Women of Rubies
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Sarah Boateng Is Investing In Girls Education Across Africa Through IGEA

British-Ghanian Sarah Boateng is a winning social entrepreneur investing in the education of girls across Africa.

She was recently named as a 30 under 30 change-maker.  Through her experience working at the United Nations and other international development organizations, she created IGEA Enterprise which has a mission to support girls in rural communities in Africa achieve their educational potential

The 25 year old advocate who grew up in south London is a  Psychology and Special Educational Needs Masters graduate.

She founded   Investing in Girls Education in Africa (IGEA), a non-profit organisation with a mission to deliver projects that support the quality education of girls in rural parts of Africa.

According to Sarah; “Our aim is to eliminate all barriers blocking girls in Africa from accessing quality education. These barriers can be physical, such as illness, menstruation, distance from school, or mental, such as cultural taboos and the social peer pressure that that creates on the individual. As we are currently at the beginning of our organisational journey, we are focusing our efforts on just one of these barriers to start with – period poverty.

Growing up, my own mother would often talk about her struggle to remain in education. Born and raised in rural Ghana, she left school at the age of 12 to sell oranges on the side of the road. It turns out she couldn’t afford menstrual products, and as a result she missed a large amount of school. As she wasn’t able to keep up with lessons, it made more sense for her to leave education completely and instead focus on making money to help support herself and her family.

Sarah  has  always believed that education is one of the most important investments a country can make in its people’s future, and the  best solution for reducing poverty, catalysing economic growth and increasing individual income.

We celebrate Sarah for making lemonades from the lemons life threw at her, with her lived experience.

Thank you for touching lives and intentionally investing in Girls.

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Blessing Okagbare Sets New 100m Meet Record in Slovakia

Nigeria’s track queen  Blessing Okagbare ran an impressive 10.98 seconds to win the 100m women’s event at the P-T-S Meeting in Samorin, the Slovak Republic. Blessing Okagbare’s winning time was a Meet Record.

Okagbare’s win was a historic feat as no woman has ever run under 11 seconds in the competition held in the Eastern European country. She was pleased after dipping within 11 seconds for the third time this season.

An excited Okagbare hinted that she was delighted to be the winner and also honoured to be the first woman ever to run under 11 seconds at the P-T-S Meeting.

The seven time Nigerian 100 metres champion ran  10.98 seconds to win in the race, smashing the 11.09 seconds meeting record set in June 1983 by Czech Republic icon, Jarmila Kratochvilova.

Blessing Okagbare Sets New 100m Meet Record in Slovakia

Okagbare broke the 11 seconds barrier for the first time in her career at the Crystal Palace Aviva London Grand Prix in London, on the 14th of July 2012; where she ran 10.99 seconds. In 2013, she broke 11 seconds thrice with two of them in a historic fashion. She started the season with a huge but wind-aided to 10.75 seconds in June at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, USA

Fast forward to 2015, Okagbare broke 11 seconds six times, her most in a single season and made it to the 100m final at the World Athletics Championship in Beijing, China.

She ran her first sub-11 seconds of the season at the USTAF invitational in Eugene, Oregon in April before scorching to a 10.90 seconds season’s best at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha, Qatar last week.

This feat marks the 21st time Okagbare has run under 11 seconds in her career.

Congratulations are in order.

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Tracy Batta Is Helping People Achieve Their Fitness Goals With Smoothie Express

Tracy Batta is the Cofounder of Smoothie Express. She holds a Masters degree in Communications  Engineering from Swansea University, U.K. and a BSc. degree in Physics with Electronics from the Bells University of Technology, Nigeria.

The journey to Smoothie Express started in 2014. As a young lady trying to maintain an ideal weight, Tracy Batta got on a smoothie detox routine by blending fruits to make smoothies that served as meal replacements. In a short period of time, she discovered that it was challenging maintaining her detox routine as the process of making the smoothies was often tedious and time-consuming. Realising that this was not a problem peculiar to her, she partnered with her friend Omowunmi to launch the idea as a viable business.

With a united and strategic mindset, Omowunmi Akande and Tracy Batta raised $10,000 from their savings, built a website, bought a motorcycle for deliveries and established Smoothie Express. Smoothie Express started operations in March 2015.

Smoothie Express is a healthy food and beverage company that supports healthy living by providing clients with healthy meals in the most convenient and affordable way possible. Smoothie Express offers an extensive menu with a wide range of over 30 different flavours of smoothies including Salads, Sandwiches, Parfaits and Ice teas to satisfy a variety of tastes.

