Women of Rubies
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Women of Rubies

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Meet Ory Okolloh, The Kenyan Activist Using Her Skills To Increase Government Transparency

Tech-savvy lawyer and activist Ory Okolloh Mwangi combines her skills and passion to increase government transparency and accountability.

She is known as the “Kenyan pundit” for good reason: not only does she have strong opinions about government transparency, the role of entrepreneurship and African storytelling – she has also always been committed to helping others share their voices.

Until recently, Ory was the Managing Director, Omidyar Network and Luminate Group in Africa – both part of The Omidyar Group – a diverse collection of companies, organizations and initiatives united by a common desire to catalyse positive social impact.

She serves on the board of several organisations including the Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company, Stanbic Holdings Plc and Stanbic Bank Kenya, and is the Chair of the Stanbic Foundation.

She is also an Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN) Fellow and has in the past served as advisory board member to Twiga Foods, Amnesty International Africa and Endeavor Kenya among several other organisations.

Ory has a Juris Doctor (the equivalent of a master’s degree) from Harvard Law School and a B.A in Political Science (summa cum laude) from the University of Pittsburgh.

Her current role as a non-executive director at East African Breweries Ltd (EABL) saw her picked as a member of the Covid-19 ICT Advisory Committee which is tasked with integrating ICT in the fight against the pandemic.

A gazette notice issued by Cabinet Secretary for ICT Joe Mucheru stated the role of the newly established committee would be to assess how ICT can support efforts to combat the virus, including to develop and implement a framework for identifying, supporting and scaling local technology.

Prior to her new frontline role, Ory was Google’s Policy and Strategy Manager for Africa. She was at the forefront of developing technology innovation as a founding member of Ushahidi.

She is also the co-founder of Mzalendo, a website that tracks the performance of Kenyan MPs. Ory Okolloh spearheaded the founding of Ushahidi, a revolutionary crowd sourcing utility that enables citizen journalists and eyewitnesses all over the world to report incidents of violence through the web, mobile E-mail, SMS, and Twitter.

In 2011 Ory was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, and one of Africa’s most Powerful Women by Forbes Magazine.

In 2014 she was featured in the prestigious list of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.

Source: leadingladiesafrica.org

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Bunmi Adeniba Has Been Appointed As Marketing Director Of Coca-Cola.

Bunmi Adeniba, an experienced marketing professional and commercial operator with a strong bias for using consumer insights and her understanding of an end-to-end manufacturing process to harness value for multiple stakeholders, has been appointed as the new Marketing Director of Coca-Cola Nigeria Plc.

Prior to her current appointment, Mrs. Adeniba, the Acting President of Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), was the Marketing Director of Unilever Nigeria. She is also the Vice-President of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA). The WFA Executive Committee brings together senior marketers and public affairs executives to reflect the dual mission of helping marketers be more effective and efficient in terms of their marketing spend, while helping brand owners protect and future-proof their license to operate through advocacy and effective advertising self-regulation.

Mrs. Adeniba has worked in several other FMCG companies in her career trajectory. She is a customer focused professional with broad spectrum, cross functional work experience spanning brand building, new products and category development, supply chain/quality management and quality systems set up.

Her ability to quickly understand, interpret and apply strategic directions is believed to be highly remarkable and commendable. She has a great disposition and is always willing to learn and share knowledge.

Mrs. Adeniba’s over two decades experience spans across brand building, innovation design, and quality management systems.

She has an MBA from Hult Business School, Boston and a certificate of Strategic Marketing Management from Harvard Business School, Massachusetts, USA.

She is a 2018 CSC Leader, a global programme for exceptional senior leaders selected from government, businesses and NGOs across the 53 countries of the commonwealth

Mrs. Adeniba is passionate about women empowerment and raising phenomenal leaders in the marketplace.

She has been recognised as one of the fifty Ladies in corporate Nigeria by Leading Ladies Africa and Brand communicator’s top 50 women in marketing and communication in Nigeria.

Mrs. Adeniba holds membership with the Institute of Directors (IOD), National institute of Marketing (NIMN), Chartered institute of Marketing UK (MCIM), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), and American Society of Quality (ASQ). She is a Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP) from the Digital Marketing Institute.

This article was culled from Marketingedge.com.

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Aisha Gumel Is Helping Teenagers Overcome Peer Pressure

Aisha Gumel Farouq is the teen educator and Pre-marital coach.  Aisha understands peer pressure and it’s diverse effect on teenagers. She provides them with the necessary guidance and the answers they need.

She is the founder of Playhouse Daycare, a successful and most sought-after early childhood centre focused on educating young children in a safe, nurturing, and innovative environment. She believes every child deserves a good foundation in education and should be given one.

She is also a partner in a consultancy firm (The Playhouse Mini Co.) that helps individuals start up their early childhood centres and organisations to set up daycare pods.

The educator is also known as  “Coaching with Mrs F” where she guides intended couples and young adults based on her experiences and skills.

Additionally, Aisha is a member of the technical sub-committee, a part of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) member tasked with curating the conversation around the annual high-level summit from 2019 to date.

She enjoys learning about innovative education and hopes to be a catalyst for change in the educational sector.

We celebrate her for helping teenagers make the right choice and live a purposeful life.

 

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Elizabeth Ovwigho Is Teaching Women How To Succeed In The Jewellery Business

Elizabeth Ovwigho, popularly known as Aunty Muse, is a seasoned Entrepreneur and brand influencer. She has a Masters (M. Ed) in Early childhood and educational foundations and a first degree [B.A(Ed)] in Educational Administration.

She is a serial Ring and Jewelry merchant with an affinity for creative accessorizing. This birthed the MUSE brand in 2019, which is fast becoming a household name on Twitter and other social media platforms.

Elizabeth values customer relationship and Consumer  feedback. This has definitely given her a leverage in the Jewelry business. She is also teaching other women how to succeed in the business, sharing daily tips and educating them on the need to prioritize customer satisfaction.

