Women of Rubies
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ADA NDUKA OYOM IS CELEBRATING & EMPOWERING WOMEN IN TECH WITH SHE CODE AFRICA

Ada Nduka Oyom didn’t set out to build a career in tech. While studying microbiology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, she attended the Google Student Ambassadors meet-ups and discovered that the ratio of boys to girls was really wide, in favour of the men.

She decided she wants to try out tech, to find out what it is about tech that has more guys than girls. She started attending events and learning everything about tech. It became interesting as she went on and she later led the Google developers group and Women techmakers chapter for two consecutive years until she graduated.

Today, she’s building an amazing career as a software developer and tech evangelist.

She’s the founder of She Code Africa, “an organisation created to celebrate and empower African women in technology.”

The platform empowers women in tech through the provision of online and offline technical training on web and mobile technologies while offering online mentorship to members looking to improve in various software development and design fields.”

Ada is also the co-founder of Open Source Community Africa, “a community of open source advocates and enthusiasts in Africa created with the aim of growing the number of credible contributions and development of open source technologies from African software developers and designers.”

She’s a co-convener of Google Developer Lagos, and currently works in Developer Relations at Interswitch.

We celebrating Ada for blazing the trail and also celebrating the women doing amazing things in tech, who were hitherto unrecognised.

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LAGOS STATE BEGINS INVESTIGATION INTO FLU-LIKE ILLNESS AMONG QUEENS COLLEGE STUDENTS

 

According to Vanguard, the Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi,said in a statement on Tuesday that an investigative team set up by the ministry was dispatched to unravel the cause of the illnesses.

The team comprised of officials from the State Epidemiology Team, Primary Health Care Services and Environmental Health Department of Lagos Mainland Local Government.

While reviewing preliminary reports of the investigations conducted by the team, Mr Abayomi said that the surveillance team identified what appeared to be a sporadic increase in upper respiratory tract infections, characterised by cough, catarrh, fever and weakness, across some schools.

According to him, the team has since visited Queens College and investigations are ongoing.

”Findings, according to the review of health records in the school sick bay, revealed that 89 students attended the clinic with influenza-like illnesses,” he said.

The commissioner said that a walk-through inspection to other facilities in the school revealed that environmental sanitation and water supply were optimal, but could be improved.

He also said that the incident was not an outbreak of any sort but an excessive number of reported cases, that needed to be investigated.

Abayomi said that nasal swab samples would be collected from students for confirmation of the cause of the illness.

“As we await a comprehensive report of the investigation being conducted, I will like to appeal to stakeholders of Queens College, other affected schools and residents of Lagos State to remain calm,” Abayomi added.

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THE IVORIAN DESIGNER WHO DRESSED BEYONCE

She created the brand Yhebe. 3 years later, Beyonce wore one of her designs.

Her name is Rebecca Zoro. She is a designer from Ivory Coast. In 2015, she created the brand Yhebe. 3 years later, Beyonce wore one of her designs. Rebecca was over the moon.

Beyoncé wearing the Adjoua skirt Photo courtesy of Beyoncé /@Beyonce/ www.beyonce.com
Beyoncé wearing the Adjoua skirt Photo courtesy of Beyoncé /@Beyonce/ www.beyonce.com

Beginnings

Rebecca was born and raised in Ivory Coast. She had a deep fascination with clothing from childhood. In 2009, she decided to take a training course in making clothes. She earned a diploma and left Ivory Coast for Morocco where she enrolled at LaSalle Collège to study fashion design.

Yhebe Design

Rebecca returned to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, after completing school in Morocco. She wanted to start her own clothing brand. She settled on “Yhebe”, an endearing name that her grandfather used to call her father when he was a child. She started small business initially sawing by herself with one sewing machine. The brand grew with time and now has an online presence and an online shop.

The brand represents romanticism, love, and sensitivity. This vision is included in the muse and emblem of the brand: the rose.

Yhebe’s aesthetics originate from the 1920s and include a lot of straight cuts and feminine, geometric lines that are softened by fluid and delicate fabrics. The brand does not shy away from its Africanness either, with models’ faces often painted in traditional African markings. The designs and fabrics are also inspired by African culture, especially Gouro culture which Rebecca is part of.

“The idea behind Yhebe is to highlight the African woman, the Ivorian woman.”

