Aja Smith is now in the WWE history books –CNN
Aja Smith indie women wrestler has signed with WWE and reported to the WWE Performance Center, becoming the first full-time African-American female referee signed to WWE.
The 25 year old famously known as Aja Perera, “competed across the United States, Japan and Mexico under the name Aja Perera, and has held the SHINE Nova and Tag Team Championship,” according to a statement by the WWE.
“She will now don the stripes and join the crew of referees who enforce the rules for NXT every week on USA Network,” the statement added.
“Referees are really the unsung heroes,” Smith said on the importance of referees to the pro wrestling industry. “They put in so much work and they’re seemingly invisible, but without them, there would be no wrestling, honestly.”
However, the highlight of the video was when she was told that WWE would be hiring her.
“This is the greatest moment of my life,” Smith said. “It’s something I never thought of, and just to think to myself, I’m going to be the first African American female referee in WWE…”
“That is the greatest moment of my life,” Smith said through tears. “Having this platform as a female, as a female of color, is really an honor and I’m so thankful to be given this moment.”
Smith took to Twitter after the announcement.
“Your love and support over the years has gotten me to this moment. This is bigger than me. To follow a dream. TO MAKE HISTORY. And I’m just getting started. We can do it all and I’m honored to be lighting the way. Let’s change the world! #BlackGirlMagic,” she tweeted.
Aja Smith@PereraPowerhttps://youtu.be/mR-a3Hnn-ho Your love and support over the years has gotten me to this moment. This is bigger than me. To follow a dream. TO MAKE HISTORY. And I’m just getting started.
We can do it all and I’m honored to be lighting the way. Let’s change the world! #BlackGirlMagic
The WWE also tweeted: “For Aja Smith, a dream has now become history.”
Omolola Orenuga is a final year student of Performing Arts at Olabisi Onabanjo University. She is an award winning stage manager, director, thespian, event planner, model and fashion designer.
She won the award for Best Stage Manager at Theatre Students Award (TSA) on 30th November, 2019.
Cool, energy bubbling and fun lover Omolola is a fashion, beauty and natural hair enthusiast.
*1. Let’s meet you. Who is Lola….?*
1) I am Orenuga Omolola Oluwapelumi AKA Aduffeh, a performing Arts student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago –Iwoye; Ogun State.
*2. Who and what is your inspiration?*
I really can’t pinpoint a particular figure as my inspiration. I draw inspiration from anyone and anything, depending on what I need at that particular point in time. I just try to be the best I can be. Therefore, I feed on anything that makes my creativity juice flow.
*3. Your best quote?*
Think like men of action: act like men of thought – Bergson
*4. What is that one accessory you can’t leave home without?*
My phone
*5. As a performing Art student, thespian, director, stage manager, how many plays have you directed/stage managed? Have you ever been discouraged or downcast? What is your most memorable experience as a Performing Arts student?*
I directed The Sisters by Ahmed Yerima and Romeo and Juliet in pidgin. Also, I stage managed Kurunmi and I was part of the stage managers for the convocation play. Lastly, I have been in several stage productions, class productions and private theatre companies, and participated in Roadblock, Modern Slave, Agriculture, and Banner of Peace amongst others.
My most memorable experiences are my induction and NUTAF’19 which is a festival for theatre arts students.
I felt discouraged and was downcast when I had to drop my roles due to sickness on two occasions.
*6. Which city or country will you love to visit soonest?*
Santorini, Greece (Smiles).
*7. What is that one thing you’ll like to change about yourself?*
Saying NO… for my best interest and stop overthinking
*8. You are a creative versatile young woman and entrepreneur. You are a Model. Hair stylist. Fashion Designer, event Planner yet a finalist. How do you balance all of these with your academics?*
It is not so easy, sometimes I have to multi-task. However, I plan ahead and keep things simple in order not to get overwhelmed.
*9. What do you intend to do beyond school and upon graduation from the university? Do you intend to go into the movie industry or pursue other passions or business endeavours?*
Mostly business endeavours, private brands, and go into the movie industry. However, Plans might change (smiles).
*10. If given the chance to be the President of Nigeria for a day, what will you change?*
I will provide laptops for every university student and legalize abortion.
*11. Did your upbringing in any way prepare you for everything you are into today?*
Yes, it did and looking back now, I’m grateful for it.
*12. Where do you see yourself/your brand in the next 5 years?*
I see myself as CEO of my own fashion line; Supply costumes/designs for movie productions ,events, modelling. Get more innovations in fashion. Plans change though.
*13. If you were given the opportunity to address a group of girls five years younger than you, what will be your advice to them?*
Confidence!
Be confident, ask questions, don’t be in a haste to grow, enjoy and make memories.
Born Lillie B Williams on January 10, 1932, in Albany, Georgia, was a normal girl except for the miniature twin growing out of the left side of her body.
She was born to a farming family kind of poor, and the youngest of twelve children, Williams was attached at the side to a parasitic sibling that had two legs, a developed arm with three fingers and another tiny arm-like appendage.
