Women of Rubies, Author at Women of Rubies

In lifestyle November 10, 2018 By Women of Rubies

AIR HOSTESS BREASTFEEDS PASSENGER’S HUNGRY BABY AFTER MOTHER RAN OUT OF BABY FORMULA

An air hostess was working on a 5.10am flight in the Philippines when she went out of her way to serve a passenger and her baby in one of the kindest ways possible.

Patrisha Organo, 24, noticed the passenger’s baby was crying after the flight took off and approached them only to find out that the mother had run out of formula.

The passenger and her baby had been at the airport since 9.00pm the previous night, and Patrisha stepped in to help by breastfeeding the baby.

Patrisha, who is the mother of a 9-month old told Daily Mail that she knew the stress the passenger would have been going through, and offered to help.

As soon as I heard the child’s cry, I knew there had to be something that I could do to help.

When the mother told me that she had no formula milk for the child, and I knew that there was none on board, I knew I had to help.

I could only imagine the chaos of those feelings, but as a mother myself I knew the stress she would’ve been going through.

The helplessness you feel when you cannot feed your hungry child is horrible, so I had to step in.

She had been at the airport since the night before so had ran out of milk during the actual flight, which is what caused the baby to cry.

As soon as I could help the baby and the mother I felt so happy – I cannot put into words how fulfilled I felt.

After I had breastfed the baby I escorted her and her mother back to their seat.

But later on, just before I left, the mother sincerely thanked me for all of my help.

I knew the flight was going to be special to me, as I had just received a promotion in my role, but I didn’t realise it would be this special.

I breastfed a stranger’s baby in flight, and I am just so thankful for the gift of a mother’s milk at times of need.

Photo Credit: Mercury and Press Media

News Credit: Bella Naija

In lifestyle November 10, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET 40-YEAR-OLD MARIAM NABATANZI WHO HAS GIVEN BIRTH TO 44 CHILDREN

Her alias is “Nalongo Muzaala Bana” (the twin mother that produces quadruplets) and she truly deserves that nickname.

When she was 12 years old, she married a man 28 years her senior, after surviving an attempt of by her stepmother.

She says that her stepmother put broken and crushed glass in the food, which killed her four siblings.

Mariam survived because she was not around at the time, but her parents still got rid of her by marrying her off to an older man.

Her husband physically abused her whenever she said or did something that he wasn’t in support of.

“My husband was polygamous with many children from his past relationships who I had to take care of because their mothers were scattered all over,” Mariam told Uganda’s Daily Monitor newspaper.

“He was also violent and would beat me at any opportunity he got even when I suggested an idea that he didn’t like.”

Mariam Nabatanzi gave birth to her first children, a set of twins, in 1994 when she was 13 years old.She had her first set of triplets when she was 15 years old.

Barely two years after that, she delivered quadruplets.

Mariam never saw this routine of having so many children a ‘strange phenomenon’ because she has seen it several times before.

Also, she felt having so many children wasn’t so bad since her father had 45 children with several women. She further says that they all came in sets of quintuplets, quadruples, twins and triplets.

A gynecologist at Mulago Hospital, Dr. Charles Kiggundu told Daily Monitor that the reason for Mariam’s extreme fertility is probably genetic:

Her case is genetic predisposition to hyper-ovulate (releasing multiple eggs in one cycle), which significantly increases the chance of having multiples; it is always genetic.”

Mariam had always dreamed of having six children, but by her sixth pregnancy, she had already given birth to 18 babies, and she wanted to stop.

She tried to get help from a hospital, but after going through some tests, the gynecologist informed her that interfering with her fertility would put her life at risk.

“Having these unfertilized eggs accumulate poses not only a threat to destroy the reproductive system but can also make the woman lose their lives,” Dr Ahmed Kikomeko from Kawempe General Hospital asserted.

I was advised to keep producing since putting this on hold would mean death. I tried using the Inter Uterine Device (IUD) but I got sick and vomited a lot, to the point of near death. I went into a coma for a month

At age 23, Mariam already had 25 children, and she went to the hospital. However, they told her that nothing was possible to stop the birthing, as her egg count was still very high.

Mariam Nabatanzi’s birthing troubles ended in December 2016 after she gave birth to her last baby.

She says that the doctor told her that he had “cut my uterus from inside”. Dr. Kiggundu asserted that this was most likely tubal ligation.

“I can comfortably tell you that our siblings do not know what father looks like. I last saw him when I was 13 years old and only briefly in the night because he rushed off again,” Charles, her son said.

