Women of Rubies
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Women of Rubies

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MEET OTIMAYIN MORENIKE, TEEN HAIR STYLIST WORKING & SCHOOLING

My name is Otimayin Queen Morenike. I am a native of Kogi State.

I am the second child of my family and I am 19 years old. I am into hairdressing, styling people’s hair and bringing out the exact beauty in them.

I started this hair dressing business by making hair for my friends; then I was in secondary school and just 12 years old.

I get motivation from home and my mother is my role model.
Categorically speaking, the starting wasn’t easy, but there were so many things that spurred me to go into the business and one of them is the need to be independent and also to lessen my mother’s burden of catering for me.

I have always wanted a life in which I would be able to cater for myself, provide my basic needs and relieve my mum of some responsibilities.

The aim and vision of my business have grown wider over the years.
I want my service to be widely known and accepted.

I want to be known for doing perfect job and satisfying my customers to the fullest of my ability.
This is because by so doing I will have some referrals and the survival of my business depends solely on this.

My training was hard and discouraging, but it worthwhile. I was trained by my mother and also by a professional. My business is solving women’s problem; specifically making ladies and girls look beautiful.

My business has also helped improve ladies’ appearances because we all know that the way you dress (in which hair is part of) is the way you’ll be addressed. I must add that as a teenager, it’s not easy combining schooling with business, but because of the passion I have for both, success in them has become my driving force.I currently see myself as a company offering quality services to its target customers.

The target audience for my business is the global market. With the help of God, I am making money from my business. I get customers from the campus near our home.
My customers are mostly students, which makes my brand stand out even though I treat customers very well.

Even when they are not making their hair, I call them and ask for their wellbeing, and apart from that, my creativity in terms of forming new styles stand me out in the business.

Source: Guardian

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2019 ELECTIONS: WOMEN DEMAND MORE POLITICAL SLOTS

Ahead of 2019 general elections, women have called for political parties to allow more females emerge as candidates in the forthcoming primaries to give them better chance and increase their involvement in politics and governance.

The women made this assertion during a rally held at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour party secretariats during the week. This was organised the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) in conjunction with National Democratic Institute (NDI).
Held simultaneously in Lagos, Kaduna, Adamawa, Enugu, Jigawa and Anambra states, the women also appealed for more female aspirants to emerge in the primaries while drumming up support for the emergence of female aspirants ahead of party’s primaries, especially at the governorship level, state and national assemblies.

Founding Director of WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi noted that women have been in the back-seat for too long and things are not getting any better and believes women can make a difference in terms of addressing the myriad of problems we have in this country.
“These demands are for peace, progress and development for Nigeria. Women have proven themselves across the world that they can do great things. Look at Angela Merkel of Germany and Theresa May of Britain who were in Nigeria recently. I think women have passed that stage where our abilities should be doubted by anyone.”

At the PDP and Labour Party secretariats, the party leaders assured that their political parties would encourage more women in next year elections by ensuring that female candidates are featured for national and state assemblies elections.

Source: Guardian

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FOUNDATION LAUNCHES GROUND-BREAKING ONLINE DIRECTORY

In a bid to provide community information and access to hundreds of child protection services, The Cece Yara Foundation has launched the Cece Yara SafeKids Directory – a web-based/online portal which provides information on police stations, State Child Protection Units, medical services, Sexual Assault Referral Centres, free legal services and mental health care at the click of a button.

Recent reports have shown a rise in child sexual abuse with 1 in 4 girls, as well as 1 in 10 boys experiencing it before they reach the age of 18. The Foundation has been the light at the end of the tunnel for sexual abuse cases – fighting for the rights of children, non-offending families as well as amplifying societal prevention awareness via field and media initiatives.
Being the first of its kind in Nigeria, the online portal will serve as a vital information hub for individuals or organisations seeking child-protection services offered by the police, medical practitioners, mental healthcare providers, legal advocates, shelter providers and other credible child-focused organisations in the country.