Nevertheless, doctors said that Williams was very healthy and could definitely live long. Her parasitic twin would later help her to earn a large living.
When she was just a year old, she rose to fame after being discovered by a professional showman called Dick Best.
She changed her name to Betty Lou for reasons not known and started displaying the child in his New York Museum.
She later caught the attention of Robert Ripley, of Believe it or Not?! fame.
After negotiations between Ripley and Best, it was agreed that Betty Lou, then aged two, would be shown for $250 a week at the Ripley’s Believe it or Not?! Odditorium at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1934.
Betty Lou’s earnings quickly soared as she matured, and began earning as much as $1000 a week.
Out of her large finances, she purchased a 260-acre ranch for her parents and succeeded in sending all her eleven siblings to college.Many attributed her rise to fame and huge income to her beauty and kindness. Betty Lou attracted a lot of male suitors, and at the age of 23, she got engaged to one of them.
Her husband-to-be, however, disappointed her as he turned out to be a thief who absconded with a huge amount of money belonging to her.
Soon after this, Betty Lou, despite assurances by doctors that she was healthy and could live long, died from an asthma attack at her home in Trenton, New Jersey at the age of 23.
Many people believed that she died of a broken heart.
Source: Face2faceAfrica
Not being in a relationship most times is no easy feat for any young woman. It can get tough especially when you are around people who are in one and probably married. This creates a discontent feeling in the heart of single ladies, making them feel incomplete like they just haven’t struck that life goal just yet.
And yes, its a dangerous feeling that needs to be dealt with to avoid toxic relationship and mistakes in marriage.
Well hello lovelies here are a few tips below to help just about so much, each steps are linked to the other:
1. Love Yourself First
While everyone believes they love themselves, they never for a second think they might have harmful habits. When you truly love your self, you automatically make anyone understand they are blessed to have you in their life, not in a selfish way though. Take care of yourself, give yourself treats and on, you will have a facial baby glow. Everyone loves a pretty soul. To love yourself you gotta know you.
2. Know Yourself
Know who you are and what is best for you. When you know your essence in life, like how important you are, your purpose and what you represent, you will know the right kind of love for you. You will be strong enough to walk out on toxic relationships and attract the right circle. Truth is any woman who knows herself wouldn’t have to force themselves on any one, ‘you are a queen’. God made you one, you need to believe this. To know yourself, you gotta spend some time by yourself.
3. Enjoy Your Company- Spend Some Time Alone.
This is so good for everyone, even if you were married. Note this, if you can’t stand to take yourself on a date alone then you probably have a low self esteem, and need people to approve of you so much. Can you stand travelling alone or doing things alone? If you can, then it shows you love your own company enough, and that’s what will make someone to love spending time with you too. For married people if you have your own space it will help you deal with familiarity in a healthy way. Moments spent alone makes you understand life in a more meaningful way.
4. Do something creative / Get a hobby
Get a chance to do something new and creative. It helps you have a child-like excitement, to making you feel less bored and stuck. It gets your mind active too. Things like riding a bike, reading, painting, joining a volunteering network too can help.
5.Join a small group
Join a collection of people with the same mind and goals with you. Get plugged into activities in your church, join groups that you can serve with your entire heart, this pays off if you are sincere.
6. Wait
Someone said patience is good but the attitude you keep while you’re patient makes all the difference. There is true and false patience, ‘lol’. Don’t freak out ladies, true patience is a sign of faith and confidence that what your waiting for is coming to you.
• And while you waiting keep moving literally, like be active, improve yourself daily make sure you are better, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically (body, spirit and soul) than were you were last year. Good wishes!
Getting proper blood supply for patient can be a tough one. Temie Giwa-Tubosun therefore founded LifeBank a Lagos-based blood and oxygen delivery company that connects registered blood banks to hospitals and patients in need of blood supply.
In 2019, Temie won $250,000 grant from the Jack Ma Foundation, and was listed in 2014 as one of the BBC 100 Women, third Nigerian on the list, along with veteran broadcaster Funmi Iyanda and Obiageli Ezekwesili, Nigeria’s former minister of education. She was also the youngest on the list.
So what is the company about?
LifeBank helps hospitals discover blood and other essential medical supplies and help deliver to the hospital in the right condition. They deploy mobile and web technology, smart logistics, and Artificial Intelligence to build an end to end marketplace and cold chain logistics. Temi’s mission is to save 1 million lives in 10 years. Temi’s passion begun when she noted that biggest cause of maternal mortality in the continent and the developing world is something called Post-Partum Hemorrhage. Basically, women give birth and shortly after, they start bleeding. However, if the hospital does not have blood to transfuse to these women, they go into shock and they die. In Nigeria where Temi was born, it killed over 26,000 young women every year. As a mother myself she had a difficult delivery and was lucky enough to have access to a good health system in US.
After this, she decided to move back home to Nigeria and help solve this problem.
After she went back home Temi knew that she needed to have conversations with experts in this sector. Also, it wasn’t just blood shortage but also lack of communication to know who has the blood type you need, and lack of infrastructure to move the blood to where it is needed on time and in the right condition. This led her to build LifeBank.