Yhebe Designs
Yhebe Designs
Yhebe Designs
Yhebe Designs
Yhebe Designs
Yhebe Designs
Yhebe Designs
Yhebe Designs

Beyonce

In December 2018, Beyonce attended and headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She wore clothing by African designers for the trip to highlight the African fashion industry. One of the famous looks from the trip is the Adjoua skirt she wore by Yhebe Designs.

Beyoncé wearing the Adjoua skirt Photo courtesy of Beyoncé /@Beyonce/ www.beyonce.com
Beyoncé wearing the Adjoua skirt Photo courtesy of Beyoncé /@Beyonce/ www.beyonce.com

“Beyonce wore a piece of clothing I made!” Exclaimed Rebecca in an interview with BBC Africa. “I still can’t believe it.”

Beyonce’s photos are now part of the online shop’s catalogue. When you go to buy the Adjoua skirt on Yhebe’s online shop, it is Beyonce’s photo you see.

 

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#7QUESTIONS| “BUSINESS KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT”- ESTHER RAPHAEL

Esther Raphael is the founder of Green Bliss Smart Projects and Resources Limited, the 1st Online Innovative Company in Nigeria.With over 9 year work experience, Esther have served in different capacities in the corporate world.She has a sales career background of over 3 billion Naira sales deal portfolio mostly closed online.
Esther answers our #7questions below;
1. What is your biggest fear?
My biggest fear at the moment have been centered around my spirituality and aligning my thoughts to create certain desired outcomes in my life
2. In your darkest moments, what do you do?
Hmmmm, In my darkest moments, I cry. I cry indoor mostly. I just sit or lay down and cry and remind the Universe of all that my heart truly yearns for, to create solutions and wealth for the greater good of humanity.
Yes, so, I think majorly, I cry and begin to pen down my thoughts as I am able to think through how I got to that point, what I can do right and what I should leave to remain the way it is.
3. What is that one thing you would like to change about yourself?
Hahaha, maybe my big head and possibly certain religious orientation
4. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
 
Five years from now, I see myself and my strong supportive, loyal team managing over 46 premium short-let homes and creating more accessible online marketplace for start-ups
5. What keeps you going?
 
The voice inside of me. I am strongly motivated by the understanding that I was born to live, love and grow, that keeps me going.
 
In business, because we are open to strategic partnerships, our partners and the passion of our team members keeps me going.
6. What is your stand on feminism? Do you consider yourself a feminist?
You see, on the subject of feminism, I like to focus more on the advocacy of treating everyone with same level of respect, love and rights, irrespective of the sexual organs or identities. This also touches their various religious beliefs, sexual identity, color and tribe.
 
So, at all times, I’d like to be identified as someone who advocates not just for women but also for all.
7. What keeps you up at night?
 
Business, I stay up most times to analyse the activities around the company and come up with alternative ways of handling things.
 
Want to be featured on our #7Questions? Kindly send a mail to info@womenofrubies.com
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LOLA OMOLOLA IS GIVING WOMEN A VOICE WITH FEMALE IN

When news broke in 2014, that terrorist sect Boko Haram had kidnapped 276 girls from their school in Chibok, Borno state, Lola Omolola was troubled. She felt the need to do something, to get women to speak up, stand up and tackle the issues they face.

Her first thought was to find women who were, like her, losing sleep over the same issues as well as get women together and form some sort of a resource.

A year later, shortly after the #BeingFemaleInNigeria hashtag trended, Lola decided to start a secret Facebook group called Female In Nigeria (FIN). It is a safe space for women which allows them express the complexities of their shared struggles.

In Nigeria for example, it is unusual and not expected for a woman to speak up about the struggles she’s facing. She’s encouraged to endure whatever she’s going through, and focus on being decent, building her family, or taking care of the men in her life, depending on the stage she is at life.

Lola started by sharing stories of the women had heard about, sometimes one liners or nothing more than a paragraph, and soon enough, members began sharing their stories. Steadily, a tribe was being formed, people were getting the love, support and encouragement they need and others were getting healing they needed.

Today, FIN is now Female IN, to reflect a broader group of women, as it now has over 1.7 million members who are not just from Nigeria or Africa.

Lola earned her Bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism from Columbia College, Chicago and worked as a journalist in Nigeria before moving back to Chicago in 2011 and worked at Community Counselling Centres where she assisted people with mental health issues.

