Women of Rubies
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IT’S OFFICIAL! GRAMMY AWARD WINNING RAPPER, MISSY ELLIOT CAN NOW BE ADDRESSED AS DR MISSY ELLIOT!

Grammy Award-winning rapper, dancer, and record producer, Missy Elliott can now officially be called Dr. Elliot!

The pop star and icon was recognized on Friday, May 11, 2019, with an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music.

She received the honorary doctorate alongside Justin Timberlake.

BOSTON, MA – MAY 11: Missy Elliott and Justin Timberlake attend the Berklee College of Music 2019 Commencement ceremony at Agganis Arena at Boston University on May 11, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. More than 1,100 students graduated in all and receiving honorary degrees were Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake and Alex Lacamoire. (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images for Berklee)

The pair was honored alongside award-winning Broadway performer and composer Alex Lacamoire – who was a former student of the institution, with all three receiving the Honorary Doctor’s Degree of Music for their “influences in music, and for their enduring global impact.”

Missy Elliot took to Instagram to share a video of her holding the framed diploma complete with graduation cap and gown.

“CREATE YOUR OWN LANE,” ELLIOTT SAID IN THE POST’S CAPTION. “SINCERELY DR. MISSY ELLIOT.”

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CREATE YOUR OWN LANE!!!! SINCERELY DR. MISSY ELLIOTT🙌🏾🙌🏾@BERKLEECOLLEGE👩🏾‍🎓 #VA #757

A POST SHARED BY MISSY ELLIOTT (@MISSYMISDEMEANORELLIOTT) ON MAY 11, 2019 AT 11:20AM PDT

“THERE WILL BE UPS AND DOWNS — PREPARE FOR THAT,” ELLIOTT SAID TO THE GRADUATING CLASS. “AS LONG AS YOU ARE BREATHING, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE. DON’T FORGET THAT. YOU HAVE COME TOO FAR TO QUIT.”

Elliott, who was born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1971 to a welder at Portsmouth’s naval shipyard, is the first female hip-hop artist to receive an honorary degree from the Berklee College of Music.

Elliott has sold more than 30 million albums during the course of her career.

Credit: fabwoman.ng

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NSE IKPE-ETIM SHARES EMOTIONAL STORY OF HOW SHE HAD TO HAVE HER UTERUS REMOVED TO SAVE HER LIFE

Nse Ikpe-Etim just revealed that she will not be able to have kids due to a condition she had in the past called Adenomyosis, a condition whereby the inner lining of the uterus breaks through the muscle of the uterus. This condition required uterus removal, so Nse Ikpe-Etim had her uterus removed.

“I was told I couldn’t have kids,” she said.

“And so, I had to have a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) to make me have a life again and to stop going through what I was going through. And I’m literarily telling women and men, it really doesn’t matter if you can’t bear children. What really matters is what you would do for the world, for the universe.”

While talking about the time the doctor broke the news to them, she described how her husband had comforted her.

“Tears dropped and then my husband squeezed my hand. It was reassuring there was someone there and it was telling me that this is reality, my reality.”

Nse Ikpe-Etim, before getting married to her husband in 2013 had said that marriage wasn’t for her, but she still admits that she wasn’t born for marriage, but to make an impact in society. The actress says that she always wanted twins, but unfortunately, she had to remove her uterus, and that’s not possible.

“I didn’t think there was any point anymore because my society taught me that I have to be a mother to be appreciated and every time I went online, I would have one troll or two say ‘you never born?’

“But I’m thankful that that didn’t break me.”

Many years back, Nse Ikpe-Etim started a relationship in their teens and called it off. However, they still got back together and got married in 2013 on Valentine’s Day. She and her husband started dating as teenagers, and this is a relationship that they certainly can’t give up on.

Credit: Stargist

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ADESUA ETOMI TO VOICE LEAD CHARACTER IN ANIMATED FILM ‘MALIKA: WARRIOR QUEEN’

Nollywood actress, Adesua Etomi-Wellington will voice the lead character in the long awaited animation, Malika: Warrior Queen. 

