Women of Rubies
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“​AS A WOMAN YOU​ HAVE TO BE DOGGED IF YOU WANT TO GO INTO ACTIVISM​​”​ – ​O​​NUGHA​ ​ROSEMARY​

Onugha Rosemary is a passionate educator and serial humanitarian, she alongside her wonderful team educate and support vulnerable children living in slums across Lagos.​ T​he graduate of Applied Microbiology from Ebonyi State University advocates for quality education, reduced poverty by education and empowerment of women in the society.

Rose who is also a food vendor, has been involved in teaching and raising role models as well as carrying out humanitarian activities with  marginalised children  by donating  school materials to aid easy learning as well as coaching them on the needs of education not withstanding their immediate communities.

In her words​:​ “I intend working with urban and rural slum kids by making sure that each one of them have the privileged of attending basic education and as well acquiring the needed skills to survive as an individual​”.​

The serial Humanitarian shares he inspiring story with me in this interview.

Growing up

My childhood and environment prepared me for what I’m doing now. Growing up in a community where we had hoodlums and sex workers as neighbours made we know who and what I don’t want to be like.

I had several occasions where I was sent out of school because of fee. These are few things children in slums and undocumented areas go through, when asked why you are at home, my parent could probably say I’m not feeling too good.

My environment made me very ambitious because I really wish I could change a lot of things, it made me who I am, it made me have a picture of who I want to be. It made me aspire for greatness.

It was quite unfortunate that I didn’t grow up having role models, I only grew up having people I didn’t want to be like and seeing situation I’d never want to be in.

My passion for the vulnerable and less privileged  in the society

I discovered that most times when interventions, outreaches, sensitizations, quizzes, debates are being carried out the children living in the slums are being exempted. They miss out on a lot of opportunities and empowerment programs because of their environment, as a matter of fact, people and even government hardly remember that they exist. I’m trying to be their voice, to give them hope and as well motivate them to be their best versions of themselves irrespective of their present environment.

Every child matter notwithstanding their environment and their background.

Working directly with slum kids

I believe all children should have an equal right and access to education.

During my research I discovered that about 40 to 50 percent of children living in slums do not have  basic education. And this can further be a disaster to the society in the future. I thought within myself how do I stop this trend and reduce the level of illiteracy in Nigeria? This also formed the basis of my outreach. As we know, education reduces poverty and it has been noted that the level of poverty in the slum is in high rate. To tackle poverty, disease, ill vices in the society and to create jobs and be employable, educating the slum kids is the best shot.

Reception

Most times I go to these communities, I’m been looked down on, like what has this small girl got to offer us. But at the end of the visits  both the children, school owners and their parents are always grateful and they have a different mind set of what education is about.

My Inspiration

Like I said earlier, my environment inspired me. My parents as well especially my late father. He was able to raise us in a godly manner with the help of my mother. Until this moment, I can’t explain how my parents did it that we never took after the environment or joined the bad gangs. Till this moment is bewildering. Honourable Buumba Malambo from Zambia also inspires me she built a home for vulnerable children, orphan in her community as well as educating them.

Also, the founder of La Roche Leadership foundation Mrs Osoba, she is a humanitarian with a golden heart, she is also a member of the Global Goodwill  Ambassador.  she has a library in her foundation that enables children to read to fun and examination. She also donates educational books to different government schools. She supports humanitarian workers to create more impact in the society.

Dr DiPillar Richard who is the founder of Global Goodwill Ambassadors worldwide, he unites humanitarian workers around the world with the goal of making our world a better place. We also have the opportunity to network with other humanitarian workers outside the country and as well learn from them to create a greater impact in the society.

Reward

The greatest reward is the reward of fulfilment. Been able to create an impact in the lives of these kids. Also, when I joined the Global Goodwill Ambassadors network worldwide. When I got featured in a newspaper as well. Those are the rewards for now.

Challenge

One of the challenge is getting funding for projects which is the most challenging. Another is my gender, people tend to think that as a woman you have less to offer, especially going to the slums where they believe that women are not supposed to be educated but they can either fish, farm or trade and also help out at home. It’s challenging having to change their mind set and showing them women role models in all fields. That’s why we need more women to engage in both science and politics, because the society has made them believe that some profession are meant for a particular gender. 

On giving up

Yes, sometimes when I have ideas written down and want to implement them but  not been able to because of some situations like funds. For instance, I visited a community in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State and discovered that there is no secondary school in Abaranje and Okerube communities. These two communities only has  primary education, we can imagine what happens to the children after the primary education. Most of them that their parents can’t afford a private school are either seen roaming about, hawking, some have even joined hoodlums and some others not too good gangs. 

