Esther Ijewere

In Rubygirls September 13, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

#RUBYGIRLS| “I HAVE BEING AMBITIOUS SINCE MY CHILDHOOD”-KOLAJO BLESSING

Kolajo Blessing is a 20 year old law undergraduate at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU). She is the First Female President of OOU’s Literary and Debating Society and also the First Female President of VeeCee Success Stories. Blessing is an excellent writer and a great spoken word artist. She shares her “Ruby Girl” story in this interview.

Meet Me!
My name is Kolajo Blessing Oluwabukola. I am 20years of age and a 400level law student of the faculty of law, OOU, Ago-iwoye. I am an indigene of Oyo state, Okaka town to be precise but I reside in Oyo town with my parents. Blessing is simply a girl who tries to find happiness in all situations and what I love doing most is making a caricature of everything around me, impacting in others is a part of me.

My Inspiration
If I am going to answer this question sincerely, my answer will be God as the source of my inspiration. I get inspiration generally from what comes my way, no specific person inspires me. I have been an ambitious kind of girl right from my childhood, I hardly settle for less, so, I choose friends and acquaintances that are in line with my goals and mindset. People of like minds that can keep me going regardless of the situation and these are the kind of people I am surrounded with, they all inspire me. I also get inspiration from reading about the life others, I read any biography or memoir I lay my hands on, at the end, I feel refreshed and the strength to keep going gets renewed.

Hobbies
My number one hobby is playing on words, and I do this every minute. Naturally, I am a very punny and funny person, this particular act tends to make the people around me smile and it makes some feel I’m not serious. Secondly, I love creative writings most especially poems, flash fictions and mythical stories. These are my major hobbies, others include, dancing, athletics and new discoveries.

Biggest Fear
Not being able to live out all my dreams. By the time I am old and death comes, I want to be able to say that “I have truly lived” so my biggest fear isn’t death or any other thing but realizing in my old age that I have done nothing for humanity.

Would you rather like to go back in time to correct a mistake or time travel two years to the future?
The past is gone, even the mistakes I made back then are part of my body of knowledge today, why will I want to change that? I will prefer to time travel two years to the future so that i will know what knowledge to acquire so as to dive through the challenges of that period before I get there, getting there will just be a smooth sail.

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
I will write 100 poems in a day.

If given the chance to be the President of Nigeria for a day, what will you change?
The outcome of the word “change” has been a disaster so far in the country. So, I won’t bother changing anything, I will just invest largely on research and fund the country’s inventors.

In a time when people pay less attention to improving their vocabulary, what is your reading and learning of vocabularies routine?

This question seems funny to me because I don’t have a time set aside for developing my vocabulary, because it is my lifestyle. As a spoken word artist that loves being satirical, I learn tons of small words and I get to decode big grammars from the small words, it helps me to be more punny. For instance the word “military”, is a small word, if I want to study it, the first thing I do is… How can I be satirical in its usage? “military” satirically, “meal eatery” they sound alike right? I have achieved what many might not be able to with that word.That’s what my vocabulary routine is like. I check the meaning of small words more than I do for big words.

Impact of being the first female President of VSS & Literary and Debating Society and juggling my academics

Being the president of Veecee Success Stories and the president of OOU literary and debating society totally streamlined my lifestyle and disciplined it in a hard way. When I was appointed, people said it will affect me academically and it did, but positively I had 4.50 last semester which I never had when I wasn’t the president of any association and I really had nothing to do. So, I arrived at the conclusion that it’s a matter of mindset, I determined back then that I will not lead an association that promotes success and be a failure academically due to tight schedules and I paid the price of hard work. Being a leader is one of the hardest task that I have been given but the most practical arena to learn so far I have learnt that “a leader should never be too small to lead and too big to serve.” As regards my rehearsals, that is a part of my lifestyle, I hardly get a separate time to rehearse for my performances, I make use of my friends indirectly, I rehearse while joking with my hallmates, as long as you have the words in your head putting them together in a punny, rhythmical and sensible way that passes an information will never be difficult. I also record my works on phone and I listen to them while moving around or when I’m stuck in a boring or irrelevant gathering, that’s part of the ways I rehearse too. As the first female president for the two associations, my dreams and goals were solidly on these two realities, I do not look down on myself because of my gender, whatever I set my mind to achieve, regardless of the gender barrier, I go for it fully.