Adesua Etomi stars as Malika in this animated film written by Roye Okupe, founder of Youneek Studios. The film is about a warrior queen and a military commander in the pre-colonial Africa.

The brilliant film also has Niyi Akinmolayan as its director and Roye Okupe as its writer. Roye Okupe says about the film:

“I have to give credit again to Niyi, who’s also the director of the highest grossing movie in Lagos - The Wedding Party Two…. So we discussed about who we would like to bring to this, and Adesua was the first person I had on my mind to voice it. Not only is she a huge star, she’s super talented. After the both of us went through the proper channels to present the idea to her, she basically said it would be a dream for her to do it. It was in October when she came on board after the right terms were established. A lot of credit also goes to the material because she was able to see some of the stuff we’ve done with Malika and the track record we’ve built with the graphic novels. And I can’t wait for people to actually hear her performance because it’s just so amazing what she’s done with the character in this short pilot. It’s an amazing 14 minutes. You basically get to see how an African queen lived her life back then.”

adesua etomi malika animation

The film which started as a 150-page book came out in 2017 (set in the present day), and its synopsis read:

“Growing up as a prodigy, Malika inherited the crown from her father in the most unusual of circumstances, splitting the kingdom of Azzaz in half. After years of civil war, Malika was able to unite all of Azzaz, expanding it into one of the largest empires in all of West Africa. But expansion would not come without its costs. Enemies begin to rise within her council, and Azzaz grabbed the attention of one of the most feared superpowers the world has ever known: the Ming Dynasty. As Malika fights to win the clandestine war within the walls of her empire, she must now turn her attention to an indomitable and treacherous foe with plans to vanquish her entire people.”

In 2018, the part two of the story came out as a 15th century epic, and with the animated pilot, Okupe continues the saga. Youneek studios announced Adesua’s lead role in the animation:

Credit: stargist.com

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“DON’T GO INTO BUSINESS BECAUSE YOU WANT TO OUTDO ANOTHER PERSON”- ADEFUNKE ANURUKEM

Adefunke Anurukem is the Managing Director of Auto Dome Limited, one of the very few female entrepreneurs operating in the male-dominated Nigerian automotive industry. She talks about the challenges and motivation in a business majorly run by men

Let’s meet you please
My name is Adefunke Anurukem, an alumnus of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) and Fate Foundation and Education Development Centre (EDC). I am the Managing Director of Auto Dome Limited. Auto Dome is a one-stop shop for all automotive needs. Our services include automobile sales, provision of after sales services, fleet management, logistics and sale of car care products. I am also the current president of the Women in Automotive Sector Association (WASA), our aim is to bring together all women in the automotive business and discuss our challenges, fears, future aspirations, and proffer solutions. We provide assistance and empowerment to new women entrepreneurs in the automotive business.

How many years have you been into this business?
I have over 17 years experience working in the automotive industry in Nigeria. I worked with several Nigerian automotive franchises before branching out and starting Auto Dome in 2010.

How has the exchange rate affected the automobile business?
Our business is solely dependent on foreign exchange, since most of the cars are produced and assembled outside the country, as a result, exchange rate fluctuations over the past few years have significantly affected the Automobile industry, with the 2015 devaluation of the Naira being the worst hit. Another challenge faced by the automotive industry is the increase in Custom duties, which has significantly increased the cost of doing business. In the face of these challenges, we at Auto Dome have had to re-strategise and optimise our business processes in order to stay afloat.

How has your experience been like in relation to the number of years you’ve been in the industry?
The business climate in Nigeria is ever evolving. When we started Auto Dome in 2010, we had our own fair share of challenges. We made some mistakes, because we were naïve in some areas of our operations. Initially, our focus was solely on car sales, but after careful analysis of clients’ demands over the years, we have added a range of services and products.

