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Waje Covers New Issue of Modern Woman Magazine

For Modern Woman Magazine‘s second edition, the spotlight is shone on the sustained success of a dedicated humanitarian, an amazing Pop; R&B singer and songwriter, and she’s none other than – Waje.

The superstar, whose vocal range is said to cover three octaves, cemented her position as one of Nigeria’s biggest acts to watch when she released her single, “For A Min“.

With a music career of over a decade, Waje, whose real name is Aituaje Iruobe, is in a league of her own. Her debut album titled “W.A.J.E” was released on the May 1, 2013, via a historic live Google+ hangout with fans joining in from around the world, which trended globally at no 4 on Twitter.

She proceeded to release 2 albums afterwards, the latest being the “Red Velvet” album.

In case you didn’t know she’s the first child and daughter of the family, well, now you know. And as a teenager, she sang in choirs, gained a scholarship at the Word Of Faith group of schools because of her gift. She studied Social Work at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Played in concerts, camp meetings and fellowships. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, Waje honed her music skills and was soon a popular performer in the state.

In 2012, the singer-songwriter started a platform WAJE SAFE HOUSE with the goal of collaborating with NGOs every quarter to amplify their causes which included being THE VOICE for women and children by tackling issues around Education, Health, Good governance, Gender-based violence and many more.

WAJE has collaborated with the following NGO’s:

  • One.Org: “Poverty is sexist” and “make Naija stronger”, and she continues to be an ambassador for One campaign.
  • She performed at the foundation launch at the African Leadership Academy in S.Africa.
  • She was invited with other African leaders to attend the Mandela lecture given by President Barack Obama.
  • She was featured on CNN African voice for The African Women project in 2014.
  • In 2018, she was selected as one of Lancôme’s heroes in Nigeria.
  • She featured on Forbes Woman Africa in 2018
  • UN: She performed at the United Nations youth climate summit 2019, UN women day of global activism, giving a lecture on the importance of the most marginalized population affected by conflict and natural disaster.
  • Purple: The 50/50 campaign.
 EIE: As an RSVP ambassador championing good governance in Nigeria at the 2019 elections
.
  • WAJE has received over 20 awards and nominations worldwide including a Channel O Music Award, 4 World Music Award nominations just to mention a few.

Credit:
@themodernwomanmag
Cover: @officialwaje
Project Curator: Tolani Aremu
Glam: @artistry_by_tolani
Millinery: @christinesatelier
Creative Director: @emmanuelarewa
Photography/ Art Dir: @spotlightpi

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Real Reason Sudan Criminalized Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Sudan has Criminalized carrying out Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), making it punishable by three years in jail.

According to UN, about 87% of Sudanese women aged between 14 and 49 have undergone some form of FGM. In Sudan it is not uncommon for women to get the inner and outer labia, and usually the clitoris, removed and FGM can result in urinary tract infections, uterine infections, kidney infections, cysts, reproductive issues and pain during sex.

Before now, there has been a global trend towards banning the practice. However, according to a Unicef report carried out in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East, the practice is still being widely carried out, despite the fact that at least 24 of these countries have legislation or some form of decrees against FGM. FGM was already illegal in some Sudanese states but these bans were widely ignored.

BBC Sudan analyst Mohaned Hashim notes that there have been previous attempts to ban FGM across the whole country but parliament under long-time leader Omar al-Bashir rejected the recommendations. Women were at the forefront of the movement that toppled Mr Bashir in April 2019. Campaigners accused the former government of discriminating against women in various ways – including preventing women from wearing trousers.

In November, Sudan repealed a restrictive public order law that controlled how women acted and dressed in public. The FGM amendment to the criminal law was approved on 22 April, Reuters news agency reports and under the amendment, anyone who performs FGM either inside a medical establishment or elsewhere faces three years’ imprisonment and a fine.

Source: BBC

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Naomi Osaka Is Highest Paid Female Athlete In History Ranking $37.4million

22-year old tennis star Naomi Osaka is now the highest-paid female athlete in history, according to Forbes. She reportedly earned $37.4 million over the last 12 months from prize money and endorsements, setting a new all-time record for a female athlete that broke the previous record of $29.7 million Maria Sharapova earned in 2015.

Osaka surpassed 23-time grand slam champion Serena Williams, who has been the highest-paid female athlete in the last four years with earnings from $18 million to $29 million. This year, Osaka raked in $1.4 million more than Williams.

In September 2018, Osaka beat Williams in a remarkable U.S. Open women’s final. It was one of her two grand slam wins to date, the other one was at the Australian Open in 2018.

Osaka, who was born in Japan and raised in the US, initially struggled with her shyness, making it hard for her to appear in interviews and interact with other people, players, and fans. But now, she is making the most out of her platform.

In fact, she has been receiving a number of deals with several sponsors. She currently has 15 endorsement partners and a lucrative apparel deal with Nike.

More than that, Osaka ranks 29th in the top 100 highest-paid athletes, joining Williams who ranks 33rd, making them two of the only female athletes in the list.