Mrs. Bola Tinubu, Founder Trustee of the Foundation stated: “We were committed to building the most complete and accurate database of Child Protection Service Providers in Nigeria from day one and it has taken a lot of hardwork and research hours to verify all entries. This Directory will go a long way to support speedy reporting and response to child sexual abuse and other cases of abuse. This portal will be regularly updated by a team of dedicated data volunteers.”
On the functionality of the directory, the Foundation’s Research and Data Analyst, who is also the brain behind the design and development of the directory, Mr. David Adeleke said: “The web directory is user-friendly, and with the understanding that majority of the end-users will be accessing these services from their mobile devices, the directory offers maximum compatibility with mobile devices.”
It is important to know that the impact of child sexual-abuse can be profound and last a lifetime. However, easy access to help will drastically reduce the risk factors and promote protective factors that will ensure the well-being of children and families.

The directory can be accessed on the foundations website (www.ceceyara.org) and currently has close to 200 listings of child -specific service providers in Lagos state. It is being expanded daily and will eventually serve other states of the federation. Listings can be filtered by Local Government Area, service categories and keywords. Phone can be dialed automatically from the web page, while addresses can also be searched using Google Maps.The Cece Yara Foundation is a child-centered non-profit organisation established to prevent child sexual abuse and provide access to care, information, protection and emergency intervention for children who are sexually abused or at risk, and their family.

The Foundation provides the ideal response to children through a 24-hour free child telephone helpline (08008008001) and its child-friendly Child Advocacy Centre based in Lagos, which provides free professional counselling, medical, legal and psycho-social support, as well as referral services. The Foundation also conducts prevention programs for adults to raise the awareness of sexual abuse, and to educate adults on how to protect children from sexual abuse.

 

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MEET THE THREE FEMALE DESIGNERS WHO DESIGNED LEBRON JAMES’ NEW NIKE SHOES

Three African American designers from Harlem, NYC – Kimberly Goldson, Felisha Noel, and Undra Celeste Duncan, have designed the first Lebron signature shoe. The three designers were selected for the project based on their previous work and passion for sport.

At the request of Nike and Lebron James himself, the three designers first traveled to Nike World Headquarters to learn how a performance shoe was made before meeting back in New York City for a working design session. The designers and James say they felt a kinship the moment that he described his vision for the shoe.

“We each had something that connected the four of us based on what LeBron saw from his mom, and the sacrifices she made for him,” says Goldson. “My mom did it. LeBron’s mom did the same for him. The connectivity was there between all of us.”

Their new design called the HFR x Lebron 16 was inspired by James’ belief that “African-American women are some of the strongest people on earth.”

He comments, “As someone who has a platform, because of what I do, I thought it was important to lend that platform to a group of people that I believe are under-recognized.  Being the son, husband and father of strong African American women, I felt like this was something I wanted to do for them and for all the strong women out there who are succeeding despite what might be stacked against them.”

In its cooperative creation, representatives at Nike say that the HFR x LeBron 16 is a symbol of unified strength.

The limited edition shoes can be purchased online at www.nike.com/launch/t/womens-lebron-16-hfr-white-sail/

Watch their story below:

 

https://youtu.be/07DWXkYf6-8

Credit: blog.blackbusiness.org

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“MY HOPE IS THAT AFRICANS WILL HAVE ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION GLOBALLY”- GENEVIEVE NNAJI

Genevieve Nnaji sat down with Women and Hollywood prior to the premiere of her directorial debut “Lionheart” at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to discuss the inspiration behind the movie, challenges she faced and her inspiration for going into filmmaking.

The star actress and filmmaker described “Lionheart” as “an inspiring drama about family values, succession, and most importantly, female empowerment. It highlights the various challenges faced by women, particularly in male-dominated industries.”

On what drew her to the story, Genevieve said: “The message and the environment which forces a heroine to shoulder the load. Questions of succession, gender roles, and traditional versus modern ideals surround the story. Plus, that it was rooted in African culture which made it even more fascinating. So, drawing inspiration from a close friend and family run businesses in Nigeria, “Lionheart” was created.”

Genevieve told Women and Hollywood she “wants people to reflect on the endless possibilities of growth and success that come with men and women, the old and the young, working together: a world where insecurities are tackled and equality is encouraged,” after seeing the movie.

