Women of Rubies
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AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AND MICROSOFT LAUNCH ALL-FEMALE CODING TRAINING IN NIGERIA

The Coding for Employment program was launched in Covenant University under the theme Think equal, Build smart, Innovate for Change. Academics, women leaders in technology and tech start up founders all advocated for a level playing ground for women in tech.

The special all-female training kicked off its pilot phase in Covenant University and Gombe State University on the 11th of March.  The crash course will include topics such as digital literacy, introduction to word processing and spreadsheets. The training program will also include a Life Skills component where notable role models in the technology and digital skills space will share their stories with the cohort and act as mentors for the students throughout the program.

Notable participants at the event included the Vice Chancellor of Covenant University – Professor Aderemi Atayero; Partner Technology Lead, Microsoft, Olatomiwa Williams, Expansion Strategy Manager at Andela, Jackie Ugokwe and Cofounder/COO, Piggyvest, Odunayo Eweniyi.

The program is being piloted in 5 countries – Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal and will run in shift sessions to allow flexibility for those who have other commitments.

Photo Credit: Mohini Ufeli/Andela

 

Credit: Bella Naija

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BEYONCE SIGNS PARTNERSHIP DEAL WITH ADIDAS

On Thursday, Beyonce and Adidas announced a “multi-layered partnership”, which will feature a relaunch of her Ivy Park clothing line and original product releases from the brand. Soon, you’ll be able to wear footwear created under the direction of Beyoncé herself.

 As part of the deal, Knowles will become a creative partner for the company, developing new footwear and clothes for Adidas. Knowles called the opportunity a “partnership of a lifetime” in a release. Her new collection of products will be based on the singer’s “meaningful and rich storytelling.”
The pop star and entrepreneur will retain ownership of Ivy Park, which was introduced in 2016 in partnership with Topshop and sells comfort wear and athleisure at retailers including Nordstrom.
“Beyoncé is an iconic creator but also a proven business leader, and together, we have the ability to inspire change and empower the next generation of creators,” said Eric Liedtke, a member of the executive board of Adidas AG.
Credit: Fab Woman
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NOLLYWOOD ACTRESS, ZAINAB BALOGUN OPENS UP ON HOW SHE MET HER HUSBAND

Nollywood actress Zainab Balogun has opened up on how she met her husband, Dikko Nwachukwu, who is the owner of Jetwest Airways.

According to the award-winning screen star who surprised many when she got married to Dikko last year, has now revealed how they met and how life has been as a step mum to her husband’s two sons.

In a fresh interview with Bolanle Olukanni for Ndani TV, Zainab said;

”I honestly didn’t envision I would get married as soon as I did. For me, it has always been about connections. I have never particularly dated guys for what they had or what they can give me. So when you meet someone that is the definition of kindness, of partnership, of love, of understanding, it just makes life easy. I think that is when you know somebody is for you, when it is not hard, when you don’t have to beg someone for attention, when you don’t have to communicate with you, they love what you do, they push you. It feels effortless.

So we were friends. We were introduced by a mutual friend, comedian Chigurl. She has got the spirit. I don’t know how many marriages Chioma has got under her belt. She was like “I have a guy that really likes you. We always joke and call you Slaynab”.

So we met, we had coffee. I wasn’t sure so I was like we should just be really good friends. We just built a really good bond and he became someone that I would talk to all the time” she said

Before their marriage, Dikko Nwachukwu, was a widower whose wife died in 2015. Speaking on how it was like when she first met his children, Zainab said;

”At first I was Aunty Zainab and I remember my husband saying they really like you. I was like how can you tell and he was like suddenly, they are performing for you. They normally don’t do that. Then we started spending time together, doing all the fun stuff’

”I will never ever forget when we told them that we were going to get married. It was such a special moment. I remember they were sitting down and I was recording, they didn’t know I was recording and I said to them that me and Daddy are thinking getting married.. so how would you feel if I became your mum and we got married? It was so weird they burst into tears. They were so happy and for me, it just made sense.”