Lola later on, started her own website called spicebaby.com where she was providing recipes for Nigerian food. Then she created Female IN in 2015.

Lola is looking to bring FIN offline, by “creating resource centres around the world in strategic places where women know that they can walk in and have the experience that they have in our Facebook community, because there are women who don’t have access to the Internet”.

Lola has met with Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg and was selected as one of the 100 beneficiaries of the Facebook Community Leadership program.

In 2018, Lola was named in ONE’s Women of the Year 2018.

We celebrate Lola for starting a movement that is saving lives and impacting millions of women around the world.

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FATIMA TOGBE IS BUILDING A FASHION & LIFESTYLE EMPIRE FOR YOUNG MUSLIMAHS

As a young muslim woman, Fatima Togbe, couldn’t find magazines with stories she’s interested in or the ones that give insight to the issues she’s dealing with.

She decided to do something about it. She wanted to create a platform for Muslimahs  “between the ages of 21 and 35, modern, educated, fashion forward and trendy with a sound foundation in their love and dedication to Islam.”

“I love fashion so much and love magazines like Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and Glamour, but I can’t wear half the things in them, nor do the topics meet a lot of my own needs,” she told Guardian in 2017.

The magazines focused on muslim women were “boring.” “No one was really writing about issues that pertain to Muslim women and to a younger new generation of us,” she added.

She decided to start Hayati Magazine, in 2012, to meet this need. Today, it boasts of thousands of followers across social media and website.

Fatima built Hayati into a community where muslim women can talk and read about real issues without fear of judgments. It is a fashion and lifestyle platform for the young Muslimah.

In 2015, she launched Hayati Retail for Muslimahs to shop fashion pieces that appeal to their faith.

To celebrate its 5th anniversary in 2017, Hayati Magazine, hosted the inaugural edition of Hayati Fashion Week which held in Abuja for 3 days, with over 200 guests and 14 designers showcasing their work.

Fatima is a 2016 nominee for The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) Prize for New Media category. She was also listen in YNaija’s inaugural #WOKE100 list.

Fatima has worked with brands such as Vlisco, Golden Morn, and Maggi. She’s building a reputable media company for the young Muslim woman, and we are definitely rooting for her.

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GENEVIEVE NNAJI’S ‘LIONHEART’ IS NIGERIA’S SELECTION FOR 2020 OSCARS

The Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC) has selected Genevieve Nnaji’s ‘Lionheart’ as Nigeria’s submission to the International Feature Film category of the 2020 Oscars.

According to Channels News, the committee announced the selection on Wednesday, following a statutory vetting and subsequent voting of entries received from Nigerian filmmakers at home and abroad.

’Lionheart’ was produced by Chinny Onwugbenu, Chichi Nwoko, Genevieve Nnaji and directed by Genevieve Nnaji, premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and got featured as the first Netflix original film produced in Nigeria.

The movie stars Pete Edochie, Genevieve Nnaji, Nkem Owoh, Onyeka Onwenu, Kanayo .O. Kanayo, Chika Okpala, Kalu Ikeagwu, Sanni Mu’azu, Yakubu Mohammed, Ngozi Ezeonu, Peter Okoye (P-Square) and Chibuzor Azubuike (Phyno).

‘Lionheart’, which is Nnaji’s directorial debut, tells the story of a young woman, Adaeze Obiagu (Genevieve Nnaji), who becomes saddled with the responsibility of running her sick father’s business under the suffocating supervision of an uncle, played by Nkem Owoh.

Adaeze’s competing business instincts and family obligations become a catalyst for drastic change not everyone is ready to embrace.

The 12-man Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC), is chaired by Chineze Anyaene with Mahmood Ali-Balogun as vice chairman.

 

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GHANAIAN SCHOOLS INTRODUCES SEX RIGHTS EDUCATION

Sex education in Ghana has sparked outrage, as it is being described as “demonic” and “satanic.” Churches argue that the move is meant to introduce homosexuality in Ghana

 The education sector in Ghana is set to undergo a new phase of comprehensive sexuality education in attempts to conscientize students about their sexual and reproductive health rights. But this new development has been met with hostility from both teachers and churches.