As individual​s​ and government trying to reduce the crime rate, illiteracy and poverty in the society, education should be the number tool to help curb the menace. I have a temporal solution to educate children in that community pending when the state government will erect a proper school and classroom for the community.

Being a food vendor and serial Entrepreneur

My food vendor business is new and I’m still looking out for more clients, so combining it  with my humanitarian work is not really stressful. Because we do mostly in bowls, for meetings and office packs. I have people that can help out in both my humanitarian work and my food business, so I can take an order to deliver meals today and as well go for my outreach the same day. It’s just a matter of planning and having volunteers to assist.

Being a Woman of Rubies

Been able to impact lives, giving hope to children living in slums and undocumented areas and been able to empower women. A woman of rubies is a woman that is a role model in her society.

For women in the development sector

You have to be dogged if you want to go into activism as a woman, people will sometimes look down on you and make you feel you are making a mistake doing what you are doing. Sometimes you might even get a threat on your life, you will go to some places that you would be turned down but don’t give up because a lot of people are looking up to you and would also like to trade on the path. Giving up means you have succeeded in making people looking up to you to loss focus.

There’s always light at the end of the tunnel and you’d be surprised to know many lives you’ve been able to impact with your works.

Activist being appreciated

Activist are not appreciated enough, that’s why we need to create more awareness to show the impacts of our activism and how our activism has made changes in day to day life.

One thing I wish I could change in the education sector

I would like to change the conventional ways of teaching and as well change the mind set of our tutors. Some of our schools still teaches with the same methods our are parents were taught. Education has evolved from been a normal classroom teaching to incorporating our day to day activities into mathematics and all subjects.  Children should be able to mix fun with learning. Games, and life skills should be incorporated into teaching. If children are guided to express themselves and not been imposed, educational system would have a dynamic and drastic turnaround in Nigeria. Education should not only be maths and English, children should be given the space to be innovative and creative.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: FORMER COZA STAFF ACCUSES PASTOR BIODUN FATOYINBO OF RAPING HER IN 2017

Six days after Busola Dakolo came out to share her harrowing story of rape by Senior Pastor of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Biodun Fatoyinbo, another woman is accusing the clergy of the same thing.

The woman, who says she’s a former member and staff at the church, said Fatoyinbo, who she regarded as a mentor, spiritual leader, and father figure, allegedly raped her when he invited him to his house to discuss church issues.

She said that wasn’t the first time she was going to the house, adding that things moved on really fast and Fatoyinbo in no time was all over her.

She says she hopes that her story will build on the impact of Busola Dakolo’s and Ese Walter‘s stories.

In her story, she said Fatoyinbo addressed the Busola Dakolo incident, saying she had seduced him and “something had happened”.

Her Story

The woman said she joined the church in 2009, and in 2013, when the Ese Walter story broke, she immediately felt the weight of its implications, but dismissed it as some smear campaign. She hadn’t been working closely with the pastor at the time and the church was a place of sanctuary for her.

She joined the music group and was there till 2015, when Fatoyinbo’s wife Modele took an interest in her, and she began working with her on church adminstration duties and even taking care of the Fatoyinbos’ son.

The woman said she had found out about how church members viewed their proximity to the pastor as something special and she did feel special.

She says women and girls who were granted access to the Fatoyinbos’ children were referred to as ‘choice daughters,’ as the pastor was known to guard access to their kids.

She said she took care of the kids from 2015 to 2016, and later on, she moved to another country, living in one of the cities where COZA had a branch.

While she was hired by Modele, her job also required that she worked with Fatoyinbo who visited regularly to minister to the congregation and spend time with his children who were schooling in the city.

The alleged rape took place when Fatoyinbo visited and invited her to the house to discuss church issues.

As he forced himself on her, she says, removing her shirt and unbuttoning her trousers, telling her to “relax”.

She adds that she was too shocked to react, trying to reconcile the person in front if her, with the person who she saw as a spiritual leader, father figure, and mentor.

After the rape, she said he switched back to the pastor she knew, going on to apologise for what happened, saying he didn’t mean to hurt her.

She said she stayed silent and couldn’t talk to church members about it, remembering how the church took the Ese Walters case.

She was happy Fatoyinbo lived in Nigeria, pastoring the church in Abuja, so the distance helped her reevaluate her life. She wanted to leave the church but it would be difficult, seeing the church was responsible for her livelihood. She began saving to come back to Nigeria and continue her life.

One day, a friend called her out of the blues saying Fatoyinbo was asking for her number. She couldn’t tell the friend why she refused to share her contact with the pastor, so she had to give it to the friend to share with him.