Now that we are over eight years in the business, we are looking at opening more branches nationwide and signing a franchise deal to represent a reputable international brand here in Nigeria. One key factor in setting up a business in any industry is to have first-hand industry knowledge, product knowledge, and understanding of government policies and how it affects your industry. In my experience, business has been challenging, interesting, tasking, but very fulfilling, in spite of all the odds against business owners in Nigeria. Everyday comes with its own unique challenges that you must device a unique ways to solve. However, solving tasking problems in business expands your capacity to face more and get good results

How did you grow the business and what were the challenges?
Growing the business has been solely by the grace of God and passion for what I do. Whether it’s car sales, servicing, leasing, fleet management or selling care products, were solving problems and adding value. As an ambassador of my brand, the most important thing has been to identify customer needs and provide solutions that best suit them. By doing these we have been able to grow the business over the years. Challenges growing up were majorly pressure from the society seeing you as a woman and setting limits on how far you can reach. Moreover, I have always loved to challenge myself and tread where others are afraid to tread. I try to not see any limit to what I can achieve, and that has continued to give me the energy to conquer challenges.

What are your inspiring feedbacks?
Oh! I’ve had some interesting feedbacks in my time.
You hear things like, “Wow! A woman selling cars? “You behave like a man!’ At first I used to feel offended but as I grew in the business I began to see it as a compliment. Also some clients have come back and said “I find you very professional in your dealings.” Some of the most important customer feedbacks, however, are expressions of satisfaction with products and services, repeat purchases from clients and good referrals. These are key for us and we get loads of such.

Where do you see your business in the next five years?
In five years, we would have opened more branches, in at least three more Nigerian cities and have become a franchise holder for Nigerian-assembled automobiles with specifications cutting across the board, thereby adding to economy growth in the country.

What’s your advice to younger ones?
Keep your eyes on the ball. There are a lot of distractions out there, but remain focused and have a plan. Don’t go into business because you want to outdo the other person. Develop a passion for what you do, because when the tough times come that’s what will sustain you. Lastly, always have a CAN DO spirit and believe in yourself because the sky is just the starting point.

What is your motivation?
Firstly, God, because without him I am nothing. I also have a solid family support, without their constant love and affection, I would have been much more affected by the highs and lows of business life. Thirdly, myself, I am a self-starter, you are the only one who can pull yourself from your inner strength genuinely. Finally, I have other mentors, accountability partners and colleagues in the industry that I look up to. I also read articles, books and reviews of selected role to stay motivated.

To what extent have you leveraged on technology in growing your business:
I cannot over emphasize how much technology has helped in growing our business. In the early years sales were made mostly by personal contact. In that regard, a lot of staff were required to go out and look for prospective clients, which in itself proved quite difficult, because information was not readily available. However, with the improvements in digital technology, business can be done faster and at lower operational costs. The advent of interconnectivity and globalization (the early days of the fourth industrial revolution) has been phenomenal! We have been able to transact business successfully with numerous customers all around the world, thereby growing our clientele base. It is so amazing that we have even made major sales off of WhatsApp Status updates!

I am sure there are still a lot of positive technological advancements to come and we at AutoDome will continue to strategically position ourselves in order to harness its power to achieve our aims and objectives in this business.

By: Maria Diamond for Guardian

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SINEM BILEN ONABANJO- WHITE PRIVILEGE IS A DISEASE

This week was the week proud new parents, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have presented their new-born son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor to the world. Also the week BBC Radio host Danny Baker was fired Thursday after tweeting out a cartoon the day before representing the new royal baby as a chimpanzee in a suit, with the caption: “Royal baby leaves the hospital.”

Baker, an award-winning host as well as a comedy writer and journalist, initially deleted the tweet and apologized for its contents.

“Sorry my gag pic of the little fella in the posh outfit has whipped some up,” he tweeted first. “Never occurred to me because, well, mind not diseased. Soon as those good enough to point out it’s possible connotations got in touch, down it came. And that’s it.”

As the backlash kicked off on social media, in a desperate attempt to make amends, Baker tweeted,

“Once again. Sincere apologies for the stupid unthinking gag pic earlier. Was supposed to be joke about Royals vs circus animals in posh clothes but interpreted as about monkeys & race, so rightly deleted. Royal watching not my forte. Also, guessing it was my turn in the barrel.”