The new sex education program is running under the banner Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and targets primary school children aged 4. The overall objective of the planned sexuality education program is to equip children with full knowledge about their sexuality and reproductive health issues. It is intended to help “nurture positive attitudes, open-mind, respect for self and others, non-judgmental attitudes and a sense of responsibility concerning sexual and reproductive health issues”.

The initiative is being backed by the Ghana government working in conjunction with the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). CSE is also supported by the governments of Sweden and Ireland. This is not only a program peculiar to Ghana as it is being launched in Ghana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Introducing sexual education to children as young as 4 is something that is defended by the government – they argue that “subject content of the CSE would be age-appropriate to enable pre-schoolers to be empowered with values that would protect them from sexual harassment.”

But not everyone in Ghana is in alignment with these proposed plans. Churches and teachers have opposed the move citing moralistic issues. They say that CSE is an evil plan manufactured to make children amenable to the ideas of homosexuality, bisexual and transgender activism.

The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) – a grouping of over 200 denominations in Ghana – has denounced this program, describing it as satanic. The graduate teachers’ umbrella body has also said that they were not consulted on the new development.

Rev Prof Paul Yaw Frimpong-Manso, the GPCC president said, “I call it Comprehensive Sexuality Education it is Comprehensive Satanic Engagement.”

Moses Foh Amoaning, leader of National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values said that CSE is an educational move clothed in ulterior motives, and also posing that the secret move is to introduce homosexuality. The pressure group is vehemently against homosexuality.

The prevailing notion is that introducing sex education to children who are not yet sexually active is simply demonic. And the move is expected to be put in motion next year.

Header image credit – GBC Ghana

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THESE 3 ZODIAC SIGNS MAKE THE BEST WIVES

Whether you believe in the power of zodiac signs or not, they are here to stay. At the very least, they’re a fun way to analyze others and talk about our personalities. Here are the top three signs that are supposedly the best matches for marriage. Is your sign on the list?

Image: Source

CANCER

Image: Source

The Cancer woman is a queen. . She is deeply emotional and she rocks it. She will love you unconditionally and she will show it to you every chance she gets. She will make a cozy home for you and she will go an extra mile just to make her family happy. She is real mother material because of her unconditional love. Her children and her family will always come first. Sometimes, they can be drama queens, but that is due to the enormous amount of emotions they’ve got to give. Nevertheless, if you marry a Cancer woman you won’t regret it, ever.

ARIES

Image: Source

She is a real overachiever She will do literally anything to fulfill her goals. She is adventurous and passionate and most importantly, she is not afraid to speak her mind and to stand up for herself or anybody else for that matter. She is a true alpha, and if you’re brave enough to spend the rest of your life with this strong personality, keep in mind that you have to keep the fi-re burning. Remember that she will be there to support you no matter what.If you manage to score an Alpha Aries, you won’t regret it because she will bring out the best inf you. She will make your life fun with the energy she brings to it.She is a very determined and strict but loving mother who will raise winners and leaders.

LEO

Image: Source

She is a warrior She needs her spotlight, but if you’ve found your way to her heart, she will let you in and share her spotlight with you. She will be loyal to you and she will never let you down. She needs someone who is as determined and strong as she is. She will never fall for an ordinary man. She will put her family ahead of everything and she will treat her family as a real ‘mama Leo’. She will give them nothing but pure, selfless, and unconditional love.

This Article Was First Published on “herway.net”

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ADELE REPORTEDLY DATING SKEPTA AFTER MARRIAGE SPLIT FROM SIMON KONECKI

Adele, 31, is reportedly dating Skepta,37, following her marriage split with estranged husband Simon Konecki.

The singer and rapper who hail from Tottenham have been in frequent contact and have also been enjoying a string of dates since Adele’s marriage to her ex Simon Konecki ended in April.

According to The Sun, the chart-topper joined Skepta to help celebrate his 37th birthday at the Crystal Maze experience in London just two weeks ago.

A source revealed to the publication: ‘Adele and Skepta have been there for each other a lot after both their relationships split up. They have a close bond and there’s definitely a special connection.

‘They’re spending more and more time together. Some of their friends are hoping and predicting they could end up being a great couple one day.’

The insider added: ‘They are both private about their love lives and they are both committed to their children first and foremost as well.’

Adele shares a son, Angelo, with Simon while Skepta (real name Joseph Junior Adenuga Jr) became a father in November. He previously dated supermodel Naomi Campbell, 49.

 

 

Credit: LIB

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