Her vision is to own one of the biggest Jewelry e-commerce store in Africa as well as become a voice to reckon with as an Accessory Consultant. She can be reached via: Lizzybovwigho@gmail.com

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Tobore Anne Emorhokpor
In Inspiration By

#WCW | Meet Tobore Anne Emorhokpor, Pharmacist With A Burning Passion For Women And Children

Tobore Anne Emorhokpor is the founder of Nigerian Child Protection Trust and the convener of the End Child Sexual Group. Tobore is a leading voice in the women and child development sector.
Tobore Anne started her educational journey at Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ojo. She then relocated to the UK for her A levels. She attended Cardiff University where she obtained a Masters degree in Pharmacy.
Driven by personal development and self-improvement, Tobore obtained additional qualifications CIPD level 5 course in Human Resources. She also did a virtual Leadership Principles Course at Harvard Business School.
Tobore has emerged as a credible voice armed with a passion for getting justice for the oppressed. She loves to go beyond people’s expectations and delight them.
She is renowned for her unique style of blended mentoring, empathy and speaking up for the oppressed through her various social media channels. Her  inspirational leadership, empathy and benevolence makes it easy for women and children to have a connection with her.
At the core of her heart, Tobore defines herself as a woman driven by love, whose vision is that of a world where children are well taken care of. She wants a Nigeria where women are empowered to look after themselves and their children.
Tobore has been at the forefront of the movement for women to be treated with kindness by their spouses. She desires for children to live good lives and have a quality education. She detests children being used and abused for child labour and wants a great reduction in sexual abuse and rape of women and minors.
The testament to her impact is the media mentions she has gotten for her humanitarian works and advocacy.
Tobore is the recipient of the Right Livelihood Award for outstanding role in reducing hunger, inequality and improving sustainability. She has also clinched the Drum Majors for Peace award for her giant strides and contributions to women and child development.
We celebrate Tobore’s passion for humanity, and her contribution towards the safety of women in the society
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In Inspiration By

“I Enjoy Bringing Couples To A Place Of Awareness And Understanding– Taiye Aluko

Taiye Aluko is a relationship and marriage coach.  The amazing amazon is also the founder of RareGems Counselling and Coaching, a centre that helps people gain clarity in their relationships. Thereby, turning despair to hopefulness and ignorance to awareness. The sought after coach who has been married for over 22 years has 16 years experience in counselling and heads her local church’s  marriage counselling unit.

She holds a degree in Law from the Obafemi Awolowo University and was called into the Nigerian Bar in 1992. She also holds an MBA from the PAN African University and is also a certified Prepare Enrich facilitator. She worked in leading law firms before starting an active career in banking, which spanned over 18 years, until 2013 when she decided to follow her passion for counseling.

Aside from her Law degree,  she  also  holds certifications in Person Centered Counselling, Psychology Counselling, Marriage and Relationship Counselling. She shares her inspiring journey and insightful relationship nuggets in tis interview with Esther Ijewere

Growing Up

I grew up as one of the last children in a family of 5. I have a twin sister which is why I am one of the last children. Growing up was largely uneventful for us. We had both parents and my dad died last year at the age of 90 years. My parents tried their best to provide a comfortable life for us, but things became difficult when my dad lost his job. My dad was a diplomat who worked with Foreign Affairs Ministry, so we spent our early years outside of Nigeria. When we came back to Nigeria and he lost his job, he wasn’t able to get back on his feet and my mom had to assume the financial responsibility. That was a turning point as we the children had to quickly adapt and adjust to the new realities of our life. Those were difficult years but my parents stayed together. I think growing up made me assume that every family consists of mother and father plus children. It took me a while to come to terms with the fact that not all families were like that. Some people grew up without fathers. Some of us were  brought up by grandparents. My parents ensured we had a stable and loving home. That for me was a great gift from them to us. I won’t really say that my childhood prepared me for what I do now. I think I discovered my love for working with couples later in life

Inspiration behind  Raregems counseling and coaching

Working in the Marriage Counselling Department of my church over the years opened me up to how needed premarital counselling is, as it was clear that many couples still had a mills and boon idea of marriage. The reality they experienced once married was at variance with what they expected, and it was resulting in heartbreak and pain for many couples. I was privileged to attend Late Pastor Bimbo Odukoya’s singles fellowship before I got married. Attending her fellowship helped reset my thinking and understanding of marriage. Then when I was about to get married, my husband and I also went through premarital counselling. As time went on, I began to see the need to offer premarital counselling outside of the church because not everyone gets married within a church setting, and they still desire to be married and happy. Because the family is the bedrock of society, it is important that we have healthy marriages and happy homes. So, my thinking in setting up RareGems Counselling and Coaching was to take premarital counselling outside of the church environment to reach more couples. I was mindful of the larger picture, which is that society is better off when the family unit is thriving. Families can only thrive when husband and wife have a wholesome relationship. Already we were seeing the impact that a lack of understanding of foundational principles was having on marriages. I felt more needed to be done and this is what inspired me to become a professional Marriage Coach and I set up my company as a vehicle to offer this service to the world.But I also realized that I would need to equip myself because my audience was now different and church rules would not apply. So, I had to equip myself with learning to be able to offer value and truly address needs that existed. Another thing I discovered was that even when preparing couples for marriage some had issues from their childhood that needed to be addressed and resolved. This meant that I had to be more than just a marriage counsellor. I had to be fully equipped.

 

Perception of marriage as it relates to Nigerian society

I would say that we are a very traditional and religious society, governed by cultural values and norms. Marriage is desired and desirable by most Nigerians, up from the time of our parents till now. So, there is still an associated stigma when one is not married. This is what puts singles, especially single women under pressure to want to marry at all costs. Because of this pressure, many make the wrong choice. Also, you have cultural interpretation, where many believe that because the man is head of the home, it is interpreted to mean that he is lord and master of all. Many men abuse their position of headship because they don’t understand what being the head of the home calls for. So, a lot of women suffer hardship in their marriages. I get calls from wives whose husbands brandish the head of house status like a badge of honor, while falling to take responsibility.

The sad thing is these men have no understanding of the responsibility aspect of being head of the home. I believe that every man needs to be taught the leadership style of Jesus. Jesus came as a servant leader and so one of things I say is that the position of headship that husbands hold in their homes is a position of servantship. They are chief servants because true leadership is all about service.

What makes me happy though is to see that the younger generation are coming into an understanding of this concept. Men are more willing to love their wives through service. They are more present and involved in making their marriage work. So, I would say that things are evolving, yes, the evolution is slow because you only see these changes in thinking and behaviour in urban areas and even in the urban areas, it is not yet a prevalent pattern. We still have a long way to go.

 

Experience as the head of marriage counselling unit in my church 

It’s been amazing because I love what I do. I recently became the head of department and I work with women who are also passionate about helping young couples start married life with a deep understanding of what marriage is about. Our focus is to teach them and equip them with needed skills for building a healthy marriage.

We operate a one-on-one counselling system in my church. This is different from group counselling where several couples are counselled together at the same time. The beauty of the one of one method is that the couple can confide in you. They get to share their challenges and I can help them work through it.  Because we are also spending a lot of time together, I am observing patterns and can give feedback appropriately. We have a very rigorous but also interesting counselling program that spans a period of 3 months. The process is engaging and participatory. It’s not about the counselor just preaching at them. You must get to know your couple and understand their journey because it’s not a one size fits all. The feedback from couples has always been very rewarding.

