Editor's Choice - Women of Rubies

In Editor's Choice October 12, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Olabisi Igbalajobi: “Losing My Husband After Three Years Of Marriage Devastated Me”

At the peak of her happiness, Late Dr. Olabisi Igbalajobi, a lecturer at Joseph Ayo Babalola University lost the treasure that gave her joy. The gifted educationist lost her dear husband barely after three years of marriage and also lost her job. This devastated her and made her almost give up on life. She shared her survivor story in this interview with Esther Ijewere on the 13th of August 2016.

Sadly, Dr. Olabisi Igbalajobi died a few days ago (8th, October 2022) after a brief illness. She was an integral part of our Women of Rubies facebook community and our Single Moms Ville Group.

In her words; “Yes there were times I was at cross roads and felt like giving up but could not bring myself to doing it. I love my kids so much and they are my driving hence the strong will and determination to keep pushing, striving and smiling.”

Growing Up
My mum told me as a child that I love to write that many times I would scribble on the floor and ask her to read out what I had written. I also loved to gather my friends together and teach them sometimes it could be in form of a church service (childish plays). I loved group discussions and most times I used to be the initiator and the lead discussant. My dad also wanted me to be in the academics and propelled me towards it. Unfortunately, he died before I bagged my Ph.D. degree. My mum usually tells me in those days that she saw me as a teacher. So I would say all these contributed to what I am doing now.

My Foray Into Teaching
I am Olabisi Igbalajobi, born and bred in Lagos on October 2nd in the late sixties. I am a proud indigene of Efon Alaaye Ekiti state. My secondary school was at Federal Government Girls’ College Owinni Hills Oyo, Oyo State. Memories of Oyo days still flood my memories. I thank God that I was able to graduate from owinni. After secondary school, JAMB was not so friendly as I could not meet the cut off mark for my preferred course of study and in my daddy’s voice. “I cannot beg anyone for your admission, go, prepare and do it next year”.

I got an admission to study Forestry in the then University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State but before resumption when most people asked me what course I was admitted for majority would say “Ha! Asogbo (Forest guard) I was devastated and wondered what they meant by such, as God would have it not quite long I got another admission letter to study Farm Management and Agricultural Extension at the Federal University of Technology, Akure. In my first year I told my dad I did not like the name and would prefer to seek admission at Ife to study Agricultural Economics. As God would have it not quite long, the nomenclature was changed.

I benefited from the scholars stipend from management as I was a University Scholar from my second year. Incessant strikes kept us in school more than necessary, I eventually graduated as the best graduating student in my class. No wonder I was advised to come back to the academics by the then Head of Department late Professor P.B. Imoudu, my daddy wanted it but my husband whom I had married some few months before the final examination could not withstand a long distant marriage.

Coping With losing My Husband And Job Loss
October 5 1996 was the beautiful day I married my sweetheart, John Omotoso Ojo, a God-fearing, devoted, husband and father. However, after marriage, I could not get a job all through, despite appearing at several interviews. I remember being told at an interview that people like me would always go back to the academics, yet I wasn’t employed. I had my son in October 1997 yet I had no job .

My husband was very supportive and ensured we lacked nothing as far as his purse could take us. In January 1999, I got pregnant with my daughter still there was no job.

By 9th July 1999, with an almost 2 years old boy, a six-month-old pregnancy and still jobless, sweet John bade the world farewell. Till now, I still cannot understand the circumstances of his death but one thing it did was to devastate me. I almost went into depression thank God I was pregnant God used that to help me out, because I was eager to see the face of the baby conceived in love.

It was not an easy journey when John died but I thank God for my family who stood by me. On October 5th 1999, my supposed 3rd year wedding anniversary, I gave birth to my beautiful daughter (her daddy’s look alike). I began thereafter to do petty business travelled to Abeokuta, Cotonou, Togo etc. anywhere I could get things to buy and sell.

I remember very early on my very first trip to Cotonou, my mum came to my house to pick my daughter and took me to the woman who was taking me down. It was a very emotional morning; tears filled my eyes this was 6 months after my daughter’s birth.

I did not get back to my parent’s home till 11: 00pm despite leaving Nigeria at dawn. My baby was still sucking, my breast were swollen and painful, I got to my parent’s house to see my dad (God bless his soul) carrying my daughter singing and dancing to pacify the wailing child.

That night we agreed that I would not embark on such journeys again. Easier said than done, I have lost count of how many trips I took thereafter.

Taking Up Another Job
Later, I took up a teaching appointment organized by the PTA of a secondary school not too far from my house. The salary was small (N3500), but it was better than me sulking at home and wallowing in self-pity as I had kids to look after. In 200l, I dusted my certificate, rejected self -pity and depression and went back to school to pursue my master’s degree.

While at this help came through one of the WAEC marking team heads who informed me of an impending interview in the Ekiti State Ministry of Education.

I was favoured and I taught at the government Science College Iyin -Ekiti from 2002-2006. While there, I took the opportunity of enrolling at University of Ado Ekiti (now Ekiti State Univeristy) for a Post Graduate Diploma course in Education (PGDE).

I resolved to train myself and the children along the way, while I went back to study, my daughter was with my parents while my son was with my brother-in-law any opportunity to be together I quickly grabbed, their long holidays were spent with me. Meanwhile I was still selling clothes and materials by the side to meet whatever I was earning to sustain the family.

Enrolling For Ph.D.
After my masters class, I enrolled for my Ph.D. at FUTA and it was the year 2006 that Joseph Ayo Babalola University started. I bless God for the role He allowed the deputy chairman of council and his wife to play in my life. I got employed brought back my kids and since then I’ve been enjoying the grace of God in JABU and have also completed my Ph.D. degree in Agricultural Economics.

Giving up?
Yes there were times I was at cross roads and felt like giving up but could not bring myself to doing it. I love my kids so much and they are my driving hence the strong will and determination to keep pushing, striving and smiling. No one would ever believe I was going through all these because for long, I talk about my late husband, John in the present tense. When women talk about their marital experiences, I contribute to the conversation as if my marriage was still on. I said to myself, “After God, the only one who could ever make me happy is me”. The statement has been working for me because I use it to spurge myself on.

Challenges of being a lecturer
The major challenge I face in my line of work is the unruly attitude of students to their studies. I love serious-minded and focused students and most of the students who had undergone tutelage under me will attest to that fact. I am a principled and highly disciplined teacher when it comes to my work; I love to impart. It is a passion borne out of my love for education. I try as much as possible to encourage and counsel such students. It gives me great pleasure to see them respond truly to such counsel.

“Stop wailing in self-pity”
My advice to every woman out there who might be facing similar challenge is this ‘Stop wailing in self-pity’. Stop blaming others for whatever has happened. One of my favourite mantra is this: When something is done and you cannot undo it, move ahead”.

Some years back I made a striking statement on a radio show. I said: ‘Your determination to succeed rests on you. Your kids need you; do not abandon them. Be resolute, be determined, be prayerful, find something doing and keep keeping on. Surely there is going to be light at the end of the dark tunnel.

Being a woman of rubies
What makes me a woman of rubies is that I have gone through great challenges as a widow and I did not engage in self-pity. With God, I rose above such challenges and tried as much as possible to survive despite all odds. I am still pushing on, I am not yet there but I am better than what I used to be. I thank God I don’t look like what I have been through. I pray my story challenges, inspire and bless you.

We celebrate the life and times of Sis Olabisi Igbalajobi.

In Editor's Choice October 8, 2022 By Women of Rubies

I have Taught Over Ten Thousand People The Power Of Real Estate In Canada- Deborah Ojo

A famous writer once said; “To be successful in real estate, you must always and consistently put your clients’ best interests first. When you do, your personal needs will be realized beyond your greatest expectations.” These words best describe multi-award-winning Canadian real estate agent Deborah Ojo, CEO of DeborahHomes.

Deborah Ojo started out as a class teacher before she established DeborahHomes, a company she built on the core values of honesty and integrity spiced with an uncompromising stand on professionalism. The amazing entrepreneur who is also known for strategic and focused approach is a real estate agent with RE/MAX, the largest Real Estate company in Canada.

With over 10 years experience In the Real Estate sector, she has taught over 63 seminars and counting to minority communities on how to Own their own piece of real estate free of charge as a way to give back to those communities, and helping women who have passion for the business find their path and earn a living.

Deborah Ojo has built a solid foundation of clients in her community through her professionalism, attention to details, and commitment to always put her client’s needs first. The Human Resources Management graduate and amazon shares her inspiring journey with Esther Ijewere In this Interview.

Childhood Influence

My success was due to no small degree to the lessons of my childhood. Despite not having much, my parents worked hard to manage the finances of the home. My mum was a primary school teacher and sells fabrics to her colleagues. Our family finances were more stressed when my dad lost his job after 20 years service in the bank, we had lost our major source of income. I watched my parents stretch out every penny to make our finances work.

You know what this experience taught me? My dad sat me down, he said “Oluwatosin, the best advice I can offer you now in order to thrive in your future endeavours is to think DEPLOYMENT instead of EMPLOYMENT” , Having seen how deplorable a worker is in the hand of their employers, not minding the sacrifices and how committed they are to their employer. This simple advice was stored up in my mind since as a little child I was then and has guided me to shape who I am today.

Fast forward, I decided I wasn’t going to dedicate my life to an employer who can let you go when you need them most. The foundations of my financial literacy, management of funds and business are all attributed to childhood, it taught me to keep going no matter the defeat into the stepping stone of opportunities.

Why I Pitched My Tent In The Real Estate Sector

My inspiration was drawn out of my WHY? My WHY’S range from having financial freedom, ability to travel the world without an employer giving a time limit, building a legacy for my children, helping the underserved communities and marginalized sectors. Spending quality time with my family, especially my husband. When I had the desire to own a multi chain of real estate, I had no way or resources to act on it.

As an immigrant in Canada, I see firsthand how hard it is for my parents to secure accommodation. I saw how people of minorities are underserved in securing rental units and owing their real estate portfolio. The systemic biases ran so deep that I took it upon myself to change the narratives and I decided to start educating people in my community on how they can become homeowners and not just helping their landlord to keep building wealth.