Then he tried yet again, relaying an exchange at his door with a Daily Mail reporter. Baker’s irritation was showing as the reporter allegedly asked him, “Do you think black people look like monkeys?”

“This was a serious error of judgment and goes against the values we as a station aim to embody,” the BBC said in a statement Thursday, as the broadcaster decided to let the presenter go. “Danny’s a brilliant broadcaster but will no longer be presenting a weekly show with us.”

Shortly after he had been fired, Baker turned on his former employer for making the decision to let him go.

“The call to fire me from @bbc5live was a masterclass of pompous faux-gravity,” he tweeted Thursday. “Took a tone that said I actually meant that ridiculous tweet and the BBC must uphold blah blah blah. Literally threw me under the bus. Could hear the suits knees knocking.”

In an LBC interview after he was fired, Baker told James O’Brien: “It was put up there as a joke about class. It was supposed to be preposterous about toffs leaving. The idea that there was any racial basis for it … it came out of my own ignorance.

“I curdled that I thought anyone could have thought that was the intent behind that photo.”

A whole 24 hours after the radio host shared the offensive post the backlash continued with many criticising Baker, including ITV News anchor Charlene White who said, “To claim ‘ignorance’, and give a half-hearted apology – again full of jokey ‘banter’ – despite people highlighting just how clearly offensive it is, is also unacceptable. That’s not the world we live in now. Those who live in privilege must be held to account” and writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch who tweeted: “Not only does Danny Baker post an image comparing a baby w African heritage to an ape, but he has the audacity to say problem is that those of us who point out how racist it is have ‘diseased minds’.”

Hirsch’s comment right here sums it all up For those still wondering what the brouhaha is all about – and there are indeed many of them still pondering all over Twitter and Facebook. One such today came across Mr O’s rant on Facebook and ventured to comment, “Pretty sure he meant it as ‘the kid is gonna become another royal monkey being controlled and pranced around by higher ups without proper freedom’ rather than anything racial. Completely unfair to fire him based on his post. From the statement also he didn’t mean it as some people understood it.”

What is perhaps equally as troubling as, if not more so than, Baker’s original tweet is the defence he offers for his actions, which is echoed by those who see no wrongdoing in Baker’s behaviour. And it can be summed up in two words: white privilege.

No need pointing out Baker’s race and privilege. Needless to add, the aforementioned clueless commentator is another member of the white privilege club where the colour of one’s skin and the privileges that naturally come with it make one blind to connotations and in fact blatant codes of racism, such as depicting the biracial offspring of the Duke and Duchess as a chimp.

White privilege is also the same disease that caused similar blindness in 2018 when H&M outraged its black audience with their ill-advised ‘coolest monkey in the jungle’ hoody, incidentally worn by a black kid.

Also the same disease which made Heineken and its supporters equally deaf to the racial undertones of the tagline ‘sometimes lighter is better’ the brand used to market its light beer.

There are countless examples from the world of modern media and advertising to show just how rampant white privilege still is and how so many are blind and deaf to the connotations of certain imagery and words which struck a chord with a racially diverse audience. But to suffer from the white privilege disease and then accuse those offended of having ‘diseased minds’? So glad karma served up real fast in the case of Danny Baker.