The role of the church in helping young couples navigate their marital journey 

I believe that the church needs to be at the forefront of helping couples navigate their marital journey. Firstly, marriage is God’s idea, and we need to uphold the principles He laid down regarding marriage. The marriage relationship is also a deeply spiritual one, otherwise how do you explain the concept of two becoming one? I believe that the church should be at the forefront of helping young couples have a deep understanding of the marriage institution and of God’s original design for marriage.

Secondly, I would also say that to be more effective, church counsellors need to be trained professionally on basic counselling skills. This is because the quality of counselling can only be as good as the knowledge of the counsellor. You can’t give what you don’t have. Many teach using their experience, this is wrong because if you have a bad experience, you will be projecting fear to the couple. Also, you must know that people’s backgrounds are different and when it comes to marriage, it is never once size fits all. So, regarding the role of the church, I say the church needs to be at the forefront both in premarital and post marital counselling.

Lastly, for the church to be at the forefront, we need to have a system of counselling that actually works, and couples need to feel safe coming to the church with their challenges. They need to be assured that there will be no judgment or condemnation. People need to see the church as a solution centre. Many churches have robust premarital counselling programs but the post marital one is lacking.  A lot of work still needs to be done regarding post marital counselling.

 

Challenges

Quite a few, number 1 being that counselling is still relatively a new concept in Nigeria. The need for professional marriage counselling is a novel concept so people are reluctant to make the financial investment. They are willing to spend millions on the wedding day, but do not see the need to invest in the actual marriage. Unfortunately, the cost of ill preparation is actually higher and the consequences can be devastating.

Another challenge would be that sometimes you can see clearly that this couple are not a good fit for each other. You see red flags and you begin to wonder; how do you get this couple to a place where they realise that they should not be going ahead. I always say at the onset of my sessions with couples that the aim of premarital counselling is not necessarily to get you to the altar at all costs, but rather to help you make an informed decision. I once had a case where the lady decided she was not going ahead and called off the relationship.

Finally, when it comes to post marital counselling, the willingness of the couple to make needed changes is very necessary. Counselling is not a magic formula, so where there is no willingness or commitment from the couple, there is little or nothing that a counsellor can do.

Other projects and activities

Thank you for asking, everything I do is directed at helping couples in one way or the other. I have a book that was written and released last year called, Together Forever, Godly Principles for Building a Happy and Lasting Marriage. The book is available for purchase on Amazon and Okada books. It’s a book that any intending to wed or newly married couple can pick up and read together. I have poured what I do in one-on-one sessions with couples into the book, so it’s a valuable resource for any couple seriously committed to making their marriage work. I also have 3 online courses which I created last year.

  1. How to have an engaging productive conversation on expectations before marriage
  2. How to grow your intimacy through the power of effective communication.
  3. Create your dream marriage, your marriage blueprint.

The courses are available for purchase on my website, Taiyealuko.coach.

I am also host of a podcast called, The H.A.P.P.Y Home Podcast this podcast is available on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1670839/episodes as well as all podcast platforms.

Finally, I have an upcoming masterclass for dating and engaged couples that I will be holding in February. The focus of the masterclass is to equip couples with very needed skills for making their marriages work. It will be the first of such master classes and I will be covering several topics. Details will be available on my social media platforms very soon.

What I enjoy about Job

I enjoy being able to impact people’s lives. I enjoy bringing the couples to a place of awareness and understanding, of themselves, their partners, and the marriage institution. It’s really a journey or transformation and I love seeing couples go through that journey and the growth that takes place in their relationship. When you are able to influence or impact people’s lives in deeply meaningful ways, it is always a rewarding experience.

3 women who inspire me and why

  1. Late Pastor Bimbo Odukoya, of blessed memory.

She was passionate about marriage but more importantly she was passionate about the single person being whole as a single first. She understood that if you are not whole as a person first, there is no way you can build a healthy marriage. She challenged mindsets with her preaching, and she shaped my thinking and beliefs about marriage when I was still single. I went into marriage having been properly schooled by her teachings at Single and Married Fellowship back them. It’s interesting to note that I even met my husband at one of her singles programs. She would always encourage us to mingle, so that evening at one of such programs, we were all mingling and just generally being friendly towards each other, in a godly way o, lol. That was how my husband mingled towards my direction and the rest is history.

  1. My mom, Mama Oluyinka Laoye.

My dad lost his job and for many years she was the breadwinner and provider in the family. It wasn’t easy for her, but she stayed with my dad despite the challenges. She ensured that we grew up in a happy home. She made lots of sacrifices for her children and for her husband. I say it often, that for a long time I never understood single parent households, because I agree up seeing my parents together.

  1. Lastly, I would say more recently, Pastor Mildred Okonkwo. She is fearless in her preaching and teaching about marriage. She is not afraid to say it as it is. She is also practical in her approach whilst also promoting godly principles regarding marriage. She is one woman who is so full of wisdom, and I admire her a great deal.

To young women who are trying to find the right partner

Firstly, get to know yourself and love yourself. Get to understand that you are valuable and priceless. As a young woman don’t undervalue yourself. Many women are making wrong choices because of low self-esteem. I want young women to know that they are precious and priceless. Secondly, you must have your values. Know what is important to you and have a vision for your life because if you don’t know where you are meant to be going, all roads will look attractive. Set standards for yourself. It is very important particularly with regards to choosing right. Lastly, if I am to choose one critical quality to look out for, I would say kindness. Look out for a man that is full of kindness. You will see this in the way he treats all those around him including his family members. Kindness is such an overlooked virtue but is so critical for marriage success. It is particularly important for men to have kind hearts. There are too many stories of wickedness out there, it is heartbreaking.

There is so much more I can talk about but, let me leave it as these for now.

 

Nuggets and lessons from my 22 years marriage  

We clocked  22 years in marriage on the 14th of January. For me it has been a journey of learning and growing, that is one of the most beautiful things about marriage. One of the greatest gifts you can give your spouse is the gift of acceptance. Acceptance is a gift that is not just for your spouse but also for you. My husband and I are very different and in the early days of our marriage I used to feel so frustrated with some of the things he did. I would be miserable wondering why this man just can see it the way I do. But then I began to understand that difference is not bad, I learnt to appreciate him for his uniqueness and accept him for who he is. That was when I started understanding the power of acceptance. My learning to accept him helped me to begin to enjoy his uniqueness. I stopped wanting him to be like me but learnt to love, honor, and respect him just the way he was. Remember that we can’t change anybody, so trying to change our spouses in subtle and not subtle ways, only leaves us frustrated. When I stopped trying to change him, I freed myself from that frustration. Now acceptance is a gift to your spouse because you say to them with your actions that they can be themselves with you. That even with their flaws and frailties you love and appreciate them. Every human being on earth wants to feel accepted, so when you give the gift of acceptance to your spouse, they can be vulnerable and truly be open with you. Once you create an atmosphere of unconditional acceptance in your home, things become easier.