In my then 2-bedroom apartment, with a family of seven, my dream was born. I decided I was going to own a multi apartment building where I will give minority communities opportunities to rent / own safe and affordable apartments in Canada.

How Deborahomes became one of the most sought-after Real Estate agencies In Canada

As a child I was ambitious, I wanted to know how wealthy people became so successful, I threw myself into research and I discovered the answer was Real Estate, but I had nothing to start with. I quickly discovered Real Estate is a male dominated industry and my goal is to inspire other younger women to see that a woman can be a household name and make it to the top. I dared to be different, to me you owe the world that much to be the best or nothing else. Many women just like myself have so much to contribute to this universe but somehow are subjected to believe it’s hard to achieve. I decided on strategic meetings, which had enlightened countless numbers of women in our society, and helped them bring out the genius in them. Most of them are highly successful in Real Estate Ventures.

Challenges

Some of our greatest opportunities could be dressed in defeat. I had nothing going into this career than a desire to be great and affect lives. There was no mentor that looked like me and many of my colleagues will bully me in the years to come, I mean, I was young, a woman of color with no sales background who dared to not be a regular 9-5.

When I started, because of my sharp change in career, alot people had thought there wasn’t alot of minority women making it big time in Real Estate, but I blocked all the naysayers, I wasn’t afraid to change my circle of friends, you know what they say that if you want to know your true friends, start a business.

\Well, it happened, my friends couldn’t trust me with their business but I quickly made new friends that are my best clients till today. You know what else I did, I studied and learned all that was available to know in Real estate that my colleagues started to respect my expert knowledge. That really helped me to climb really fast in my career.

I actually told myself that if I put my all into this and it didn’t work for 6 months, I will go back to my old job, But God so good, I closed a couple deals within the first couple of months, that validated me. I knew it would work and I have never looked back since. I can never underestimate my husband’s sacrifices in building the brand Deborahomes. Many people that know him, know that there’s no Deborahomes without him.

Thoughts on the real estate market

It’s a moving train and this Current Real Estate market is not an exception. A Lot of people try to time the market, invest when its low and cash out when its high but the market is a fast-moving train with many delicate intricacies, you can not possibly time it but you will do well to build your team of professionals like Real Estate Agents, Mortgage brokers etc to advise you of the right strategy depending on the market circle. Deborahomes provides consultation to its clients on how to strategically grow their portfolio to maximise returns,and by the way, it’s a great time right now to buy Canadian Real Estate, due to interest rate hike, The market is down about 20% in the Greater Toronto area so if you buy now, you will have position yourself for huge profit in the future

What It Takes To Own A Home In Canada

1.Good Credit – a good credit is 680 points and above, if you plan on buying a house, work on building and checking in on your credit score. Think about it this way, your credit rating is the only thing on paper that a lender can consider to evaluate whether you are trustworthy enough to lend to.

2. Income – A lender will use your income to calculate your affordability. The more you earn, the more loans you can potentially qualify for.

3. Down payment – As a residence you can put as low as 5 percent down of the purchase price if you qualify. As a non residence, in most cases you will need 20-35% down to buy a home

How I am using Platform create room for women in the community

I use my platform to teach new immigrants and underserved communities about the importance of Real estate ownership. Held free training / Webinars , I have taught over ten thousand people the power of real estate. I also help women understand the power of their voice and how to use it . In dealing with families I have discovered many women had no clue to their family finances or the courage to think they too can be a decision maker and their opinion matters. I would ask women what they wanted in a home and they would simply say whatever my husband wanted. I wasn’t raised like that and since I married me and my husband believed in tabling all our opinions to help us make the best decisions. Two is better than one and if women simply keep quiet then they are cheating their homes, their generation to contribute the ideas. I use my platform to encourage women to speakup, in family decisions and even in their career. I have also mentored other female agents to become successful in their real estate careers

One Thing I wish to Change In the real estate sector

Oh I would totally go paperless, there will be no longer paper contracts to save the planet. I’m all for reduce, reuse, recycle. I would reduce the red tape around the new development approval process. This will help speed up new home construction and make more housing affordable especially for minority communities who have been severely underserved.

3 women who inspire me and why

These people have different levels of success in different expertise, business, and lived in different parts of the world but what is common among them is they all had dreams, followed by lessons learned and then success. It proves that success leaves clues, I believe to be success, follow who knows the road, we don’t always have to reinvent the wheel, sometimes, copy the model.

My mum is my greatest inspiration, as a child, she didn’t have shoes to wear, she hawked, slept on the streets but yet did not make excuses for herself, her success is not by chance or luck, she had a burning desire for success and she converted all the opportunities she had into success. She has a remarkable mindset to never give up. She recognises no defeats.

Oprah is another person that inspires me, as a visible minority, she was born into poverty and now one of the richest African – American of the 20th century and the greatest philanthropist in U.S History. Oprah overcame many obstacles in one of the worst era in the United States where blacks were discriminated against but she overcame those obstacles through prayer and hard work . Oprah’s wealth and fame is certainly no accident, as she believes that luck is simply “preparation meeting opportunity”.

Sheryl Sandberg , an immigrant who moved with her parents to the United states in search of greener pasture and with focus, rose to the position of COO at Facebook, becoming the company’s second-highest ranking official. This woman has exceptional leadership skills. During her time at Google, she grew the ad and sales team from four people to 4,000.

Other projects and activities

We were real estate investors before I became an agent, when I say we, I mean me and my husband. Personally, we focus on flipping houses, long term buy and hold, Private lending and Land development. There are lots on the horizon that I do not have authority to announce yet but let’s just say we plan to buy multiple doors before the year runs out.

My work-life balance routine as a mom, wife, business owner and mentor

I have an amazing support system, my amazing partner who lets me fly as high as I want. I couldn’t have been here without him. When I’m home I’m a mother and a wife, when I’m at the office, I am not burdened with my home because I know he is home, and I have learned to give up on lots of things that don’t add value to me or my goals. I learned quickly to spend QUALITY time with family. I have also mastered the act of delegating roles to trusted team members, I don’t do everything because I’m not good at everything. I focus on my core competencies alone and I consistently revalue our business to find ways to improve efficiencies.

Being a Woman of Rubies

I have met many people that have told me how inspired they are by me. Sometimes when we are doing something you do not know who is watching but people are mostly inspired by how I juggle my big family and my business. I say it is knowing who are in Christ, I am Deborah to my generation and my husband, and I am conscious about our callings to our generation. Real Estate is my platform to preach the gospel. The gospel of come and see how I became a millionaire and you can be a millionaire too. We are called to abundance! I believe my talents are not for me alone so I pray hard and work like I don’t pray. Clear communication has been the key to having a successful marriage and a successful career.

Contact details & social media handles

Instagram @deborahomes

Facebook @deborahomes

Twitter @deborahomes1

Linkedin @deborahomes

Website: www.deborahomes.com

Contact: +1647-705-2487

In Editor's Choice October 1, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

My Dream Is For Every State In Nigeria To Have Facilities For Special Needs Children- Joy Odiete “J’odie”

Born Joy Eseoghene Odiete J’odie Is a soulful vocalist with an exceptional ability to communicate her deepest emotions and perceptions using very simple, yet symbolic words. Her style borders on soft, mid- tempo, colored with string instruments that give her sound an overall sweet and soulful appeal.

Joy Odiete J’odie was born into a Christain home – her father being a pastor,naturally skewed her towards church music. J’odie came into the limelight after her participation in the maiden edition of the West African Idols competition and came top 10 alongside Nigerian musicians such as Timi Dakolo and Omawumi in 2007. She released her first debut single Kuchi Kuchi (Oh baby) in 2007, which grew to be a hit song, as both young and old, within and beyond the African continent came to know the song as an anthem in both family and romantic gatherings.

J’odie toured countries such as The Gambia, serenading African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO) Conference, South Africa where she also shot one of her music videos “Sugar Coconut” Sierra Leone and Liberia among others. She took a break from music to cater to her special needs child, and has since become an advocate for parents with similar lived experience.

Joy Odiete J’odie went viral recently when she shared her story online and asked Nigerians to support her . The songstress shares her inspiring story with Esther Ijewere in this exclusive interview.

Childhood Influence

If you mean what I do in the musical part of my life, I’d say a big “Yes!” I sang almost everyday, because I grew up a pastor’s kid, and we all (nuclear and some extended) have the musical talent in my family. In the area of advocacy, which was born out of my becoming a mother to a special-needs kid, I would say “No!”

My passion for music

It felt like the natural course of nature for me, though I never knew I could choose to make it an actual profession, because of my religious background. However, after many years of being stuck in the triangular routine of home-church-school, I got tired and wanted something else out of life.

After my first degree in Unilag, I stumbled upon an advert on television – the West African Idols! I didn’t know there was a show as such – I wasn’t even familiar with the American Idols show prior to that advert, but it was catchy and also gave me the idea of an “escape”. I was afraid at first, as I thought my dad wouldn’t let me go for the auditions, but he, surprisingly, did.

Singing on that “bright” stage made me realise, for the first time, “I want to do this!” “I want to sing for the rest of my life!” “I want this to be my profession!” The experience also gave me the audacity to start; because, I met many faces – I only used to see on TV, in real life. It made me believe my new dream was possible. Sometimes, you already have what it takes, but it could be a huge boost to meet or interact with people you perceive to be “high-up-there” to give you the courage to try.

Why I took a break from music

Lots and lots of reasons. But before I give any reason, every artist isn’t going to have a long professional life span. It’s really okay to go on a hiatus or retire early and change profession – if it’s best for you. Artistes are humans too and go through challenges like everyone else. In fact, the challenges could be aggravated due to public attention. Art requires time and patience among other factors.

That being said, being the mother to a special-needs kid required more of my time and so I gave it. It’s like I’ve been to a different “school” for six years and I am still learning; hence, I see life differently, compared to life prior to this phase. I dare say this special “6-year program” has made my life more meaningful and I would not change it if I were asked to relive my life again. Tough, Yes! But the depth is nourishing to the soul.