Tracy Batta is a contributor to The Guardian Newspaper. She gives valuable business information, inspires and motivates small businesses in Nigeria.

Being among Forbes Africa’s 30 under 30 youths is no small feat but Tracy Batta shows no signs of slowing down. She plans to grow Smoothie Express to become an international brand with locations across Africa by 2025.

We ceebrate you Tracy Batta! Thanks for keeping us fit!

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Ekiti First Lady To Keep Young Girls In School With Pad Bank

With at least 13 million children out of school in Nigeria presently and rising, with 60 percent of this number being girls, even when they are able to receive an education, there is still a huge challenge keeping young girls in school due to some factors

These factors include poverty, sexual and gender based violence, kidnappings, teenage pregnancy, family responsibilities and forced marriages and so on, make it difficult for young girls to focus on their education. Harmful traditional practices such as early marriages, female genital mutilation, girls trafficking, farming out children to family members to foster and so on, all contribute to creating a toxic environment for girls to grow up and be educated in.

In light of all these, the first lady of Ekiti state, Erelu Bisi Fayemi is focused on addressing these issues with her Keep Girls In School Campaign. According to her, one of the factors that keep young girls away from school is ‘period poverty’ or lack of capacity for menstrual hygiene management.

Lack of appropriate facilities such as gender segregated toilet facilities, adequate safe water supply in schools for washing hands and maintaining good hygiene, absence of sanitary menstrual materials and so on can and does prevent girls from safe hygienic management of their periods.

These may result in absenteeism, reduced levels of concentration in class and low participation in school activities like sports and other extra-curricular activities. The campaign therefore launched a Pad Bank on Menstrual Hygiene Day to enable vulnerable girls in the state have access to reusable sanitary protection, a sustainable way of menstrual hygiene management.

According to the first lady, the bank’s objectives include having a steady supply of menstrual hygiene products, helping young girls who are unable to afford sanitary materials and ensure that young girls don’t stay away from school because of their monthly cycle.

Others include, promoting good menstrual hygiene amongst young girls, providing training in the use of menstrual hygiene products and providing opportunities for young local entrepreneurs to learn how to produce reusable and safe sanitary products.

She added that a box of six reusable pads that can last for a year costs N2, 500 and their target is 3000 girls yearly in the state. Calling for support to enable them reach and surpass this goal, she said donations in cash or kind would enable them keep a steady supply of these reusable pads for regular distribution to young girls that need them the most.

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Tessy Egonu Is Supporting Women In Underserved Communities Through “Queentrepreneur”

Every woman is a natural born Queen, and we must all be our sister’s keeper, fix their crowns and give them hope, that is what Tessy Nkechi Egonu is doing with women in underserved communities in Nigeria through her platform “Queentrepreneur”.

Queentrepreneur is a Women’s Foundation, and a non profit organisation serving women and girls  through training programs, exposure, and mentorship, Queentrepreneur Women’s Foundation empowers women to become socially conscious global leaders.

They also provide free legal assistance to female victims of domestic violence and human rights abuse and engage in human rights education and grassroots popularization of rights.

Their vision is to develop more confident women to be equipped and passionate about leading organisations, businesses, schools and agencies domestically to contribute to a society where women leaders are no longer viewed as the exception to the rule but as relevant assets and necessary additions to organisations nationwide.

Tessy who got the inspiration to start the foundation through her parent’s is convinced that every woman is born to “Become” and have a voice and identity in the society.

We celebrate the award winning changemaker for her contribution to the society.

Keep shining Tessy!

 

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#Interview| “God Deposited Seed Of Greatness In Every Human”-Olatunji Ifetayo

Olatunji Oluwadamilola Ifetayo is the founder of Lynas for the Needy, a registered charity.  She is an author and the CEO of Shantilove Nigeria Enterprise which deals in made in Nigeria home and office essential products. 

Her love for humanity  compelled her to organize free skill empowerment training every month to reach out to 1000 people per annum. A wife and a mom of two, 32-year-old Ifetayo on this interview with Women of Rubies, shares  how she balances it all.

Women of Rubies interview Ifetayo Olatunji

 

Childhood Influence

I can say my childhood prepared me in a way for what I do now because childhood for me wasn’t rosy . I came from a background where I met my two parents hustling to cater for myself and my siblings.