Source: Forbes

 

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NBC Universal Cancels E! News, Staffs To Be Laid Off

After three decades of showcasing world-class entertainment since 1991, E! News has been cancelled by NBCUniversal.

Well, the station will continue to remain, just the news programming, E! News along with “Pop of the Morning” hosted by Lilliana Vazquez and Scott Tweedie, alongside Victor Cruz and “In the Room“, hosted by Jason Kennedy will be cancelled.

E! News has reportedly aired over 7,500 episodes since its inception in 1991 and has been hosted by personalities such as Ryan Seacrest, Giuliana Rancic, Terrence J, Catt Sadler and Maria Menounos.

Variety writes, “The cancellations will translate to layoffs within the New York-based production team, which is fewer than 10 people big. The extent of layoff is unclear, but a source familiar with the situation says that the company is trying to place some of those staffers in other positions within the network.”

Addressing the cancellation with an Instagram post on Wednesday, Lilliana Vazquez wrote:

See. I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. Revelations 3:8,” she wrote, adding, “Thankful for this incredible adventure and I will miss this team and crew beyond belief. Yes…even the 4am call time. Con mucho mucho amor.

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Meet The 4 Africans Selected For The 2020 Echoing Green Fellowship

Echoing Green, an organisation which funds social entrepreneurship and innovation all over the world, has announced the social entrepreneurs for its 2020 fellowship.

Members of the 2020 class are tackling pressing global issues including systemic racism, educational inequities, unemployment, air pollution, and mental health care.

The 2020 Echoing Green Fellows come from across the globe, working in seven different countries and territories (India, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, and the United States) and were selected from a pool of 3,134 applicants working in 161 countries after a 10-month vetting process.

Four Africans were selected for the fellowship and they are: Joceylne Agbo (Nigeria), founder of Farm On Wheels; Samlara Baah (Ghana), founder and CEO of Loo Works; Charlot Magayi (Kenya), founder and CEO of Mukuru Clean Stoves; and Muzalema Mwanza (Zambia), co-founder of Safe Motherhood Alliance.

Jocelyne’s Farm On Wheels enables smallholder rural farmers to improve food security and way of life at the family level first, with the deeper mission of providing a better life for rural women and youth to reduce poverty in hard-to-reach rural communities. Farm On Wheels provides direct access to quality farm inputs, training, extension services, input credit, and market linkage, enabling farmers to increase their production capacity, yield, and income. Over the long term, Farm On Wheels is committed to improving the lives of smallholder rural farmers, preserving the environment, and contributing to food security.

Samlara’s Loo Works uses plastic waste to create sanitation solutions for marginalized communities in West Africa. Loo Works manufactures toilet systems composed of a container-based toilet attached to a biological digester, giving households a hygienic, low-cost toilet system that does not need to be emptied regularly. Loo Works’ toilet systems save lives while using recycled plastics and sawdust, otherwise known as wood plastic composite. This process upcycles the thousands of tons of plastic waste generated in-country each day.

Charlot’s Mukuru Clean Stoves (MCS) designs, manufactures, and distributes improved, efficient, and reliable cookstoves. MCS makes its stoves with locally sourced recycled metal and distributes them through networks of local women business owners and microfinance institutions. MCS’s vision is to significantly reduce household air pollution in underserved markets in Africa.

Muzalema’s Safe Motherhood Alliance develops and distributes innovative, climate-smart healthcare products that meet the unique needs of pregnant women living in low-resource settings and rural areas. Safe births in Sub-Saharan Africa are a challenge, and the Safe Motherhood Alliance understands that anxiety over childbirth can often lead to using unsafe practices. Its work focuses on removing anxiety from the birth process and rebuilding trust between communities and clinics. Safe Motherhood Alliance’s vision is to advance women’s access to healthcare by engaging spheres of influence that affect their choices, so they can deliver a healthier and wealthier world, passed on for generations.

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“I Will Not Allow Anyone To Call You Controlling”- Tamar Braxton Defends Her Man, David Oyefeso ❤️

Tamar Braxton has spoken out about her attempt to ‘end’ her life and thanked boyfriend David Adefeso in a heartrending Instagram post.

The American singer and actress shared a lengthy message dedicated to her “angel on earth,” who found her unresponsive in her Los Angeles hotel room following her suicide attempt in July. The video she posted showed Tamar and her boyfriend in Santa Barbara, toasting to their engagement, however, it isn’t clear when the video was filmed.

If you have ever been in recovery or treatment you know that you reflect on a lot of things…so,I couldn’t let another day, another second go by without PUBLICLY Thanking my Love @david.adefeso for saving my life… I’m so grateful. I’m so grateful. I was in our home lifeless😔💔 & I’m sure finding me the way that you did couldn’t have been easy,” she continued. “Through this entire time, you have held my hand, heard my cries, held me when I have been weak. You have had my ENTIRE back‼️

The post comes days after the star revealed that she had attempted suicide after suffering “pain” for the past 11 years while working in the entertainment industry as a reality star. She was with David at the time of her distress. He stuck by her side while she was hospitalized in mid-July.