Seeking for support publicly

An accumulation of pain, anger and frustration!!! Being the parent of a special-needs kid in Nigeria is not easy – especially if you are not very wealthy in finances. In fact, I’ll be blatant: being the parent of a special-needs kid in this country is super tough. The problem is not the child. The problem is the lack of societal support. When you have a special-needs kid, especially the severe cases, you need support – no matter how tough you think you are, else you break down.

I have some support – family, but I found it difficult for six years – in spite of my support system. It’s expensive and emotionally draining.

A lot of fathers run away (few mothers do), leaving only one person to handle a task that is already overwhelming for two people. There is stigmatization – some people would call the mothers “witches” and avoid any contact with a child with special needs. It may not seem a big deal, as I say it, but it is emotionally crushing when you are being accused of something you do not even understand.

The general healthcare system is poor for an average citizen: you can imagine what it feels like for families that need “special” attention – especially considering that hospitals are like a second home. The roads make it difficult for mobility – even if you could afford wheelchairs, how do you navigate? Many schools do not embrace inclusion, while the ones that do are very expensive. Feeding the child is also very expensive and a tedious physical exercise: some of them can’t even eat through their mouths.

Diapers usage, for some, are for a lifetime – yet, diaper companies celebrate only “normal-looking” babies – even though special families are their enduring customers. I took time to mention this point, just so you see that every person or organization in this country can play a positive role in order to change the narrative concerning kids with special needs. The list is long, but I’ll stop here.

I had the audacity to speak out not just because of me and my son, but because I thought about people who don’t even have any support system. It is too much pain to bear – your ability to earn is threatened or crushed, yet your bills are higher than an average citizen’s.

Inspiration behind my song “Kuchi Kuchi”

I wanted to write about love in a different light. At the time, I wasn’t romantically in any relationship with anyone, hence writing a love song, which my producer suggested, felt like a lie to me. I needed to feel and imagine it before expressing it. I, however, was able to imagine myself as a mother and what I’d think of my baby, hence the song. The term “Kuchi Kuchi” represents baby language. It’s conventionally spelt “Coochy Coo”.

Other projects and activities

I run an online shop for hair care products that are great for African hair via www.kuchikuchi.shop or @kuchihair on IG. I am very creative with my hands, hence I craft accessories on @spiceandcharm on IG.

Presently, I’m gathering knowledge on how to help other special mothers like me – I believe, for the first time, I have found my purpose. I did what I could do on a humble scale by doing giveaways for special mothers and organizing an online competition, titled #SpecialKuchi on my Facebook, Tiktok and IG platforms @JodieGreat. In this competition, special mothers dance with their special-needs kids using the new version of my debut song, titled “Kuchi Kuchi (Special Version)” – now available on online stores and platforms. The winner’s prize was N50,000, while other participants in the top 20 list got consolation cash prizes as well. This was to encourage women to openly celebrate their special-needs kids – many are ashamed, because of the stigma. I also galvanized singers to sing a theme song, titled “Special Mothers” (yet to be released) to create awareness and to celebrate families on this journey. These were made possible by donations that Nigerians, both at home and in the diaspora, made – and I’m grateful.

I’m working towards more sustainable ways to help. I think when you find yourself in certain challenges, it can open your heart to have a strong yearning to pull others out of the difficulties you have faced.

My coping mechanism as a special-needs mom

I am blessed with a supportive family, a capable nanny and a gifted doctor; hence, I’m able to focus on providing for my son’s needs. It’s still not a walk in the park, but my consolation is that his priority needs are being met.

How the industry has supported me since I called out for help

The idea behind my outburst wasn’t for people to help only “me” – it was to direct attention to the challenges of special mothers. It turned out that people started offering to help – I initially rejected it, but it became a turn off. When I eventually accepted help, I was glad I listened, because it gave me the strength to sing again; to take some rest, because my health was fragile for a long time, due to stress and trauma. It also gave me HOPE: I am truly grateful.

Having said that, this would be excellent support from the entertainment industry: to promote my songs henceforth and to give me choice platforms to showcase my talent, ensuring I am well paid. This is a form of empowerment, because I do not see myself as just the mother of Chinua, I represent countless parents who have kids like my son. My financial empowerment would positively affect the lives of many families, because I understand the pain.

How my participation in West African Idols impacted my life

I mentioned earlier that being on the West African Idols platform made me realize I could make a profession out of my musical talent. I’d like to coin it this way, “Being on the West African Idols platform helped me articulate a dream”. The “articulation” was indeed for personal clarity; because, before then, I had not defined a pathway for myself.

What I wish to change in the Music industry

Talent should be appreciated. There’s this popular statement, “Talent is not enough”. It’s factual! However, the industry has taken it too far, creating an imbalance. Over the years, it appears talent has been relegated: it’s mostly more about connections and network. Life’s not fair, but more value should be placed on talent too, so that we would have much more qualitative art masterpieces in the public domain.

To Special-needs mom with no support system

Don’t give up! Years back, the topic of “special-needs” was more silent, but now we are talking about it. While talk is not the solution, it just tells us there’s a gradual mindset shift. It’s super slow, but it’s taking place. Just keep doing what you can do for now – therapy sessions, seek help from people around and be in touch with NGOs that have your challenges on their agenda… look for other special mothers like you- this is for emotional reasons.

Also, instead of focusing on magical “cures”, focus on managerial care for the affected child, this is because many people are out there, who would take advantage of your vulnerability and desperation; and extort you of money that you don’t even “have”. Accept that some of these health challenges may be for life, but with consistent managerial care (therapy, nutrition, etc), the child’s condition would likely improve, no matter how slow. But you already know this, so the challenge is to stay positive as you go on this long journey. You’ve come all this way… don’t stop now!

The society and its reception of special-needs parents

Societies can get used to concepts through media influence – the concept of embracing special-needs kids and even adults can be artistically and gradually infused in our films, musical videos, etc. More people now embrace albinism (compared to how it used to be), because of the power of the media. I have never seen someone with vitiligo, for example, but because I’ve been seeing cases online, it feels like I’ve known people with the skin condition for a long time.

That can be replicated in this case. And I enjoin every person of influence to take a chunk off this task – we mostly don’t plan to be special parents, but one’s offspring may become a special parent and this “help” (societal acceptance, support, world-class institutions of free care facilities) I keep talking about would be life-saving to them.

Also, schools need to be more inclusive – this would help youngsters grow up feeling natural around people living with special needs, and likely be more helpful adults – not just stare or stigmatize affected individuals.

Being a Woman of Rubies

I represent the mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and aunties and uncles… of the special-needs children of Nigeria. My dream is to ensure that every state in Nigeria has free world-class facilities (day or boarding), where special-needs kids can be cared for, so that special mothers can have a fighting chance in life.

Follow Joy Odiete J’odie on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to know more about her work with special needs kids.

In Editor's Choice September 26, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Women Of Rubies Was Born Out Of My Passion For Humanity — Esther Ijewere

Women of Rubies was created by Esther Ijewere to celebrate exceptional women. Esther Ijewere is an enterprising social activist, women’s advocate, columnist, author and the Founder of Rubies Ink Initiative for Women and Children — a non-profit outfit devoted to advocacy, development and social enterprise solutions amongst others.

An Olabisi Onabanjo University trained Sociologist, Esther Ijewere is the brain behind W.A.R. — Walk Against Rape, an advocacy initiative created to lend a voice for the victims of rape and demand justice, an initiative endorsed by the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

The NGO organises workshops in secondary schools tagged College Acquaintance Rape Education (C.A.R.E) in partnership with the Lagos state Ministry of Justice and the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT). Esther, the initiator of Project Capable; a Lagos State Ministry of Education approved programme, Esther is the youngest recipient of The Idea Builders Women Mentoring Women Award, winning Mentee of the year 2010 and “Women Enterprise Award” from Vital Voices International & Exxon Mobil.

Esther Ijewere- Women of Rubies — Esther Ijewere

She also won the award for “Best Use of Advocacy” from her Alma Mata; Olabisi Onabanjo University in 2012, for her contribution in fighting and creating awareness on Rape.

In 2016 Esther bagged four awards for her platform Women of Rubies, notably among these award is “Young Person of the Year” and “Wise Women in Media” awards.

She is a Fellow with Vital Voices Global Leadership USA; an organization founded by Hillary Clinton and aimed at empowering young women change makers all over the world.

She unveiled her first book on rape and violence against women, titled “Breaking the Silence”. She is also a columnist with the Guardian Newspaper, her page “ Women of Rubies” a platform used to celebrate exceptional women with inspiring stories, the page is a sequel to her award winning blog www.womenofrubies.com, which is fast becoming the one stop blog for the everyday woman. Esther recently started a platform for men called “Men who Inspire”, to further balance her advocacy work as an advocate, and also kicked off the #GettalkingwithEsther show to spread positivity on social media.

In this interview, she bares all with Vanguard Newspaper

Kindly tell us the story of Women of Rubies, your career path and how it all started?

Women of Rubies was born out of my passion for humanity. I started out as a social activist, lending my voice to victims of rape, and other forms of gender-based violence. This evolved into the media, which is the Women of Rubies platform where I use my column and blog as a vehicle of social change to put the spotlight on other women in different sectors who are contributing their quota to nation building and adding value to the society through their work.

Looking back, would you say Women of Rubies and your other initiatives have achieved what it set out to accomplish?

Absolutely! We have accomplished even more than we envisaged ten years ago. Despite the losses we suffered, we have stayed solid and consistent through the years.

Every project we have embarked on has impacted lives and added value. We have served those at the grassroots and the high earned professionals. The ripple effect of the work we do is unquantifiable, and that’s the reason why even after 10 years, with all the bumps and losses we’ve encountered, we are still very relevant in the sectors we represent, because God is fully involved in everything we do.

Rubies Ink Initiative championed the first of its kind Walk against Rape campaign in Nigeria, The walk did not only encourage victims of rape to speak up, It also became an annual event most of concerned Nigerians and celebrities look forward to. We used different toolkit (workshops, media, information handbook, town hall meetings in different communities) to educate and sensitize the society.