Source: Guardian

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‘BEING FULL-TIME MUM AND ENTREPRENEUR IS DOABLE’- NKECHI IDINMACHI

Nkechi Idinmachi is the Creator and Marketing Communications Manager at Pages&Ink Limited, an organisation focused on working with SMEs to enable them leverage digital tools to grow their businesses online, attract their target customers while also delighting them into becoming happy promoters of their organisations’ products and services. Having overcome the obstacle of feeding her preemie baby with multiple food allergies, she’s showing other mums the way on her Instagram page @babychefng and through her upcoming Cookout, helping them take charge of their children’s nutrition with her numerous baby friendly, allergen free recipes made with Nigerian food ingredients. She is also the founder of Herlibrary for Learning and Empowerment Foundation, an NGO that builds libraries, provides books and learning resources for public schools in eastern Nigeria. They recently completed their pioneer Library project at Udo Primary School, Ogbunike, Anambra State. Idinmachi is a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University with a degree in German Language, a certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications from IE Business School, Spain and a certificate in Child Nutrition and Cooking from Stanford School of Medicine. In this interview with IJEOMA THOMAS-ODIA she shares her passion for being an entrepreneur while combining with her duties as a mum.

How important is leveraging on digital tools to growing a business? 
The importance of digital tools in growing a business cannot be over-emphasised. It is the most affordable, convenient and effective way for any business to boost its visibility. I have seen first- hand how a business can go from local to international in a few short months by strategically leveraging digital tools. When I resumed at my previous place of employment, their only digital footprint was a redundant website. I created and infused fresh content, redesigned the website and began optimising it for search engines. Shortly afterwards, we began to receive calls from huge facilities management companies in the USA, South Africa and from other companies abroad who were bidding for FM contracts with multinationals and were in search of a partnership with a Nigerian FM company. This demonstrated to me the efficiency of digital tools in providing business owners the best chances for competition, survival and opportunities beyond their reach.

What led you to setting up Pages and Ink Limited?
Shortly after getting married in 2016, it became clear that my husband and I both had crazy schedules which saw us leaving the house as early as 5:00am and not getting home till about 8:00p.m. I was frightened by the thought of bringing a child into that chaotic routine and so I decided that I would resign just before we were ready to start a family. My husband was reluctant initially, knowing how driven and ambitious I am. He didn’t want me feeling frustrated and unfulfilled as a stay-at-home mum, but I began planning an exit strategy, anyway.

At the time, my job role as a Marketing Communications executive for one of Lagos’ top facilities management companies gave me a lot of fulfillment, so I decided to develop my skill sets further in the field and took an online course in Integrated Marketing Communications, from IE Business School. After registering the business, Pages and Ink Limited, I spread word about it and landed my first clients. I would get home at 8:00pm and work till 2:00 am on my “side hustle” and then leave the house a few hours later to my full-time job. By September of 2016, I realised I had made over twice my salary from my “side hustle!” I think it was then that my husband believed that I was determined to make “working from home” work. Then the miracle happened. I informed my boss of my decision to resign and he asked me what my reasons were and I told him about my new company. He was happy and requested I consult for the company. I am very grateful to Mr. Wole Aderogba for the opportunity, which marked the official beginning of the journey.

Do you think businesses need online presence to thrive?
According to a recent research, 45 per cent of global consumers say they shop for goods and services online. The trend has grown exponentially in Nigeria as more people now increasingly shop from their homes and offices. With the current trend, if you are a “brick and mortar” business without an online presence, it won’t be long before your competition that has gone “click to brick” takes over the market. Creating a comprehensive online presence is the key to building a thriving, sustainable business. However, it isn’t enough to just be present online, you must be active and leverage on digital tools – optimise your website for search engines, get social, create relevant and appealing content, engage your online community. Put out valuable information to establish your brand as an expert in your industry. You have to invest the necessary time if you want to be successful in building a formidable online presence.

As a ‘Mumpreneur’, how would you describe this concept?
This means that I am a full-time entrepreneur and a full-time mum. It is my way of promoting self-employment and showing other qualified women who have left their professions to become full-time mothers that they don’t have to feel stuck. There is a way to juggle home and a professional career if one chooses to.

What was your drive as the founder of Herlibrary?
I grew up in the village in Anambra State, South-Eastern Nigeria. Like most places in that region, there’s sadly not much going on in terms of development and empowerment of the girl child. The ultimate achievement expected by your parents and peers is (thankfully) a university education and a husband; better still, one from “the abroad”. Books saved me; they opened my eyes to opportunities beyond my background and enabled me to dream big.