The obvious reason she created this digital health startup was to make a difference. People will never stop needing blood, it’s not a need it’s a matter of survival and that’s where LifeBank comes in.
In May 2017, she was selected as part of “six entrepreneurs who demonstrate the positive role women are playing in creating opportunities and preparing the region for the Fourth Industrial Revolution” by the World Economic Forum on Africa.
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Cynthia Erivo made a remarkable performance at the 2020 Oscars with an unforgettable rendition of “Stand Up,” which was nominated for Best Original Song.
The actress who also sings was also nominated in the Best Actress category got her performance as Harriet Tubman, took over the stage dressed in a dramatic gold number and delivered a grand performance that highlighted her powerhouse vocals.
She got praises from the media and those in attendance. She was later joined on stage by a large choir, who further elevated the emotional performance,
Erivo who has previously won a Tony, Emmy and Grammy could have become the youngest EGOT winner ever last night. She was the only nominee of color in the acting categories, which prompted folks to once again speak out against the Academy’s well-documented lack of inclusion.
Though she didn’t pick up any awards, her performance was a clear winner and arguably the best of the night.
Erivo is set to play soul icon Aretha Franklin in the upcoming scripted series “Genius Aretha,” from National Geographic.
Source: WomenAfrica
Adesua Dozie, has joined Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited an Executive Director and General Counsel. Dozie was the General Counsel Africa for the General Electric Company, where she was also co-chair for the GE Women’s Network in Africa.
The appointment which is effective from December 30, 2019 is a continuation of Dozie’s impressive career trajectory which has seen her work with some of the biggest names globally.
Dozie has also served as Secretary and legal advisor to the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation and had several senior legal roles in Africa for Coca-Cola. She has also worked for Elf Petroleum (now Total Upstream) and with the law firm of Ajumogobia & Okeke.
Dozie’s impressive CV includes being lead advisor in a number of high value infrastructure projects across the African continent, in turn facilitating regional growth, strengthening corporate governance and compliance cultures across diverse business communities, serving as a guardian of the complex dynanics between purpose, profit and risk.
She is a passionate advocate for diversity – age, thought, gender and race – and inclusion. She is married to Uzoma Dozie and are blessed with three children.
“In my current role as General Counsel of GE Africa, I have had the opportunity to advise, structure and lead transactions across the African continent, in turn facilitating regional growth, strengthening corporate governance and compliance cultures across diverse business communities, and serving as a guardian of the complex dynamics between purpose, profit and risk,” she said.
These four women where appointed by Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp). Transcorp is Nigeria’s leading listed industrial holding company.
The women include, Owen Omogiafo Dupe Olusola, Helen Iwuchukwu, and Okaima Ohizua
Owen Omogiafo was appointed as President/GCEO of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc, with effect from March 25, 2020. She succeeds Valentine Ozigbo, who is retiring to pursue a career in public service, having served Transcorp for close to a decade.
“What I found is everything you do in life prepares you for the next step.”–Olusola Modupe. Dupe was also appointed as the MD/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc, effective from March 25, 2020. She is currently the Group Head, Marketing at United Bank for Africa Plc. She has over 21 years of corporate experience including MD/CEO of Teragro Juice Concentrate Plant. She holds a BA in Economics from the University of Leicester and a Masters in Development Economics from the University of Kent.
The Board of Transcorp Hotels Plc approved the appointment of Helen Iwuchukwu as an Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of the company. She is currently the Group Company Secretary of Transcorp Plc. She holds an LL. B. (Hons) degree in Law and was enrolled as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1993 (BL Hons) and holds a Master of Laws degree (LL. M.) from Middlesex University Business School, London.
The Board of Transcorp Power Ltd also approved the appointment of Okaima Ohizua as Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of Transcorp Power Ltd. She is currently Executive Director, Customer Services at Transcorp Hotels Plc. She has over 25 years of working experience and has been key to the continued service transformation at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, since joining the Board and Management in 2013.
“I wanted to screen my retirement plans for environmental and social issues, but the only option was the Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund,” says Marilyn Waite.
Marilyn Waite is a Program Officer in Environment at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
She has worked across four continents in venture investment and low-carbon energy, so addressing climate change through investments is her forte.
Marilyn manages the foundation’s grantmaking on climate and clean energy finance with the ambitious goal of addressing climate change by accelerating the transition to a climate-friendly economy. Her grantmaking mobilizes private capital investments in low-carbon and climate-friendly energy infrastructure and systems, seeking to redirect finance from high- to low-carbon activities and encourage wiser energy investments.
She oversees Hewlett Foundation’s climate finance program where she invests in sustainable banking strategies that can lower global emissions at the gigaton scale. Marilyn is also a thought leader in the green jobs space, having authored Sustainability at Work, Careers that Make a Difference, a book that looks at sustainability professions across various sectors, such as agriculture, health care, and even entertainment and media. Waite is a Princeton and Cambridge-trained environmental engineer with a background that ranges from sustainable development in Madagascar to nuclear energy in France. She is an editor-at-large for GreenBiz and an E2 1 Hotels Fellow.