Watch: 5 Ways To Stop Being A People Pleaser

We also got justice for several victims through our alliance with the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and the domestic and sexual violence response team (DSVRT). The walk is endorsed by the Federal and State Government respectively. We have over fifty celebrities and influencers who are our ambassadors.

They use their platforms to educate the society on the scourge of rape, and aim for victims to get justice. The walk will be moving to other parts of Nigeria this year by God’s grace.

With Women of Rubies, we have given visibility and brought stories of different amazing women to the front burner, featured and celebrated over 1000 (one thousand women) through our Guardian Newspaper column, blog and social media pages.

We have raised over N5M funds for several women in distress, paid hospital bills, supported widows, paid rent for homeless victims of domestic violence and also re-integrate them back into the society. During the thick of COVID-19 pandemic, we were one of the organizations at the forefront raising funds for families who were affected, and we continue to support many.

Let’s talk about “Get Talking with Esther”. Can you shed more light on this project?

I am very expressive, I love to write and read from people, I love to celebrate people and give them hope, I love when I can feel people’s thoughts through words. “Get talking with Esther” is just about that. It’s a #Tweetchat session that gives you the ambience of a show on Twitter.

Basically, using my platform, years of experience, and skill set for social good to give everyone a voice. We fix broken tables, bring “Under the table” conversations to the front burner for positivity. We bring people who share life experiences, healing, and learning. My mission is to use the show to spread positivity on social media, especially Twitter. It will be 2 years by August 13th, 2022.

Intimate us about your proudest moments in the last ten years?

There are many proud moments, and it will be hard to pick just one. But I’d say each time I touch someone’s life, give hope to a helpless person, use my platform to celebrate a person who needs visibility and light up someone’s dark path, it becomes a proud moment.

The joy of giving back and paying it forward is innate. It’s my happy place. Above all, being a mother, and experiencing childbirth is my proudest moment. The joy of holding your baby in your hands. It’s unexplainable. I pray every woman seeking the fruit of the womb will experience this.

Kindly mention some of the lessons life has taught you?

Patience; life has taught me to be patient with myself and others. Setting boundaries is also one of the lessons I have learnt over the years. For a longtime, I didn’t have boundaries, and I ended up burning out and feeling used. The moment I started setting my boundaries, things changed. I learned how to say no respectfully without feeling guilty. Setting boundaries has helped me greatly in navigating where and who I give my energy.

Life also taught me the beauty of releasing power and letting go easily. While I am still a work in progress, these lessons have helped me stay grounded and focused.

You have a passion for women and single mothers. How was this ignited?

My passion for women is innate, I mean being a woman, I should love and support other women naturally. However, single motherhood is very personal. I am a single mum, I know and identify the pain and struggles of single mothers. It’s twice the sacrifice, and it takes a lot to raise kids alone. Spreading light to other lone parents is from a place of experience, love and understanding. I wish society would judge us less, and support us more.

Was there any time you had felt like giving in, wrapping your platforms and moving on?

Yes, several times. It’s hard to run an organization in Nigeria, especially when you don’t have core funding and lack committed human power. I almost gave up everything when my marriage crashed. My saving grace was remembering that my purpose is bigger than me, and my light is brighter than being a wife. Each time I have those wrapping up moments, I reflect on why I started and the beautiful moments.I will keep pushing against all odds. It’s an assignment and I have to do it well. Giving up is not an option.

Who really is Esther Ijewere?

Esther is smart, strong, opinionated, and kind hearted. She is determined, dogged and much focused. She is passionate about issues that affect women and children. She is the Introvert, who loves her own space, the multi-tasking single mum who works hard so her kids can learn all she was not taught. The deep soul, and very spiritual woman who prays a lot. The writer who writes with passion and deep understanding for humanity. The very private woman who prefers to share her work than her personal life. The playful, happy-go-lucky girl who is living intentionally. Esther, like every human is not perfect. She is a work in progress

What principles have worked for you over the years?

Putting God first, staying focused, honesty, diligence and speaking my truth against all odds. These principles have and continue to help me stay grounded.

How did you build such a strong following on social media?

That’s the power of consistency. I have also managed to keep a drama-free life on social media, separated my personal life from my work, and consciously use my platforms to support folks and spread love and light. I have also focused on being relevant and not just popular. I worked hard over the years to make my name a solution to a problem I solve. People gravitate towards value naturally. However, I do not take glory for any of it. I am just a vessel doing God’s bidding on earth. It is my hope that my light continues to attract and touch souls all over the world, even beyond social media.

Who are your role models?

My Mom for being a strong support system and instilling the right values in me. I always tell people that my life, especially my philanthropic side, is a reflection of good upbringing. However, I am a mummy’s girl with a mind of my own.

Oprah Winfrey- Her success and resilience is a vision board of what I intend to be and more. One of my late Uncles; Bolaji Rosiji, told me one time that my drive and passion reminds him of Oprah. It’s a compliment I hold dear to my heart. I wish to meet her someday.

Every woman before me in the development, advocacy and media sector is my role model. I have great respect for pace-setters who gave young women like me wings to fly, the ones who make room for us to grow and amplify our light.

If you were to start all over again what will you do differently?

I will align with people who have more expertise than me, and be more open about my struggles and challenges. Being in a society where you are constantly judged for your failure and mistakes could kill your morale, and make it hard for you to open up.

I am learning how to ask for help and lean on people who can add value to me, and my brand. Life is a lesson, I embrace everything with love, and open to change and best practices.

What is your message to women battling one challenge or the other?

Don’t give up! .There is light at the end of the dark tunnel. Don’t keep your problems to yourself, share with people who can proffer solutions and help. You are not your mistake and challenges, don’t let it consume you. There is always someone out there you can talk to, and ask for support.

How do you rejuvenate when your energy is down?

I meditate, listen to frequency music, practice self-affirmations, focus on my power spot for energy boost, and stay mindful. I reduce my screen time when I am down and just be in the moment, appreciating the things in my present.

Watch: How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome

How do you unwind?

Spending time with my kids, Netflix and chill, and sometimes hanging out with friends and family who love me for who I am.

Connect with Esther;

Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/esther.ijewere/

Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/estherijewere/

Twitter; https://twitter.com/estherijewere

LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-ijewere-3a082b2b/

Youtube; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLHFArqRf4HcjiekNGkopow

Email: Admin@womenofrubies.com

In Editor's Choice September 1, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

‘It Is Difficult To Access Funding If You Are Not A Big Name In The NGO Sector’- Aiyekusehin Monisola

Aiyekusehin Monisola is the strategy lead and founder of Betharbel foundation a non profit creating a bright future for the African woman and child, With over 7years in experience as a social innovator working across sectors such as sexual and reproductive health, STEAM Education and climate change.

She has impacted over 3000 students and 1500 Women through her work in Betharbel foundation, and increased profit for 100 women through her Bethpad project.

Monisola is interested in Inclusive Education, climate change ,and international Development. Over the past two years Monisola has been working with the IDPs and is passionate about ensuring that the IDP children get quality education through the free tuition project of Betharbel foundation for the IDP children.

She earned her masters degree in international Relations from university of Benin in 2018. She is a fellow African change maker ,An Ambassador for women health with Days for girls international , YALI RLC Alumni, an Ambassador for change with save and nurture the child foundation, and the 2022 GEDA pitch winner and fellow for Donors for Africa Foundation. She shares her story with Esther Ijewere in this interview.

Childhood Influence

My childhood prepared me partially for what am doing today, I was born into an average family with three other siblings, my both parents were civil servants , and it wasn’t quite easy fending for the family with the peanuts they earned, my both parents had to do menial jobs with their government jobs to ensure we got quality education and food on the table. I watched these scenarios and I made up my mind that I would make life more comfortable and meaningful for every woman and child as God blesses me. and so I began learning different skills early as a teenager with the motive of empowering anyone who crosses my path, ensuring I leave them better than I met them.

Inspiration Behind Betharbel foundation

Two things inspired me to start up the Betharbel foundation, First the struggles I experienced as a child ,I didn’t want anyone to experience these struggles without a way out. I knew there was something I could do to help . Secondly the abuse I experienced from the first month of my marriage, I lived in abuse for 10 years and I experienced all forms of abuse from physical, emotional ,verbal, psychological, just name it. I discovered that children and women were the most vulnerable, I wanted to be a voice to the voiceless and I needed a platform to do this ,so it fueled my passion to start up my foundation with the aim of creating a bright future for the African women and children. My mantra became the broken often become masters at mending, no woman or child should experience the pain and trauma I have been through, and if they have I can help them on their journey to healing.

Impacting 3000 Students And 1500 Women Through My Projects

We have carried out projects in Bayelsa and Abuja. Menstrual hygiene projects in Five secondary schools in Bayelsa 3000 students, Hand Wash campaigns in 5 primary schools and 7 secondary schools in Bayelsa, Vocational skills training in yenegwe community training over 200 women and empowering 20 of the participants. COVID 19 education in schools and communities within Bayelsa, provision of COVID relief materials to 200 aged women and single moms at IDP camp in Osiri Bayelsa state, face mask drive for 2000 people in swali Market. Pad bank for girls in kuchiyako community ,kuje distributing pads to 200 girls and many others.

The Journey So Far

The organization started in 2018,but was officially incorporated in 2020,before then I have been a serial volunteer , volunteering for various NGOs, I would say my journey has been fun and challenging Fun because it’s what am passionate about. And I don’t mind spending my all to put a smile on the face of the vulnerable and so am always excited doing this. On the other hand I would say challenging because of some of the Bottlenecks I encounter on the field, financial limitations and the fact that we are not a “big name” in the non profit sector ,but in all I have been consistent, and gradually on a daily basis I can tell my impact story, my little effort is putting smiles on the faces of people particularly women and girls.

Ripple Effect Of Training 3000 Youths

God has been faithful and The impact has been unimaginable going down memory lane when we started in Bayelsa, particularly the skills training in 2019 I can testify of blessing in igbogene community in Yenagoa local government presently an undergraduate student of Niger delta university, who was a secondary school leaver at that time who was part of those who got trained in tailoring and got a sewing machine, the skills she acquired is what she uses to support herself through school she is presently in her 300 level. We have also increased profit for women in the IDP camp through our bethpad project with the aim of ending period poverty and also empowering these women economically. The testimonials are numerous to write, the ripple effect is that most of our beneficiaries are paying it forward and reaching out also within their circle.

