Women of Rubies - Women of Rubies

In Editor's Choice July 14, 2021 By Women of Rubies

#Interview| I Have Always Had The Passion For Entertaining People- Ope Keshinro “SwitOpe”

Social media has opened us to a whole new world of content and skit creators. Anytime you need a quick laugh throughout the day, you can check your timeline to see silly skits, dances, and voiceovers.

There is an abundance of hilarious men and women on social media making us smile, thereby improving the mental health of a lot of people. While there are so many well known and upcoming content creatives out there, some stand out because of their aura and mode of delivery. One of such people is the incredibly talented and beautiful Ope Keshinro, popularly known as SwitOpe.

Ope is an on-air personality, a voiceover artist, and an actress. As a lover of arts from a young age, she honed her talents in secondary school, where she was always either in dance or drama groups.

She then went on to further refine her budding talent at the prestigious University of Lagos where she graduated with a B.A degree in Creative Arts (Theatre Major). She currently works with HotFM Lagos 93.3 as a radio host where she hosts the midday show.

More recently, SwitOpe has harnessed the power of social media to gain widespread popularity with her comedic skits where she portrays several characters to hilarious effect. She was recently featured on CNN alongside other content creators.

Ope is currently expanding her talents to the big screen and will be featuring in several upcoming movies.

She shares her Inspiring story in this exclusive interview with Esther Ijewere

Growing Up

I was born and brought up in Lagos, Nigeria. Growing up was fun for me because I have four siblings: 2 sisters and 2 brothers, so I had playmates.

My dad still tells stories of how I used to mimic any and everything that happened at home or in school while he was away, and immediately he gets back I would describe and act it out to him.

I was also always in all the plays, dance groups and choir groups in school. Because of my interests in the arts, I went on to study Creative Arts (Theatre major) at Unilag where things started becoming a bit more serious for me and I started thinking about doing this as a career. So yes, my childhood played a big part in preparing me for what I do now.

Inspiration behind “Switope” platform

I have always had the ‘Switope’ handle across all my social media platforms and I got the name from one of my sister’s roommates in university that year, Sonia.

She asked me to help her with something and I did without hesitating and she went on and on about how sweet I was and then called me ‘Sweet Ope’, I liked it and changed my Facebook name to that, and the rest is history. I also did not start out thinking I will use social media to showcase my talents. However, as you know, I have always had the passion for entertaining people and during the pandemic and lockdown, I felt that I could entertain and help put some smiles on people’s faces and things took off from there.

The journey so far

It has been a long and interesting journey. I tend to look at an artist’s journey in 3 phases, learning, growth, and established phases. Looking back now my learning phase started from my acting and dancing in primary school. Without learning those basics, I would not have had the skill and confidence to go down this path. However, In the past year, I have moved into early stages of the growth phase, I’ve added more dimension to my performances, and I’ve matured a lot as an entertainer. I expect to continue this growth phase over the next few years and increase my versatility. Following that, I am looking forward to getting into the established phase and there is still a long way to go so watch this space.

Being a voiceover artist, actor, content creator, and managing it all

With such a busy schedule, I must be focused and extremely organised. I have a well thought out schedule that helps to compartmentalise and deliver in all aspects of my life. For example, I have set times for my radio show which do not change, so I can plan around it. Outside of those set times, I search for new content and practice my acting lines. I then ensure that I give myself enough time to record and edit any videos I need to post. My days can be long but because I’m doing what I love, it is very fulfilling.

My CNN feature

it has only been a few days so it is hard to say how it has affected my journey so far. But one thing is for certain, it made me realize that indeed, people are watching.

Challenges of my work

As a creative and a content creator, you need to ensure that you are constantly keeping things fresh and ensuring you are hitting the right notes with the intended audience. In the world that we are in nowadays, a lot of people are one-hit wonders, and it is very challenging to ensure that I don’t fall into that trap. So, I have to always keep my content fresh and engaging.

Other Projects and Activities

I am a radio host and a certified voiceover artist and you probably must have heard my voice on an advert/jingle or on my radio show. I am also an actress and I have featured in a few acting roles. Most recently I featured in a sitcom which will be out soon. I am very keen on getting more prominent acting roles and I am constantly on the lookout for opportunities in this area.

3 Women who Inspire me

Genevieve Nnaji, because growing up, I watched her and really wanted to be like her some day and seeing that after many years she’s still very relevant in Nollywood is something huge.