With a decline in reading culture, what is the impact of your project with the NGO? 
I don’t quite agree that the reading culture in Nigeria is declining. With the growth of mobile users, I think it is growing instead as people are constantly on their phones reading. We read blogs, Instagram captions, twitter posts, e-books and other digital content because they are available. I strongly believe that if books are made available to young Nigerians, books that pique their interest, they will read. This is why my NGO, HerLibrary, is doing our best to provide books from a varied genre in the rural communities in eastern Nigeria, to expose them to a world beyond their background. We also run book clubs where they read mostly fictional books that teach kids about entrepreneurship.

As a marketing communications expert, what is your advice to business owners with dwindling sales and at the verge of packing up?
Get digital, define your niche and target market, create terrific content that would be appealing to them, get social and engage. Learn the best practices and use them. Be consistent, it’s hard but totally worth it.

What is your advice to women on pursuing their dreams and managing the home-front?
My advice is to just try; it is not enough to dream or wish. You have to do the work and put in the effort. Getting organised and scheduling activities and tasks in your home will give you the sanity and peace of mind to pursue your dreams. Stop undermining yourself. You can do it. Start small if you do not have the means to go all out. Do what you can, where you are, with what you have, without excuses. The best time to do it is NOW and yes under your present circumstances. If it gets overwhelming, step back a little bit and attack it again.

How do you unwind?
NETFLIX. I enjoy watching reality shows, cooking shows. I love to read, too. I am currently reading Lioness Arising by Lisa Bevere. It’s a great book and I highly recommend it to every woman who wants to make an impact.

What is your philosophy of life?
Everything I am, everything I have is from God and for him. It’s in him that I live and move and have my being. Without him, I am nothing.

By: Ijeoma Thomas-Odia for Guardian


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TEMI OLAJIDE: HERE’S WHY YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO SLEEP EARLY

Sleep training is basically a process of helping a baby learn to sleep well, teaching your child how to sleep independently without help like rocking, backing, nursing, carrying, etc., which usually adds to your stress as a parent.

While we all understand the importance of food to the body, we fail to realise that sleep is more important, and is an essential part of human development. In fact, it is possible to go days without food, but just try going three or four nights in a row without sleep and you just might start hallucinating. Yes! That’s how dangerous lack of sleep is.

Now, as a parent, when you’ve not had enough consolidated sleep, consecutively for say three days, how do you feel? Tired, cranky, exhausted, unproductive—the list is exhaustive. The same can be said for kids. Imagine what your children go through each day when they are not having enough sleep, especially four-month-olds and above.

Benefits of good consolidated sleep

  • They are more alert at school, and easily grasp and comprehend things. Yes, children tend to be forgetful because, of course, they are kids. But their attention span and comprehension is better when they have slept properly.
  • Increase in concentration level is also noticeably better.
  • They are physically and emotionally healthy, as the brain repairs and recovery takes place during consolidated sleep period.
  • The growth hormone in children is developed adequately during sleep.
  • Mummy time becomes possible. I mean, imagine putting your feet up after a long day, with a glass of wine while reading a book, watching your favourite TV show or catching up on BellaNaija. Of course, your child must be fast asleep for you to truly enjoy it.
  • Extra bonding time with your partner. Now, for me this is just the icing on the cake! Who doesn’t love bonding time with zero interruption from your little one.

Some of the things holding us back include:

Co-sleeping with your child
While this may be seen as bonding in the beginning, it is a long term recipe for disaster, because you’ll never be able to get enough sleep.

Guilt as a working parent
You know those times you tell yourself you’re just going to bond with your child, but really you’re just bonding with your phone after a long day.

Impatience
Sometimes, we are just so impatient to put the child to sleep. You just don’t want to stop what you’re doing at the expense of your child’s health.

Easily give in to your child
Your child wants to continue watching cartoons till 11 PM, and you agree so he/she doesn’t cry or disturb your peace. This is wrong whichever way you look at it. Who is the parent, who is the child?