Challenges

One major challenge has been finance, most of our projects have been self funded, with the little resources we have been able to do what we can. Another challenge has been getting stakeholders to align with what we do. Another challenge has been insecurity, we can no longer enter some communities freely, despite the fact that the people who need our intervention are in this communities, insecurity has limited our movement to this communities Another challenge has been the fact that we have not been able to get the right partnership and support to help improve and strengthen our work.

3 Women Who Inspire Me And Why

The list is endless but I would mention just three women who inspires me

– Esther Ijewere of Women of Rubies ,she inspires me. I have followed her closely for some time and I have watched her put smiles on the face of people particularly single moms ,despite been a single mom herself, she chose to be a blessing to other people around her, she is fearless and resilient, I also look forward to her daily affirmations and how those affirmations have been a been a blessing to many.

– Chidi Koldsweat of donors for Africa foundation is one woman who inspires me, her work in the development sector blows my mind ,how she impacts other non profits and helps them align their work appropriately is one aspect I salute her greatly for.

Another lovely women who inspires me is Dr. Adeola Olubamiji, she inspires me so much, she doesn’t even know me but I follow her closely, how she rose from nothing to becoming one of the 100 most influential women in Canada, and how she has helped others step up in their career .

What Government Should Do To Support IDPS

For me one major aspect the government should focus on is on education and empowerment such that these people can quickly be integrated back into the society. In the words of Nelson Mandela Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. If we must change the narrative and ensure the circle of insurgency is totally broken, The government should support the IDPs to get proper and quality education, they should not be neglected in any way. And for the adults empowerment and skills training to make them economically useful such that they can be integrated back into society.

What We Can Do Better As A Society To Educate Women On The Importance Of Leaving Abusive Marriages

We must keep speaking, we should share our stories, organize, sensitization and speak up campaigns, we must ignore the stigma that comes with walking away, no life is worth losing because of abuse, Every one must be ready to speak up against abuse and we should build a strong support system for victims and survivors. I recently shared my story on a blog and so many women spoke up because they read my story, when we speak up, it gives others the courage to do likewise

Our parents must be willing to nurture both genders appropriately, one should not become a slave because of marriage. There should be no shame in walking out of abuse, If it’s not working it is best to walk away alive than to die in abuse

Being A Woman of Rubies

I am unique and special, God’s prized possession ,and I trust God for everything, living my life one day at a time. I don’t see limitations as obstacles, I see them as stepping stones to the greater heights God has prepared for me.

Sex Education Tips For Parents

For me sex education should be introduced as early as possible I would suggest from age 3 and it should be age appropriate. For toddlers it can be taught as safe touch and unsafe touch and it can be taught as a poem, rhymes or song properly demonstrated. Body parts should be taught early and called the right names

Parents should have friendly conversations with adolescent constantly including discussions on sex education, and initiate discussions on body changes as puberty progresses and use it as an opportunity to discuss sex education. Parents should discuss self awareness and use it as an opportunity to discuss sex education and be very observant to know when children change or withdraw and should always be sensitive to listen to their children .

In Editor's Choice August 20, 2022 By Women of Rubies

Esther Ijewere: How To Use Mindfulness Meditation To Reduce Stress And Anxiety

Mindfulness practice is one of my favorite type of meditation, perhaps because it’s easy, even for beginners. It is the act of combining awareness and concentration.

What is meditation?

Meditation is a technique used for thousands of years to develop awareness of the present moment. It can involve practices to sharpen focus and attention, connect to the body and breath, develop acceptance of difficult emotions, and even alter consciousness. It’s been shown to offer a number of physical and psychological benefits like stress reduction and improved immunity.

It doesn’t belong to any particular religion or faith. Though ancient in origin, it’s still practiced today in cultures all over the world to create a sense of peace, calm, and inner harmony. Meditation may offer a solution to the growing need to reduce stress in the midst of busy schedules and demanding lives.

Read: How Hawking At Age 10 Made Me More Determined- Adeola Olubamiji

Although there isn’t a right or wrong way to meditate, it’s important to find a practice that meets your needs.

I start with grounding, walking barefoot and feeling the earth under my feet, then I find a comfortable place to sit, and flow into breathing exercise to release stagnant air from my body.

Breathe in for 4 seconds, and exhale through the nose for 4 seconds. I do this 5×, then close my eyes and focus on my breath, while observing my body sensations, thoughts and feelings.

You can also watch my Youtube video on how to protect your energy here; Protect Your Energy

There are 8 other types of meditation. We practice at least 3 of it naturally but people don’t even know they are types of meditation.

8 other popular types of meditation practice according to Healthline

Spiritual: It focuses on developing a deeper understanding of spiritual/religious meaning and connection with a higher power.
Focused: Involves concentration using any of the five senses. For example, you can focus on something internal, like your breath, or you can bring in external influences to help focus your attention. Example includes, staring at a candle flame or counting your breath. It may be simple in theory, but it can be difficult for beginners to hold their focus for longer than a few minutes at first. If your mind does wander, simply come back to the practice and refocus. This practice is ideal for anyone who wants to sharpen their focus and attention.
Movement: This is an active form of meditation where the movement guides you into a deeper connection with your body and the present moment. Movement meditation is good for people who find peace in action and want to develop body awareness.
Mantra: This type of meditation uses a repetitive sound to clear the mind. It can be a word, phrase, or sound, one of the most common being “om.” , This is also a good practice for people who don’t like silence and enjoy repetition.

Read: How to live an wholesome life

Transcendental: It was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and refers to a specific practice designed to quiet the mind and induce a state of calm and peace. It involves the use of mantra and is best taught by a certified TM practitioner.
Progressive: This form of meditation involves slowly tightening and relaxing one muscle group at a time throughout the body. In some cases, it may also encourage you to imagine a gentle wave flowing through your body to help release any tension. This form of meditation is often used to relieve stress and unwind before bedtime
Loving-kindness: It is used to strengthen feelings of compassion, kindness, and acceptance toward oneself and others. It typically involves opening the mind to receive love from others and then sending well wishes to loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and all living beings. Because this type of meditation is intended to promote compassion and kindness, it may be ideal for those holding feelings of anger or resentment.

Also read: Be Careful Not To Be The Problem You Are Trying To Solve For Others

Visualization: It is a technique focused on enhancing feelings of relaxation, peace, and calmness by visualizing positive scenes, images, or figures. This practice involves imagining a scene vividly and using all five senses to add as much detail as possible. It can also involve holding a beloved or honored figure in mind with the intention of embodying their qualities.

Incase you woke up today feeling down and weary, or you probably lost your spark or the energy to keep pushing, I encourage you to try the mindfulness meditation, just make sure you release your soul from worry and anxiety before you start. You can also practice anyother one on the list to help you stay grounded.

You can also watch this video and practice this positive affirmation; https://youtu.be/jZ815bmduEU

Do you meditate? Does it work for you and balance your energy? I will be glad to read from you in the comments.

Connect with me on any of my social media platforms;

Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/esther.ijewere

Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/estherijewere/

Twitter; https://twitter.com/estherijewere

Subscribe to my Youtube channel; Esther Ijewere Channel

I am rooting for you to have a stress and anxiety free year.

In Editor's Choice August 6, 2022 By Women of Rubies

“I spent Many Years In The Background, Observing And Learning The Publishing Business- Neya Kalu

Neya Kalu is the Chairman and Publisher of The Sun Nigeria, founded and published in Nigeria. A reputable news outlet in Nigeria and around the world. She is also the founder and CEO of Basecoat Nigeria, a nail salon chain changing the face of the Nail Industry in Nigeria.

Barrister Neya Uzor-Kalu has a degree in Law and an MSc. in Finance from the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom. She has 12 years experience crafting and implementing business initiatives across industries. The amazing businesswoman had previously worked in the banking sector, for five years, in the role of Human Resource Manager before her appointment as Chairman/Publisher of the Sun Nigeria.

Neya leads the Board on strategic matters, establishes high governance, and oversees the company’s business. She is also the Vice-Chairman of Sun Heavens Hotels and Resorts. With a strong interest in social issues and a desire to empower women, Neya works with the OUK Foundation to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs one through six. She shares her inspiring journey with Esther Ijewere in this interview.

Childhood Influence

I believe my childhood influenced what I do now, which is to lead several businesses, the most recent being my appointment as publisher and chairman of The Sun Nigeria. My upbringing was fairly isolated, and I had plenty of time to daydream about a lot of things including becoming an entrepreneur, just like my father.

Inspiration Behind Basecoat

I left my job in banking after the birth of my son in search of something that would allow me to spend more time with him, and I’ve always been very passionate about nails. I believe I was the only person in high school/college with acrylics and nail designs, so opening my own salon, Basecoat, was a no-brainer for me. Basecoat has been around for a few years now, and I’m pleased with how far we’ve come.

The Journey So Far

It’s been nothing short of incredible. I never intend to brag, but I believe Basecoat is providing a completely unique experience in the Nigerian nail industry. Building and nurturing our vision at Basecoat has not been without challenges, but this has not stopped us from providing excellent service to our customers. A standard that we intend to maintain regardless of the current economic climate.

How I became chairman and publisher of The Sun Nigeria

Through perseverance and hard work. I’ve spent so many years in the background, observing, learning, and collaborating with the team. I suppose the time had come for me to take over as chairman and publisher.

Lessons I Have Learned As The Publisher Of A Newspaper Outlet

It’s only been a few months since I took over as chairman and publisher, but the lessons I’ve learned so far are that hard work pays off no matter where you are in life and that your team is just as important, if not more important, than you.

My Thoughts On Fake News And The Importance Of Fact Checking

We’ve seen the damage that fake news can cause in any society. As a result, it’s critical that people get their information from reliable sources, such as news outlets or reputable bloggers. Consumers should also be cautious about where they turn for reliable news. With social media at everyone’s fingertips, it’s easy for fake news to spread, and while we, the publishers, ensure that due diligence is done and that any information published on our platform(s) is credible, the general public also has a role to play, which means that any news source they get information from online must be credible.