 

 

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“WE NEED TO CORRECT THE FALSE NOTION THAT WOMEN ARE BAD DRIVERS”- ENO MARTINS BAKARE

Eno Martins Bakare is the CEO of Girls-on-Wheels Nigeria, a Female Drivers Service and Female Mobile Autowash. A graduate of International relations from the university of Uyo , Eno believes that the modern Nigerian woman is a soul-lifter, a burden-bearer, loving, strong, indefatigable, courageous, always ready to go the extra mile even when the odds are stacked against her. This belief system is what birthed Girls-on-Wheels coupled with the fact that she, being a survivor of child sexual abuse at age 6 and keeping same a secret for 30 years, believes that by introducing professional female drivers to homes with working parents, it will go a long way to provide the support and peace of mind parents need and protection children deserve. To her, Girls-on-Wheels’ offering empowers women and supports families.

She has always been driven by the need to empower women and protect children, hence her founding Schoolbags for Smiles Foundation, her movement for alleviating the distress of the less privileged by connecting privileged children to donate school supplies to underprivileged students.

Eno has a sharp eye for detail as well as a strong knack for results. This she brings to bear in the added benefits she has packed into her social enterprise by working with the largest Background checks company in Africa to provide background checks for her drivers. As well as First aid/CPR trainings for her drivers so they are well equipped in the instance of a medical emergency.

She remains spurred up, balancing being a Mum of 4 with building an unconventional brand. Eno shares her story with me in this interview.

Childhood Influence

My childhood was full of life situations that brought me to this place of assignment. My earliest memories were of being molested at age 6 by someone trusted by my neighbour. The heartbreaking part was it took 30years for me to reveal the traumatic experience to my Mum who broke down because she was pained to think about the 6year old me dealing with a paedophile all alone and not being able to talk because he promised to kill my parents if I did.

I also grew up seeing my Mum work ever so hard to support her family through different stages of life when my soldier father was home or away. She sold Hides and Skin, Soup condiments, Bean balls (Akara), Buns and Puff-Puffs, Gin, Dry Rice, Hollandaise Wrappers, Run a canteen etc

Inspiration behind Girls-on-Wheels Nigeria

Girls-On-Wheels functions as an All-female Mobile Carwash and a Female Private Driver service targeted at Women, children and the elderly. So the story of my surviving child sexual abuse got me to connect the dots that there were children like 6 year old me, now more than ever before, whose parents have to work and leave them with sometimes wolves in sheep’s clothing as caregivers and support system. Also I’ve always been a tomboy and love driving so the conventional businesses that should appeal to women never appealed to me. And i know and have met many women who have a passion for driving. Married, single, separated, name it. What connects these women is their love for driving and not wanting to ne confined by culture and traditions about what they can do and not do. So combining my love for driving and taking on challenges and my belief that women can do whatever we set our minds to achieve, fanned my convictions that bringing this solution to city parents was what I was born to do.

Leaving over 20 years of experience in the advertising sector to start my own business

It simple. I finally found my purpose. My life’s experiences finally made sense to me. I started by pulling my pressure washer to go wash people’s cars and not ashamed to post it on social media. I know my former subordinates and other colleagues were uncomfortable seeing me do something a lot of people see as “menial”. But I was on a journey to Purpose. I eventually understood that a mother knew no shame when it came to doing her bit to take care of her children or showing them an example of dignity in labour. I always had this genderless disposition to whatever I set my mind to do, but it got to a point things were clashing with balancing being a Mum of 4 plus a nephew.  The downturn in the economy also didn’t help, especially when clients were looking for ways to cut costs. It was time to do some serious soul searching and ask for answers. And with God, when you seek, you find.

Impact Schoolbags-for-Smiles foundation  since inception.

The Schoolbags for Smiles Project is one that gives me joy because the idea is to connect privileged children with underprivileged children by the former donating semi-used or new educational items e.g. Schoolbags, shoes, water bottles, story books, exercise books, lunch bags, food bowls, writing materials etc to these needy children.

We have given items to public nursery through primary to junior secondary schools in excess of over 2,150 students in 8 schools. Through what we do, we even got recognition from a Lagos state parastatal by way of donation of books, math sets, bags, calculators etc. But the reality is that we can always do more. Because the need around us is truly amazing. Children walk to school bare feet and carry polythene bags when there are children who don’t use same bag after a term. What this exchange does is give privileged children perspective and underprivileged children a sense of love that privileged children do care.