Tamar added in her caption. “I was in our home lifeless & I’m sure finding me the way that you did couldn’t have been easy. But know that people coming at you saying all crazy stuff, isn’t easy for me,” she wrote.

Read the full post:

I came here just to say this and then I’m logging off… if you have ever been in recovery or treatment you know that you reflect on a lot of things…so,I couldn’t let another day, another second go by without PUBLICLY Thanking my Love @david.adefeso for saving my life… I’m so grateful.

I was in our home lifeless😔💔 & I’m sure finding me the way that you did couldn’t have been easy. But know that people coming at you saying all crazy stuff, isn’t easy for me. people have called you every name in the book, to deflect from what’s really been going on. and you know that through this entire time, you have held my hand, heard my cries, held me when I have been weak. You have had my ENTIRE back‼️

I will not allow anyone to call you controlling or “thats that African man😒🤦🏽‍♀️👀 like I don’t have a mind of my own🙄cause without THIS African man, I simply would not be here. Everything isn’t political and your love for me is not that. You were here for me when NOBODY was and still is. YOU and Logan are priority.

Thank you for being my Rock and now, my Angel on earth. I love you.. and although I been said yes in this old video… now and then, I couldn’t imagine what life would be like if you weren’t by my side. thank God I’m here and thank God for you ❤️‼️💍

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Nigerian Writer, Wana Udobang Selected For Prestigious International Writing Programme

Nigerian writer, artist and broadcaster, Wana Udobang has been selected to participate in the 54th International Writing Programme (IWP) Fall Residency at the University of Iowa, courtesy of the United States Department of State.

The 11-week course will have Wana alongside 29 other writers from across the globe in the world’s oldest and largest multinational writing residency. The participants will give readings and lectures that share their work and cultures collaborate with artists from other genres and art forms, and travel to interact with audiences and literary communities across The United States.

In addition, the residency will provide the writers with a one-of-a-kind inter-cultural opportunity to forge productive relationships with colleagues and translators, and take part in the vibrant social and academic life of the University of Iowa as well as the larger American literary scene.

Sharing her joy at the development on Twitter, Wana said: “Your girl is going to be an international writing programme resident in IOWA in the spring next year. Still pinching myself. Hugging face❤”

United States Consul General Claire Pierangelo congratulated the Nigerian writer on her acceptance into the residency program. According to her, the goal of the IWP Fall Residency is to provide outstanding writers with a platform for cultural exchange and collaboration.

“This is an extremely competitive program and we are proud to have you represent Nigeria,” she said.

“Your accomplishments as a poet and writer are well-known and we hope this is an opportunity for you to take time to focus on your writing, connect with well-established writers from around the globe, learn more about the United States, and contribute to literature courses both at The University of Iowa and across the country.”

Wana Udobang popularly known as Wana Wana was born in Lagos, Nigeria.

She graduated with a first-class degree in Journalism.

She worked as a radio presenter and producer at 92.3 Inspiration FM in Lagos, Nigeria for over six years and hosted the television show “Airtel Touching Lives”. She is the producer of the documentary “Sensitive Skin” a documentary film about the skin condition, Psoriasis.

She is a public speaker in the areas of gender advocacy, youth mentorship and is a well sought after moderator in the creative and cultural space.

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Why Amazon Delivery Is Catering To The Needs Of Widows – Mercy Makinde

In the last few years, the Amazing Amazon Initiative has empowered over 20, 000 Nigerian women and school children through collaborations with corporate and government entities.

The Lagos-based women-centric organisation has been providing financial literacy, empowerment and child protection expertise to women in different states in Nigeria.

It recently launched a logistic and delivery arm, Amazon Delivery, with proceeds from the business aimed at providing help for women and children in need.

“Proceeds from our Amazon Delivery help our NGO to look after and empower victims of abuse and violence,” the founder of the Amazing Amazon Initiative and chief executive officer of the Amazon Delivery Mercy Makinde said.

“We cannot always rely on donors to give us all the money that we need every time. Of course, we need donations, but starting Amazon Delivery also offers a practical way of helping our women see how they can start their businesses. There are a lot of women out there who need our help.”

Amazon Delivery initially started with delivery in Lagos and its environs. It, however, scaled its operations to include nationwide and international deliveries.

“We realised that there are a lot of people in Nigeria who want to send different items to their friends, families and associates outside Nigeria. We plugged ourselves into that space even though there are big players there,” Makinde said.

“But we offer our customers competitive rates and excellent services by leveraging on technology. We ship to UAE, Australia, China, the United Kingdom and the US.”

The business is not without its challenges. Makinde, a seasoned entrepreneur herself, said her team is motivated to see that whatever success the delivery service has enjoyed since it started operations in May is not eroded.

“We owe that to the women and children that Amazing Amazon Initiative provides help to directly or indirectly,” Makinde said.

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