My Work With OUK Foundation, And Passion For SDG Goal Six

While working with the OUK foundation, I like to think of myself as a secret santa because I am very passionate about the work we do – providing health benefits, education, access to clean water and food, job opportunities, and so on. We are currently working on providing viable resources for children in some schools across the country.

One Thing I Wish To Change In The Media Sector

The perception that all journalists want to smear everyone’s reputation. A good journalist’s job is to report the news as accurately and transparently as possible.

How Career Women Can Create Work-Life Balance

I think it’s important to prioritize what is truly important to you and want to do so it will be easy to navigate and balance out the work-life combination.

3 Women Who Inspire Me And Why

Bella Disu – Her age hasn’t stopped her from attaining her goals.

The Late Dora Akunyili – For her strength and tenacity (May her soul

continue to Rest in Peace).

Amina Mohammed – For the global impact she’s making through her

position as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

Importance Of Women Supporting Women

Supporting women is something that I take very seriously and it looks to me like women being the sisters’ keeper. The word “empowerment” is frequently misused. I believe that encouraging women to be better in order to do better for themselves is more motivating because there are some brilliant women out there who just need a little push.

Being The Daughter Of A Notable Politician And Founder Of Sun Nigeria, And The Lessons He Taught Me

To be honest, I believe it is simply being yourself. One of the most useful lessons my father has taught me, and it has truly helped me navigate my career path because hearing a lot of “NOs” along the way, especially as a female, can derail you and force you to be someone you are not, but you must learn to stay the course and be yourself. Because there is no other you, there is no more authentic you than you. And people just have to accept that.

Being A Woman Of Rubies

The fact that I am one of one makes me more valuable than rubies or any other gemstone on the planet.

To Young Women Who Are At A Crossroad And Trying To Find Their Purpose

The will to dream becomes the purpose for the vision. It is really a choice that we have to make. As I’ve always said, if you love something – nurture it and fight

In Editor's Choice June 27, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

To Stand Out From The Crowd, You Must Have A Strong Brand-Omobabinrin Adeola Osideko

A popular author once said that your personal brand follows you wherever you go and sometimes even lingers behind when you leave a room. That’s exactly what Omobabinrin Adeola Osideko is advocating for in the society, training people to prioritise their personal brand and discover their potential.

Trained Accountant, chartered in Nigeria, the UK and Canada, Adeola works full time with the African Development Bank in Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire, as finance professional.

MINTA (Mummy In the Abroad) as she’s fondly called by her fans, she is a First-class graduate of Accounting and holds an MSc in Accounting from the prestigious University of London. Senior Director of Crystal Edge professional Services (a training and branding consulting company), she is a personal development coach, branding expert and social media influencer. An international and TEDx speaker, she has spoken in different countries (online and offline) and has published six books and 14 e-books. She has successfully coached over 10,000 people in personal development and branding. Over the last three years, Adeola has helped individuals and business owners build strong and reputable brands online and offline. She is also the founder of the Coached By Omobabirin, a Facebook community of over 20,000 members. The Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire -based coach shares her inspiring story with ESTHER IJEWERE in this Interview.

Childhood Influence
My childhood wasn’t that rosy. I grew up with my two siblings and my mother who was widowed at age 27. Growing up was a bit tough; because she had to solely fend for herself and us from her meager salary as a teacher.

But there are so many things my childhood taught me that I am grateful for today. They are; independence, living within your means, good planning and never being entitled to other people’s things. All these I picked up from my mum who was so determined to educate us no matter what. I picked up these life skills unconsciously, but later, they became very useful to me as I navigate life as an adult.

I grew up as a very outspoken child, audacious and very confident. I am daring about life and would do all I can to get what I want; I believe in the saying that when there is a will, there’s a way. My childhood wasn’t without some cracks too, which affected me negatively as an adult, but self-awareness and personal development have been helpful in smoothing these areas.

In all, my childhood has shaped and prepared me to be the responsible, self-driven, and audacious adult I have grown up to be.

Inspiration Behind Coached By OMOBABIRIN
Coached By Omobabinrin is a Facebook group where people of like minds gather to share values about purpose, business, various entrepreneurship skills, digital skills and so many other personal development skills. The group was founded as a community where people can share ideas and grow together.

Personal development is a necessity for everyone and should be made available as much as possible; that is one of the reasons why the group was founded so that members can learn from one another by posting meaningful content.

Studying Accounting
Accounting for me was borne out of the passion and love I had for mathematics then. In my early secondary school, I wasn’t doing so well in my Mathematics though, which was a big concern for my mum; she later got a Mathematics teacher for me, which changed the whole narrative. I fell in love with calculation and that made me opt-in for Accounting. And yes, Accounting has been interesting for me; it’s been close to 14 years of practicing and no regret whatsoever.

The Journey So Far
It hasn’t been rosy, but we keep going. The fact that I am only available to manage it part-time makes it more challenging. Based on my choleric nature, I love to be in charge and do my stuff my way (because I feel nobody can do it like me), but I had to learn to delegate and communicate what I want to achieve to my team members, while I watch them do it. This has also helped me raise awesome people with whom I can confidently leave the job, because I trust their abilities. Delegation is one of the major area’s leaders must learn and I am glad I adjusted fast to this reality.

Impact Of Coaching Over 10,000 People On Personal Development
Sasha Azevedo said, ‘when you love people and have the desire to make a profound positive impact upon the world, you have accomplished the meaning to live.’ One of the things that bring so much joy to me is transferring knowledge and impacting lives; it comes so easily. I do it with so much excitement and a sense of fulfillment follows.

Personal Development is a journey that makes us better as humans and I am glad I can impact people to become a better version of themselves on a daily basis; either directly or indirectly.

Being The Publisher Of Six Books And 14 e-books
Almost every day, I get one or two pieces of feedback from people about my books and how helpful it has been to them. My favorite is my first book, Building Great Relationships, because it’s a book that preserves humanity and our social values and humans.

The six books I have published are Building great relationships, Building a personal brand that makes money, The chronicles of MINTA series 1, My dreams are valid, The business of coaching, and The chronicles of MINTA series 2. The other 16 unpublished books and some of the e-books; I use them for my training and coaching programmes.

Working In a Francophone Country As An Accountant, And Managing Other Commitments
My passion for what I do drives me ‘Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you -Oprah Winfrey.’

When you are passionate about what you do, it will be easy to make room for it, no matter how tight your work schedule is. Yes, passion is the fuel that drives my energy and I have also learned to ask for help when I need it. ‘You are never strong enough that you don’t need help – Cesar Chavez.’ Asking for help is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign that you value yourself, as well as other people.

Abidjan as a Francophone country has been a great place to live, although there is a little struggle with learning the French language. To be honest, it has not been easy living in a French country as an Anglophone person, but change is the only constant thing and I just had to adapt. I have a bit of struggle, but my children have been helping me. For children, it is quite easy to pick up the language fast than an adult, but generally, Cote d’Ivoire is a good country; they are hospitable and friendly. Even though there are some of their culture and norms that are strange to me as an Anglophone, we’ve got no choice than to adapt. That is part of what personal development is all about.

Challenges
There are so many of them, but I will mention a few. Gender bias is still prevalent; some male clients and audiences tend to be disrespectful sometimes and I can attribute that to me being a woman. This may not be true though, but that’s how I see it.

Another thing is having to do so much, managing time and balancing life, family, work, business, faith, and social life. But I have come to realise that at the end of the day, we cannot achieve a balance. Oftentimes, one aspect of our lives demands a lot more from us than the rest. What is important is to prioritise, ask for help and take good care of yourself. Rest, eat well and take a break when the need arises.

Another one is unhealthy competition in the coaching industry. This one is really deep, but then we have got to learn how to manage it. I believe it’s everywhere and as humans, we feel somehow insecure, especially when we have low self-esteem.

Other Projects And Activities
My major project, for now, is The Iconic Brand Award coming up in November 2022. This is the 4th edition, and it has always been within Nigeria, but this time around, we are planning to have it in Lagos Nigeria, and the London United Kingdom.

Entreprenur.com recently released an infographic all about why employees quit their jobs. 82 per cent of employees report they don’t receive enough recognition. The Iconic Brand Awards is an annual event organised by my business, Crystal Edge Professional Services, and it’s all about recognising brands (personal brands and business brands) doing well in their various fields. Asides from that, it’s a networking and dinner event where people can meet, greet, connect, wine and dine and have some really good ‘year-end’ time.

Three Women Who Inspire Me And Why
I admire all women out there doing exploits, but since I am to mention just three, I will go with these three. Dupe Olusola: I met her not quite long on Instagram and I am totally in love with her personality; I love her dress sense and her smartness as a woman. We literally share a few things in common and this made her relatable on all levels. I love how she balances work and her social life; I do not like boring people, so she is a spec of a bubbling career woman.

The second person is Ibukun Awosika: I love her love for God and the things of God. Being a person of deep faith myself, I love people who are dedicated to serving God even in the marketplace place. She is a good example of a proverbs 31 woman; I love her bluntness, entrepreneurship spirit and her commitment to youth and women empowerment.

The third person is my former boss, Morenike Ogunnowo; she is a woman I love and respect. We worked together some years back and since then, we have grown a bond of sisterhood. She is hardworking, kind and very industrious; she inspires me a lot to know a healthy work-life balance is achievable.

My Role As The Editor Of Crystal Magazine
My organisation published a magazine in 2020 called The Crystals. It’s a magazine that showcases various brands and their work; it also has some educational content and industry news. That was the first edition, and we plan to have another edition very soon.

Educating The Society On Personal Branding
Creating awareness online via content creation on social media platforms is one of the best ways to educate people on personal branding. Branding is no longer what it used to be when it is just for business. An individual is a brand and must nurture that brand to blossom.