Fatoyinbo called her, she said, saying ‘I know you are angry with me.’ She said his apology rang of dishonesty and after the call ended, her other friends called to tell her about Busola’s husband, Timi Dakolo‘s May 2018 Instagram postaccusing an Abuja pastor of sexual assault.

She said she figured Fatoyinbo’s call was an attempt at damage control and if she had any doubts about him being a sexual abuser, that call cleared them.

The rape occurred in the last quarter of 2017, she said, but she continued working in the church till July the next year. She said she told Fatoyinbo of her plan to leave and he insisted that they both see each other before she does so.

She adds that by the time she returned to Nigeria, Timi Dakolo had made his second post, accusing Fatoyinbo of sexual assault, although not explicitly.

One month later, Busola shared her story, accusing Fatoyinbo of raping her twice when she was 16.

The woman said when she returned to Nigeria, Fatoyinbo insisted on them meeting, and he shared that Busola had seduced him and “something had happened.” He said he didn’t know she was a teenager, adding that he had no idea why she was trying to “sabotage” his ministry.

The woman said she doesn’t think Modele is unaware of her husband’s alleged assault, adding that she either intentionally or inadvertently brought young women closer to her, setting them up for exploitation by her husband.

She added that some pastors are aware of Fatoyinbo’s sexual violence but either kept quiet, or enabled it. She called them “The COZA 12,” saying they are pastors within and outside the church.

Watch:

Credit: Bella Naija

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THE NEWLY CROWNED MISS VIRGINIA DID A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT FOR HER TALENT PERFORMANCE

Camille Schrier was crowned Miss Virginia 2019 at the end of June, and for the talent portion of the competition, the 24-year-old biochemist showed off what she does best: Science.Schrier demonstrated the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, a reaction that occurs when hydrogen peroxide comes in contact with a catalyst like potassium iodide, which Schrier used in her presentation. As she mixed the chemicals, large spouts of colored foam came shooting out of the beakers onstage, delighting the audience and obviously impressing the judges.

“Keep an eye out,” she said as people cheered, “Because science really is all around us.”

After her big win, Schrier said she hopes her onstage experiment helps change the conversation around talent and what it means to be a beauty queen.”I am more than Miss Virginia. I am Miss Biochemist, Miss Systems Biologist, Miss Future PharmD looking toward a pharmaceutical industry career,” she said in a release. “Now was the time for me to create a mind shift about the concept of talent by bringing my passion for STEM to the stage. To me, talent is not a passion alone, but also a skill which is perfected over years of learning.”

Schrier is a graduate of Virginia Tech and is currently a Doctor of Pharmacy student at Virginia Commonwealth University. In keeping with her passion — and talent, — Schrier’s platform issue for the competition was opioid abuse awareness and drug safety.As Miss Virginia 2019, Schrier will compete in the Miss America Pageant in September.

Credit: CNN

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39-YEAR-OLD WOMAN BAGS PHD DEGREE AFTER SPENDING 3 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

A 39-year-old formerly incarcerated woman is making people believe in second chances after graduating with her PhD — and using it to create a pathway for other returning citizens to find meaningful jobs.

Yolanda Perkins grew up middle-class in Clewiston, Florida, where she says that her parents gave her and her siblings everything that they needed — including the opportunity to attend college. However, in 2004, while her friends were seniors receiving their degrees, Perkins was caught stealing credit cards from a workplace mailroom, leading to sentence in federal prison.

“I was facing 25 to 30 years and at the suggestion of my attorney,” she tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I pled guilty to possession of stolen mail and in exchange, they dropped the credit card fraud charge.”

At the time, Perkins was just 24 years old and ended up being sentenced to three years in federal prison — a terrifying reality that she didn’t want to face. When she was denied her request to be on probation, or enter a military boot camp, she tried to take her own life.

“I didn’t think life was worth living, and I tried to commit suicide,” she says. “I just didn’t see my life as livable anymore.” Thankfully, the attempt was unsuccessful, and Perkins ended up surrendering herself to prison. And although it was a “hard transition” it provided her the opportunity to reset her goals and put her energy toward making them happen.

“The entire time that I was incarcerated, I always kept a journal,” Perkins shares. “And one of the things that I would always write while I was incarcerated was about how I would graduate college because I didn’t finish. I felt incomplete.”

Perkins explains that while there were plenty of critics who suggested she wouldn’t be able to accomplish her goal after prison, there was one fellow inmate who helped her realize how much time she had in prison and how to use it wisely.

Throughout her three years, she was transferred to two other facilities, where she engaged in learning programs and listened to speakers who sparked her interest in public speaking. Still, once she finished her sentence and was moved to a halfway house, things didn’t pan out as Perkins had expected.