Funke Akindele Bello, also because I grew up watching her and people say women are not funny, but she is one of those that have changed that narrative.

Beyonce, because I admire her work ethics, I haven’t worked with her yet but It’s not easy being a mom and an entertainer and she pulls it off effortlessly.

Nuggets on to become a good content creator

Be creative and always think of ways to stand out. Someone has probably already done what you want to do but yours can be more creative or more Inspiring or even funnier. You need to constantly think of what makes your craft unique.

Being a Woman of Rubies

I am a woman of Rubies because I am inspiring, and in my own little way, I try to make the world a better place by putting smiles on people’s faces.

You can connect with Ope via her social media platforms below;

Instagram : @Switope

Twitter : @Switope

Tiktok : @switope

Facebook : Swit Ope Keshinro

In Fashion July 15, 2021 By Women of Rubies

How Ijeoma Onuoha Is Creating Stylish Fashion For Women Through Asoebigirl

Every woman wants to feel and look good, and finding the right stylish clothing for any occasion plays such an important part in that process.

In Nigeria, entrepreneur Ijeoma Onuoha, founder of fashion business Asoebigirl Limited and creator of the brand, Touchbyasoebigirl, is bringing her stylish designs within reach of every discerning woman.

Ijeoma Onuoha is the founder and head creative designer at TouchbyAsoebigirl, a female fashion brand founded in 2017 under the parent company Asoebigirl Limited. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Technology from the University of Port Harcourt and a certificate in the Essentials of Entrepreneurship from Harvard Business School.

Your dreams are valid regardless of what your present situation looks like. Just start!

Touchbyasoebigirl is a female fashion brand (parent company Asoebigirl Limited) created to meet the fashion needs of women through affordable but stylish clothing.

Their customers are fondly called “Touch Woman”. A Touch Woman is a woman that stays stylish regardless of what time or day or occasion it is, and to this end, Touchbyasoebigirl caters to different events; corporate look, casual, events and weddings, swim wear, lounge wear etc.

Their pieces are tailored uniquely to cater to individual styles and personality and their customer base currently extends beyond Nigeria into other African countries (Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Cameroon), UK, Europe and the US/Canada.
They recently launched a collection called the Touch Executive Woman which offers finely tailored pants suits that show the sexy, confident and powerful sides of the women that wear them.

She was inspired to be a fashion entrepreneur by her mother who has been a fashion designer for more than three decades. What she picked up as means of unwinding from work stress has now become a major source of income for her.

In her words, “Every time I walk into a room, I start to look for where there are needs (in some situations, I create the needs), and then find ways to meet these needs. You can say I have always been a sales woman. I started my first business at 19 years old while in University, I sold make-up products for a couple of years, sold thrift jackets from the UK and even lifestyle products like BP machines. The idea of multiple streams of income forever appeals to me and this explains why today I have a business running in fashion while I maintain a 9-5 job in the Healthcare industry. I guess we can say entrepreneurship comes naturally for me.”

Ijeoma Onuoha has over 7 years of work experience in Business development, relationship management and sales across different industries including Telecommunications, Media and most recently, healthcare.

In Career Gems July 12, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Naomi Osaka Partners With Netflix To Release 3-Part Docuseries About Her Rise To Fame

Naomi Osaka has partnered with Netflix for a three-part docu-series about her rise to fame. The self-titled documentary, which is narrated by Osaka, follows her career after her 2018 U.S Open victory.

“The series is about Naomi’s journey, within a snapshot of her life,” Academy Award nominated director Garrett Bradley said in a press release. “But it’s also about life’s purpose, about personal worth, about the courage that it takes to allow one’s personal values to inform their work and vice versa. More than anything, I’d hope people can feel the power of empathy and to feel encouraged to take chances in life, perhaps especially in moments where the stakes can feel impossibly high.”

Osaka’s win against her idol, Serena Williams, catapulted her career pretty quickly, which she didn’t expect and wasn’t quite ready for.

“I think the amount of attention that I get is kind of ridiculous,” she said in the trailer. “No one prepares you for that.”

The Netflix synopsis states:

With unprecedented access, we follow Osaka during a historic two years in which she works on her game but also begins to find her voice. Whether she’s defending her grand slam titles — while wearing masks in defense of Black lives — mourning the unexpected loss of mentor Kobe Bryant, or finding her independence, the challenges Naomi faces on a personal level begin to align with those in the public sphere.