“We need to be more open and accepting of competition instead of feeling threatened by it,” she added.
Her biggest challenge making the film will be “playing both roles of director and lead actor,” she says. “Fortunately, I was surrounded by a very efficient and effective crew. With their help, plus adrenaline and sheer determination, we were able to make a movie,” she added.

When asked about what inspired her become a filmmaker, she said:
I’ve always had a hunger for visual storytelling. There is so much material out there that is still untold — countless real-life stories from within and outside Africa, and today, we have the chance to tell it ourselves. My hope is that Africans will have adequate representation globally, and be given a seat at the table in big studio productions as we continue to grow and improve from within the continent.
I also believe that my generation of women need to continue to work at paving a path better than the one that exists today for the future generation of women in film.

Credit:Bellanaija

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I STARTED FROM TEACHING WOMEN HOW TO MAKE SHAWARMA AND BUILD A BUSINESS AROUND IT- BUNMI AJAYI

Bunmi Ajayi is a business coach known as the Start-up mindset coach, convener Passion to profit masterclass and author of, Get up and rule. An expert in helping people, mostly women to overcome limiting mindsets on their journey to starting thieir own business and projects.
This sought after speaker who once battled low self -esteem and coyness left her dazzling university result and turned her passion for speaking into a business just a few years ago. Through her coaching programmes, speaking engagements and consulting gigs, she helps her clients to craft and monetize their idea to the masses.
Bunmi shares more insight on why people have low self-esteem and how she was able to deal with hers and pull through life

Growing up
I won’t say my childhood fully prepared me for what I do now, my childhood was a different ball game. Just like every other child, I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to be. I think at some point I wanted to be a medical doctor, a police officer.
I hated writing, didn’t like school, I was more worried about playing than going to school but something was constant, I loved talking and I still love talking. Talking is the only thing I didn’t leave behind.I feel parents should encourage and support their kids more than trying to force them into career paths they would drop later on.

Meet Me!
My name is Bunmi Ajayi. I am a startup-mindset coach, author of the forthcoming book; Get up & Kickass, which teaches first time star ups how to break free from fear that holds them back from starting a successful business, so that they can build confidence, Identify, monetize and build a profitable business around their Idea, passion, mistakes and knowledge.
I help start-ups break free from fear and other limiting mindset so that they can start a profitable business around their idea, passion, knowledge and experience. I graduated from Igbinedion University Okada, Edo state, where I studied Mass Communication.

Passion to profit master class
I fell in love with the fact that you can make money doing what you love. So I discover a lot of us underestimate our skills, passion, even our knowledge, we go after other things and ignore the diamond inside of us. Sometimes we are aware but either too busy to notice or we are scared nobody will buy from us when we eventually put a price on it. People are ready to pay for what we know that can give them results. The moment I discover this truth it inspired me to start my own trainings which takes place online. There are lots of people making money from their passion, their knowledge and even the pain they have healed from. The truth is no pain is a waste. I started from teaching women how to make shawarma and build a business around it. I once attended training where people paid to discover their most profitable passion. So this increased my drive to organize my own online profit to passion masterclass.
After each class people tend to discover more than just passion, they discover who to sell to, how to build an identity around it.  The first thing we do in the class is to gain clarity and break limiting mindset before going deep into the class, there are lots of people who do lot of things so well but teach people for free just because they feel putting a price on is bad.

Being a coach, author and motivational speaker
Well they all have their strength and weakness. As a coach you can work both online and offline, just make sure you find a time that works for both you and the client. As a convener you know when best to fix your event which can be once a month, twice a week physical or online event. That is why it is important to know your personality type and know what works for you. Planning helps me to know which one comes first. I have a 2018 daily planner with daily reflection that helps me know which one comes first.

Challenges
The first challenge I had to deal with was my mind, fear of approval, lack of clarity, lack of understanding and many more were what I faced when I started. But the moment I was able to overcome my fear, develop a better self-esteem and better clarity of what I want and the people I want to help, things changed. Too many people have not dealt with their fear so it keeps holding them back, some say fear is a push, but the bad part is when there is no fear, they find it hard to push forward, while others try to sell to everyone, they do not understand their ideal customers, they are not just clear about what they really want. It is a challenge for some people in their business.