After Daily Monitorfeatured Mariam Nabatanzi’s story in April last year, a crowdfunding campaign wascreated for her on GoFundMe. It managed to raise $10,000 in more than a month.

In Interviews&profile November 9, 2018 By Women of Rubies

#INTERVIEW| “ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED, ONLY THE STRONG WILLED WIN”- OLAPEJU UMAH

Olapeju Umah is the content creator at mile12marketwoman. A company that delivers every food and fruit item straight from the market to your doorstep, with over 6 years and hands on working experience in Information Technology, sales/marketing and business development from working in various industries including oil and gas, telecommunications, manufacturing and FMCG. She has been instrumental to various business expansion and start-ups and she currently sits on the board of various including Afrikwell oil and gas, Prestige college of music and Nigeria enterprises.

Since graduating from Olabisi Onabanjo University with a second class upper in Electrical Electronics Engineering, Olapeju has birthed four( 4) companies .She has attended various leadership and business trainings from Daystar leadership academy, WIMBIZ and other prestigious organisations. She is happily married to Daniel Umah and they are blessed with two boys.

The beautiful and very intelligent business woman shares her journey with me in this interview.

Childhood Influence

I come from a large family of 18 children asides uncles and aunties that stayed with us. My house was practically like a ‘boarding house”. So, as expected, for shopping, we would always do that in bulk. So I guess, yes, my childhood prepared me for this kind of business.

Meet Peju!

I studied Electrical Electronics Engineering in Olabisi Onabanjo University with majors in Telecoms. I am the 14th child of my Father and the 1st of my Mum. I am God’s ambassador on earth with interests in food, interiors and relationship. I am delightfully married to Mr. Daniel Umah with 2 wonderful boys as my heritage.

Inspiration behind Mile12 Market Woman

In the year 2014, my family moved to the ajah axis of Lagos and the first shock that hit me was the exorbitant cost of food items! So, since I have always done bulk shopping, I defied the distance barrier and continued shopping from mile12 market once a month. I then noticed that neighbors would tell me to shop for them whenever I am going. I did this for years until I realized this problem was unique to a lot of people living on that axis. That is how the company Mile12marketwoman was birthed.

Leaving my core for entrepreneurship

Work-life integration for me was tough with a nine to five job as I had started my family before graduating from school so my boys needed all the attention I could give. I quit after just a month’s work! I then knew that to remain relevant, I would have to do business.

Managing four businesses

For my interior décor company (Butter Slides), we operate as the contracts come. We have staff based on contracts. For the FMCG Company, its basically on auto pilot. We have put systems in place. Mile12marketwoman is the baby we are nurturing and by God’s grace, this baby will mature with no deficiency.

Work based challenge

One of the challenges unique to mile12marketwoman has to be supplying clients not within our coverage area. Due to the peculiarity of our goods (perishables), we do same day delivery after purchase. We shop for as much as 10 clients per market day and must supply all same day. We get calls from places as far as festac town and we cannot take such orders due to the limiting factor of distance. We are currently considering ways to solve this.

Positive feedback is my reward

The greatest reward for me has been the wonderful feedback from clients. It is extremely satisfying to know that our service is not only meeting a need but also feeding more people because most of our clients are always overwhelmed with the quantity they get and invariably have to share with others.

Mile12Marketwoman in 5 years

In the next 5 years, I see mile12marketwoman being a household name especially on the lekki/ajah axis. Ion 5 years, we plan to have served 5,000 homes.

Not giving up

Often in the life of an entrepreneur, there are times we feel like throwing in the towel and running back to paid employment. What keeps us going is the vision, the WHY, the passion.

Those who Inspire me

I have a lot of inspiration. One is my Mum. She is very hard working and has experience in various sectors from banking (27years in service) to establishing business in the transport and FMCG sector. My husband also is my number 1 supporter. For every “ridiculous” idea I come up with, he is always there to support. It might interest you to know that he is responsible for our catchy logo.

Entrepreneurial Journey

Entrepreneurship is definitely not for the faint hearted. Opposition will arise when you feel like you’ve got it all together. Competitors give you a run for your money but in all, it’s a game of gladiators and only the strong willed, smart, principled and God-favored win. I am one!

Being a Woman of Rubies

I am a woman of rubies because I am a woman of many parts. There is a whole lot more that I am made for. I am yet to scratch the surface.

In self development November 8, 2018 By Women of Rubies

‘BLACK PANTHER’ ACTRESS, LETITIA WRIGHT TALKS ABOUT BATTLING DEPRESSION AS SHE COVERS THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER ‘NEXT GENERATION’ ISSUE

Guyana-born British actress Letitia Wright features on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Generation issue.