Empathetic in its approach, the series chronicles Osaka’s hectic training and travel schedule, explores the layers of pressure she is under and reveals how she spends her time off the court hanging with her closest family and friends.

Today she’s the number two tennis player in the world and is highly decorated but her success is plagued with episodes of depression.

Before withdrawing from this year’s French Open, Osaka expressed she didn’t want to participate in media interviews during the event because of how it affected her mental health.

In Career Gems July 12, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Coronation Merchant Bank Appoints Chinwe Egwim As Chief Economist

Leading financial institution, Coronation Merchant Bank Limited, has announced the appointment of Chinwe Egwim as the Chief Economist of the Bank as of June 28, 2021.

Prior to joining Coronation Merchant Bank, she had worked at FBNQuest Merchant Bank, FBN Capital, Fitch Ratings Milan and the Central Bank of Nigeria. She holds a Masters in Financial Economics from Kingston University London, a BA in Economics from Kwame Nkrumah University Kumasi Ghana and is an alumna of the European School of Economics.

With over 500 published economic notes under her belt, Chinwe has carved a niche as an outstanding economist renowned for consistently applying rigorous analysis in her work whilst ensuring Africa’s economic landscape is better understood. Her contributions have also supported high-level committees’ setup by development agencies like the World Bank. Furthermore, she has been included in IMF Article IV consultations and is also an active member of the Africa Development Bank Meetings. Presently, she sits as a member of the board committee on research at the Nigeria Economic Summit Group and has served as Resident Economist for the research-based initiative, AiR – Africa Investment Roundtable.

Commenting on her appointment, the Managing Director/CEO of Coronation Merchant Bank, Banjo Adegbohungbe said, “Chinwe brings in a wealth of experience in economic analysis and financial matters. Her broad experience and competence – within macroeconomics, research, as well as economic policy and reforms -positions her appropriately to provide strategic insights for our customers. We are certain she will be an excellent addition to the Coronation team and we trust she will enjoy working with us.”

In Inspiration July 14, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Ruth Wewura Guribie Is Empowering Ghanian Women With Her Natural Skincare Brand

For decades, women across the African continent have known how good shea butter is for the skin. This is why Ruth Wewura Guribie, the founder of Sava Shea Company Limited in Ghana, is creating a natural skincare brand that celebrates this much-loved local ingredient.

Sava Shea Company Ltd is a female-owned cosmetics company established in 2015 in Ghana to solve the growing need for natural skincare products by manufacturing and distributing high quality skincare products. Their products are made from premium quality unrefined shea butter handcrafted by rural women in the Northern parts of Ghana and infused with oils and other natural ingredients that are purchased locally.

Their products are simple, natural, and portray to the world what Ghana has to offer in skin care. Their products include Body Creams/Butters, African Black Soap Shower Gel, Lip balm, Hair/Beard growth Oil and unrefined shea butter.

She was motivated to start Save Shea when she discovered that most of the skincare products she used were full of synthetic chemicals; some of which were not even listed in the ingredients. Her skin was being soaked in a cocktail of chemicals everyday with unknown long-term effects. So she decided to start listening to her body and stopped using these products.
Thereafter, she began experimenting in the kitchen making products using only natural oils and butters that she knew were safe and could be sourced sustainably.

You will have many reasons to quit at some point, but don’t. Be passionate about what you do and communicate it in the way that feels most inspired, natural and unique to you.

Quite simply, if a product is made using organic ingredients, you are guaranteed that it has the environment and sustainable practice at heart. So, she felt producing organic skincare products would be her way of helping the process of slowing down the ever increasing speed at which our world is degrading. She never wanted to be just another company making natural products. She wanted to make sure her customers were enjoying best quality products for the most reasonable price she could sell them at.

“Of course, I started this business with the goal of financial success. However, this company is so much more. Save Shea represents me. It is a manifestation of my passion, dedication, skills, and talents. It’s been 5 years since I started this journey, and like any other start up founder, I have had my shares of highs and lows. I certainly had some interesting learnings along the way, which has helped me become a better person and an entrepreneur. I have learned that I am not capable of doing everything nor knowing everything, so I had to learn to get the right people on my team, ask for help, and say no to things I was incapable of delivering. I knew the journey was going to be both exciting and painful, but just as my mother had always taught me growing up, this was MY journey and both my successes and failures are direct results of ME and by ME! I am ready to walk it through and make it work despite the odds.”