What keeps you up at night?
My academics, prayers, poetry or worries.

Future plans

As regards what I do, I have so many plans to take my pen and voice to another level. Right now, I have two unpublished anthologies written by me the first one is titled “ONCE UPON A DAY AND OTHERS,” the second one is titled “HER BRUISE (ABUSE)”. I also have an unpublished novel titled “TO THE HOME THAT BLEEDS.” They will all be published when I have the resources to do so. As regards spoken words performances, I do not just see myself performing on big stages but I see myself promoting the world of poetry with that tool.

Advice to girls younger than me

Search within yourself, identify your gift and passion and start making it your area of influence. Your voice isn’t too small to be heard.

Instagram ID: @kolajo_blessing

Want to be featured as a #Rubygirl? Send a mail to womenofrubies@gmail.com

In Interviews&profile September 12, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

#7QUESTIONS| “I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT MYSELF”- NIKE FOLAGBADE

Nike Adedokun Folagbade helps people heal from past hurts, find true love and build healthy relationships.

She is a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and a Results Coach.Nike answers our famous #7questions below;

1. What is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear is that I can achieve so much more but I limit myself due to all manners of fearful thoughts running through my mind. So, my fears stem from a place of “hoping that I do not hold myself back from achieving great feats”.

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

Hmmm. I cry. I do cry a lot, it’s my way of relieving myself. Other things I do are, find a resources that can lift me up from that burden (video, book, etc).I can talk to someone who can also help me find clarity and strength. I’ve learnt not to keep things to myself for too long.

I pray and ask God for help and comfort.I may also withdraw and reflect on some things rather than running aimlessly. I journal also, it’s a way of expressing myself when I don’t want to talk about it.

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

Well, I think that I love everything about myself and I see life as a feedback. But if I could work on something, it will be my mind. I want to have a more positive and firm outlook towards life. I could be quite negative sometimes due to past experiences and weakness but I’m learning mindfulness and healthy thinking daily hence it’s not really about a change because that would mean that I want to erase my story, personality and experiences.

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

Wow! I see myself having a structured academy that helps the singles and married equip themselves for a better and healthy relationship and marriage through various training programs and courses. I see more lives being transformed and empowered through me. I see God opening international platforms to take the message of healing, wholeness and transformation to other nations. And also helping the corporate bodies find transformation and productivity in what they do.

I see myself taking part in economic and political issues in Nigeria as it concerns Youth. I see myself in media using creative mediums to reach out to people for effective change and transformation.

I also see myself investing and building great businesses and modeling bliss to people through my marriage.

I see myself as a more confident, fulfilling and positive woman.

5. What keeps you going?

– Seeing lives change through the work I do.

– Feeling the burden to do more.

– Having God strengthen me frequently through His words and Spirit.

– Seeing God glorified in the lives of people.

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

I believe that feminism means fighting for the rights of women and ensuring equal opportunities.

So, yes I’m for all of that. I want more women empowered and confident about their lives with equal access and opportunities but I do not mindfully consider myself a feminist when it comes to fighting for certain issues like it’s being done now. I believe that women are unique and different from men so it’s not a battle of “who is better?” but “what can we do together?”. Men also need help because they have been nurtured the wrong way which is affecting their outlook towards life so I’m passionate about helping the both genders embrace their uniqueness and live a more fulfilled life.

7. What keeps you up at night?

– Communicating with God

– Reading and strategy.

– Meditation

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You want to be featured on #7questions? Send a mail to info@womenofrubies.com

In self development September 9, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

ADESEWA GREG-IGHODARO TO RELEASE 3 BOOKS AHEAD OF 30TH BIRTHDAY

Founder of Media and the Gospel Network for Believers, Adesewa Greg-Ighodaro,is set to release three new books as she clocks 30 in October.

The new releases, ALTERED, Intentional Living and You Too Can Walk With Me; A Practical Guide to Intimacy with the Holy Spirit can be likened to memoirs as she shares her personal experiences with aspiring readers.