I was born in one of the ghetto’s in Lagos. Our house was a face me I face you apartment as it is fondly called. A house full of commotion and hawking was the order of the day. Virtually all the neighbour’s children in my house would hawk after school.

 We used to have a small kiosk outside the house where we sold provision and drugs too. One day I had to join the neighbour’s children to hawk too. The scorching sun spelled my name boldly on capital letter. I did it for 2 days  and paused the third day because my parent must not hear about it.

 The ghetto life is not a good place for growth especially when there is no positive influence in the environment. I could remember a lot of my friends were wayward ,some dropped out of school, some got pregnant at an early age and regretted it. I did my nursery school and part of primary school in this ghetto.

The only saving grace was, my parent later relocated to a better environment, maybe I would have joined my friends in the neighbourhood and peer group and that thereby making me make some regrettable decision that would have affected my future too.  I thank God for the parents I have, they might have had little, but were bent on giving us good upbringing.
Ghetto is a place where the number of bad children surpasses the good one. I can go and on. I thank God I came out unscathed.
Inspiration behind Lynas
Lynas for the needy foundation was birthed by my passion for humanity and the compassionate heart I have as an individual. The Holy spirit inspired Lynas for the needy foundation when i was alone asking for my God given purpose on earth and how I can be of value to humanity.
We cut across different state in Nigeria, donating to the needy, raising giants of tomorrow and helping them unleash their potential and letting go of their fears.
We go to orphanage home and destitute home to empower them with skills and also celebrate every birthday celebrant anytime we hold our outreach. We make sure they have a memorable birthday. We also rescue children from the street and put them in orphanage homes or children care centres for proper intensive care.  We have registered nurses and doctor among our team that helps us with medical outreach while others team  members also join for a successful outreach.
We sponsor education of children in rural communities and help with education material to enhance their good education. Our food donation on the street is also another way we touch lives every time.
Lynas for the needy foundation is a registered NGO that been touching lives since it inception since 5 years ago  and we are still on the path to put smile on people’s face.
About Lynas Free skill training
Yes I organize free skill training and empowerment to reach out to 1000 people yearly because i know how it feels to be jobless. I am a living witness as i  couldn’t get a job immediately after my NYSC. Many graduates of today are also looking for a white collar job whereas the industries available can not serve everyone a job and it is sometimes based on man knows man factor. I believe  these unemployed ones can keep themselves busy by acquiring a skill to forge ahead and be responsible and accountable. Through this more job can also be created resulting to industrialization in the society.
Lynas Impacts so far
My skill acquisition scheme has impacted many lives which includes graduates ,undergraduates ,single mothers ,drop out etc.
Over 4000 has been impacted since I started…I do both online and also train the less privileged in rural communities.
That when people mention my name they will be glad they made a start and were confident to stand up for themselves.
On Managing my company Shantilove Nigeria
Shantilove Nig Enterprise started small like every other company, I am vast on skills and that was what birthed the company. I started in Ilorin and with consistency and hard work, was able to pull through. We are into manufacturing of essential cleaning products and other craft to solve problems of poor sanitation, create job opportunities for youths and alleviate poverty in the society. It is a registered company under Cooperate affairs commission and been managed by me as the CEO and few staff for maximum production.
On finding a balance
Well I will say it has not been easy managing my responsibility as an author, CEO, striving humanitarian, mother and wife however time management has been the balancing factor and I thank God for an understanding husband who supports my career and gives me all the encouragement I need to keep pushing for my personal growth and development.
 Challenges
The challenges has been funds especially during lockdown period, money doesn’t come in like before,and travelling to other States to facilitate skills where I get paid has been on hold.
The 3 women who inspires me is
Mrs Folusho Alakija, Mrs idowu Awosika and Mrs Ngozi okonjo Iweala
These women have few things in common ,humanitarian, integrity and they are advocates for gender equality.
Advice to Women
My advice to women is that we should not be a hindrance to our greatness by making fear to mar our dreams of becoming, or give in to fear by not pursuing our purpose on earth.
Every woman is unique in her own way lets come together to make the world a palatable place for ourselves through genuine love, support, and collaboration because together we create magic with our magic wands.
Let all woman always stand for the truth and justice and be a pillar of trust, confidence and integrity. Let’s also be advocates for gender equality to enable us break the ceiling glass in various sectors.
Lastly do not let your poor background or challenges of life stop you from being MORE, because you are made for more to change narrative.
You can be whatever you want to be only if you believe in the power of your dream, believe in yourself, shun fear of known and the unknown, keep your head in the game and keep focusing on your focus because no one is a nonentity.
God deposited a seed of greatness in every human. Nurture your seed  and be a good tree for others to plug and get nourishments.
The world needs woman of great values to survive.
Every woman has in them greatness !!! Believe in yourself and unleash your potential!!
As a Woman of Rubies
What makes me a woman of rubies is that I am committed and passionate to giving back to the society, and my positive impact is felt in people’s lives. A lot of people talk about my authenticity, servant leadership, ingenuity, humanitarian service, and I count all this as a privilege to serve my generation.
Social media handle
Instagram-  www.instagram .on/ olatunji.ifetayo
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Meet Ommo Clark, Nigerian Techpreneur, Game-changer and the Founder of iBez Software Company