5 signs to know your child’s sleep pattern needs to be improved:

  • Your child throws too many unnecessary tantrums. We sometimes wrongfully assume that it is “normal” for kids to throw tantrums, but it really isn’t.
  • Your child cries too much, especially in the mornings.
  • If you have to wake the child up in the mornings, and the child is refusing to wake up or sleepy till he or she is ready for school.
  • You are in and out of hospital many days, except your child has a form of health challenge.
  • You aren’t as productive as you should be as a mum.

Creating a sleep pattern for your child needs consistency and a realistic sleep routine. When you are having a bit of challenge creating a consolidated sleep pattern for your child, as a child psychologist who is also a sleep consultant, I just advise parents to sleep train the child.

Sleep training is basically a process of helping a baby learn to sleep well, teaching your child how to sleep independently without help like rocking, backing, nursing, carrying, etc., which usually adds to your stress as a parent.

Children need, depending on their ages, an average of about ten to fourteen hours of consolidated (uninterrupted) sleep every day, while newborns need about fourteen to sixteen hours. I hear some mums say, I wasn’t sleep trained or taught to sleep and I grew up great, why should I teach my child to sleep? But what we forget as parents is that life sleep trained us.

Remember in those days there were no gadgets, DSTV, YouTube, unlimited access to internet. Children’s TV stations closed 7 PM. Your parents went to bed after the 10 PM news. There was no generator and when power went off, everyone retired to bed. So we were sleeping well and having uninterrupted sleep.

Fast forward to this digital age with everything 24 hours. 24 hours access to the internet, generator, TV, phones, etc. This lifestyle is greatly affecting our sleep pattern, thus affecting the quality of our sleep and health.

That is why it’s necessary to help your child develop a great sleep pattern now. Imagine their lives ten years down the line if nothing is done now in this digital age.

If your child isn’t having enough sleep, or you as a mum aren’t, you’re harming both of you. Is this what you really want? Or would you like to do something about it today? Think about it.

Source: Bellanaija


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AMAZON OFFERS EMPLOYEES $10,000 TO QUIT THEIR JOBS & START PACKAGE DELIVERY BUSINESS

Amazon announced on Monday, its plan to deliver packages faster for its customers.

The company made an offer to its employees, telling them to quit their jobs and it’ll help them start a business delivering Amazon packages.

Amazon says it’ll cover up to $10,000 in startup costs for interested employees, adding that it will also pay them three months’ worth of their salary.

TIME reports that the program started last year and it’s part of the company’s plan to launch an independent Amazon delivery business.

More than 200 Amazon delivery businesses have been created since the program was launched, according to Amazon’s vice president of global delivery services, John Felton.

Photo Credit: Ali Balikci/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

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EHI AGBASHI: THERE IS NO WOMAN WHO IS SAFE IN NIGERIA

A lot of girls are growing up accepting the fact that the society has placed them in second place, and they are settling for just that.

I am sure we all saw the disturbing videos, read the stories of the women who were arrested and assaulted for going to night clubs. These women were arrested, and then harassed both physically and sexually, and guess what? There were people who found a way to justify these hideous acts.

Some people said, “Well, thank God they were sex workers and not normal women.” Others said, “As a woman, why are you out of your house by this time?” I saw a comment that struck me, and it came from a fellow woman; she said, “I wish they had done this earlier, and I hope they continue.” To the people, especially women, who left these heartless comments, let me break it down for you. I hope, for all our sakes, you really learn something.

First of all, these women were not arrested for being sex workers; they were arrested for being women who were out at night, and God forbid this ever befalls you or any woman you know.

Another thing: they are not ‘just sex workers,’ they are human. They are women before any other thing, and I hope everyone remembers this.

Women were raped and abused, and the first thing that comes to your mind is “What was she wearing?” “Why was she out by that time of the night?” “As a woman she should not be in the club at night.” I hope you learn that no Nigerian woman is safe, and I hope one day you join to make a positive change.

There were protests on May 4, 2019, and to those who went out to voice their pains, anger and support for a better society, we say thank you. We will keep pushing in our own little ways to achieve positive change.