If you would like to learn how God expects you to walk through uncharted territories, conform to uncommon trends or need Him to walk you through uncommon paths, the book ALTERED is your go-to. The author unravels Bible scenarios and her personal encounters of dealing with selfish desires for heaven’s purpose.

In INTENTIONAL LIVING, Adesewa focuses on the importance of conditioning your heart right in living the life God has designed for you here on earth. She expresses five intangible workings of the heart that are the determinants for living out heaven’s blue prints.

We are currently in a season of the glory and move of God. God is seeking to pour Himself into as many willing vessels that would come to Him. Christians can only receive this outpouring if we UPGRADE from being church attendees into becoming Spirit learners. Adesewa takes you through a journey of the person of the Holy Spirit, personal meditations as well as collective testimonies of those who have launched into deeper realms of fellowship with the Spirit of God. God is seeking those who would worship Him in Spirit and truth. You Too Can Walk with Me is the perfect guide to lead you into that relationship.

You can be among the first to receive signed copies of the book before it’s official release by pre-odering one or more copies.

Copies of the book can be pre-ordered as a gift bundle or on an individual basis. There will also be discounts available for group order of 5 copies or more at once.

Follow @magnigeria and @adesewainc on Instagram to stay updated on pre-order details.

The author believes that the Christian lifestyle should not be limited or compartmentalised, and these are evident in her writings.

Adesewa Greg-Ighodaro is a Communications Consultant and the Founder/CEO of Pine-Empress Creative Concepts Ltd, a creative media and consulting firm in Lagos, Nigeria.

In lifestyle September 6, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

NICKI MINAJ SPEAKS UP ON TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS

Nicki Minaj who is currently in a relationship with fiancé Kenneth Petty is revealing all about love and her past relationships.

In a series of tweets, she talks about the need to offer “sound advice” to any woman in a toxic relationship instead of judging.

When u see a woman in a toxic relationship, rather than laugh & say mean things, try to offer sound advice from your heart & root for her to learn her worth. We’ve all been there. I saw my parents fight & argue non stop & never divorce, so I thought this was normal behavior…

— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) September 1, 2019

Dear all of you beautiful souls.

A man who loves you does not:

1. Humiliate you on social media
2. Beat you
3. Cheat on you
4. Call you out of your name/put you down to lower your self esteem due to his own insecurities.
5. Hide his phone, passwords, where abouts, etc.

— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) September 1, 2019

I rlly used to think love had to hurt. So I could never look down on anyone else. We are merely human. It’s not easy to leave. Especially in the world of IG where all ppl want to do is post relationship goal pics for clout & attention. A man should make you feel safe, not afraid

— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) September 1, 2019

In Career Gems September 6, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

NICKI MINAJ RETIRES FROM MUSIC TO START A FAMILY

Nicki Minaj on Thursday announced that she’s retiring from music to start a family.

Nicki has been opened about her plans to start a family. She and her boyfriend Kenneth Petty took a trip to the Beverly Hills Courthouse to get their marriage license in July and plan to wed sometime this year.

She shared on her Twitter handle:

I’ve decided to retire & have my family. I know you guys are happy now. To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, in the box- cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. Love you for LIFE

In Rubygirls September 6, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

#RUBYGIRLS| “I AM INSPIRED BY WOMEN WHO ARE LIMITLESS” – TUNMISE MAFE

A famous poet once said children should be taught how to think and not what to think.

Children are not only custodians of the future, they are like cement and whatever falls on them makes an impression, such is the story of our first #TeensCorner Champion Tunmise.

The 15 year old who was recently featured in a now viral BBC Video where she and other young girls were seen learning self-defense and protective techniques against bullying is smart, intelligent and very vast. From interning at ACT foundation to attending LEAD camp, where she learnt self-discovery during the summer break, Tunmise shares some of her Inspiring moments with us and how she will pay the knowledge forward to her peers.

Meet Me

I am a 15 year old girl with a creative mind that creates different ideas on how to improve myself and the world I live in. I am a lover of books who hopes that one day I will be able to write a book or even start a blog. I am a girl who loves to study people and try to make sure the people around me are in the right state of mind and hopes that one day, would be able to make the people in my environment have less mental issues than we have now.