Personal branding is now important at all levels, unfortunately, most business owners do not realise the importance of personal branding, because they think branding is all about their business only. However, the truth is that if you want to create a successful business, you must create a successful personal brand. Personal branding helps people know you, like you, and trust you. And people who know you will trust you more and do business with you.

Achievements Recorded As A personal Development Coach And Influencer
I started the journey in 2015, took a break in 2017, and came back with full force towards the end of 2018. Since then, it’s been an amazing journey, not without its ups and down though. Some of my achievements are that I have coached, trained, and groomed thousands of people who are also doing well in their respective niches. I am a role model to so many people and I have inspired them positively, which I see as a big achievement. Other achievements are that I have been able to build a lot of brands with my name in terms of businesses and events such as The Iconic Brand Award event, The Global Brand Summit, the Personal branding Affirmation Challenge, Crystal Edge professional services and I have spoken on so many platforms, both globally and locally. I have been able to organise a TEDx event and become a TEDx organizer. I have also received multiple awards from different quarters recognising my works, impact, and influence.

What I Wish To Change In The Branding Sector
It will be to ensure people who portray themselves as coaches and experts, get enough training and certifications. The coaching industry is not well regulated, and anyone can wake up one morning to say ‘I am now a coach.’ As much as we can say this is okay to allow people to become whatever they want to be, it may also mean we will be having some bad eggs with poor quality of services, which may affect the goodwill and reputation of the industry. A well-regulated industry will help to checkmate individual activities and protect the image of the profession. Your brand is your personality; polish it.

Being A Woman Of Rubies
My price is far above rubies. I am a woman of impact who is making a significant change in society. I am a positive influence on young people, professionals, and business owners and I have successfully helped a lot of people build profitable, sustainable, and reputable personal and business brands.

I am a woman who supports other women and is always looking out for how to add value and make significant changes in society. I am a woman who is not afraid to see other people soar; I am a woman of rubies.

In Five years…
I see myself as an industry leader who has built capacity, who has grown, and someone who’s work is now recognised globally. I want to see myself on international platforms more, sharing my message to inspire, educate and empower people. I want to be able to confidently say I have coached, trained, and mentored thousands of people all over the globe.

Advice For Young People Setting Out To Build An Influential Brand
Be focused, avoid distractions, know what you want and go for it, regardless of what people think about it. Be kind, confident, and bold, the world is yours. Growth is not a day work; growth is a gradual process. Don’t compare your journey with someone else’s; your fight is different. Believe in yourself and never give up on your dreams.

In Editor's Choice June 18, 2022 By Women of Rubies

‘The Skill Gap In The Black Community Inspired Me To Start Techavilly’- Mariam Adeyemi

To engineer a better society we need people of different genders, races and backgrounds solving our problems. Mariam Adeyemi’s passion and commitment to unlock potential is admirable. With her technology training platform; TechaVilly, she is breaking stereotypes of who a role model should be. Mariam is a passionate tech enthusiast committed to unlocking potentials, transferring knowledge and transforming lives through digitalization and tech training. She is the founder of TechaVilly, a technology training platform aimed at empowering the black community through skills and knowledge transfer. She founded the company alongside her college friend, Omotoyosi Ogunbanwo who is also a tech enthusiast and currently works at Amazon USA.

Techavilly was founded in 2020 and has trained over 10,000 black people from 2020 till date, helping them to fit into today’s dynamic job market.

She rolled out the company’s very first training in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. She chose that period to give back by sharing knowledge for free and giving people hope for a better life.Thousands of people were trained during the lockdown and some of them got good jobs after the training.

Mariam has worked in reputable companies . She moved to the United States of America in 2017 to improve her skills to remain relevant in the job market. She got her master’s degree in Business Analytics from Texas A&M University in Texas and was privileged to work in companies like Samsung Electronics America and other mid-sized companies in the United States.

She is the first female EdTech (Educational Technology) founder to launch an educational communication app in Africa. She is committed to bridging parent-teacher communication while developing and transforming the child in the process. According to Mariam; The goal is to expand across African schools and integrate technology into the school curriculum. Discorz App is gradually expanding, and penetration is improving. It is currently available for download on Google Play and App Store.

She shares her inspiring story in this interview with ESTHER IJEWERE

Childhood Influence

Thank you for this question. This is a story a lot of people have been waiting to hear. My growing up was fun even though I came from a polygamous family. It was a large family because of the extended family members around us back then. And you know what? The competition was obvious. I was one of the most stubborn amongst all the children, but there is one thing everyone knows about me. It’s “bravery”. I wasn’t afraid of taking risks and I am still not. The truth is that I burn my fingers sometimes, but that has never stopped me from trying again.

As a matter of fact, my childhood story is a whole book. Trust me. But I will crunch it as much as I can. I grew up wanting to be heard even amongst my siblings. I wasn’t the most brilliant though, but I was the most daring and my late mom loved me just like that.

I attended a boarding school for my secondary school education in Ijebu Ode, Adeola Odutola College to be precise. I was super smart, and I ended up as the Assistant Head Girl for my set. I wasn’t made the Head Girl because I didn’t do sciences and I wasn’t as vocal as expected even though I was a top performer academically. Remember I said I don’t give up. With my Commercial & Arts background, I represented the school for literature and debating competitions and I won several awards for the school even more than other categories of competition the school went for at that time.

I had my bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications at the University of Jos, and graduated with honors. I contested for Student Union positions, but never won. Like I said, I love taking risks and I enjoy learning in the process.

So, to answer your question, my childhood never imagined what I have become today. Not at all. My childhood wasn’t so fair to me. It projected that I will be a failure and disappointment to my family because I was too brave and outgoing, always willing to explore but God is bigger than my childhood. Here I am today. Smiles.

Inspiration behind Techavilly

The skill gap I see amongst the black community is what inspired me to start the company. I started the company with my college friend, Omotoyosi Ogunbanwo who is a tech enthusiast like me.

You see, the tech industry is so big and trust me, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. I believe that Nigerians are intelligent/smart and can have a share of voice in the tech industry if they have the right skills and opportunity. My goal is to help people get the skills required to secure a a six-figure job after training with TechaVilly. I came to America with the belief that I know a lot but realized there is still so much to learn if I must compete globally. So I put in the work and decided to transfer the knowledge to as many people as possible.

The Journey So Far

I will say that it’s been amazing. I never thought people are this hungry for knowledge and are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to acquire new tech skills and knowledge. It’s been rewarding I must say.

Why I Pitched My Tent In The Tech sector

The opportunity in tech is unlimited. I schooled in the US and luckily I had my masters degree in a tech related program. That opened my eyes to what’s happening in the industry and how innovation is changing the world today. I decided to take my share of the national cake. But on a serious note, tech is the future and we must key into this and bring the information, experience and innovation back home.

Leaving My Work With Multinational Brands And Moving To The US

That was the most difficult decision I’ve made in my entire life. You know what it means to leave certainty for uncertainty. It was tough but I am glad I made the decision at the time I did. I was doing well in Nigeria as opposed to the belief that people who move abroad were suffering in Nigeria. That’s not true at all. I was living in Lekki, living in my own house and driving a car of my choice. But I wanted more, because I believe I was getting to the peak of my career in Nigeria. I didn’t want to be redundant because age wasn’t on my side either. I knew that the only thing that could make me relevant in my career is learning a new skill and repositioning myself. Then I found Tech. (Smiles)

The second reason is to give my children a better life and education. I mean, I passed through the American educational system and I can say that the gap is wide compared to what we have back home. My children don’t understand the sacrifice we made for them now but they will thank me and my husband later. We technically sacrificed our career in Nigeria for their future but glory to God, it has paid off.

Being the first female Edtech founder to launch an educational communication app in Africa, and It’s Impact

When I moved to America, my little boy struggled to fit into the American Educational system. We moved here when he was seven. He wasn’t happy that he was struggling either. Then the school introduced an app that helped me collaborate and communicate with his teacher to help him overcome the challenges he was having. And boom, it worked like magic. And that’s where the idea came. If something as little as an app can change my son’s story, then it’s worth replicating in Africa. I know that most parents in Nigeria are going through similar situations, it’s also frustrating for teachers to have their pupils lagging behind. It puts a lot of pressure on them. That birthed the Discorz App, to bridge the communication gap between the parents and the school.

To be honest, TechaVilly and Discorz App have put me out there especially amongst few people that matter here in America. My connection chain changed, and I have more people of like minds in my network. This wasn’t the case before I became a founder.

Other projects and activities

We have a couple of projects in the pipeline, like TechaVilly non-profit organization for underprivileged Nigerians and a digital Naija in diaspora talk show. Keep your fingers crossed. The goal is to unite Nigerians abroad with the project.

What I enjoy most about your job

I love the collaboration part. The compensation and the entirety of how it makes me feel.

The Tech Industry and It’s Support for Women In Tech

Not at the moment. We need more women in tech, this is one of the reasons we are transferring the skills to give more women a share of voice in the room.

One Thing I wish To Change In the Tech Sector

One thing that makes technology evergreen is INNOVATION. Nigeria needs to embrace technology and its benefits to the generations unborn. I will do my part to change people’s orientation about tech. Yes, it has its bad side but there is always a good side to every story.

Being a Woman of Rubies

My resilience, tenacity, grit, and bravery makes me a Woman of Rubies and more.

To the young woman who wants to pitch her tent in the tech industry

I’ll tell her to keep learning and never stop improving. Knowledge is what makes the next person better than you. When you have the right information, you will stand before anyone and speak with confidence. Whatever field you want to major in tech, research the skills, get the knowledge and certifications required to pivot into that field. Trust me, it opens unimaginable doors!

In Editor's Choice June 5, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

My Mission Is To Empower 5000 Young African Women With Basic Digital Skills- Excellence Joshua

A famous person once said; “Innovation is the outcome of a habit, not a random act.” That is what technology has done to the world; it made us recognise the power of consistency and focus.

Excellence Anurika Joshua belongs to the crop of women who are making a difference in the world through technology, and lifting other women while at it. She is the founder of Techy Train incubator, a Nigerian-based onshore and offshore training and outsourcing organisation that specialises in equipping African young women and female entrepreneurs with digital skills to empower them to get jobs in their countries and to also maximise remote job opportunities around the world. This will help in reducing the gender wage gap and to also support capacity building among African companies and startups development worldwide.