“I knew that I was ready to hit the ground running when I got to the halfway house… I just knew that it would be so easy — that’s just what I had said to myself,” she explains. “But none of that happened. Instead, everything totally opposite happened.”

Her felony record made it difficult to land a job, as did her caseworker, who Perkins says told her, “the closest that I would get to working in somebody’s office is if I was cleaning it.” With the help of a friend, she eventually landed a job at Goodwill where she had a boss named Becky whom she came to call her second mom.

With Becky’s encouragement, Perkins went back to school to finish her bachelor’s degree and eventually pursued her first master’s degree, which she completed in 2010. All the while, she connected with and married her husband, Dwight, and became pregnant with their first child in 2012.

Still, it was difficult to move beyond the part of her life that she had come to feel so ashamed of — until she wrote her first book.

“While I was pregnant with my son, I was on bed rest and I wrote a book. And it was that book that I wrote that opened up doors,” she said. “Although I had been out of prison, and I had served my time, I was still on probation and I still felt like there was a hold on me. So I was still kind of embarrassed. But once I wrote the book, it became like an outlet for me. It allowed me to be transparent.”

The book, titled Consequences, was based on Perkins’s own story — which she only revealed upon the book’s release. In that moment, she says, she realized that there were others in her community who were suffering in silence from the obstacles that many formerly incarcerated people face — specifically, not being able to gain employment.

Throughout the next couple of years, Perkins continued to build her family and her career by having another baby, staring a company called Swimmie Caps and ultimately making the decision to pursue her doctorate degree. All the while, she was helping formerly incarcerated men and women find jobs, which eventually informed her dissertation.

Dwight, Bella, Dwight III and Yolanda Perkins. (Photo courtesy of Yolanda Perkins)
Dwight, Bella, Dwight III and Yolanda Perkins. (Photo courtesy of Yolanda Perkins)

“There were multiple points that my dissertation was rejected because I was still trying to go around the issue of not even highlighting anything about incarceration,” Perkins says of her realization that her past was an important part of improving her work. “I need to focus on something that’s important to me, and that means a lot to me. And it was about incarceration. And then from there, I had to identify what about incarceration. So then I chose to focus on the success rates.”

Through her early research, Perkins determined that a lot of works had focused on men — so she aimed to fill that gap. “I just wanted to showcase that women can be successful after prison,” she says. “Life is not over after incarceration.”

Now, she’s an example of just that. After graduating with an additional master’s degree and her PhD from Nova Southeastern University on June 14, she showcased her difficult journey in graduation photos taken by a friend and photographer, Heather Sperrazza.

“I did not anticipate the pictures to look the way they did, but she was able to express that, yes I was incarcerated but I never stopped even after that,” Perkins says.

Perkins graduated from Nova Southeastern University with her PhD on June 14. (Photo courtesy of Yolanda Perkins)
Perkins graduated from Nova Southeastern University with her PhD on June 14. (Photo courtesy of Yolanda Perkins)

Perkins’s story gained more attention as a result of her unique graduation photos, as well as an audience fit for her next business venture: an app for formerly incarcerated people that focuses on finding employment more easily.

“I want to stop this cycle,” she says. “I want to be able to provide a one-stop shop for returning citizens. I want it to be able to provide active resources.”

The idea, which she plans to roll out this fall after gaining funding, goes beyond connecting with companies actively hiring formerly incarcerated candidates. It also aims to ensure that candidates who have been isolated in prisons have the means to even put together a resumé, so ultimately, somebody can get a second chance just as Perkins had.

While working to bring that dream to life, however, Perkins says that she’s keeping busy raising her children, Dwight III, 8, and Bella, 6, in addition to running Swimmie Caps and preparing to release a second book. At the end of the day, however, the 39-year-old has to remind herself that acknowledging her past and the struggles that she faced is all a part of moving successfully to her future.

“It’s a part of me, it’s a part of my life,” Perkins says, “and I have to talk about it.”

Credit: yahoo.com

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9 OUTSTANDING YOUNG NIGERIANS HONOURED WITH AWARDS IN MEMORY OF PRINCESS DIANA

Young people have the power to change the world – those are the words of The Diana Award, set up in memory of Princess Diana, who during her life doggedly pursued positive change in the world.

The Diana Award honours young people between the ages of 9 and 25 from across the world, who impact positive change in the lives of others and their community, their country, and the world.

In 2019, 9 young Nigerians are among the few selected from across the world, recognised for making an impact on Nigerian lives and on Nigeria. They include:

Meukara Monday
Lekeh Development Foundation. 24
Muekara has been volunteering with an environmental group called Eco-Club, aimed at educating primary and secondary school students to learn about their environment and how to take action. Through campaigning, he has raised awareness of issues from dropping litter in the playground to the illegal cutting down of trees and engaged his community to take responsibility for their planet. Muekara also teaches subjects including Maths and English, educating students on the Sustainable Development Goals. His aim is to raise global leaders across the 24 schools his Eco-club has reached, empowering young people to make a change.