Hobbies

Travelling to new places with my mum, writing on past occurrence in a relatable manner, shopping, trying new recipes (I don’t really do this too often), reading up on new things that are happening around me.

Favorite subject

I’m a bit indecisive on what subject is my favourite to be honest, but I like to put everything on the same level because I need to know as much as possible on this journey of acquiring knowledge. I would say that I don’t have a favourite subject as all of them are needed to get me to where I am going.

My Holiday Journal

I would always remember this holiday because it was truly a life changing one for me. I started the holiday by attending LEAD Camp where I learnt to fully discover myself and know my onions. I also participated in different life transforming conferences and had the opportunity to intern with ACT Foundation where I had an eye opening work life experience. This holiday is really one to remember as it took me on a journey of self discovery and running with my vision.

My Inspiration

I am inspired by women who are limitless as I see them reaching the peak of their careers without being threatened even when they are in male dominated industries. I am also greatly inspired by my mum even though I don’t tell her much but I really admire her hard work and I love how she doesn’t let any thing come in her way of achieving the best for herself and me. I hope to be like her one day.

Favorite sport

I am not really into sports to be honest. I am more of an introverted person who would stay home and read a book or write about anything.

Impact of the Self-defense class

The self defence class was really great because I learnt a lot on how to protect myself from harm. Being a young teenager in this part of the world, there is a tendency to face some form of harassment or the other. The self defence class has really taught me what to do in such situations and I am really happy I participated in it because I am now better equipped to wade off predators and stand up for helpless people.

If there is one thing you could tell the Nigerian President as a child, what would it be ?

I would tell him that he should sit up and face the fact that he’s the president of a Federation with 36 states and he should focus on employing capable people that would make Nigeria work. I would tell him to protect the lives of the citizens.

Being the first to be featured on #TeeensCorner

I feel really excited about this and I am grateful that a child is being given an opportunity to share her view. This is really a great opportunity that I am very grateful for.

One thing I wish I had right now

I always try to live one day at a time. I don’t dwell on what I wish I had because I know what I don’t have for now is what I don’t need, when the need arises, it will come to me. I think this is because I don’t measure life by what I have. I believe life should be measured by how many people’s lives are affected positively by me.

To my peers..

Focus on making a proper name for yourself and being a game changer. Forget about the money that one will come later.

“***Want to be featured on our #Teenscorner? Send a mail to womenofrubies@gmail.com

In Interviews&profile September 5, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

#7QUESTIONS| “I LIKE TO BE ALONE SOMETIMES”- QAOZARA ADEPEJU

Adepeju is a girl development advocate, inspirational writer and a penultimate law student at the University of Lagos. She is passionate about the development of girls . She answers our famous #7questions below;

What is your biggest fear?

I believe fear is part of life and I have a number of them. Life is full of distractions thus, my biggest fear is to become lost in the ocean of life. That is, losing focus and losing myself.

In your darkest moments, what do you do?

I like to be alone. This may be for some days or hours before i turn to my support system. Sometimes, I speak with my mum, friends or siblings.

What is that one thing you will like to change about yourself?

Sometimes, I wish I could more versatile than I am at present. My strength lies more in scholastic activities than in artistic things. I wish I could be more artistic.

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

I have numerous 5 year goals.

Firstly, i want to have started my legal career in a reputable international organization. This will be coupled with my ability to compete globally.

Then, I want to have reached out to more people in need. Girls, women, orphans among others.

Similarly, i want to have multiplied my network.Then yes, i want to have travelled to certain countries in the world.

5. What keeps you going?

What keeps me going has been my hope for a better tomorrow. A number of times when I am faced with challenges, I ask if everything will make sense eventually. With time, I have built my confidence around the belief that amidst the tempest, the ship will get to harbour.

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

Feminism started as a journey to liberate women and give them certain rights. Nowadays, what I see is women hating and competing with men. I hear so many views such as willingness to abort male foetus. The concept of feminism has now been polluted. I do not consider myself a feminist. I prefer to say that I am a Girl Development Advocate.

7. What keeps you up at night?

The thought that when things need to be done, I should not wait for others to do them. Rather, I should get them done.I am only able to sleep when I’m satisfied that jobs have been well done.