What next?
I am currently working on a project for authors who want to break free from limiting mindset and be able to go from no idea to a published author in 30 days or less instead of taking two years to publish a book. Most people desire to write and publish a book but are either scared or worried that they are not worthy to write or publish the book.

Reward of my work
I would say knowing people that have broken free from the fear of starting a business. That alone means a lot and somehow people tend to appreciate you for helping them discover something they never saw

On how the economy favour start-ups
I won’t say the economy alone but certain policy affects start-ups, certain government policy make it difficult for startups to flourish. But depending on your kind of business economy doesn’t affect you. There are start-ups who are growing daily, the economy favors them. So sometimes it is about the kind of business you are into .If you go into a business at a time when nobody is ready to spend money, then there might be a bit of challenges.

Never giving up
There were times I gave up. I said I was no longer interested in helping people discover their passion; there were times I wanted to do something else.
I just wanted to go back to my comfort zone, but I had amazing people who encouraged me not to give up. I call them my support system, when you are surrounded with the right people with the right mindset then it becomes easy to speak to them when it feels like you are giving up. I think everyone who is on a journey to greatness, people who are doing great things at one point must go through this stage.
If you are not in your comfort zone, or getting desired results, sometimes you know where you are going to, you know it is going to turn out fine but somehow the strength to press on disappears. So you just have to keep pushing, keep moving and have the right support system

Who and what inspire me to be better

When I think of how much I have grown it inspires me to invest in myself more. I look up to certain people who motivate me to become better, they are constantly doing things to make lives better. Different people and things inspire me to become a better person. Knowing that people look up to me inspires me to become better. Every day inspires me to get better.

Being a woman of rubies
A woman of rubies is not scared to stand out .As a woman of rubies I know when to balance things. A woman of rubies is creative and dynamic. She is ready to help when she can. A woman of rubies is interested in the growth of others. A woman of rubies believes in herself and that is who I am. I believe in myself. I am also a lover of God.

Start-up nuggets for young women who want to start their own business
I would say do not let other people project their fear of doing business to you. Just because someone had a terrible experience, does not mean you will have a terrible business experience too.
The first thing is to break free from fear and gain clarity about the kind of business they want to start and the process involved. Know that not everyone is your idea client. Your business cannot attend to everyone, so find your target audience that needs the solution your business offers.
Do not be afraid to innovate, you do not have to copy everyone, you do not have to do the same thing everyone is doing.
Understanding of what the market needs. But most importantly they should understand their why: There are right and wrongs reasons people start business, I discussed this in my book. People start business on the wrong note and when it fails, they start shouting business is bad. So I would say understanding your why is very important.

Dear Woman….
You are more than enough, don’t try to dim your light for someone else to shine. Be around people who see your strength and can help you focus on it, stay away from things and people who don’t empower you. In everything please protect your inner space

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ONE OF MY CHILDHOOD DECISION WAS TO HAVE A BUSINESS THAT WOULD PRODUCE SOMETHING MY FAMILY NEEDED – ANGELA OKON

Few weeks ago, top comedian Alibaba shared the story of a young woman who made bespoke shirts for men, the post not only went viral but inspired several people , most especially youths who were still finding it hard as start-ups. 23 years old Angela Okon is the young woman he was talking about, a graduate of Accounting from Lagos State University who carved a niche for herself in the men’s fashion industry, as the creative director of Ikadi Shirts . According to Jane, being the only girl among three kids and the inability of her brothers to get ready made shirts inspired her to start her brand. She shares her story and aspiration with me in this inspiring interview

Childhood Influence
My mom was a business woman. So I grew up looking up to her. As a child, I had always known that I would be an entrepreneur and that made me pay close attention to my mom’s business. It was from there I got firsthand knowledge on how to run a business.

Meet Me!
I’m 23 years old. I come from a family of three children of which I’m the only daughter. I love being different and doing things differently. Many people think I’m weird and sometimes I agree with them.

Inspiration behind Ikadi Shirts
Well it all started with a family problem. My mom found it impossible to get ready made shirts for my brothers. Apparently, we have very long hands and slim body in my family. So it was either the shirt was too big or the sleeve was too short. Then she decided to get a tailor to make shirts for them but the quality of the shirt was poor. As a result, I decided that shirt making will be my means to penetrate the fashion industry since this problem is faced by many. It’s not that there were no bespoke shirts brand before we started but we strive to meet a high standard while making it affordable for the customers. In this way, men no longer have to manage ready-made shirt that doesn’t fit all in the name of getting a quality shirt but now they can get a premium quality shirt that is made specifically for them.