Precious Adebola
Precious Fount Foundation. 25.
Precious has embarked on a number of selfless services to help disadvantaged students in Nigeria. She started a scholarship for students in the Nigerian village of Ufodo and has also initiated a project that prepares students for their return to school by providing them with Back to School packages. In addition, she supervises mentoring sessions and an online academic support group. Precious has overcome challenges including sourcing the funding for her projects, requiring her to leverage on her social skills and inspire others towards her mission to strengthen Nigeria’s educational system.

Eedee-Bari Bawoh
Voice To The Street. Lagos. 22.
After seeing so many children falling into the traps of the street, Eedee-Bari was inspired to take action. She made it her mission to empower children through education, giving them the best life chances possible. Since founding ‘Voice to the Street’, Eedee-Bari has supported over 1,350 street-children through counselling events, scholarship funds and the distribution of educational materials. Thanks to her hard work, and the coordination of over 50 volunteers, Eedee-Bari is building new futures for children throughout Lagos. Eedee-Bari used to find it hard to speak out but now she has gained enough confidence to see a wrong and opt to make a difference. And that difference is only going to keep on growing.

Wadi Ben-Hirki
Wadi Ben-Hirki Foundation. 22.
Wadi founded her non-profit organisation at the age of 18, focused on improving the lives of women and children, and now uses her voice to amplify the issues surrounding education, peace and gender inequality. Wadi’s organisation runs four main projects and campaigns to empower marginalised and disadvantaged people. ‘Street to School’ focuses on free and inclusive education. ‘Girls Not Wives’ advocates against child marriage, ‘Love in the Midst of War’ rehabilitates survivors of insurgency. ‘SHEROES’ empowers young girls and women to be the best version of themselves, helping them to dream beyond their present and become great leaders. Wadi’s work is changing the lives of young people across Nigeria.

Chidinma Okoli
Financially Literate Africa. Lagos. 23.
After witnessing first-hand the level of poverty prevalent in her community, Chidinma founded Financially Literate Africa – a financial education organisation for young Africans to bring themselves and their families out of poverty. In this capacity she provides young people with financial advice to become economically empowered and financially literate. Through her campaign “Be Financially Intelligent” over a thousand young people took part in activities that would benefit their future financial self. She has mentored over 50 young girls on financial literacy through the G7 initiative and has become passionate about bringing financial stability to young people in poverty.

Marvellous Olusegun
The Invasion Foundation. 24.
Marvellous founded “The Invasion Foundation” which carries out free breast and prostate cancer screening in Nigeria – a country which has one of the worst cancer:death ratios in the world. Cancer statistics in Nigeria were so alarming that Marvellous became determined to lead the fight against cancer and so far his efforts have directly affected 8,000 lives and saved more than 50 Nigerians from needless deaths. Through the foundation, Marvellous has gathered a volunteer base of 350 college students, making it the first youth led cancer initiative in the country. Marvellous is a trail blazer, he identified the gap in the healthcare system and plunged into it.

Kennedy Ekezie-Joseph
Calabar Youth Council For Women’s Rights. Calabar. 20.
Kennedy’s work addresses the scourge of female genital mutilation (FGM), gender-based violence and the stigma attached to menstruation in Nigeria. He established the Calabar Youth Council for Women’s Rights and, through research and advocacy, worked with partners to establish and run safe houses for victims of FGM. His work distributes menstrual products to Nigerian girls unable to afford them – focusing on children at risk of dropping out of school, and prisoners. Additionally, his work seeks to empower women: the safe houses are also schools for the residents, and he has worked with The Girl Generation in Nigeria to help bring STEM education to schoolgirls.

Victoria Ibiwoye
One African Child Foundation. Lagos. 25.
Amidst the responsibilities of studying for her law degree, Victoria founded the One African Child Foundation to address the inequality in education. Having faced difficulties herself, Victoria understood the power of education in transforming lives, breaking the cycle of poverty and building peaceful and resilient societies. Through activity-based workshops on global citizenship education, life skills and peace building in violent communities, the One African Child Foundation has worked with and trained over 4,000 children from disconnected communities and provided mini grants to 25 young change makers across Africa. Victoria is youth representative of the SDG Education 2030 Steering Committee and is a strong voice for education both in Nigeria and globally.