Another nugget I would mention is that marriage is a journey. There are seasons and stages that every marriage must pass through. Recognizing the season your marriage is at, is key. That way you can deal appropriately with challenges per season. Many times, people give up easily or early because they don’t take a long-term view. One of the things I say to couples is that, if God has purposed that He has a mega blessing that He wants to release in your marriage in the 10th year and you get to the 5th year and decide to call it quits because you feel the challenges are too much, you have missed the mega blessing is year 10. God sees and knows all regarding us. We need to trust Him more and follow His lead.

Being a Woman of Rubies

I believe every woman is a woman of rubies. As women, we are precious and priceless. We are beautifully crafted masterpieces, specially created by our Master. Every woman carries beauty on the inside and that is our strength. We women are nurturers and co-creators with God.  In the bible, rubies are associated with beauty and wisdom. I see every woman as beautiful and full of wisdom. As for me as a person, because I am a woman, I am automatically a woman of rubies. You know rubies are precious gemstones and coincidently, I once belonged to a women’s network where we all had to give ourselves descriptive names. The name I chose for myself is Gemstone. I see myself the way God sees me as a beautiful gemstone, crafted in His image and likeness. My friends still call me Gemstone Taiye till today. For me it is a reminder of the value that I carry.

 

Also, I am passionate about pursuing my purpose, I understand who I am and the assignment I am on earth to fulfil. I can say this now, confidently but it has been a journey of learning and growing. I am not afraid to be myself. So, for me, I am passionately walking the journey of purpose. My goal this year is to help 1000 couples and 5000 singles. I want to help 1000 couples build happy and healthy homes. The strength of the home is the strength of society, the home is so important. But I also recognise that it starts with the individual first. You cannot give what you don’t have. Wounded people wound people and we see a lot of that in marriage. That is why the mandate of 5000 singles exists. If you are whole as a single person, you stand a better chance of making a success of your marriage whenever it happens.

 

 

 

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‘My Podcast Was birthed Out Of My Love For Radio’ -Winifred Njoaguani

Winifred Njoaguani, host of The Word of Wini Podcast.  She is an experienced customer relations officer, a communication media creative, an audio, visual and text content creator. She is passionate about equity and females all over the world, creating content for female-based platforms like The Girl Power media and has attended several global leadership trainings.

She shares her Ruby Girl story with the team.

1. Tell us about your childhood, Winifred. What was growing up like for you?

I had an amazing childhood, I must say. I’m the first child of four kids so I have always had the responsibility of looking out for and taking care of my younger ones. I grew up in a Christian home that upholds values and morals, my mother is a disciplinarian and she would never allow anything go wrong under her watch or give room for any of her kids misbehave.

However, as strict as my mother was, she taught me to always talk to her about everything, even though I was going to get in trouble for it. I shared a close-knitted bond with my family, including my cousins, and we have maintained that till date

At school, my sibings and I have always excelled and made our parents proud. I was always the one selected to handle several leadership positions; class prefect, head girl, social prefect even being leader of cultural dance groups, school choir, etc

Growing up was a mixture of discipline, education, family love and leadership for me.

2. Have you or people around you always known that you would be this passionate about equity and females?

In my family, we always represent fairness in every situation and regardless of things like gender, age, tribe, etc
I’ve always been passionate about females, people who know me well know that you cannot come near my sisters or my female friends, I will bite you (laughs). I remember one time in Secondary School when I was made class prefect by my class teacher and then someone made a side comment that it should have been a boy. I didn’t understand why and it didn’t make sense to me.

One time a male classmate hit me, I hit him back and we broke into a fight, my class teacher gave reasons I shouldn’t be fighting in school; It was morally wrong, I agreed to that, I was a Prefect, I agreed to that, I was a girl, now this confused me. He said a guy can hit back because he’s supposed to man up but a girl should run crying to the staff room. It didn’t make sense.

One other time, during sports activities, we were playing tug of war, girls vs boys and girls won, a teacher said to the boys, “you’re not ashamed, you let girls win you” that didn’t make sense as well!
So, yes, I had always known.

3. One accessory you can’t leave home without?

I barely wear jewelleries so I’d say my glasses. I could have said my phone but it could be an emergency and at that time I just want to see where I’m running to properly.

4. Judging by your years of practice in the Customer relation office, what have you noticed most organizations and institutions are lacking in regards to customer relations? Any suggestions on how they can improve?

I think that would be the speed at which they attend to even the smallest of issues and some unnecessary protocols I see in some places. It’s easy, as much as you can, reduce the difference in time between when a customer laid an issue to when that issue is being resolved and make the entire experience less stressful and more simplified for customers. Also, there are times when customer service personnels are helpless, maybe it’s a management policy that they really cannot do anything about asides from trying to pacify the customer. As much as feedback from external customers matter, institutions should take feedback from their internal customers (staff, etc) seriously as well, listen to them and try to make their own service experience better.

5. You specialise in creating female-based contents, how do you source for your content ideas? And any major lessons or tips?

My ideas spring from personal experiences, experiences from people around me, societal norms that I’m uncomfortable with and some relatable social media trends. However, one must be very careful not to spill too much personal information or mention names especially in stories that are sensitive and always seek permission before sharing a person’s experience.

6. What inspired the birth of your podcast, “The Word of Wini Podcast”?

My Podcast was birthed out of my love for radio and I think the media generally. When I was in Secondary School, I started a magazine project, I can’t remember what I wanted to name the magazine but it was female and child based, it wasn’t published because I couldn’t get anyone to sponsor it financially. I also tried out a YouTube channel in 2017, *La Déesse TV* La Déesse is French for *The Goddess* and it was really promising. In fact, I recently ran into a proposal I put together for my first guest on the channel and I was so impressed, I wish I had gone ahead with that project. In my University days, I waltzed into the radio life and I enjoyed talking on air, I always looked forward to going into the studio for my radio shows, coming out and hearing people talk about how good I was.

I couldn’t continue with radio because of my 9-5 job but a lot of people kept encouraging me to go back to being creative and sharing my views, so in 2020, I created The Word of Wini Podcast and it is slowly becoming my identity.