If there is one thing that women in tech love to do, it is to shake up the industry and to genuinely create things that are both entrepreneurial and innovative. Nigerian techpreneur, Ommo Clark, is one such industry game-changer, building a software house, iBez, that creates not only proprietary software products that help to solve local challenges, but also develops and showcases local tech talent.

iBez provides bespoke application development services and proprietary software products to businesses, and have quite a number of innovative internet based businesses offering various services to consumers. Some of their products include:  Schools Network Integrated Programme (SNIP), Project Management Integrated System (PMIS), Hotel Motel Solution, Handy Jacks, Lets Share, Exchange BBPin, and so on.

According to Ommo, “My entrepreneurial journey has been a roller coaster, full of ups and down, highs and lows. I didn’t know how to run a business when I first started out, even though I had been working in the corporate world for a while. I thought as soon as I built my systems, told people about the, and put some flyers out there  in the marketplace, that people would flock to utilise my services – the reason being that because I had a great product that is badly needed but it didn’t happen this way.”

Anybody can do whatever they set their minds to do.

After many months of struggling and living from hand to mouth she had to make some hard choices, either dust up her CV and go look for a job or keep pushing on. Ommo decided to give things another go after she heard in a TV programme that there’s no shame in retreating to re-group so she decided to take a few steps back to move forward.

Before starting in business, you have to research and plan – remember, not all great ideas make good businesses.

She had to learn how to plan and structure a business for growth because even though she runs a technology business, a business is still a business and needs to be structured properly.

She had to put the right processes in place, understand the financials and really put herself out there as an entrepreneur.

As part of the initial struggles she faced, Ommo said “As a technology person, its not easy for me to market and sell, but as a business owner, its expedient that I sell. Now we’ve turned a corner, though we are still working on getting our cashflow to where we want it to be. We have a number of clients and companies currently using our applications, and we are working on growing this user base daily.”

Knowing the difficulties women encounter daily, especially as it pertains entrepreneurship, Ommo advises women who are planning to launch a business to never conform to gender stereotypes. They should get rid of any self limiting beliefs they hold and do what they are passionate about.

In her exact words, “Don’t do something just because other people are doing it and making money from it – do it because you are passionate about it and are good at it.”

“Before starting in business, you have to research and plan – remember, not all great ideas make good businesses.

You should surround yourself with good supportive people that will always give you the best advice, support you, and push you to be the very best you can be.

Anybody can do whatever they set their minds to do.”

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8 SIMPLE WAYS TO GET MORE THINGS DONE IN YOUR DAILY LIFE

In today’s post, I am going to share 8 ways in which you can get more done in your day. Without exhausting yourself, may I add!

Let’s face it. Adulting comes with a whole lot of responsibilities, deadlines, commitments, and things to do.

Often, we tend to find ourselves with a whole lot of to-do list left at the end of the day. I can’t be the only one who sometimes wonders where the day has gone!

If this sounds like you too, then you’re going to love these hacks! Since incorporating them into my (almost) daily routine, I’ve been able to get more done in a shorter amount of time.

So, let’s dive in, 8 simple ways to get more things done in your day.

1. Wake up earlier

This one is a no-brainer, but when you wake up earlier than you usually do, you have a lot more time to be productive. You don’t have to wake up hours earlier, either. Anywhere between half an hour to an hour earlier than usual will do. Waking up early is one of those things that many people hate the idea of, but our bodies are capable of getting used to waking up earlier with time.

Wake up earlier than you do each day and you’d be amazed at how much you have been able to do before 9AM.

Which leads us right into the second hack.

