during December of her senior year of high school when she went on a mission trip to Uganda.

It was the moment where God opened her eyes and she responded through prayer and seeking God, asking His guidance for her next steps after graduation. That’s when she decided to forgo university and commit to one year to teaching kindergarten in an orphanage in Uganda. Faith led her to that decision because she wanted to obey God even though she didn’t know what was ahead of her. Eventually, in 2008, Katie made Uganda her permanent home and launched Amazima Ministries, named after the native Ugandan word for “truth.”

The organization seeks to transform lives, restore relationships and radically change communities through the truth of Jesus Christ 5 years later, at the age of 23-years-old, Katie became a mother to 13 young girls whom she adopted and raised as her own children. Katie tells TODAY that she learned what true love really means through taking care of her adopted children – the most valuable lesson she has ever learned in life. “In those early days of laying sleepy heads on pillows and training tiny hearts to know Jesus, I had no comprehension of the wild, uncontainable love I would feel for them.

I didn’t know that they would somehow become extensions of me, that when they hurt I would hurt more deeply than I ever had before, and that when they showed delight over a success or an excitement for God’s Word, my heart would swell within me and I would be unable to contain tears of joy I didn’t know that sometimes I would look at them and feel so much love that my heart would physically ache within my chest.” That understanding of unconditional love would one day influence Katie not just as a mother, but also a wife.

Meet Benji Majors

Benji and Katie grew up in the same town of Franklin, Tennessee, but only met for the first time when Benji arrived in Uganda to serve as a missionary“We shared a hometown with only a few hilltops to keep our adolescent lives from ever intersecting,” Katie writes on her blog.

“My husband’s love is just another way God has chosen to pour [out] His extravagant love on me, another constant reminder that He rejoices over me, and over each one of our daughters. I watch them come alive under the loving gaze of their new father, I hear the delight and the certainty in their voices as they call ‘Dad.’”

The couple got married in 2015 and during that time she didn’t have her friends or sisters around as bridesmaids, instead, she had her 13 beautiful daughters who continue to be living proof of God’s faithfulness, redemption, and love Katie explained that just because she lives in Uganda and shares the love of Jesus with people she meets doesn’t mean she’s a “missionary” greater than anyone else

“I live in Uganda with my husband and my children. The people here, they are my neighbors, my friends, my family.

These are the streets on which we live, the community we pray with, the friends we eat with, the people I wave to on the street

This is my home. What I do here, you can do there, right where you are.” Amazima Ministries is simply one of the many ways you can join the revival movement and empower a young generation with education and Jesus Christ. But as Katie said, “You don’t have to be in Uganda to be a missionary. You don’t have to adopt 13 children to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

This Article Was First Published On godtv.com

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