7. To many Feminism means not being submissive, proud, rude and wanting to be in control, what’s your take on feminism?

I don’t like it when people refer to me as a feminist because of the controversies surrounding that term and how people have been defining it recently. Regardless of your gender, you should be humble and take cognisance of the next person’s feelings at all times, I really don’t like the way they use that word submission *na so so submission, shey we get assignment?*

Feminism for me is, what is sauce for the gander is sauce for the goose. Feminism is absolute respect for the rights of a female; fairness and equity and not placing her below the radar.

So, if you’re telling a woman to be submissive to her husband, be sure to tell a man to be submissive to his wife. Now if you have a problem with that school of thought then it means you think that being submissive is a sign of weakness and it’s for women alone.

Feminism is acknowledging that if a woman wants she can remain unmarried till she attains a certain age, she can aspire to build a house before getting married if that’s what she desires, her favorite colour can be black and she doesn’t have to learn to cook just because she is female, she should learn to cook because it’s a survival skill. Thankfully, this conversation has been had and embraced almost everywhere.

8. A random fact about you that is oblivious to many.

Somehow, I always manage to have a slightly different opinion on things so people may think I’m controversial and like to argue. On the contrary, I love peace and I detest when I’m just trying to air my view on something and hear out the other person so that we can both learn and people turn it into an argument. I would walk away and almost never talk about anything to that person, I love peace.

9. ‎ If you were to be the President of the Nigeria, which changes would you implement?

This is hard honestly because positive change is relatable. But I think some of the things I would most definitely try to put in place would be affordable quality education and a country where basic amenities are accessible and available to all… I mean not everyone should live a life of luxury, there must always be a margin between the rich and the not-so-rich and I get it but you see basic amenities like water, food, electricity, health care and good roads, every human living in the country should have a lifetime access to them.

10. Mention 3 women who inspire you and why?

There’s an entire list, in no particular order, there’s Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for very obvious reasons, that woman is so intelligent, she speaks and writes admirably, she’s well known and yet managed to maintain a life of privacy. I admire the creative power of the likes of Kemi Adetiba and Mo Abudu, I see myself in every female character that they have put on screen who exude so much power and class. My mother also inspires me, like I said earlier, she’s a core disciplinarian yet very amiable. Only my mother would tell you to go to hell in such a way that you’d be looking forward to that trip (laughs).

11. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

It is always hard to answer this whenever I’m asked, I’m really not in charge of my life, I do hope God takes me to really high places in career, wealth and pursuing my dreams.

12. If you were given the opportunity to address a group of girls five years younger than you, what will be your advice to them?

Five years younger than I am meaning they should be about 19/20 in age, that’s a really sensitive time of their lives… Your life starts now, not when you are done with school, now! and you need to start putting things in place, the way you speak, the things you do and the choices you make now play a huge role in shaping the next stage of your life. Oh and also, a health worker told me something about the rate at which 19/20 year olds get pregnant so, no matter what you do, if you are not ready to train a child, do not have unprotected sex. Acquire as many skills as you can, tech skills, financial skills, etc, it’s not too early to be the best version of yourself.

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In Editor's Choice By

My Daughter’s Food Poisoning Experience Led Me To Start My Business- Elizabeth Oladepo

Farming and agriculture are the backbone of our society. Without farmers, we wouldn’t have access to food and other basic necessities. Take a moment to really appreciate this profession and all the hard work and dedication the farm life requires. Thanks to farmers, we can eat a wide range of food all year round. There is no doubt that Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.

Elizabeth Oladepo is passionate about improving the lives of individuals in Nigeria through healthy and safe food production. She founded 07 Foods to contribute to the achievement of the SDG 2 and 12 goals. With the establishment of 07 Foods, she partners with smallholder farmers to eliminate food poisoning caused by adulteration and cross- contamination of food products as well as reduce environmental degradation due to the burning of crop residue by converting them into livestock feeds.

She is Nigeria’s 25 Under 25 Award Prize Winner for Agriculture 2020 and a recipient of the Eloy Recognition Award for Enterprise. Graduating with a First Class in Business Administration and Management, Elizabeth seeks to learn, unlearn and relearn great business values and skills by connecting with individuals and organizations to achieve communal growth.

Elizabeth loves to read, travel, and create food recipes. She shares her inspiring journey in this interview with Esther Ijewere

Growing Up

My childhood was a mix of roller-coaster emotions. I lost my parents while I was in Pry.5 and lost access to everything, including building a strong relationship with my only sibling as we got separated. Luckily for me, my father had insurance to cover my education as I was in boarding school. It helped me grow my self-confidence, discipline, and independence. So yes, I think I see the traits of discipline in my business.

Pitching my tent in the agricultural sector

My daughter’s food poisoning experience led me to start my business. She consumed bad flour and was at the hospital for a few weeks at just 8 months old. So, I started making my own flour, selling to family and friends, and finally launching It into a full-fledged business.

Inspiration behind 07 foods

The unending cases of food poisoning caused by adulteration and contamination of food. Also, the ability to be able to contribute to economic growth.

The journey so far

The journey has been a lot inspiring, challenging, filled with laughter and tears, and of course many opportunities have helped me scale. I can’t believe we will be 3 years in business by February.

Products at 07 foods

Our product line includes yam flour, unripe plantain flour, Kokoro (corn sticks) and we are launching more products this year 2022.

Challenges 

One of the major problems we face in this business is instability in the market. A lot of time we must absorb certain costs so as not to keep increasing the prices of our products but every single time there is always a new price of raw produce or packaging material or even the logistics. The rate of inflation is causing so much harm. Other challenges include logistics, climate change, and hiring youths.

Other projects and activities

Personally, I help other women succeed in business through training on business structure and grant winning pitches through my Tams Cademy. I also partner with ZEEP Initiative to bring encouragement and support to women businesses in the hospitality industry.

What I enjoy most about my job

I enjoy the production and client relations part of my work. For my production, I am able to work with smallholder farmers in Oyo state by off taking their produce, it is always fun to be in the midst of the elderly ones where I get to learn so much more about life. On the other hand, we have amazing customers whose feedback help us in ensuring the best outputs. Both the back and front end are always amazing .

3 women who inspire me and why

Mrs. Edobong Akpabio -Founder of Visionage Agrotech Farms Ltd – Mrs. Edobong is an all-round

excellent person in my industry who is not just my mentor but also an amazing mother. She is selfless helpful, and goes the extra mile for entrepreneurs in the Agro sector.

Fade Ogunro Founder and CEO of Bookings Africa – Fade’s grit and resilience is outstanding. Her journey from being a radio host to becoming the founder of Bookings Africa, channeling through challenges and coming out better is one of the amazing reasons why this woman inspires me. She dares to be different.