Send a mail to info@womenofrubies.com to participate in our #7questions

In Career Gems September 3, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

RUSSELL WILSON AND CIARA ARE NEW OWNERS OF A MAJOR LEAGUE SPORTS TEAM

Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Russell Wilson, and his wife, Grammy winning singer and songwriter Ciara, have joined the ownership team of the Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC.

This week, the Seattle Sounders announced that they were welcoming 11 new families to its ownership team. The organization has been around since 1974, but the Sounders FC made their debut in 2009, mounting a victory streak including winning the 2016 MLS cup, four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championships, qualifying for the MLS Cup Playoffs every year since its inception and leading the league in attendance for 8 consecutive seasons.

Wilson, a six-time Pro Bowler, made the announcement via Twitter. “Football. Fútbol. We Love them both!” he tweeted Tuesday morning, along with a photo of himself, Ciara and their children in Sounders gear. “We can’t wait for our kids to grow up loving Soccer!” Wilson has been extremely active in the Seattle community since joining the Seahawks back in 2012.

In self development September 3, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

CIVIL RIGHTS ICON ROSA PARKS IS GETTING HER OWN BARBIE

In honor of Women’s Equality Day, toy manufacturer Mattel announced their newest creation, the Rosa Parks Barbie.

Since its inception, Barbie has been a symbol of women’s freedom and rights. In 2018 on International Women’s Day, Barbie launched their “Inspiring Women Series,” in an effort “to honor historical role models who paved the way for generations of girls to dream bigger than ever before.” The new Barbie made in Parks’ likeness is the newest edition to that collection, which includes mathematician and “hidden figure” Katherine Johnson, whose 101st birthday coincided with the Parks Barbie release.

Mattel, the parent company of Barbie released a statement explaining why they chose Parks saying, “Rosa Parks was an incredible heroine of her time. She fearlessly took a risk that would help change the status quo and pave the way for future generations. Her story is an inspiring example of bravely standing for what is right in the face of adversity.”

The “Inspiring Women Series” was created after Mattel released information about the “Dream Gap,” research that shows that girls began to view their gender as inferior to boys and develop limiting beliefs about themselves at as young as 5 years old, as a result of cultural stereotypes, implicit biases and media representation. The dolls are a part of the Dream Gap Project, which seeks to raise awareness of this issue and support causes and organizations that are fighting to #CloseTheDreamGap.

The Parks Barbie was created in partnership with the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, named for Parks and her husband, who was also a civil rights activist. The doll comes with educational information highlighting the late icon’s contributions to society as well as the traditional clothing and accessories that Barbie is known for.

Anita Peek, director of the Parks Institute for Self-Development, spoke to The Glow Up about the honor saying, “[W]e hope that the Rosa Parks Barbie will spark conversations about her contributions to society and encourage future generations of girls to fearlessly stand up for what they believe in.”

In lifestyle August 31, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

YEMI ALADE RELEASES ANTICIPATED ALBUM “WOMAN OF STEEL”

Yemi Alade exhibits amazing dexterity, vocal power, emotional precision, and smooth transitions on her fourth studio album “Woman of Steel”.

She experiments successfully with a Latino vibe in “Give Dem”, while Afrobeat numbers like “Vibe”, “Nobody” and highlife gems like “Yeba”, the provocative Duncan Mighty duet “Shake” give the album that unapologetic African tone expected from the renowned Mama Africa. “Steel” boasts a modern remake of Angélique Kidjo‘s classic “Wombo Lombo” christened “Shekere”, with the iconic multiple Grammy Award winner.

In “Home”, Yemi promises to follow her love interest to the ends of the world. She sings about unrequited love on “Nobody”, assuring her love interest that no one will love him the way she does. She dives deep into the African-highlife with Nollywood mega-star, Funke Akindele on “Poverty”, rejecting the “disease” while also stressing that she is working really hard to be the richest possible version of herself while proclaiming prosperity and good health. In true Yemi Alade fashion, she also includes a Swahili version of “Poverty”.

“Woman of Steel” is Alade’s fourth studio album following “Black Magic”, “Mama Africa”, and “King of Queens”.

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