Now, some people might think the police raid wasn’t close to them, so they weren’t bothered. Well, let me bring it home. A few days ago, a friend asked our group chat if it was okay for a woman to downplay her success because of a man. This was apparently because successful women scare suitors away, and I was glad when everyone said it was not okay to lower your standards for anyone. Why should a woman’s success be downplayed to fuel a man’s ego? You are a woman, and you deserve the same level of success and the right to celebrate your success, just as much as any man.

I can’t speak for other societies, but I can definitely speak for the Nigerian society when I say a lot of people (both genders) see women as lesser humans to their male counterparts. When men voice their displeasure, we often tag them heartbroken and hurt, but when a woman does the same she is seen as bitter and ungrateful. Many people say things like “no man will marry her,” “she is disgracing her family/children,” “she is just bitter, she should move on.” When a man does the same exact thing guess what people say. “Wow, thank God he dodged a bullet,” “I hope time heals his heart,” “I hope he finds someone better.” We have taught females, consciously and unconsciously, that silence is the way for them to be accepted.

The last time, I spoke about speaking up and not suppressing your emotions, and I am here to echo it once again: if you are woman hurt and emotional, speak your truth. Do not let the society make you suppress your feelings. You deserve to express your hurt and heartbreak the way you wish. Sadly, a lot of girls are growing up accepting the fact that the society has placed them in second place, and they are settling for just that.

I hope the younger generation works hard toward ensuring that gender inequality becomes history, and females in the future don’t have to downplay their success and emotions in order to be accepted. From so called moral standards, to success and achievements, up to self-esteem, women are constantly given the shorter end of the stick, and I hope this changes during our time.

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“I WAS IN MY 20S BEFORE I BELIEVED I WAS ANYTHING GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL” – SOLA ALLYSON

Sometimes in life, you don’t see anything good about yourself until someone calls your attention to it. And even when they do, you tend not to believe it because of the deep negative thought you have of you.

Sola Allyson has once felt this way and she has a story to tell about it. However, she wants you to know that you are all things beautiful.

Read her note here

You are beautiful!

Yes. You. As in iwo gangan! Ha, you donbilivit??? I am serious o, I mean it, you are beautiful! You don’t realise it because of those words you heard while growing up, because you heard more negative things said about you. You were not validated. Instead you heard words that made you feel ugly and “just there”.

I remember sometime in 1997/98, I was working as a Secretary at Electrowave Limited, Berkley street, off Moloney, Obalende Lagos. My good and fatherly Boss then, Mr. Eka told me to smile more because the few times I did, my smile “could light up the whole world.” That was the first time someone would compliment anything about how I looked!

I was wondering, “me? Which smile? So it means I’m fine? Hen en? My smile? Light up anywhere?” It took me some time to sink it in that something was beautiful about me. Then there was Mr. Okey Uba’s relative that was always calling from “the abroad” to leave a message for his brother, who told me I sounded so nice on phone…

Then I met Baba Dr. Wole Adetiran who, on hearing me sing for the first time, said “striker l’omo yen!”, likening my voice to the position of a Ronaldo in football… I was in my 20s before I believed I was anything good and beautiful.

It had always been there. But being on life’s bad side was presenting me a lie that nothing good or nothing much could come out of me… It still took a while, years after then for me to completely and irrevocably believe that I am beautiful, full of substance, in all. Oh, now, I KNOW! I am beautiful, not just outside but my inside is filled with treasures inestimable!

You are beautiful. Guy, Girl, you are! It is only what you see now that’s making you not see it well. You are!  These happenings now are only sharply cutting you into shape. It’s painful, I know. I identify. I have my own scars too. It’s like you’re being chiseled into the proper image for fulfilling your purpose. When the shaping is done, the beauty would be clear for you and all to see! The substance! Keep working. Keep walking. Pay attention to The Spirit’s guiding… #Yóòdáa!

#ÓDÁA! ❤

Source: Woman.ng

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