Nadia Murad was born into a farming family in Kojo, Iraq. She belongs to the Yazidi ethnic and religious minority. When she was 19 years old, the Islamic State attacked her village and killed 600 Yazidi men, including several of her family members.
Murad and other young women were taken prisoner and subjected to beatings and rape. She managed to escape, however, and make her way to a refugee camp. There she was offered the opportunity to move to Germany, where she now lives.
Nadia Murad
She was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2018 alongside Denis Mukwege for ”their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.”
On October 30, 2019, Nadia and Dennis set up a fund to provide reparations for survivors of wartime rape.
The Global Survivors Fund will provide tailored support to help people recover from the emotional and physical trauma they have experienced. This could be in the form of financial compensation, support to access healthcare services or return to education, or assistance with getting somewhere to live.
The fund will also support governments to set up their own reparation schemes.
Commenting on the development, Nadia said ”Reparations are a step toward restoring dignity to survivors who often do not have any means to seek justice for the pain and suffering they have endured.”
”A global fund is an innovative solution to providing survivors with a path towards healing, and it signals that our collective conscience acts in the name of humanity.”
Nadia’s Story
“Nadia Murad is herself a victim of war crimes. She refused to accept the social codes that require women to remain silent and ashamed of the abuses to which they have been subjected. She has shown uncommon courage in recounting her own sufferings and speaking up on behalf of other victims.
“Nadia Murad is a member of the Yazidi minority in northern Iraq, where she lived with her family in the remote village of Kocho. In August 2014 the Islamic State (IS) launched a brutal, systematic attack on the villages of the Sinjar district, aimed at exterminating the Yazidi population.
In Nadia Murad’s village, several hundred people were massacred. The younger women, including underage children, were abducted and held as sex slaves.
While a captive of the IS, Nadia Murad was repeatedly subjected to rape and other abuses. Her assaulters threatened to execute her if she did not convert to their hateful, inhuman version of Islam.
“Nadia Murad is just one of an estimated 3,000 Yazidi girls and women who were victims of rape and other abuses by the IS army. The abuses were systematic, and part of a military strategy. Thus they served as a weapon in the fight against Yazidis and other religious minorities.
“After a three-month nightmare Nadia Murad managed to flee. Following her escape, she chose to speak openly about what she had suffered. In 2016, at the age of just 23, she was named the UN’s first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking.” writes.
Samira Sanusi has first-hand experience living with sickle cell disease, which took over most of her childhood and life. At age 15, she developed serious health complications due to the disease, and this sent her on a 7-year journey to fight for her life.
She eventually had a bone marrow transplant in the middle of it all, in 2004, which cured her of the disease.
Now, Samira has devoted her time and life to catering for warriors living with sickle cell anaemia. She founded the Samira Sanusi Sickle Cell Foundation to achieve this purpose.
Raising Funds For Sickle Cell Warriors
Samira’s bone marrow transplant didn’t come at a small cost and she recognizes that not everyone will get the opportunity to undergo the procedure. To this end, Samira’s SSSCF raises funds to cover the costs of care, basic medications and hospital treatments for people from low-income families living with sickle cell disease.
SSSCF also provides affordable routine checkups, blood count and health evaluation for patients; encourages patients to become advocates in their schools and communities; and encourages genotype tests in pre-marital screenings.
SSSCF is a fully unified team of members who share same values when it comes to sickle cell disease; volunteers who donate their time, expertise & resources towards executing the initiative’s agendas and student-based community development building.
Samira Sanusi’s Book
Samira is the author of two books, “S is for Survivor,” and “I Wrote This For You”. Samira recounts her experiences with sickle cell disease and her journey to the cure as well as her work in activism in S is for Survivor.
Samira’s books have won Marine Platform Prize for Writing in Northern Nigeria (2015); and Nigerian Writers Award – Advocacy Book of the Year (2017).
The Journey So Far
Samira has always been passionate about social responsibility – she was a volunteer at Sickle Cell Aid Foundation between 2012 and 2013; also in 2013, she served as a social worker with AlUmmah Foundation; and in 2014, co-founded Water for Sustainable Living Initiative which aims to provide safe and clean water to rural communities that lack access to it.
Samira is a 2018 nominee for The Future Awards Africa (TFAA)Prize for Advocacy.
We celebrate Samira for establishing a pillar of support for sickle cell warriors and their families.
Omoshalewa Onayemi is a Tri-qualified lawyer licensed to practice in Alberta, Ontario and Nigeria.
She currently works at a global recruitment firm and handles all the commercial and legal operations of the business Canada-wide.
Apart from being a career woman, she is a serial entrepreneur, a blogger, and an influencer.
She channeled her passion for fashion and food into businesses. She established, @kz_by_shally, a one-stop hub for all things fashion and accessories. Omoshalewa Onayemi also launched @the_yum_cuisine, a food blogging page where she also sells e-meal plans and e-recipes.