Mrs. Ibukun Awosika – She inspires me through her work and support for girls and women. Her works make me believe that my goals are achievable. She truly is a gem

Government and it’s support for agricultural sector

I believe it is a continuous process. Over the last few years, programs dedicated to support the Agro sector have been put in place by the government which I believe can be more inclusive. By this, I mean

more processing plants for MSME food processors which will curb to a large extent food importation in the country. The issue of security should also be top-of-mind for the government as our farmers are faced with so many occurrences of crop burning which is one of the reasons for the price hikes.

The pandemic, and how it affected my business

My business was well positioned to counter 80% of the effect of the pandemic as we were already online, customer data was not a problem, we ensured to get more inventory of not just our products but other food commodities our customers need, we also ensured to map out our delivery processes. In short, all we did was structure how we could function better and of course; we had the government permit for essential commodities.

The Agricultural sector and thing I’d like to change

Access to reasonable financial plans for MSMES. Honestly, if we are to deal with food importation and depend on local production, there is a need for finance to get to the right hands. To purchase machines, fertilizers, raw materials, logistics, and so much more, we need finance. It will be of no use if we ban importation and local production is not sufficient for the economy. So yes, access to finance

Being a Woman of Rubies

I am phenomenal, I recognize the power and opportunities I have and I am ready and willing to share with other women. This makes me a Woman of Rubies.

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In Inspiration By

 ‘The Online Space Has Vast Merits That Women Can Leverage On’- Ruth Atim

Women who combine different career and stay focused don’t only win wherever they take their light, they also encourage other women to have  “Can Do” Spirit.  Ruth is making impact  and touching lives in Uganda, using the media as a toolkit, and her passion as the drive,

Ruth Atim is a Journalist by profession and has worked for both broadcast and print media. In 2019, she was shortlisted as a finalist in the Isu Elihle awards, a South African Media award that rewards innovative
journalism about children. Ruth also Co-Founded the Gender Tech initiative-Uganda (https://www.genderinitiativeug.org) a not-for-profit organisation that empowers women (mostly journalists) with digital safety/security skills and Digital literacy skills. She is very passionate about Gender and Tech and most of her work is geared towards ending online abuse that targets women and her work has been able to save many women from online harassment. Ruth’s seeks to Empower women from various spheres of life and professions to fight Online Gender Based Violence. She shares her story exclusively with Esther Ijewere in this Interview.

Childhood Influence

Well, I didn’t have an easy childhood. I grew up in a family of 2 boys, and I was the only girl, raised by our widowed mother who later passed on leaving us to face the world. The world taught me that nothing comes easy, hence my inspiration to work hard and do the things that I do.

Why I pitched my tent in the Media sector 

I started my Media career when I had just joined university, after graduation, I decided to continue with the media because I loved it. It felt good getting paid for doing what you love doing.

Inspiration behind the Gender-Tech initiative

  Gender-Tech initiative-Uganda is an organisation that supports women human rights defenders, mostly journalists with skills to fight online gender-based violence.  I have been a victim of online violence before, but by that time, I didn’t have any knowledge about it and I almost left the profession at that time because of the constant harassment. After attending a leadership program (Young African Leadership Initiative) and Safe-sister fellowship that empowers aspiring Tech Savvy Women), I developed a huge drive to start-up something that would support women and that’s how Gender-Tech initiative-Uganda came in place. We started out by having informal conversations with some female journalists and some of their thoughts shaped the organisation Vision and Mission statement.

 Being  passionate about online abuse that targets women in Uganda, and across Africa

 The online space has vast merits that women can and have to leverage on. But because of online violence, some of them have decided to do an internet detox, and this means that they are missing out on the opportunities and connections that come with being online. To avert this, I and my team decided to carry out numerous digital safety/security trainings in a bid to equip our trainees and beneficiaries with skills to fight online Gender based Violence. This has also played a great role in bridging the already existing and wide gender digital divide gap.

Challenges of my work

  As an organisation, most of our activities need funds, and it doesn’t come in timely. This has affected our work but we are now working towards self-sustaining projects.

Other projects and activities

Our other projects are school ICT Clubs. The purpose of these clubs is to motivate and empower young school girls to consider taking up an ICT Career. This is still in the initial stages but we plan to roll it out in upper primary and lower secondary students.

What I enjoy most about my Job

I enjoy the process of preparing content especially when I have a training coming up. It feels good knowing that you are working on something that will impact many lives.

 3 women who inspire me and why

To start with, Stella Nyanzi inspires me a lot. She is is a medical anthropologist, feminist, queer rights activist and scholar of sexuality. She is one of Africa’s most prominent gender rights activist and was recently awarded the 2020 Oxfam Novib/PEN International award due to her poems and writings that have drawn her a huge fan base both in and out of the country.

Why she inspires me, is the length she’s willing to move on what she believes in is admirable. My second one is Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. This young incredible woman overcame an assassination attempt by the Taliban at the age of fifteen, to campaign for women’s rights and children’s rights to an education.

The fact that she advocated in an area where the Taliban pose a serious threat makes her an inspiration to me. She has fought life and limb for what she believes in. And lastly, Winnie Byanyima. She is an aeronautical engineer, politician, and diplomat. To me, her name screams hope and resonates with what a woman can achieve if she believes in herself a little more.

Byanyima was appointed as the executive director of the UNAIDS by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres following a comprehensive selection process. Before this, she served as the Oxfam International executive director.

If she can achieve this and more, why not me.

How I  balance my work as an advocate and journalist

Well, I just get my priorities right and plan for my day, a day before. I also love to delegate, because I believe that one can’t achieve much if they are everywhere doing different things. I focus on one thing at a go, and delegate if I am swamped.

Impact of my work in Uganda since inception 

I have trained over 300 young women, and the feedback just excites me. Many of my beneficiaries’/ trainee’s report being more comfortable and at ease maneuvering the internet without any fear of bullying or harassment because they know just the right thing to do in order to be safe online. That to me is a push to do more.

To young women who want to combine journalism with social work

 Both professions are fulfilling. Just find a way and strike a balance between the two, so as to be effective and deliver appropriately.

My view on Gender based violence, and how it is addressed in Uganda

Gender based Violence is everywhere and it was at its peak during the pandemic due to lockdowns and movement restriction. In Uganda, a few perpetrators are being held accountable for their actions, but we need to do more. Women are also very much aware of their rights which is a plus towards fighting Gender based violence, all thanks to the different stakeholders who have made it a point to empower the women.

Being  a Woman of Rubies

I support and empower women to be better versions of themselves.