Sava Shea is differentiated from other brands on the basis that we focus on manufacturing products that are safe for all skin types and ages, effective and free of chemicals.

In Inspiration July 15, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Meet Mildred Agbana, The Premium Organic Vegan Skincare Brand Builder In Ghana

The beauty and wellbeing benefits of shea butter are well known, but now for those looking for a premium brand and product range which is organic, vegan, and suitable for the most sensitive skins, help is at hand from Kinapure.

In Ghana, Kina Africa, founded by entrepreneur and health specialist, Mildred Mawusi Agbana (Millie), and trading under the brand name Kinapure, is creating a range of products that are handcrafted, organic, cruelty-free, 100% vegan, hypoallergenic and non-GMO.

Mildred Mawusi Agbana is the founder and ceo of Kinapure (USA) and Kina Africa (Ghana). The brand is a premium health and wellness brand that is focused on building an organic and sustainable business that contributes to people’s health, while impacting the lives of rural women in Ghana through training, support and the ongoing construction of an ultramodern shea processing centre in the Savannah Region of Ghana.
Mildred has worked as a registered nurse and a chronic care manager in the USA for 10+ years and is currently pursuing her MBA.

“My biggest advice to women starting their own business is to put fear aside and try. Start small and invest less money in the beginning. Test your idea and seek help from your local organizations and other online resources. This will improve your success as an entrepreneur.”

Kina Africa LLC was founded in 2016 and its subsidiary Kinapure in 2018.
Kinapure produces the highest-grade of shea butter and other organic products, incorporating Nutrient-rich, Clean, Functional, Organic, Non-toxic, Non-GMO and Cruelty-free ingredients to deliver powerful skincare solutions.

Mildred’s journey into the world of entrepreneurship happened unplanned. According to her, “My child, Gabby developed really bad eczema when she was only a baby. As a nurse for 10+years now, there are various treatments I know for various skin conditions. I tried them all from the most expensive skincare brands to the most organic homoeopathic solutions but nothing seemed to be working for her. Some did for a while, gave her a little relief but it was never permanent and it kept feeling like a never-ending war. My friends and family couldn’t even carry or play with her. She was so uncomfortable, fussy and didn’t enjoy being touched. She would cry and cry because she was itchy and uncomfortable all the time and as her mother, whenever she cried, I cried along with her.”

“Finally, I brought up the issue with my mother and she reminded me of the power of the shea nut, the same one she used when she was pregnant with us (her children) and the same one she used for us when we were younger and had skin and hair issues. I went ahead to create a mixture with the shea butter and some other potent ingredients and used it on Gabby. I realized that even on the first day of use, Gabby had become relaxed, calm and was sleeping better. Within a few days, Gabby was already sleeping better and smiling brightly like she used to. My friends and family were impressed by the quick improvement in my daughter’s condition and asked me to make some of the elixir for them. No matter their skin tone, race, age or gender, they all came back with amazing feedback and results after using it. After realizing the elixir, I had unknowingly created rapidly advanced the quality of my daughter’s life and others, there was no turning back, this miracle product had to be shared with the world.”

Both of Mildred’s maternal grandparents were traders and they taught her the ins and outs of trade. They were able to pay for her school fees with the money they made from selling. This inspired her to becoming an entrepreneur.

“My biggest advice to women starting their own business is to put fear aside and try. Start small and invest less money in the beginning. Test your idea and seek help from your local organizations and other online resources. This will improve your success as an entrepreneur.”

In Inspiration July 13, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Sarah Kuponiyi Is Impacting Lives Through Her “A Well-Informed Adolescent Initiative (AWA)”

Sarah Kuponiyi is a passionate youth leader whose work cut across gender equality and sexual reproductive health.

The certified adolescent sexual health professional from Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research (GFMER) Switzerland has other certifications from Global Health Learning Center an affiliate of John Hopkins Public Health Institute.

Her passion for development and advocacy led to the founding of A Well-Informed Adolescent (AWA) Initiative, where she leads the team in creating and managing Safe Spaces that ensure young people can achieve their potential by enabling them access to essential services such as sexual health, mental health building equitable gender norms skills among adolescents, quality formal and technical education and opportunities to create livelihood like skills acquisition and empowerment without being exposed to discrimination, harassment, emotional or physical harm.