Work challenges

They are mostly centred on perceptions. First major one is correcting the false notion that women are bad drivers when in reality, backed up by research, women are more safety conscious drivers due to them being born natural nurturers.

Also, people think What we do is for uneducated women who don’t have a choice when the fact is that 90% of our drivers are graduates in very diverse files, i.e. Law, Quantity Survey, Computer and Information Technology etc. They are unstoppable, driven women who are simply looking for an opportunity to excel.

We are also on a consistent quest to increase awareness about the opportunities we are creating for women in the Autocare and Management space. Both prospective Drivers and patrons must be aware.

Reward

Just seeing my female drivers being employed by other females is my greatest reward! We have taken an impossibility and made it possible. Being able to tell myself “Eno you conquered your fears and made something beautiful out of your ugly experiences” is really soul lifting. Knowing I can encourage another woman to SOAR!!!!

Next five years

Oh my!  We would be pan Nigeria and ventured outside Nigeria on our quest to becoming a proudly African Women Empowerment and Gender-Equality brand, celebrated on the global stage because of the problems we are solving and encouragement we are offering women and the society at large.

Advice for women who want to go into driving business

Find your truth, go for it. Don’t let anything stop you once you are convinced it’s for you!

Appreciation of female drivers

Not as much as our Western counterparts BUT we are definitely working on it and together, we’ll make great things happen.

Who and what inspire me to be better

I have 3 daughters and I want them to see me chase my dreams unapologetically so when they become women, wives, mothers they can and will still dare to dream.

And my Mum. She calls me AMBITIOUS. She has always believed in me. She’s my Number one Praise Singer.

Thirdly, I have an intentional Sisterhood. We support each other and that’s very important. If you have a sisterhood, embrace it. If not, it’s still okay.

Being a woman of Rubies

I am a woman of Rubies because I refuse to be defined by my past. I’m constantly pressing towards a higher calling that solves societal problems. I am also doing it against all odds, balancing being Wife, Mum, Child, Aunt, Boss and Servant Leader.

To women….

My dear Women, We have what it takes!  Nothing can stop us when we believe in ourselves. When we hold each other up, we become unstoppable. We can do whatever we believe we can. Because it’s the truth. As we celebrate this year, let’s know and believe we can, and that we are never too late or old to realise our Purpose and Chase it! Let’s go conquer Amazons!

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JEFF BEZOS’ WIFE GETTING $36B IN THE BIGGEST DIVORCE SETTLEMENT EVER?

They both shared tweets following the settlement saying how grateful they both are that the process of the divorce is over.

The couple first announced that they were separating in January 2019.

Following the divorce, Jeff Bezos who has the title of the richest man in the world will retain about 75 percent of their joint $144billion Amazon stake, leaving MacKenzie with just a quarter which represents a four percent stake in the company worth $35.8billion.

Jeff Bezos retains his title as richest man in the world with a net worth of $107.5billion from $144billion.

See their tweets below.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Credit: Bella Naija

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EZIAHA BOLAJI-OLOJO: DEAR STAY-AT-HOME MUM, THIS MONEY MATTER IS NOT EASY

I picked fault with everything my husband did that pertained to money. If he dropped money on the table for me when going out because I was asleep, I would attribute it to the fact that it was because I wasn’t making money. If I asked for money for XYZ and he didn’t have (genuinely), I would find a way and reason to vex, and even phone a friend to discuss the matter, trade stories and vex even more.

I was out with my husband at our weekend date night, and because I am blessed with the spiritual gift of talking, I didn’t stop catching him up on my whole life. I also wanted to know if, were it an option, he would choose to be at home, get paid for it, and then spend all that time with his family. He said, No. He would rather have shorter work hours, instead of staying home full time.

Spoken like most men, I would say.

Flip it to a recent meeting I had with domestic queens. The speaker mentioned that the reason a lot of us were sad about being stay-at-home moms was money. If someone decided to pay us to stay home and care for the kids, most of us would jump at that offer.

I know I would, but I’m also aware that some women wouldn’t. This is not for those women, and, in fact, I am not oblivious to the fact that, beyond money, you also want to make a difference in the world, which would most likely require you leave your home.

Permit me to filter my audience today to that stay-at-home mom who may have sacrificed a career, or didn’t even get an opportunity to have one, as a result of marriage and pregnancy. The stay-at-home mum who is not making any money due to reasons beyond her control.