 

 

 

 

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Dr Nimi Ekere
In Inspiration By

Parents Need To Communicate More With Their Children- Dr. Nimi Ekere

There is nothing as motivating like a woman who is passionate about humanity, and has a strong affinity for change. Dr. Nimi Stephanie  Ekere is a Consultant Family Physician, a Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Family Physicians.  She is also a Fellow of  the Institute of Management Consultants and a Certified Management Consultant.  Dr. Ekere is a Certified Management Specialist with distinction in Time Management from the London Graduate School.  Dr Nimi Ekere is also a child advocate, author, speaker, coach and humanitarian.

Dr. Ekere has practiced medicine in urban and rural areas for over 15 years and has endeared herself to her patients through her dedication to duties. She loves geriatric medicine and has had numerous training, workshops and certifications in geriatrics.  Dr Nimi Ekere also loves to guide children and teenagers into their full potential. She is a strong proponent of effective and intentional parenting. She convenes several sensitization programmes and has featured in many panels and conferences both in Nigeria and abroad. She is passionate about combating child sexual abuse, working through her foundation, the SmileandShine Children’s foundation, to tackle the menace.

She is also an author of 4 books for children, pre-teens, teenagers and parents on the dangers of child sexual abuse with effective remedies. three of these books are government-approved for use at schools in Lagos State. Just recently, all four of her books were approved and added to the curriculum of the Rivers State ministry of education to be used in primary and secondary schools in the state.

Nimi Ekere was recently featured by the York City Journal, as one of the most Inspiring Women to look out for in 2022.

Childhood Influence

I grew up in an environment of empathy, kindness, and charity. These qualities literally formed my ideologies about life. I grew up seeing my mother give and care for people so genuinely. Interestingly, my mother also saw her mum give out the little she had to the needy. Helping people and being kind come naturally for me and this is because this was all I saw around me whilst growing up.

On another hand, the zeal to read  also came from seeing  my dad read lot and this of course,  influenced me a great deal. I read a lot of newspapers,  journals, articles and even novels. This made me love to write and I started writing so early. I would write poems and short stories. I wrote a whole lot .So yes, I think my childhood prepared me directly or indirectly for what I do now.

Inspiration behind SmileandShine Children’s Foundation

I saw a profound need to save children as I had seen and related with a lot of them who were hurting so badly from the horrendous effects of sexual abuse. I had also encountered some adults who were still grappling with the effect of sexual abuse suffered in childhood. The scary part was that a lot of their parents were completely ignorant and even the few that knew their children were abused preferred to keep it “secret”.  Sexual Abuse was and still is an unpopular area to delve into, as the culture of silence has eaten deep into our fabrics as a people. It is said that our people wear silence like a badge of honour. People still hold on to false dogmas about sexual abuse and are quick to judge and shame the victim rather than the perpetrator.

The victims and their families suffer morbidly from stigmatization in their communities,  schools, market and even places of worship. I knew that I could change the narrative as I saw more and more children being sexually abused, leaving them with so many life long complications. I also noticed that a lot of parents didn’t know how and when to discuss sex education with their children. They would rather not discuss it or just keep waiting till the child is “old enough” , by which time they would have been fed with so many false information by their peers or even the internet. Being that I love children so much, I knew I could do my part to ensure that children are  protected  and kept safe from abuse especially sexual abuse.  This gave rise to SmileandShine Children’s Foundation, a non profit organisation that is aimed at preventing child sexual abuse and profering solutions to victims and those at risk, including members of their families.

We do a lot to create so much awareness about this menace by educating and enlightening children and even the general public on ways that child sexual abuse can be prevented. We also offer interventions in the sad event of an abuse. Smile and Shine Children’s Foundation offers primary medical and psychological care and in collaboration with other NGOs, ensure that justice is served and rightly so.

Impact and lessons from practicing medicine in urban and rural areas for 15 years

I would say that I am very dedicated and proficient at my job and this is judging by the wonderful feedbacks I get from my patients and even my employers. Beyond the fact that I love my profession, I see it as a CALLING  and intentionally love to make an impact in the lives of my patients. And being a Family Physician has helped me so much in this regard because it  actually goes beyond treating symptoms,  it is about the person holistically.  Being a Family Physician entails that I provide continuing,  comprehensive and  coordinated health care  to individuals and families across all ages, genders and  diseases and this requires a great deal of compassion, good interpersonal skills,  good work ethics, maturity, willingness to learn more and more,  patience and of course expertise, and letting these become a part of my life has helped shape me to the amazing woman and professional that I am today. Additionally, practicing in rural areas makes you more humane as you literally see what a lot of the poor populace go through. It brings out the humanitarian in you as you see yourself inevitably paying a lot of medical bills and this is why I advocate an open health insurance policy for every citizen of the country. As a rule, equity is my watchword at every point, so no matter the age, sex, race, socio-economic status of a person, it is non negotiable that they are treated impartially. Every life is important and this means that I go the extra mile to give ALL my patients the best. So whether it is in the rural or urban setting, my consistency and commitment to patient care remain unwavering. The lessons I have learnt from these years of practice would be that having a great measure of  empathy, and emotional intelligence are very important beyond your expertise. Being empathetic makes you do more to ensure that your patient gets the best that you can give, and emotional intelligence helps you understand that a sick patient may not be so polite or put together, so you are much more patient or tolerant.

 My books and testimonials from those who read it

I am an author of four books that address the issue of Child Sexual Abuse. Being a child advocate and working closely with abused children,  I  thought that teaching them  through  story telling about self protection, body boundaries and having a good parent- child relationship would be more productive and far- reaching. I thought that writing age-appropriate books would help them a great deal to understand better about the menace and ways to tackle it . I had always wanted to write children books and I was sure that writing on child sexual abuse in words that were comprehensible and relatable to the children would help them stay safe. Being one who loves children and works with them, I knew that writing age- specific books would resonate better with them and help drive home the message more profoundly, so I wrote “Some Parts Are Special” for children aged two to seven,  “Setting  Boundaries” for pre-teenagers, “Sparkles at Dawn” for teenagers and young adults.

I also thought it was ideal to write for parents and guardians who are literally primarily responsible for the upbringing of the child. Sex education is inevitable in parenting and a lot of parents do not even know what to do in this regard. “Into the Light”,  is my fourth book for parents, written to ensure that parents are equipped with the Whens, Hows and Whats of sex and sexuality education.  It is a well researched exposé that dymystifies sex education, letting parents and guardians know that sex education starts with an efficient parent- child relationship. This book will help parents and guardians know about child sexual abuse, how it can be prevented and what to do in the sad event of a molestation.