Since Inception, AWA Initiative has implemented projects on addressing Gender based violence at the community level, fighting for gender equality, youth health and development that has been donor funded by Global Affairs Canada, IHS Towers of Strength, Peace First, and Pollination Grant among others. She also leads innovative school based interventions on adolescents’ sexual reproductive health programs. She manages various Youth Resource Centers a role she has been consistently doing even after working with CUSO International as a Youth Resource Center Manager.

Sarah who is also the CEO of Alora Reusable Pads uses her skills to advocate for upholding of human rights for sexual reproductive health, to ensure women and gils can be equal and free to make dcisons in all spheres of their lives, without discrimination. Violence or coercion.

Through AWA , Sarah has handled several projects like;

A Well-Informed Adolescents Campaign
Tackling Gender Based Violence; A weekly program that offers crucial approach to poverty reduction, economic development and a key to protect sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Friday Talk Date: In this event we provide adequate age appropriate comprehensive sexuality education to adolescents at the youth resource center
Safe Space Activities: We provide youth friendly services that cater for the overall development of young people
Health and Livelihood Programs

We celebrate Sarah for adding value to humanity, and using her platforms for social good.

You can contact AWA Initiative via the links below;

Website: www.awainitiative.org

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/AWAInitiative22

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWAInitiative

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awa_initiative

Email: awainitiative@gmail.com

Contact: +2348092287963

In Editor's Choice July 9, 2021 By Women of Rubies

#Interview| “I’m Teaching Parents How To Accept And Love Special Kids”- Mofolusho Liasu

Mofolusho Liasu is the founder of Super Parents Foundation, which gives assistive aid to the disabled. She is a lawyer, advocate, a business woman and a mother.

Her foundation, inspires, educates, advocates and raise awareness about disability myths and truths. Skills acquisition programs are organized to help indigents become more self-reliant as well give grants to help them set up their startup. Also frequent soft skills training are also set up to help them develop better coping skills. Assistive aids like wheelchairs, walker, etc and scholarships are given to some children with disabilities.

People’s homes, schools, and communities are usually visited. They also educate individuals on the need of showing empathy and compassion to people with disabilities. Foluwasho’s foundation fights for children with disabilities to be included in mainstream schools and to have access to other social benefits.

Super Parents foundation hosts over 500 children annually to mark the annual Children’s Day to promote social inclusion, bringing together children with disabilities and those without.

On this interview with Women of Rubies, she takes on a her journey.

Did your childhood prepare you in anyway for what you do now, tell us more about your growing up?

Hmm, I won’t say a No, though I never considered it until I was reminded. My best friend in secondary school was a girl with polio. I became close to her because I discovered she was enjoying the pitiful attention. I believe she was more than that and so I discouraged her from getting carried away by the pity from others. I insisted we must do things ourselves without the help of others. We would fetch water together, wash clothes etc. without anyone’s help. She became bold and always showcased her abilities whenever it was necessary. She became the social prefect and received many awards. We came across each other recently through our Alumni platform and she told me God used her to prepare me for this. Lol, it didn’t occur to me till she mentioned it.

While growing up, I hated children being bullied or discriminated based on status or for whatever reasons so I can say that could be a factor. I have never discriminated between a child with disability and one without, everyone was same to me.

I also remembered I was 10years thereabouts when my dad took me for his friend’s birthday party and I noticed the other son was kind of bullied by his father, it was obvious the boy was different but I couldn’t —- much disability then, if I would access him now, its probably mild autism with speech impediment. I saw how the mum was showing her displeasure on how he is been treated by his dad. I remember I was very upset with his dad and sad for the boy. That scene stuck to my head for years but I never thought of it making me an advocate I am today but I guess subconsciously it did.

What inspired you to start the Super Parents Foundation?

Like I said earlier, I am someone who is passionate and also aspire to change wrong social narratives to positives, advocating for care and support for vulnerable persons and protection for victims or abused. I came across a story on a group, a mother, her deaf child who needed hearing aid which costs 1million. I never knew assistive gadgets like that was so expensive. It led me to inbox her and we became very close, I got to find out the sufferings and discriminations she had to go through from her family, in-laws and society. That led me to advocating for these vulnerable parents, from there I formed a support group on Facebook called Super Parents for parents to speak their mind and share their experience, to get comfort and support from others experienced parents and supporters.