Mariam
Pearls Africa Foundation. Lagos. 22.
Described as a ‘strong and fearless’ leader in the volunteering field, Mariam inspires and educates young people to also become volunteers. At the age of just 22, Mariam has already volunteered for over 100 organisations. After attending a developer meet-up where she was the only female present, Mariam was inspired to encourage more girls to take up coding. Currently volunteering with Pearls Africa Foundation (popularly known as Girls Coding, a CNN Heroes Top Ten Nominee 2018) Mariam motivates young women with her communication, negotiation and programming skills, leading them through their own personal and professional development.

Several other Africans also received the award, making impact in their home countries of Ghana, Benin, Tanzania and Kenya. They include:

  • Julio Muhorro of Ideia Lab from Mozambique. 23.
  • Saul Mwame of the United Nations from Tanzania. 19.
  • Efua Asibon of the The Swarthmore Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility from Accra, Ghana. 25.
  • Ida Na-Tei of Techworld Hub from Ghana. 22.
  • Catherine Nakayemba of Gejja Women Foundation from Uganda. 22.
  • Nora of Bedayaa Organization for LGBTIQ+ from Cairo, Egypt. 25.
  • Margaret Oslo Odhiambo of Streetwise Transformers from Nairobi, Kenya. 22.
  • Meganne Lorraine Ceday Boho of Sephis from Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. 24.
  • Esi of Heritage and Culture for Development from Ghana. 17.
  • Castello Semevo Zodo of Youth and Green Jobs for a Green Economy from Benin. 23.
  • Freda of Inspiring Young Achievers Network from Ghana. 25.
  • Tanatsei Gambura of The 25 May Movement from Zimbabwe. 20.
  • Zanji Sinkala of She Entrepreneur And Women Taboos Radip from Zambia. 23.
  • Phyllis Wanja Gitimu of Afyakili Organization, Nairobi, Kenya. 24.
  • Joseph Ssengooba of JBCaring Hearts from Uganda. 24.
  • Susan of The Mesh from Harare, Zimbabwe. 22.
  • Agnes Kabonesa of World Vision Uganda from Uganda. 25.
  • Erick Venant of Roll Back Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative from Tanzania. 25.
  • Brightstar Kasyoka of Brightstar Rose Foundation from Kenya. 20.
  • Ziyaan Virji of The Age Khan Academy in Mombasa, Kenya. 17.
  • Divine Kporha of Mental Health and Wellbeing Foundation from Ghana. 24.
  • Wantoe Teah Wantoe of National Children and Youth Advisory Board from Monrovia, Liberia. 24.
  • Christelle Kwizera of Water Access Rwanda in Rwanda. 24.
  • Elizabeth Wathuti of Green Generation Initiative from Kenya. 23.
  • Trevor Lichuma of Save the Future Leader Organization from Nairobi, Kenya. 24.
  • Cape Town Diabetes Initiative’s Primary Health Care Directorate, University of Cape Town. Ages 21 – 25.
  • Louise of Sophie A Kanza Foundation from Johannesburg, South Africa. 25.
  • Infinite Research Institute. Ghana. Ages 22-25.
  • Nicholas Luweesi of Refugees for Prosperity, Kampala, Uganda. 23.
  • Project Imagine in Nairobi, Kenya. Ages 14-18.

Credit: Bella Naija

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OLACHI OLATUNDE: WHY SOME RULES ARE JUST BS!  

The first time I heard the term ‘bullshit rules’, I remember thinking to myself ‘wait, bullshit what?’ BULLSHIT-RULES. You know what they are? They are these set of unwritten rules that the world expects us to live by but when you really break them down, you find out that the rule is really just bullshit. So Vishen Lakhiani (Founder of MindValley) decided to term them Bullshir-Rules and I’m going to attempt to whole idea to you.

Man, by being is programmable and I’ll tell you what I mean in a sec. If you strip down the things you generally hold to be true, to be your beliefs – you will notice that most of the things you believe are not a result of your conscious or rational choosing. You have grown to believe many things through programming, imitation and indoctrination. You basically believe a lot of things because you were told at some point in your life that that’s just how life is.

This would have been alright if the beliefs passed on were consistently beneficial, but this is not always the case – matter of fact, it rarely is.

As infants we are born without beliefs, with no real concept of right or wrong, good or bad. Society tells us what is acceptable and what is not. Culture determines what length a boys’ hair should be, parents dictate who they expect us to be friends with, and what they think we should study. Religion is clear on who makes a satisfactory spouse and who does not.

If you really really think about it, we are largely a product of our programming, yes there are exceptions but by and large many of us are still living the lives that someone somewhere told us to live.

“We have taken our definitions of what is acceptable and what is not from people other than ourselves imagining that they know more about our lives than we”.