A mom to 2 princesses, she blogs about all things motherhood from bump to birth and beyond, on her page @mumsaffair_ng
Shally O” as she is fondly called by many, is also a community personality who dedicates her time to promoting and creating visibility for Nigerian businesses in Canada through her platform @naijapreneurcanada.
Adebola Adefioye and Adekelu Ogunleye were recently recognized as Women of Distinction by YWCA Sudbury along with six other women, for their achievements, accomplishments, leadership, and the impact they’ve had on girls and women.
In 2020, Adekelu emigrated to Canada during the pandemic as a single mother.
She runs Kelu Cooks, a business venture that majors on delicious African and intercontinental dishes. The astute entrepreneur also runs an alteration business, known as ‘international obioma’. Her passion for cleaning, creating order and staying organized inspired her to start Kelz Cleaning Services.
Her passion for humanity made her enrol for a diploma in developmental service work program from Cambrian College in Sudbury Ontario, Canada. The stylish mother of two is currently studying Indigenous Social Work at Laurentian University, Canada.
YWCA Sudbury is recognizing Kelu as a woman of distinction for her achievements.
Speaking on the recognition, the entrepreneur had this to say to Cbc ;
“I was able to study developmental service work, and I’ve worked with a school board where I supported kids who have intellectual disabilities, I’ve been able to create job opportunities for a lot of international and domestic students,” she said.
Adekelu Ogunleye
She will receive the award for entrepreneurship at the gala on January 28th, 2023.
Activist Adebola Adefioye will receive the social justice award, for founding the Afro Women and Youth Foundation, which provides mentorship and leadership for Black women and youth.
Adebola very passionate about building authentic relationships with racialized, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) children, families and communities and collaborating with them to reduce inequities, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and improve mental-health and wellness.
She holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Child Development from Seneca College, Master’s in Child and Youth Care, from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and a Certificate in Advancing Women’s Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding for Community Development from Coady Institute, Canada.
She is also a final semester student in a Graduate Certificate program in Mental Health Intervention (MHI).
In 2016, Adebola’s daughter was bullied because of her skin colour, this inspired the activist to start her foundation.
Adebola Adefioye
Speaking to CBC on how that situation impacted her daughter, Adebola had this to say; “By the time she got to Grade 5, she won the award for the most confident child in class because she had learned self-advocacy, she had learned how to be a leader, she had learned to say no to people.”
We are proud of these amazons, and celebrate them for adding value to humanity.
A woman who can multitask successfully has mastered her craft and knows how to navigate her chosen career path. Nora Agbakhamen is not just a woman who wears many hats, she has recorded success everywhere she uses her skillset.
She is one of the most influential Nigerians on LinkedIn who is making the motherland proud. Nora helps businesses get seen and paid through content and storytelling. With over 10 years of experience as a content creator and writer, Nora Agbakhamen knows how to help brands increase their credibility, visibility, and profitability.
Nora Agbakhamen
A graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Maiduguri, she holds a certificate in Persuasive writing and Public Speaking from Harvard University (HarvardX), a certificate in Investigative Journalism from BBC MacArthur Foundation, and several certifications in storytelling.
In this interview with Esther Ijewere, Nora shares her inspiring journey and her passion for storytelling and branding.
Nora Agbakhamen’s Childhood Influence
As a little girl growing up in North-Eastern Nigeria, I loved to listen to beautiful narratives, and my dad was a powerhouse of tribal lore. While my mum believed in instant corporal punishment, my dad had a unique and memorable way of instilling discipline. He would tell us stories from the Bible about people who acted up and the high price they paid.
He would also share accounts of those whose conduct was above reproach and the beautiful rewards they earned. That profoundly affected me, and those stories played a significant role in molding me.
So, very early, I learned that the best way to impart moral instruction is through storytelling because you remember the lessons long after they cease to be told.
Why I Pitched My Tent In Content Creation and Media Sector
Almost every adult had a transistor radio in the North where I grew up. My dad had one, and most evenings, I’d sit with him while he listened to the news.
This piqued my interest in journalism, and I became intentional in watching the news. I particularly loved listening to Eugenia Abu, Ruth Benamaisia-Opia, Fatima Abass Hassan, and Hauwa Baba-Ahmed on NTA news those days. So when it was time to go to the university, my choice of Mass Communication was a no-brainer.
For content creation, I’ve always loved to educate and share value. Back in my university days, my classmates would come together and ask that I summarize our notes for them before exams. I would explain what we’d been taught but use relatable examples to help the point stick.
They lived for those moments, and it was a privilege to see how those explanations helped all of us ace our exams. The more I taught, the more the points stuck with me.
So I took the same love for teaching into the storytelling aspect of content creation. I went into it with the one aim of serving. I wanted to share whatever knowledge I had with my audience.