The group grew and became very alive and it was registered as NGO two years ago and it been working strong since then. Empowering members who needsupport.

Tell us about this great foundation, it’s impact in the society, and testimonials since inception

The foundation has become a strong platform for everyone, it’s an inclusive foundation which supports vulnerable persons especially persons and children with disabilities, widows are also supported too.

The foundation has a Facebook platform where people are free to speak their mind without fear of discrimination. People learn and unlearn about many issues e.g, disabilities, pregnancy, marriage and different issues affecting everyone.

Inclusive events like children’s party are organized, the children have fun and empathy is the order of the day. Our slogan ‘Let Love Lead’ is also a leading factor for us, this directs us to respect everyone equally.

We have so many testimonies from our members and even persons in the society. Parents of children with special needs no longer hide their children or the facts that they have children with special needs, the boldly advocate for other children with special needs against discrimination, also canvassing support for them. Since the advent of Super Parents Foundation, parents boldly celebrate their children with disabilities online, in their birthdays and other occasions, also to inspire others. This was a vary uncommon practice before now.

You have organized and sponsored several advocacy and empowerment programs, how do you manage it all and what drives you?

My drive is my desire to change my narratives and my — to do what I right. Above all, God called me to do this and I must fulfil my mission no matter what it takes.

From your experience, and as one with deep passion for disabled children what would greatly improve their plight in the country, and what are the things that have not been rightly applied.

Honestly, there has been great development when it comes to the support for persons and children with special needs in this country especially in Lagos State but we are still far from near perfect.

They need support in everyday, from education, to medical, to accessibility, infrastructure, etc. Once the country moves to — development, everything including the disability community will be affected positively. A lot is not applied rightly, from infrastructure or buildings that is not accessible for wheel chairs, lack of origin language interpreters in public places, roads which are bad for wheel chairs to public special and inclusive schools that are not up to standard, to poor medical facility for their, so much more. Like I said earlier, we have a long way to go.

What are some of the challenges you face?

We face lots of challenges.

The Inability of the parents and the society to accept their children with disabilities. These children are subjected to cruel treatment by relatives, native doctors and religious homes.

Funds – The work is cumbersome and we have low support compared to the task to be tackled.

Poverty – Most of these vulnerable persons and children cannot afford the basic and managing disability in Nigeria is expensive so they suffer so much from hunger to lack of adequate medical care.

Tell us about your other projects and activities?

We have lots of projects and activities. One of the biggest events is Inclusive Children’s Party. The children have fun not minding their condition, assistive gadgets are given out etc.

Empowerment – We empower members with skill acquisition training and a also provide tools or provide them with minimal capital funds to help them start their business.

We also engage in online projects to stimulate the parents to be able to help their children without much fund or assistance needed.

Mention 3 women who inspire you and why

To be honest, it won’t be fair to mention any names, from my mother, to my friends, to supporters, to mothers with special needs, widows, to the woman on the street or the one I watch on TV or online, they all inspire me. 99%of my supporters, donors, volunteers are ALL WOMEN, they all inspire me to keep pushing.

Could you share some of your favourite nuggets about life with us?

“You cannot give what you don’t have” – I cannot give love if I don’t have it, I cannot give strength to the vulnerable if I don’t have it too.

So sometimes, I sit down to reflect, then refill myself spiritually, physically and financially so as to give my best to those I serve.

“What you appreciate cannot depreciate” – I loves appreciating people, also value my supporters and lovers. I believe I increase my values and theirs when I appreciate the love and kindness they show me.

What makes you a woman of rubies?

Because I choose to see myself not just as an ordinary woman but a woman with vision and goals with God’s given ability to execute them, to impact myself and the world at large. To God be the glory.

In Fashion July 8, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Meet Michelle Hammond, CEO Of Ruahh Creating Ghanaian Fashion Pieces With Modern Styles

Michelle Hammond, the founder and CEO of Ruahh was born and raised in Ghana but moved to the United States to complete her Bachelor’s degree.
Today, her business and brand, Ruahh, is focused on fusing her Ghanaian culture with modern design to create chic accessories for women that are symbolic and unique. In weaving her African pride into her brand, she invites everyone to explore her culture, understand its nuances and share in her sense of belonging.

Ruahh fashion brand provides chic and unique accessories for the versatile woman and her adventures. Crafted from high quality materials in an array of exuberant colours, they create pieces that combine comfort, convenience, and style.