The actress, who got her breakout from Marvel’s first black superhero movie, Black Panther, playing the role Shuri, speaks to the magazine about how faith rescued her from a very dark place, how she chooses her roles and a whole lot more.

Read excerpts below:

On choosing roles: I pride myself on keeping it the same as when I came into acting, to not just change the lane and take everything, just because it may have a big name or a big budget. Am I right for this part? Is this what I should be playing? If something feels off in my spirit, I know that’s God’s way of saying, ‘You shouldn’t do that.’

On overcoming crippling depression: I was putting so much pressure on myself. You get comfortable with the idea of thinking, maybe it’s OK to leave. I wrapped it up and was done with it, happy to do anything that was more chilled. But that’s not the way God had it with me.

On writing pretend contract emails to herself: First I had CAA, but I was like, it’s too red. I like WME, the blue background is more earthy. And right now, I have an email from someone at WME and it’s real.

Visit THR for more.

Credit: Bella Naija

In Career Gems November 8, 2018 By Women of Rubies

19 BLACK WOMEN RAN FOR JUDGE SEATS IN HARRIS COUNTY AND THEY ALL WON

All 19 black women who ran for various judicial seats in Harris County, Texas, won their races last night, marking the single biggest victory for black women in the county’s history.

The women are being referred to as the #Houston19. Their victory has obvious local impact seeing as Harris County, which encompasses most of Houston, is the third-largest county in the country, and one of the most diverse.

In Career Gems November 8, 2018 By Women of Rubies

5 FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS TO PITCH FOR #5M IN FUNDING AT THE DEMO DAY OF SHE LEADS AFRICA ACCELERATOR

On Saturday, November 17th, 5 female entrepreneurs will be pitching for N5m in funding at the Demo Day of the She Leads Africa Accelerator. The Demo Day is the closing ceremony for the 3-month program designed to identify, support and fund the next generation of Nigeria’s brightest entrepreneurs. During the Demo Day, each entrepreneur will have just 5 minutes to pitch their case to a panel of esteemed judges including Odun Eweniyi (Co-founder, Piggybank), Akintunde Oyebode (Executive Secretary, LSETF), and Adia Sowho (VP of Commercial, Mines.io).

Date: Saturday, November 17th, 2018

After a rigorous application process, 10 entrepreneurs were selected from hundreds of applicants to join the 2018 accelerator cohort. The 10 candidates convened in Lagos for 3 residency weeks over 3 months where they received training in business strategy, financial modelling, digital marketing, talent acquisition and more.

The final stage of the process is the Demo Day where the top 5 participants, as selected by their peers have the opportunity to pitch for funding. First place gets N5m, second place, N2m and 3rd place, N1m.

Limited seats are available for this event. If interested in attending, please email programs@sheleadsafrica.org with your name and company.

Continue reading on bellanaija

In lifestyle November 8, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MISSY ELLIOT BECOMES FIRST FEMALE RAPPER TO BE NOMINATED FOR THE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

The Associated Press (AP) confirms this on Wednesday, November 11, 2018. She could be the third rapper added to the organization joining recent inductees Jay Z and Jermaine Dupri.

Missy Elliot feels honoured getting the recognition and shares her feelings in a tweet she posted today.

“I am Humbly Grateful to be nominated with so many other AMAZING writers Congratulations to all of them also.”

Mariah Carey, Chrissie Hynde, Vince Gill, Mike Love, Jimmy Cliff, Jeff Lynne, Cat Stevens, John Prine, Lloyd Price, Tommy James and the Eurythmics and others, have been listed as performing nominees at the Hall’s 50th annual Induction & Awards Gala in New York on June 13, 2019.

Missy Elliot’s nomination is as a result of fulfilling a demanding feature required for eligibility.

Songwriters considered for an entry into the hall of fame are often those who have been wring published songs for a period of 20 years.

The rapper’s debut studio album “Supa Dupa Fly” which turned 20 in the year 2017, makes her eligible.

By Monday, December 17, 2018, members of the Hall of Fame will have voted for three non-performing songwriters and three performing songwriters to be revealed before the New York event.

Credit: pulse.ng

In Editor's Choice November 7, 2018 By Women of Rubies

31-YEAR-OLD WOMAN BECOMES YOUNGEST MAYOR IN HISTORY AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED WITH HIV AT 17

She had been a good girl and must have wondered what cruel fate must have been forced on her. Her life immediately changed. She was maligned by her family members, with a different bottle of water to drink water.