A mum like my friend O, who left her job to be with her husband and three kids in a foreign land where any kind of help costs an arm, a leg, and a uterus.

A domestic queen like my neighbor L, whose husband works in a different town. With twins to care for and limited cash, there is barely time for anything else.

Oh, or that stay-at-home mom I met recently, with her four kids and inability to keep any domestic help longer than two months, making it virtually impossible to even process the thought of engaging in any conventional money-making venture.

Yes, you want to make your own money and possibly make an impact, too, no matter how small, but the odds are heavily stacked against you.

How do you navigate this season, where you are absolutely dependent on your husband for everything, right down to your sanitary towel?

If only you had your own money, this staying at home gig would be easier and happier.

I hear you, mum. I really do.

However, here are two things that helped me. Yes, I run a couple of thriving businesses from home, but there was a season – and I can never forget that season – when all I needed had to come directly from Bolaji Olojo.

Oh, at first, I hated that season. I picked fault with everything my husband did that pertained to money. If he dropped money on the table for me when going out because I was asleep, I would attribute it to the fact that it was because I wasn’t making money. If I asked for money for XYZ and he didn’t have (genuinely), I would find a way and reason to vex, and even phone a friend to discuss the matter, trade stories and vex even more.

And that is the first thing I would ask that you don’t do: Stop discussing your offenses with people who would only make you feel worse, who don’t help the situation. It is useless. I had to completely stop it.

I also had to sit down and have a conversation with myself. I wanted to go back to work and make my own money, but the way my life and home was set up, I couldn’t afford it. This was my whole life and reality in this season, so instead of wishing it away and wasting precious time, how about I found ways to maximize the season and keep my joy?

Let me tell you, sis, the state of your mind is so powerful. If your mind is unsettled and constantly coveting the next season, you will see no good at all in what you have now. But when you put your eyes down, like my mother would say, you will find fruit in what you hitherto thought was a dry place

I don’t know what ‘fruit’ looks like to you and your season, but one of mine was my writing gift. I was faithful to my blog eziaha.com and shared what I knew with the world from my home. I still cannot forget the day one of my readers who constantly was inspired by my writing sent me ₦30,000. I was blown away. This from someone I had never met. Then another friend sent me money for my data for five months, as she said she wanted to make sure nothing hindered me from blogging on a regular basis.

Today, I am still writing on my blog and on several platforms, and am now making regular income—gifts aside—from my writing gigs.

Oh, but I didn’t just sell you a formula. No, ma, there are really no formulas or rules. However, one thing I know for sure is this: Dear Domestic Queen, there is fruit everywhere around us, but first, embrace your season and portion.

 

About Eziaha

Eziaha Bolaji-Olojo (CoachE’) is a Food and Fitness Coach and CEO at CoachE’Squad Ltd, a thriving home-based business where she serves Jesus and Fitness to the world. Asides helping women live optimized lives through a healthy food and fitness routine, she runs a personal Faith-based blog www.eziaha.com where she chronicles her Christian walk, and holds regular meetings called POWWOW with E’ for Stay at home moms.She is a First-Class Graduate of Sociology, holds a UK degree in Personal Nutrition and a Pre-natal and Postnatal Fitness Specialist Certification endorsed by the American Fitness Professionals Association (AFPA). She is also an Alumnus of Daystar Leadership Academy (DLA). Above all these, she is a proud wife and mom to two boys and takes that assignment very seriously. She is a product of many teachers and mentors, constantly going for knowledge, regularly pours into mentoring younger folks, loves stir-fry eggs and home-made zobo, and is a proud member of Daystar Christian Centre.Eziaha can be found on Instagram @stayhomemoms.ng and on Twitter as @eziahaa, and you can email her on eziaha@eziaha.com

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RONKE BAMISEDUN WINS THE SABRE AWARD FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

Award-winning strategic communication company, BWL Agency, founded by Ronke Bamisedun, has emerged SABRE Award winner for the second consecutive year. BWL Agency was recently announced as the winner for the Media, arts and entertainment category and was also awarded a certificate of excellence for the Gold Sabre, Western African for their work on The Homecoming, a four-day cultural exchange founded by Grace Ladoja MBE, Skepta and BBK Africa.