A Digital Media Consultant, Pan Africa social entrepreneur, and a blooming African development expert who has trained and created job opportunities for over 3000 young African Women in the Tech Space since 2019, in 2021, she started the Tech-Up Girls Initiative with her team to empower 5000 young women across Africa with basic digital skills before the end of 2022. The World Bank Fellow, and recipient of the AGS survivor-woman award is also the winner of Mentoring Her Pitchathon, as well as the 1st Runner-Up of The Youth Innovation Challenge by The Funding Space. In 2021, she emerged as one of the winners of the Startup Lab Pitch Competition of the Nigeria Tech Summit. A trailblaser who is passionate about using technology to drive change across areas in women, health, and education, she shares her story with ESTHER IJEWERE In this interview.

Childhood Influence
Yes, my childhood kind of did. My dad used to have a business centre even before I was born; first in Niger State and eventually in Abuja, the University of Abuja campus precisely. When I was about seven years old, on my birthday, my dad bought me a typewriter as my birthday gift and a book to learn how to type.

My mum used to be an accountant and a clerk with the then NEPA. She knew how to type very well, so she would teach me how to do ASDF and ;LKJ, you know, and all of that. I learnt how to type; that was when I was in primary three. But as I grew up, when I finished primary school, my elder brother and I would go to my dad’s business centre to help him with work. We would do things like photocopy, lamination… of course those are tech skills. So, we did all of that.

Then, when I grew a little bit older, he would tell his staff who were computer typists to teach me the computer, so they would teach me how to type and apply shortcuts on the computer. They taught me, so I knew how to type very well such that when I was in senior secondary school, I think or after junior WAEC, I was typing for money. Then a page was typed for N70 or N100? And we had so many people doing projects. It was a university environment, not everybody could own a computer or a laptop at that time, so people had to patronise business centres. And, yes, I knew how to type really fast.

My brother got more interested in coding, in software, and things like Oracle and all of that and he went further to explore that area but me, I just liked it; I love gadgets a lot. And my dad got me a phone; I think in 2006, I had just finished JSS 3. I never thought that I was going to be doing anything tech or digital skills like this; I didn’t think of it that way. But really, it helped. We would always go to my dad’s business centre to help him and I was exposed to all of these and he would just tell us, ‘don’t worry, when you are in school, when you get to the university, you won’t be stranded; you can always start your own business centre or do something.’

But you see, my story of survival from abuse pushed me to help other women and I didn’t think initially that my background was going to give me ease transitioning to tech. But here I am today; I am doing all of it. I think, yes, a part of my childhood actually prepared me in a way for what I do now.

Inspiration Behind Techy Train Incubator
In 2018, I was 25 years old, a fresh graduate from the university. I had just separated from my then abusive husband and fled with my two-year old son; I had no job, had a neurological breakdown, and was absolutely broke. I was desperate to survive. And while at it, I realised that the African society is not kind to helpless women and there were not many options for me. Despite being a graduate of Medical Laboratory Science, when life hit me hard, like it does to more than 21 per cent of Women in the world, the only lifeline I found to rebuild myself was through technology skills and digital solutions.

As soon as I began to make headway, I was determined to help other women do the same as well. I founded the Techy Train Incubator, a social enterprise to bridge the gender employment gap in Africa by training women and girls on digital skills, equipping them for the future of work and the right employability and helping them get jobs.

So far, I have led a team that has trained successfully over 7000 young Women across 21 countries in Africa on relevant basic digital skills and helped over 3500 outsource their talent globally, thereby fostering the economic development of women especially in Africa.

The Journey So Far
So far, I have led a team that has trained successfully over 7000 young Women across 21 countries in Africa on relevant basic digital skills and helped over 3500 outsource their talent globally thereby fostering the economic development of women especially in Africa. I have won a few grants that have accelerated our work and reach across Africa.

I started a foundation in 2021 funded by the Techy Train incubator to train young girls and ladies for free in relevant technology skills, especially those with financial challenges and with no jobs to cater for themselves and their children. My mission in this is to empower women and youths with tools to work their way out of poverty, care for their families and strengthen their communities. As there are so many opportunities in the Tech and online space that are yet to be tapped, I believe that with thorough guidance and training, we can help women, especially those who are suffering in abusive marriages, become financially independent, leveraging just their smartphones and the internet; helping them set up a thriving business online. It will also prevent more young women from being vulnerable to abuse.

Mission To Empower 5000 Young Women Across Africa With Basic Digital Skills Before The End Of 2022
I set up The Tech-Up Girls Initiative bootcamp with my team to empower 5000 young women across Africa with basic digital skills within three years, starting in June 2021. However, this goal was achieved within a year. So far, over 3330 have been empowered from across 19 countries in Africa and assisted over 400 women in being gainfully self-employed using digital skills. The final cohort where over 1700 young girls are enrolled will be completed by June 24, 2022.

In January 2022, I set-up the Tech-Up Ladies to teach young Nigerian female graduates how to code and become Software Developers. Nine young ladies were trained within 10 weeks for FREE and completed their training in March 2022.

Being A World Bank Fellow, And Winning The AGS Survivor-Woman Award
First, the World Bank Fellow award, I had just started Techy Train not too long ago and then I applied and pitched my business to go into the Access Bank Womenpreneur Pitch-A-Ton and I didn’t really think I was going to be selected. I scaled through the first stage and then I got selected among 50 women that were trained by the International Finance Corporation and World Bank Group for that programme and it was a phenomenal experience. We went through quite a number of unique business skills training; very practical hands-on and it was just too good. So, after that, part of the award we were given was becoming World Bank Fellows and it’s really a boast. It has been a good one. It is not just about that; it is about the community that we have found and the support and the leverage that we have had since then. The AGS survivor-woman award is something that is very remarkable to me that I just will not forget, because it was my very first attempt at sharing my story, so Mwanga Africa was partnering with the AGS tribe, now Herconomy, to share stories that touch lives. I was very reluctant, I didn’t want to share it and for some reason, I won. For me, it wasn’t that; it wasn’t about the prize money of $1000 that was given. It was the fact that my story was valid; it was the fact that for the first time, I was vulnerable enough to share my experience and it changed my life. I used a part of that money to get my very first new laptop and then I registered for Codecademy to study full-stack web development and that was a journey to greater things in my life.

So, I feel privileged. It also gave me quite some visibility and from then, I saw that I was not alone. So many people were going through the same experience I had, but were not bold enough to come forward and I saw myself providing help and support to most of them.

Society And Its Support For Women In Tech
I think right now, not many women are in the tech space and despite this, I don’t see so much discrimination. I think in the tech space, it is more about how good you are. If you are good, they give you the opportunity; so, it is not about being male or female. At least, I have not experienced that. I even see that they want more women, but we don’t have so many women that are skilled enough to do the job required so the gap is wide.

You see, they always want women; I don’t think they discriminate. I think there is just so much to be done, and I think that more people should support and encourage women to actually go in that field. If it is in that angle, then I think yes, we should support more women to go into tech.

Three Women Who Inspire Me And Why
First, my mum; the woman is so resilient, determined and powerful. She’s one person who if she’s backing you, you can go to sleep. She literally keeps encouraging me. I admire Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji for her tenacity. I admire Dr Lola Adeyemi for her heart. She’s a gift that keeps giving and constantly sees the good in others. In the work I do, I have to keep giving, keep impacting with or without external support and remembering her and what she has done for me, I am encouraged to do more.

Challenges
Some of the challenges I have experienced in my line of work include inconsistent power supply. You don’t have power, you don’t even have fuel to power the generator; it could be a lot of work. Another thing I have experienced is being able to balance work and family; it can be a whole lot especially parenting my son alone. There are sacrifices and things I have to give up to actually make some things work.

Thirdly, it is not easy to build a business with a good structure in Nigeria. Many things, many people want to relate with you one on one, so it was very difficult transitioning that we have a team and this is how things will work.

Other Projects And Activities
We have the Tech-Up Ladies. In the Tech-Up Ladies, the plan for 2022 is to empower 20 young women with software development skills. We have empowered nine already through a 10 weeks programme; they finished on March 31, and it’s been phenomenal.

Now, moving on from the Tech-Up Girls that we are achieving in a bit, we are looking forward to partnering with well meaning Nigerians, Non-profit organisations and people that are interested in empowering women and girls, especially with tech skills in Nigeria and across Africa. We are looking forward to partnering with them to facilitate programmes to reach more people. We have a system that works, we just need resources to channel them to reach more people.

We are also working on leveraging partnerships with other African countries to go there and empower girls there but to use local content for girls in those localities. Most importantly, we are also working on building a marketplace for women in tech from Africa where they can sell their skills to individuals and corporations around the world. The platform is to be built specifically for women in tech and by women. We are looking forward to resources to make this happen.

Being A Woman Of Rubies
It is the fact that Excellence has gone through a deep furnace experience. So, when I teach, I don’t teach from my head knowledge. I know what can work, because it is not abstract knowledge; it is because I have walked the path. I have gone through the pain. I have seen all of it; I have seen the failure, I can pre-empt what will work and what will not work. So, I am not going to give motivational talks or just hype women. I am not telling them where I have not been. I am not bringing them out from where I have not been. I know the road; I have been out of ‘prison’’ so I know how to show them out so that is what makes me unique. Despite it all, I thrived against all odds; coming out and now going back to bring out other people from there.

Advice For Young Women Who Want To Pitch Their Tent In The Tech Sector
I will say come in, come on in; there is more than enough room for you in tech. There is a uniqueness that women bring into developing products that are created in tech that men alone cannot bring. So, I would say please and please do come on to tech; come and humanise technology. We love you, we appreciate you and we would want to see you. I think there is room for you to be all that you can be without limitations, without discrimination. I think more women should come.

Important Tech Nuggets
In transitioning to tech, do not think abstractly; discover what tech skill intersects with your academic background, experience and skills, as well as which will remain relevant down the road. Do not learn a skill just because others are learning as well.

Editor’s Choice