Motivation to pitch my tent in the fashion world of men
One of my childhood decision was to have a business that would produce something my family needed so that they would never have to buy it elsewhere. Since I was passionate about fashion, I decided to go into men fashion so that my brothers and my dad would never have to buy clothes elsewhere. Another reason is that 98% of my friends are guys, I find it very easy dealing with men than with women which is probably as a result of my upbringing. So the men fashion industry was the perfect choice.

Power supply as a business Challenge
Closing deal with prospect outside Lagos is one challenge. We have to get the customer’s measurement before production but when they are outside Lagos, they would have to get a tailor to measure them then send to us. Some of them do this, while some don’t. As a result, we might lose that prospect. However we are working on resolving this issue. Another challenge is power supply but we all know that’s not new so I won’t discuss it.
I blogAside making bespoke shirts, we also run a blog that provides information on men style tips. You can check it out on www.ikaidiclothingblogspot.com

Customer satisfaction is my reward
The joy I see in the eyes of a satisfied customer. When a satisfied customer tells me how much he has spent on shirts that were of no good and how glad and relieved he is to have patronize the brand, this is the greatest reward. There’s no other joy that can be compared to knowing that you are making an impact.

In five years
In 5 years, we would cover the whole of Nigeria and Ghana.

Ever thought of giving up
No. Although, there were times I needed a break, but my mindset has always been “I die here no matter what “.

My inspiration
My mom is my inspiration. Though she’s is late, I have never met any woman as driven as my mom. She taught me a lot about hard work and the benefits of always being hungry, never settling for less.

Reception since I started
It has been positive all the way. No dulling moment. This gives me the conviction that I’m on the right path.

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“I AM AN UNREPENANT OPTIMIST AND A FIRM BELIEVER THAT OUR DREAMS ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR” – TOLULOPE BABAJIDE

Tolulope Babajide, the Lead strategist of Ink & Ideas Consulting is a passionate and creative Communications specialist. A 2006 graduate of English and Literary Studies, Tolulope started her career in Advertising as a copywriter and swiftly moved into core journalism at the defunct 234Next as a copy editor, Arts and Culture reporter and a columnist.

Since then she has worked in the Non profit sector as a Communications and Programmes strategist and also consulted with organizations on grants writing, rapporteuring, social enterprise strategy. She is highly committed to using communication in changing human narratives and excited in helping organizations get their writings done more creatively

“Growing up in family where intellectual conversations are held around the dining table helped me to be in constant search for knowledge/”, Tolu says as she shares her story with me in this interview.

Early life
I grew up in Ilesa, Osun State and as a young girl, all I was surrounded with was books and thought-provoking conversations. My dad had this huge library (at least to my eight-year-old mind) and he compelled us to read as many books as we could. He encouraged us to read across all genres, so one minute am reading medical textbooks, the next minute am buried in Wole Soyinka’s books. This has particularly helped me in having a rich imagination which has in turn strengthened my writing skills. My parents made it their priority to consciously train children whose minds are not controlled by their environment and backgrounds. Through the books I read, I went and experienced so many cultures even when I haven’t been there physically.

Meet Me!
My name is Tolulope Babajide. I am a graduate of English and Literary Studies. I am a Communication specialist with the belief that any narrative can be changed with the right approach of communication. I started my career as a copywriter, then as a journalist at the defunct 234Next newspaper and moved into Development Communications (Nonprofits).
I love learning new things, this is what drew me to online learning. I don’t miss out on any opportunity to stimulate my brain. I am an unrepentant optimist and a firm believer that our dreams are worth fighting for unless they remain just dreams.