Now I understand the place of parents, teachers and others in authority over us and they are very much needed but we must not be oblivious of the fact that it is very easy for them to pass on their beliefs to us; whether these beliefs are necessary for our growth or not. To be really honest, a lot of their beliefs are bullshit and you really need to chuck them, hold on to what serves you only.

The thing with beliefs is that they are fact. Whatever you believe becomes ‘fact’ for you so it is possible that you can live your whole life living someone else’s beliefs and experiencing the life that goes with it. How uncool.

If your beliefs aren’t even yours, then are you yourself at all? Makes you wonder why there’s so many people running around with no sense of identity, no knowledge of who they are. They have relied on others to decide who they are and therefore who they can become – it is a tragedy really.

But NOT today!!!

Today we are crushing all bullshit rules and making up new rules to replace them. I do apologize for all the swear words in this post if it hurts your senses, there are just a few more to come and we’ll be done – I promise.

To attempt a definition – a bullshit rule is a belief about yourself or life that you have always believed to be true even if it isn’t necessarily. It’s mostly negative and a result of unintentional or intentional indoctrination. Here are a few bullshit rules we need to get rid of today.

Bull-Shit rule 1

To make money, you have to work really really really hard. Hard work is important but don’t get stuck thinking that unless you sweat and toil, you cannot have the success or the money you want. Just look around you, too many examples to be a fluke.

Bull-Shit rule 2

To be a happy and successful woman, you need a man – Nobody should ever NEED anyone other than themselves to make them happy. You don’t NEED anyone, you might want ‘em because really what would life be without men…heheehe..

Bull-Shit rule 3

I need to go to school to make any money – Education is important, but you do not always need the four walls of a room to learn. You 100% percent need education but it does not have to come in the form of a college degree. Your knowledge is not less valuable just because it didn’t come with a certificate. You feel me?

Bull-Shit rule 4

She is less of a woman because she did not physically birth a child – This is bullshit and that’s all I’m saying about that.

I know how sensitive this is and I say it with utmost consideration for all concerned but it’s just not true and it’s painful to see people feel less than themselves for something they have no control over. This one pains me on a personal level. Chuck this BS rule quickly.

Bull-Shit rule 5

Money is the root of evil – if you believe this then you will stay far away from money. How do you think something is evil and keep trying to get it? It’s counter-intuitive. Money is great, its what you do with it that makes it either evil or good.

Bull-Shit rule 6

I can’t make money from doing what I really love – oohhh, watch me and you can too. Might take a little time and cost a lot but it is possible. There are too many life examples for it not to be possible.

I can go on but where’s the fun in that? Get in on the gist and let us know what bull shit rules you will be chucking today. Remember if it doesn’t serve you, chuck it. *singing* …bad energy stay far away…

About Olachi Olatunji

Hey, my name is Olachi and I like to refer to myself as a ‘thinking enthusiast.’

I love a few things, number one of them being learning and number two would be spreading.

I believe in the power of right thinking to transform lives and as a result; I enjoy spreading knowledge, inspiring thinking and encouraging movement.

I however am not a very serious person so please don’t expect to find me in a suit… In a crowd with beating music though, find me somewhere in the middle – moving to the beat and filling my soul with joy.

Olachi Olatunji

Chief Curator,

#TKOH

http://www.theknowledgeofhow.com/

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5 WAYS TO USE LEMON IN YOUR KITCHEN

Lemons are awesome fruits. Aside from adding it our beauty regimens for glowing skin and lustrous hair, it can be infused in our local and international recipes for flavour. Lemons contain amazing health benefits and we also love to juice them to lose some weight. 

The enormous benefits on lemons extend to keeping our kitchen appliances and work space clean, fresh and hygienic.

Here are more reasons to buy lemons whenever you go shopping.

  • Clean the microwave

All it takes is a left food to mess a sparkling clean microwave. No scrubbing required. All you need is a slice of lemon to clean the microwave and leave it spotless and clean.

  • Wooden chopping board

One of the easiest ways to keep remove dirt and smell from a chopping board is by rubbing lemon on it after cleaning with a sponge and dish washing soap. Leave it for 5 minutes and run under running water. You can use it to chopping fruits and vegetables the next day. 

  • Polish copper

Cookware just like our skin and hair needs a little pampering to maintain its look and improve its efficiency. Rub lemons on and inside to transform your tarnished pan to a new look.

  • Refresh your garbage bin

Just because it has been labelled as a garbage bin doesn’t mean it should have a funky smell. Mix salt with ice cubes, lemon peels and throw it into the bin. Turn it on, grind it up, and voila — freshness.

  • Clean the blender

The blender is a multi-purpose kitchen appliance. We use for smoothies, blending herbs, onions, ginger, garlic among others for marinating meats and fish. Some people are using it to blend grains before cooking. blend a lemon with a little dish washing soap and water to get it sparkling again.