2. Have a to-do list

One of my favorite things to do to stay productive is having a to-do list. To-do lists help me stay on track and help me remember important deadlines or things I should do.

I also find that they help with keeping me accountable, and I get more done in my day than when I don’t jot down everything I need to do.

A simple hack to creating a to-do list is write down all you need to do the next day the night before and tick them off as you get them done.

Easy, Peasy.

3. Make use of your driving/waiting time

Many of us spend long periods of time driving to and from places. To use that time efficiently, we can work on personal development instead of constantly listening to music.

I personally like listening to podcasts or audiobooks. I find that they help me pass the time in a productive manner. Rather than sit still in traffic or waiting for somebody, put in that time to listen to an uplifting podcast or read a book, or do something really beneficial to your mind, body and soul as much as the waiting environment permits.

4. Prepare your outfits ahead of time

This one is a personal favorite of mine. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I rushed in the mornings because I “didn’t have anything to wear”. It is even worse if you hate to dress up because the burden of having to find the best outfit to wear cripples you.

Now, once week or whenever I have some free time, I pick out outfits to wear for the entire week. This saves so much time in the mornings when I’m getting ready to go out.

I also do the same for special occasions. Having something nice to wear ready and ironed saves me a ton of time that I could put towards doing something more productive.

5. Work in 30-minute windows

Another favorite of mine, with good reason! Whenever I have a lot to do during the day, I like to work in 30-minute windows. I set an alarm for 30 minutes, and work as fast and best as I can during these 30 minutes. Sometimes I give myself a 10-minute break after the 30 minutes are up, but most of the time I find that I can keep that momentum and work for a longer period of time.

Breaking your work helps your mind stay productive, give your eyes some breather especially if you work with a computer. And you also get the opportunity to stretch your back and your legs.

It’s a win-win.

6. Ten-minute cleaning zones

Cleaning is one of those things that many of us don’t enjoy doing, but can’t really get out of doing.

Well, I found a hack which I personally really like and find very effective! Basically, what you do is you set your timer for 10 minutes, and clean as much as you can in these 10 minutes. You’d be surprised at how much you can get done in just that short amount of time!

7. Cook more food than you will eat

This is a little bit of a meal-prep tip. Instead of cooking dinner for just one night, double the recipe and cook for the next night as well.

That way, you’re spending the same amount of time on two portions as you would on just one portion of food!

Cooking in large quantities not only save cooking time, but is also a way to cut down financial cost of cooking.

8. Don’t do it all by yourself. Delegate as much as you can.

There’s nothing wrong with asking for help whenever you need it.

If you are able to give certain tasks to other people, do it. This can be in the form of somebody watching your kids while you get some work done, using a delivery service for your groceries instead of going to the supermarket yourself, or even hiring an assistant to help you with whatever you need done.

Having others help you will not only help you get more done, but it will also help you rest and not worry about everything all by yourself.

BONUS POINT : Use the one-minute rule

The one-minute rule has changed my life. If you have no idea what it is, it’s very simple.

Any tasks that require one minute or less to complete, you do without any hesitation.

Some examples include: making your bed, putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and picking something up after it has fallen on the floor.

If you can do it in one minute, don’t delay. Just do it.

I hope these simple hacks work for you and improves your productivity as much as it has improved mine.

 

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9 Regular Sunday Habits For A Productive And Worry-Free Week

Have there been weeks where Monday starts and you already feel like you’re behind? That can easily be avoided by implementing these smart Sunday habits!

I know I’m not the only one who some weeks scrambles to get things done because there “isn’t enough time”. There is always time, but it comes down to being organized and prepared.

Of course, sometimes beyond our control happen and you can’t predict every single moment of every day, but being prepared for what you DO know will happen will make all the difference.

1. Plan out your week

One of the easiest ways of staying on top of your game and have a smooth week is planning it out.

Here are some things to put into your planner:

  • Appointments: doctor/dentist, salon services, etc
  • Intentions: write down anything you want to accomplish this week. Drinking more water, getting 8 hours of sleep, waking up at a certain time.
  • Habit tracker
  • Class schedule/work schedule.
  • Work/school meetings
2. Clean out your purse

Throughout the week, your work or school bag probably accumulates a lot of junk. Don’t worry, mine does too.

Sunday is the perfect time to clean out your bag and get it ready for the following week.

The best way that I have found to do that is to take everything out, shake the bag upside down to get rid of any dust, tiny papers and other dirt, and then put everything back.