Ranked one of the Top 100 Fastest Growing SME’s in Nigeria by Nigeria’s leading finance and market intelligence news report, Business Day in 2018, BWL Agency is made up of a team of unconventional communication consultants who have become industry disruptors through their audacious and compelling campaigns. The industry under-dogs are at the helm of some of the country’s most successful cultural platforms – shaping dialogues and correcting cultural narratives with one campaign at a time.

The SABRE (Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation & Engagement)Awards is the world’s biggest Public Relations Awards Program, dedicated to benchmarking the best PR work from across the globe. The award ceremony will be taking place on Thursday, May 16thin Kigali, Rwanda.

Ronke Bamisedun Founder of BWL, member of the elite 2018 Forbes 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs in Africa List and CNBC (AABLA) Young Business Leader finalist says

“Last Year we won The SABRE’s for our work on Jameson connects and certificates of excellence for our work on the Martell follow the swift campaign. This year we are elated to win our second SABRE Award and Excellence Certificate for our work on yet another phenomenal brand, Homecoming. Being considered alongside some great agencies and campaigns and then winning in the category is an incredible accomplishment and honor I am extremely humbled by this win.”

She continues,

“I am inspired by the Homecoming team for constantly challenging the status quo, shaping cultural narratives and spotlighting the entertainment industry. We are excited to be working with them again this year for Homecoming 2019”

BWL will be working on the four-day festival this year from Friday 19th April to Monday 21st April 2019.

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

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LORI LIGHTFOOT BECOMES THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN MAYOR OF CHICAGO

Lori Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor vowing to take down Chicago’s political machine, won the race to become the first black woman mayor of Chicago.

With 94% of precincts reporting, Ms. Lightfoot led Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, 74% to 26%, on Tuesday night, according to data from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. Ms. Lightfoot will also be the first gay person to lead the nation’s third-largest city.

“We were up against powerful interests, a powerful machine, a powerful mayor,” Ms. Lightfoot, who will take office in May, said in her victory speech. “We can and we will break this city’s endless cycle of corruption.”

Ms. Preckwinkle said she called Ms. Lightfoot to congratulate her just before 9 p.m. local time and though she was disappointed, she acknowledged the historic nature of the race. “Not long ago, two African-American women vying for this position would have been unthinkable,” she said. “Tonight is about the path forward.”

The women, both Democrats, were the two top vote-getters in the early round of voting on Feb. 26 that whittled the field of 14 candidates.

Ms. Lighfoot will take over a city grappling with problems including violence and trust in police, a falling population and massive pension liabilities.

Both candidates said addressing Chicago’s pervasive violence is a priority and would affect how they deal with the city’s struggling schools, communities and finances.

During the campaign, Ms. Lightfoot sought to link Ms. Preckwinkle with the city’s corrupt political machine, while Ms. Preckwinkle questioned Ms. Lightfoot’s previous leadership of a police-accountability task force.

Despite the vitriol of the campaign, Ms. Lighfoot struck a note of unity with Ms. Preckwinkle on Tuesday night. “Our differences are nothing compared to what we can achieve together,” she told supporters. “Now that it’s over I know that we will work together for the city that we both love.”

Ms. Lightfoot, who supports more-progressive tax policies, said one thing the city can do to improve its finances is rein in the millions it spends each year on settlements, judgments and attorney fees. She said the city must also do a better job about communicating its financial woes and needs to residents.

“We really have to demonstrate to the taxpayers that we’re not going to continue to treat them like an ATM machine with no limit,” she said.

Jaime Dominguez, a professor of political science at Northwestern University, said he was stunned by how few Chicago voters turned out on Tuesday. Officials with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners said 32% of registered voters had cast a ballot in the runoff, with turnout largely mirroring that in February. Officials said mail-in and provisional ballots yet to be counted likely would bump that number up slightly in the coming days.

Mr. Dominguez said Ms. Preckwinkle seemed to struggle in her efforts to persuade voters that she could bring reforms related to criminal justice, housing opportunities and aldermanic privilege.

“This wave or undercurrent of antiestablishment politics was definitely prevalent,” Mr. Dominguez said. “Preckwinkle was just not able to detach herself from the establishment, from the ongoing corruption.”