My books are approved in Lagos State Government to be used in primary and secondary schools in the state. Also in Rivers State,  all four of my books are in the curriculum of the Rivers State ministry of education and one of them is particularly recommended for use in the Junior WAEC Examination.  My gratitude goes to the governors of Rivers and Lagos States for this step taken to ensure that good  books on sex education are introduced in schools. It will go a long way to curb the menace. As regards the testimonials from my books, I will say that it has been amazing and mindblowing.  I get feedbacks about how children are so bold and empowered after reading the books. I must add that apart from the values and lessons that the books teach,  they were carefully and deliberately written to also enhance the children’s comprehensibility and improve their vocabulary. Children who were not bold to speak about body boundaries are now bold to say that no one has has the right to see or touch their special body parts( private parts). It’s been wonderful and I am so happy that these books are really impactful,  not just in Nigeria but globally.

My York City Journal feature  as one of the most inspiring women to look out for in 2022

It felt like a dream. To say I was exhilarated would be putting it mildly. I was even happier  and more shocked to know that I was the only black featured.. This just goes to say that our good works do not go unnoticed. God is watching and He definitely rewards our labour and sacrifice. People are watching too and as long as you are passionate and tenacious at what you do, the sky would not be your limit but your starting point. All the glory goes to God. I thank my husband and children for the support and motivation always. You truly cannot live your dreams and go very far without the support of a good spouse.

My husband has supported me amazingly. My kids too have been my source of strength. They are so excited to give me their clothes and belongings to the less privileged.  When we go to rural communities for our sensitization outreaches, my kids are always so happy to share their clothes, bags, shoes and toys to indigent children. This feature is an honour and I do not take if forgranted. I specifically give all the glory to God and promise to continue to do more not only for the Nigerian or African child but for  children all over the world.

Parenting and the ills of the society

I think the ills of today would have been curbed drastically if more attention was paid on effective parenting. A lot of innovations which were absent in the past but present now have their advantages but we know that there are lots of disadvantages associated with them. For example,  in the past,  children did not have to study with laptops and tablets. It was easier to monitor what children did at the time, not forgetting that the economy was better and at least one parent was more available. Right now, parents have to work really hard to give children the basic things of life and this leaves the children without adequate care, making them very vulnerable to abuse of all forms. So, whilst the ills of today will not go away any time soon,  parents must be ahead of their game with better and more result- oriented parenting skills that will keep the children safe and make them responsible adults. Parents must do more than parents in the past did as kids now are more knowledgeable and even more exposed to vices and ills via technology and westernization. This is no walk in the park as it looks overwhelming for parents but it is really achievable. My foundation ( smileandshine children’s foundation) has parenting classes and conferences and we are having quite a number of sessions this year. The aim is to help parents from all walks of life learn more about parenting and child protection in the digital age as this.

Other projects and activities

This year, we have quite a number of activities. I already mentioned the regular parenting classes and conferences we are putting together in a lot of states in the country. We hope to have  child protection conferences in as many states of the country as possible and this would involve children and parents. We also have a lot of programmes for  children in public and private schools to educate them on safety/ protection, morals and values. I am very passionate about the hard -to -reach children because a lot of them are left out in programmes like these, so we would deliberately be reaching out to them through various community sensitization programmes and a special project called the  “Talk to me project”, a programme that targets children in hard to reach areas,  teaching them about safety,  protection,  morals and career path. There is also the big  event, in September which is called ” the STRIVE conference, first of its kind for children, in Lagos State. This conference will have notable speakers, child advocates, religious leaders and role models speak to the children on how they can stay away from vices, protect themselves from abuse, live their dreams and become whatever they set their hearts to become. It is going to be a phenomenal one and the first of its kind in the country and Africa

3 women who inspire me and why

I have so many women that inspire me and yes, I keep adding to the list. I have been asked to mention 3 and I  will do just that(laughter). In no particular order, it would be: *Mrs Ibukun Awosika, I think she is phenomenal. Intelligent, humble, God fearing and so entrepreneurial. She is one woman that has excelled in every capacity and inspires me in no small measure.

*Prof Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, because she has literally raised the bar for women and proven that everything is possible for us as women if we believe and work hard. She has broken glass ceilings, challenging gender stereotypes in male dominated terrains. I see some of her attributes in me. Her resilience, tenacity and dedication to what she believes in, are qualities that women should strive to possess.

*Mrs Bola Tinubu, the founder of Ceceyarah Foundation is another woman that inspires me. Like me, she is a child advocate and I think she has done well in the area of child protection. She does inspire me a great deal.

Child sexual abuse advocacy, and the role of parents and Government  

The first line of defence for children is the parents who need to pay more attention to their child’s welfare, especially in the line of communication.  Parents need to communicate more with their children, a lot of times parents do not even know what is going on around their child even when the abuse takes place right in the home. Sometimes, children are so scared to discuss with their parents and they would prefer to walk the journey alone rather than tell anyone, including their parents. Again, parents need to be more intentional about their child’s safety and make efforts to ensure that their child is not put in harm’s way by anyone. For example, when you’re not with your child, make sure you run a background check on who is responsible for the child’s care, be it at school, church or even with relatives and  when you’re with your child, make time to cover for when you missed and what you missed.

Secondly, the government is the most equipped line of defence for the child. Policies need to be made in this regard, and enforced. For instance, child marriage is still boldly practiced in some parts of Nigeria without contention. Only the government can stop that. While 26 states have adopted the Child Rights Act, 10 states are yet to domesticate the CRA in their respective states. Even some of those states in which the Act has been domesticated, there are still concerns about enforcement. Lastly, we have to help ourselves in the society. We should watch out for possible predatorial tendencies, whether or not we are directly involved, and call out perpetrators. No one should be too big to pay for their crimes. If justice is rightly served, it would definitely serve as a deterrent to others and help a great deal to curb the menace.

One thing I wish I could change in the health sector

One thing I would change is the weak performance and famished state of the primary health care centres in the country.  I will strengthen and ensure viable and high performing primary health care services in all the 774 local government areas in the country and their  respective wards, and advocate for more budgetary allocation,  knowing that primary health care is the closest health care system to the common man and serves as a gate opener to other higher health care services. This will go a long way to significantly reduce morbidity and mortality in our country.

Being a Woman of Rubies

I would say that I am a woman of Rubies because I love to be the best at everything that I do. I go the extra mile for my patients, and I also believe that the depth of passion, dedication and hardwork I bring to my job(work) and the fact that I am very detailed make me endeared to my patients.  As a child advocate, I am very passionate about what I do. I put in my time, resources and all that I can give to ensure that children are safe. As a wife and mother,  I do my best to take care of the home front and also keep my kids safe.

See more photos of Dr. Nimi Ekere’s outreach programme;

 

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