I personally like to keep things in little bags inside my purse. I have a little bag for my charger and headphones, another one for my makeup, and another little bag for feminine products and medication.

This helps keep everything organized, and helps me know where everything is if I need something in a hurry.

3. Grocery shop and meal prep

Making your own food takes some time, but if you prep on Sundays, you will have less to do during the week.

Going shopping on the weekend is going to ensure that you have everything you need for your meals throughout the week, so definitely don’t skip this step.

Making a weekly menu before going shopping also helps, because that way you’re going to use up the food you buy. No wasted money there.

4. Clean your home

One of the worst things when coming home after a long day of work or school is coming home to a mess.

Cleaning up before the week starts is a great way to stay organized. After all, who wants to come home to a messy place all week?

Change your sheets, dust, vacuum, and clean your kitchen during the weekend. You’ll thank yourself later.

5. Do your laundry

I know I’m not the only one who hates doing laundry, but doesn’t it feel SO good to get it done?

Imagine how much better you’d feel if you came home to clean and folded laundry, rather than coming home to your clothes spilling out of the laundry basket.

Not only is this going to help you get peace of mind, it’s also going to make it a lot easier getting dressed each morning.

6. Pick out your outfits

A HUGE timesaver is to prepare the outfits you’re going to be wearing the following week on Sunday. Clothing, accessories, shoes- the works.

If you want to be super organized, you can hang each outfit together on one hanger, and hang them all next to each other in your closet.

That way, when you wake up in the morning and have little energy, you already have outfits prepped and ready to be put on!

How’s THAT for saving time?

7. Set your goals

Setting goals is another Sunday habit you should consider.

Setting small and achievable goals for the week is half the work in getting them done. You can write your goals in your planner to have them where you can see them every day.

The more you see your goals, the more likely you are to achieve them.

8. Check your bank account

Don’t be one of those people who have no idea what they have in their bank accounts.

Checking your bank account at the end of the week will help you get some perspective on what your everyday spending looks like.

You can work on financial goals so much better when you periodically check your bank statements and know what’s going on there.

9. Indulge in self-care

Being productive and on top of things is great, but we also can’t forget to recharge our batteries.

Sundays are perfect for that. You can finish up your week with a little Netflix and chill and relax, which will help you get ready for the week ahead.

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Meet Deola Sagoe, Founder Of Deola, And The Leading Lady Of African Haute Couture Fashion in Nigeria

Deola Sagoe, founder of Deola is the leading lady of African haute couture fashion from Ondo State in Nigeria. Deola has been at the cutting edge of high fashion since 1989 and became the first black woman to present a collection at AltaRoma, Rome’s celebrated fashion week, back in 2004.
Her globally appealing style has earned her an enviable clientèle that ranges from Africa’s first ladies, to society girls like Lydia Hearst, top model Alek Wek, and famous personalities such as Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith.

In life, you choose certain things and sometimes, you don’t have the luxury of choosing some things, they choose you instead. In Deola’s case, she didn’t choose fashion. Fashion came calling and she had to respond to the call.

“I didn’t choose fashion, it chose me, … I think the only way I’ve managed is because I know fashion was my destiny. African designers face so many challenges, producing collections and working hard to rise above the manufacturing infrastructure problems. For me, it’s about rising to the challenge and I think it’s made me a better designer. I feel I produce more intelligent clothing as a result.” In her words.

Deola Sagoe’s design

Deola, a mother of three, studied at the University of Miami and University of Lagos and earned a Masters in Finance and Management.

She was appointed Nigeria’s representative to the United Nations World Food Program ‘Catwalk the World: Fashion for Food’ with the goal of raising money towards halving the number of hungry people in the world, particularly children, by 2015.

Deola frequently exhibits her couture collection at Cape Town Fashion Week and has been an invited guest of New York Fashion Week in the past.

The rave-maker employs a simple secret to stay relevant in the rapidly changing world of style. She pours all her heart into each of her collections, but none of them defines her. She is rather defined by her astounding ability to blend with the times, to make attires that speak to the spirit of the age.

The reinvention of her Deola Sagoe brand to House of Deola is just one indication of her willingness to tweak her identity to maintain her pride of place in each era.

As her advice for entrepreneurs, Deola said, “I just had this can-do spirit. I was just so convinced that my product was so genuine and would no doubt conquer the world. As an entrepreneur, you must believe in yourself and in your vision.”

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