They also felt the need to be extra-careful on anything Jo-Ann had used. It wasn’t their fault, but a limited information in a dark world without sufficient information on a disease they knew nothing of, but that it kills.

In 2013, Jo-Ann told Namib Times that, “It all started out as being an innocent young child at school, and then I fell pregnant. I was 5 months pregnant at the time when I received a phone call from the doctor saying I needed to come in immediately. I got there and there was a crowd waiting to tell me I have AIDS and was going to die.”

She later told UNICEF that, “The only thing I knew about HIV was that it was a death sentence. I didn’t want to die. I was only a kid and had a lot of dreams. Even my own mother changed when I told her about my status. And the same thing happened over and over again in the family, in the community, in the city. I just couldn’t be with others anymore. I was denied all rights.”

The then young girl reached her breaking point when her school’s principal told her to stop coming to school, “That was my breaking point, because I loved school, even if I were pregnant and HIV-positive. At that moment I was hopeless.”

When her mother started planning her funeral, she left for her grandmother’s place in Witvlei, Namibia. She accepted her. From there, she started learning about HIV and enrolled in a UNICEF programme on antiretroviral drugs that separated her disease from her child.

» moreJo-Ann with her son, Remi and David Beckham (Face2FaceAfrica)

“Remi is 13 years old now. He is my strength and my courage. He made me wake up every morning and keep dreaming, keep believing and have hope.” She says of her son.

After Remi’s birth, Jo-Ann returned to school and earned a qualification in project management, then became an advocate for HIV/AIDS and told her story in her book, A Diary from the Land of the Brave.

From there, she rose to distinguished assemblies like the 2007 United Nations General Assembly, before becoming the toast of Witvlei to become their mayor at 26 and pioneered a huge housing project for the poor and desolate.

She says, “In 2010, the same community that had thrown stones at me, that literally had wanted to kill me, asked me to stand before them and show them that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Then she became the Public Relations Officer of a German initiative in 2016 after she got out of office. In 2016, there were 19.4 million people living with HIV (53%) in eastern and southern Africa and 6.1 million (17%) in western and central Africa, according to statistics by HIV.

Culled from pulse.ng

In lifestyle November 7, 2018 By Women of Rubies

ARIANA GRANDE IS BILLBOARD’S ‘WOMAN OF THE YEAR’

Ariana Grande will be honored with Woman of the Year at Billboard’s 13th annual Women in Music dinner and awards gala in New York next month.

Billboard made the announcement in a statement and noted that the Pop star was picked as the recipient for the award following her’ incredibly successful year and on the heels of her Billboard 200 chart-topping fourth album Sweetener.’

Ariana will be presented with the award on Dec. 6. She joins a history of icons who have been previously honored as Woman of the Year, including Selena Gomez, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.

“Ariana Grande is a star on her own terms, never bending to any particular musical trend or path in the industry,” says Ross Scarano, Billboard’s vp of content.

“Certain in her convictions, she consistently stands up for herself and her decisions in a world that often isn’t hospitable to that sort of strength in young women. She’s got guts, she’s making some of the best music of her career, and she’s absolutely deserving of Woman of the Year.”

The 25-year-old R&B songstress also tweeted ‘thank u @billboard for this honor.’

Credit: LIB

In Career Gems November 7, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET RASHIDA TLAIB AND IIHAN OMAR, THE FIRST MUSLIM WOMEN TO BE ELECTED TO THE US CONGRESS

Palestinian-American Rashida Tlaib and Somali-American Ilhan Omar have become the first Muslim women elected to US Congress.

Tlaib took Michigan’s 13th congressional district in a race in which she was the sole major party candidate. Omar won Minnesota’s strongly Democratic fifth congressional district, replacing the first Muslim congressman, Keith Ellison, who vacated his seat to run in the state’s attorney general race.

Who are Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar?

Tlaib, 42, was born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrant parents.

She made history in 2008 by winning a seat on the Michigan Legislature, becoming the first Muslim woman to do so.

Her campaign platform included pledges to secure a $15 minimum wage, preventing cuts to welfare programmes, such as Medicare and Social Security, as well as stopping tax relief to large corporations.

Omar, who arrived in the US at the age of 14 after fleeing civil war in Somalia, campaigned on a similarly progressive platform, which calls for universal healthcare and tuition-free colleges.

She said her political life began attending local Democratic Farmer Labor party caucuses with her grandfather after arriving in the US.

Credit: Al Jazeera

Women of Rubies