Inspiration behind my initiative Ink & Ideas Consulting
The inspiration behind Ink & Ideas Consulting is the need to do more and be more, a bespoke content creation agency with services including speech writing, grant writing, rapporteuring and social enterprise strategy. It has always been my side hustle, from helping people to write compelling grant applications to crafting human centered and creative speeches to offering my scribing services to organizations and strategizing with social enterprises. I finally got to the point that I wasn’t comfortable again having it as just a side gig. I believe that there are millions of grants for nonprofits and startups in Nigeria, all they need is a passionate grant writing agency who will go all in. There is also an urgent need for creativity to be infused into speeches; most of the speeches I hear today lacks the passion and not memorable at all.
Rapporteuring/report writing also has become one service that is undervalued in Nigeria. There is a need for every organization to have an objective, accurate record of their retreats and business meetings.

Impact of working in the print media and advertising sector for a while
I am particularly grateful that I started my career in Advertising as a copywriter. It gave expression to my creativity and helped me to receptive to endless possibilities in life. On a lighter note, it helped me discover my very playful side.  In the print media, I learnt a lot from the industry’s best, the likes of Molara Wood, Kadaria Ahmed, Dele Olojede, Victor Ehikhamelor etc. My time at 234Next newspaper is still one of my most exciting experiences in life; there I learnt that the world is not just black and white. That I can question status-quos and not be put in a box of conformity.

Helping organisations in the non-profit sector write grant proposals
It was my move to Abuja that exposed me to the Nonprofits industry. There I learnt that living for oneself is selfish and smallminded, there are tons of great causes to advocate for. Having worked on projects including Female Genital Mutilation, Immunization, Adolescents Access to Family Planning Services, Maternal and Newborn Health, I discovered that I enjoyed helping these causes to raise funds through grant writing. There are many great nonprofits who really need a funder so that they can scale up their activities.
There was this Cancer Outreach nonprofit that I worked with on grant writing. They go into very rural areas to screen women for breast and cervical cancers; we can all attest that it is not cheap to get test kits for the screening. Nonprofits like this need donors’ money to be able to continue with their good work.

Challenges
I just moved from Abuja to Lagos. I guess that that is a challenge in terms of building networks and making them see reasons why they need my services. But the prospect of meeting new people, businesses is exciting and am all in for the ride.

What next?
I am presently working on projects that advocate for Adolescents to have a safe, no-judgement access to Sexual Reproductive services in Nigeria. I am also passionate in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation, I believe that no female should be cut. I am blessed to have this bubbling energy that enables me to collaborate with people on projects that are dear to my heart. It is an ongoing journey and am excited about it.

Reward
Getting into the Cherie Blair Foundation Fellowship for Women in Business is one reward that I am so grateful for. I just became a Mentee in the Foundation’s Mentoring Women in Business and it runs for a year. Being peered with my International mentor will redefine my game and belonging to this awesome community will strengthen my networking and business skills.

My view on the advocacy and development sector in Nigeria and access to funding
The advocacy and development sector are doing a lot and they should be commended. I cannot imagine a Nigeria without the tireless input of this sector. Nationwide Immunization success will not have been possible without organizations like Gates Foundation, GAVI, John Hopkins etc.
Still on the immunization angle, I believe that there is an inadequate funding. There are new vaccines that are unaffordable for the common man; vaccines like Rotavirus, Chicken Pox, Typhoid, Meningitis etc. It will be great if these vaccines can be subsidized, there shouldn’t be anything like ‘Special Vaccines’. All vaccines are important.

Women in advocacy not celebrated
They are appreciated majorly in the terms of salary and emoluments but not celebrated.

My Inspiration…
My kids inspire me to be more in life. That might sound so cliché, but it is so true. They are my greatest motivation.  Also, the need to touch everyone I meet positively. People need to know they are needed, respected and their opinions are valid even if it disagrees with mine.

Being a woman of Rubies
My refusal to be broken by life’s pitfalls. It doesn’t matter how many times I fall, I keep on standing up. I don’t have the luxury of giving excuses.  I am also not shy in blowing the horn of another woman. Rising together as women is the sweetest. What is the essence of living in a castle if you are going to be there alone.

Advice for young women who want to go into the communication sector
Read, Read and Read. It stretches your mind and gives you insights into a variety of subjects. Don’t be that woman that knows only one thing, be all compassing. This will help in dealing with different clients from different sectors.  Be flexible, learn how to be a people’s person.

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