The name ‘Ruahh’, which means ‘spirit or breath of God that fills all living beings’, is especially symbolic, as Michelle hopes to breathe new life into the concept of versatile style.

Even though she didn’t come from an entrepreneurial background, ever since she was a child, she always dreamt of starting a company making something she would wear. At a young age, Michelle would make clothes for dolls and sell them to her friends. She thought nothing of it then but over the years growing up, that stirred up a passion of starting or owning a company someday.

Fast forward to the Fall of 2020, Ruahh was born. Starting this business when there’s a global crisis has caused problems with vendor sourcing, shipment delays and rejections, but she admits that every challenge has provided her the opportunity to hone her creative skills and learn new things in business.

The motivation to begin the brand came when as a mother of two, Michelle always needed a multi-purpose but stylish bag that could effortlessly double as a diaper and casual bag. And she searched but couldn’t find any bag that she was satisfied with. As all her findings were either too expensive, not stylish enough or without an acceptable quality. So, she decided to create a bag that didn’t sacrifice style, quality or functionality for every woman who values versatility. That was the drive behind Ruahh.

Since its inception, she has added earrings that are vibrant in colour and adds a beautiful statement to any outfit for any occasion.

“Starting a business can be both exciting and disappointing. While you keep your expectations, dreams and faith high, be patient with yourself and the process. It does eventually pay off.” Michelle advises women who want to launch a business anytime in their life.

In Food July 6, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Monica Musonda, Zambian Entrepreneur and CEO of Java Foods

What qualifies you as an entrepreneur is how much solutions you’re willing to deploy to the current existing problems in your immediate environment.
This is what Monica Musonda did with her food company, Java Foods. She realized that in Zambia, people do not eat right and feed well despite how big the agricultural sector of Zambia is. She set out to ensure that her people are able to access nutritional and healthy food through her innovation and processing of healthy plant-based foods.

Monica Musonda is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Java Foods, a Zambian based food processing company. It is committed to providing high quality and nutritious food from local products at affordable prices. Java Foods’ first product was “eeZee Instant Noodles”, which is Zambia’s leading instant noodle brand today. Monica is a dual qualified English solicitor and Zambian advocate. She has held senior positions in private practice with Clifford Chance & Edward Nathan.

She has also worked as in house corporate counsel at International Finance Corporation and for Dangote Group. Her experience working with Aliko Dangote, one of Africa’s most successful entrepreneurs, gave her the impetus to start Java Foods.

Monica founded Java Foods to provide affordable nutrition to the southern African market. Her company seeks to revolutionize the eating habits of the youth market by offering them affordable and nutritious food options made from local products.

Her food company was born out of the need to provide mothers of children under five years of age multiple options of nutritious foods to choose from. Not only that, she also works to make sure they are affordable and available for every one, regardless of their economic differences.

As part of the challenges she has faced as an entrepreneur, she explained in her words, “When you are an entrepreneur, another of the challenges is to keep going when you encounter hurdles and when the going gets tough – it is not easy. At these times, there is a human tendency to want to panic, and as an individual you question whether you can do this, whether you can see the business through to its full potential and to a level that people expect of you. Even when you are growing as a business, there is a fear and a doubt that remains, and you are almost afraid of your own success. In recent times when Zambia was going through its depreciation, I personally experienced doubt in such times, but I felt that despite the challenges, it was too soon to give up. I found great people I could speak with, both men and women, but I found that particularly other women were interesting to engage with in order to get feedback on how they manage to balance the pressures of expanding a business with maintaining their own personal and family lives. Often, I found it so worthwhile to engage with other women and get their insights and hear their own experiences in similar circumstances. The great thing was that I heard from other women entrepreneurs that the experiences I was going through were normal and that despite the challenges, the journey would be worth it and the challenges got over in time. So now as I move forward with the next phase of my own entrepreneurial journey, I am interested to speak to more women who are doing similar things in business, as their insight is really useful. In the past, I have had more male mentors, but now a combination of perspectives is refreshing. Today, I hear from so many other women entrepreneurs that they have gone through similar experiences on their business building journeys and have successfully come out the other side of many challenges – this is always reassuring to hear.”

Best advice?… “Firstly I would say, don’t be afraid to start. I think we find in Africa that women carry so many things, they have so many great ideas, but often are afraid of starting. The point is that you are not going to build a factory on day one, but you can start small with what you can manage – the idea is to just start.