Ms. Lightfoot led in the polls by a substantial margin ahead of election day, putting Ms. Preckwinkle and her supporters on the attack.

Michael Jackson, a 61-year-old teacher from the South Shore on the city’s majority-black South Side, said he voted for Ms. Lightfoot because she symbolizes change and is a “fresh voice” for the city.

 

Credit: wsj.com

 

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EHI AGBASHI: WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT FAILURE IS A PART OF LIFE

Parents tell their kids to work harder, pastors tell their congregation to pray more, and teachers tell their students to read more, but no one ever tells us what to do if we fail. No one ever tells us about the emotional and even physical effects of disappointment. We are pushed so hard, but no one holds our hands when things don’t go as planned

“If you continue curving every guy you will end up in Shiloh praying for a husband at 30.”

“Your mates are already university graduates, but here you are.”

“Who told him to run for that office? Look at him now he couldn’t even win after all the noise.”

These are a few of the criticisms I have heard people hurl around. They have been used to remind people that they failed to achieve certain goals at the age the society set for them.

In the Nigerian society, people believe that at a certain age, some things have to have been accomplished. One should be done with school by 22, married with a career at 25, and at 30 an individual is expected to have at least a solid home and children. What no one talks about is what happens when your life doesn’t go as planned?

What happens when you fail at achieving a major goal, and what happens when you never had a backup plan?

A lot of us graduate from secondary school with the expectation of getting into the university immediately, even if we are not sure this will be the case. No one prepares the Nigerian child for failure, even if we all know they will occur.

Parents tell their kids to work harder, pastors tell their congregation to pray more, and teachers tell their students to read more, but no one ever tells us what to do if we fail. No one ever tells us about the emotional and even physical effects of disappointment. We are pushed so hard, but no one holds our hands when things don’t go as planned.

You are expected to succeed and failure is never an option. If a child fails a class, parents believe he/she has been influenced negatively. If a woman isn’t married by 25 people throw snide comments her way. If a young man doesn’t have a job and a house at 30 he is viewed as a lesser man. I have seen people who would rather put themselves through hell than fail. They would rather study courses they have no passion for than appear as a failure to their loved ones.

I think that we fail more when we try to avoid failure, and I don’t blame anyone who is going through this because our Nigerian society at large has attached shame with failure. I really don’t mean to encourage failure, all I am saying is that we need to do more to help ourselves and others around us know that failure is a necessary part of life, and there are ways to make a more positive comeback after it happens.

We need to be able to hug our friends and let them know that they are not a failure just because they couldn’t pass one class. We need to let our children know that it is okay to try again;  if possible, try something new, if their plans don’t go as expected. Religious leaders need to remind their congregation that failure and setbacks aren’t spiritual attacks, and teachers need to encourage students, let them know that setbacks are to be expected in life.

About Eyi Agbashi

Ehi Agbashi is a quiet and upbeat young lady who graduated with a double major in psychology and biology. She’s passionate about social justice issues, mental health (going to graduate school for clinical counselling) and ethnocultural empathy. She loves sci-fi movies, reading African fiction and exploring new cities. IG:@kyautaa Twitter: @kyaauta.

Source: Bellanaija
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TARAJI P.HENSON TALKS ABOUT HER STRUGGLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH IN VARIETY MAGAZINE’S NEW ISSUE

For Variety’s 2019 #PowerOfWomen: New York issue, Variety profiled Taraji P. Henson who shared how she’s working to eradicate mental health stigmas in black communities.

She says, “We’re walking around broken, wounded and hurt, and we don’t think it’s OK to talk about it. We don’t talk about it at home. It’s shunned. It’s something that makes you look weak. We’re told to pray it away. We’re told to pray it away. Everyone was always asking me, ‘Do you have a charity?’ Well, dammit, this is going to be my calling, because I’m sick of this. People are killing themselves. People are numbing out on drugs. Not everything is fixed with a pill.”

Taraji opened up about her own depression and anxiety, and how she handles it.

In order to get a grip on her depression, Taraji P. Henson stepped back from social media and started regularly seeing a therapist: “I suffer from depression. My anxiety is kicking up, even more, every day, and I’ve never really dealt with anxiety like that. It’s something new.”

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