Credit: pulse.ng

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In Career Gems By

CHINONYE CHUKWU, TUNDE KELANI, ADEWALE AKINNUOYE AGBAJE INVITED TO BECOME OSCAR VOTERS

Last year, following the #OscarsSoWhite backlash, the Academy, in a bid to diversify its members, invited 928 new people from 59 countries – 49% being women and 38% being people of colour — including two Nigerians, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Femi Odugemi.

This year, 842 new members have been invited to join the Academy — 50% being women and 29% being people of colour. This raises the percentage of women in the Academy from 31% to 32%, while the percentage of people of colour remains at 16% from last year.   

(Photo: AMPAS)

(Photo: AMPAS)

Among the new 842 members invited to become Oscar voters, three of them are of Nigerian descent — including the iconic Tunde Kelani for directing, the talented Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje for acting and the fast-rising Chinonye Chukwu for writing. 

Tunde Kelani

Tunde Kelani is one of Nigeria’s most acclaimed directors, known for classics like Thunderbolt: Magun, Saworoide, Agogo Eewo, and Dazzling Mirage. He’s currently working on the film adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s award-winning novel, The Lion and the Jewel.

(Photo: Independent Newspapers Nigeria)

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

British-Nigerian actor, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has been on a steady rise, standing out in films and TV shows like The Bourne Identity, Thor: The Dark World, Suicide Squad and Game of Thrones. Last year, he made his directorial debut at TIFF with the auto-biographical Farming.

(Photo: HBO)

Chinonye Chukwu

This year, Nigerian-American filmmaker, Chinonye Chukwu, became the first black woman to win the Sundance Film Festival’s biggest prize for her movie, Clemency. She’s also set to direct the film adaptation of former Black Panther Party chairwoman, Elaine Brown’s memoir, A Taste of Power. 

Chinonye Chukwu (Photo: Chinonye Chukwu)

Credit: konbini.com

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YEMI ALADE BECOMES THE FIRST FEMALE AFRICAN ARTISTE TO HAVE A MILLION SUBSCRIBERS ON YOUTUBE

Few months ago, Yemi Alade‘s “Johnny” became the first music video by an African woman to amass over 100 million views on YouTube. Now, the superstar has smashed yet another record, becoming the first female African artist to attain over one million subscribers on YouTube. 

Over the weekend, Yemi Alade broke the news on her Instagram: 

“God is the GREATEST, started this journey six years ago. Thanks to everyone streaming / watching my videos and music. Godbless us all.”

Yemi Alade joins an elite club of entertainers to have over one million subscribers, including the likes of P-Square (1.2 million), Davido (1.5 million) and Diamond Platnumz (2.1 million). We’re super pleased for Yemi Alade, who continues to break boundaries in African music. 

Listen to her record-breaking hit, “Johnny”, below:

Credit: konbini.com

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In Career Gems By

KIM KARDASHIAN TO RENAME SHAPEWEAR BRAND FOLLOWING BACKLASH FROM SOCIAL MEDIA USERS

Kim Kardashian is set to rename her shapewear brand – Kimono Solutionwear – following backlash accusing her of appropriating the Japanese culture.

Using the hashtag #KimOhNo, people on social media expressed their agitation over Kim Kardashian naming her shapewear ‘Kimono’, insisting that the name was disrespectful to the Japanese culture.

The Kimono is a traditional Japanese attire won on very special occasions and according to the Japanese, Kim Kardashian had no right to use the name for her shapewear.

Responding to the backlash, Kim had said that her shapewear is ‘built with inclusivity and diversity at its core’ and she is ‘incredibly proud of what’s to come’. She also insisting on not changing the name and went ahead to trademark the name.

‘Filing a trademark is a source identifier that will allow me to use the word for my shapewear and intimates line but does not preclude or restrict anyone, in this instance, from making kimonos or using the word kimono in reference to the traditional garment,’ Kim had said.

However, Kim Kardashian has had a change of mind and has decided to launch her Solutionwear brand under a new name.

She also broke the news on her social media handles saying:

Being an entrepreneur and my own boss has been one of the most rewarding challenges I’ve been blessed with in my life. What’s made it possible for me after all of these years has been the direct line of communication with my fans and the public. I am always listening, learning and growing – I so appreciate the passion and varied perspectives that people bring to me.

When I announced the name of my shapewear line, I did so with the best intentions in mind. My brands and products are built with inclusivity and diversity at their core and after careful thought and consideration, I will be launching my Solutionwear brand under a new name.

I will be in touch soon. Thank you for your understanding and support always.

Credit: Bella Naija

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