Nora Agbakhamen’s Journey So Far
When I started as a brand storyteller on LinkedIn in October of last year, I had 90 followers. One year later, I’ve built an over 100,000-strong community who come together to enrich each other by consuming my content and sharing heartfelt comments, tips, and suggestions for the benefit of others.
Challenges
You know LinkedIn is a global platform. I’ve had folks send me private messages with a dose of racism. I’ve also had people drop comments like “this is not Facebook.” This is LinkedIn, where you share your career wins. Were it not for the overwhelmingly positive feedback I got from others on the platform, who knows if I’d have thrown in the towel by now?
Thankfully, I persevered, and today I can tell you that among my clients are Bank executives, Architects, Accountants, Founders, CEOs, etc. I work with them to increase their reputation in their various fields so they can become more visible and profitable. It’s a win-win for us, and I shudder to think that there was a time I gave up.
How My Work Has Inspired Other Women Around Me
I’ve mentored women, particularly undergraduates on LinkedIn, and the regular thank-you emails I get from these ladies are like the icing on the cake. I’ve had female undergraduates email me to say they started content as a side hustle because of the daily tips I drop on LinkedIn. That, for me, is the ultimate reward.
Other Projects And Activities
I am currently running a 7-Day Personal Branding Email Challenge for entrepreneurs and 9-5 workers on LinkedIn. Many are busy folks with little time to listen to or read long courses but want to build a sparkling brand online. So I created these daily email challenges to help them lay the foundation for a rock-solid brand so that they can become visible, trusted, and profitable.
Every day, for one week, they receive emails explaining a brand-building activity. Then I give them tiny tasks they can do immediately to increase their reputation on LinkedIn.
I’ve also worked as a brand influencer with local and international brands on LinkedIn. I do my due diligence before recommending any brand to my community. So any brand I feature on my page is vetted.
I’m also coaching ambitious women who want to monetize their knowledge on LinkedIn. This coaching is a 1:1 tailored for each client. So once every week, I go on a Zoom call with them. We review our wins and work on further steps to take them closer to their goals.
How I Became A Top LinkedIn Influencer and Marketable Brand
My watchword has always been to deliver top-notch service. I didn’t start content creation with profit as the drive. I was happy to share what I’d learned over the years with my community. I stayed consistent and built a niche around storytelling. Those who loved what they were learning tagged others to my page, and before long, I had a reputation as a “brand storyteller,” and my following grew exponentially.
3 women Who Inspire Me and Why
My mum (now late) Rose Ubek – taught me early on the value of service and hard work. She never believed in giving you fish because she was one to teach you where and how to get the best fish.
Amanda Cryer – This woman is a compassionate Social Impact influencer on LinkedIn who looks for ways to support other women’s businesses.
Every other woman who lives a life of service – Women who mentor other women and hold their hands so that we can shatter glass ceilings together.
To Ambitious Women Constantly Judged By Society
Don’t listen to people who want to pull you back. To every woman out there, there’s nothing more inspiring than a woman who knows what she wants and dares to pursue it. So get up, take back your power and lead your tribe.
To Women Who Can’t Market Their Brands And Business Properly
Firstly, if you’re not on LinkedIn, you’re missing out on an incredible opportunity to market your brand. LinkedIn boasts over 850 million members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. So whether or not you have a job or business, you have an incredible opportunity to place yourself at the front and center and attract the opportunities you crave.
For other creators out there, please don’t just sell your offers. Instead, share values your readers can run with and use to better themselves. Take a genuine interest in your followers; sometimes, it takes a good word of motivation to help someone be the best version of them. Pay attention to that young lady that reaches out to you via private message to ask for tips, suggestions, and recommendations.
Being a Woman of Rubies
My God-given desire is to see other women thrive both personally and professionally. If every woman lives a life of service together, we will succeed and leave no one behind.
To a Young Person On The Verge of Giving Up
Please don’t give up. We, your sisters, love you and can’t wait to see you thrive.
My Work-life Balance Routine
I’ve implemented systems and processes that help me maintain a work-life balance. For example, even on lazy days, I have planned my content to auto-post at a particular hour, so my audience is not starved. This helps me have time for my family and loved ones.
Wendy Nwajiufor fondly called Chylove by friends is an award-winning Content creator, Director, Executive Director and Entrepreneur. A graduate of Computer Science with Masters in Human Capital Managemnt. She has a passion for helping people and seeing everyone succeed and this led her to venture into many initiatives geared towards the empowerment of women and professionals to become the best version of themselves.
Wendy’s Partnership with Youtube
Her passion for sharing important information including, healthy and family living led her to start a YouTube channel that originally focused on unique and delicious meal recipes inspiring people through her humble lifestyle as a Nigerian Immigrant in Canada with her family.
As the channel grew, many of her community members and subscribers wanted her to share more of her Canadian Journey and lifestyle – which led her to enter into a partnership with YouTube in 2020 to reach more audience and today the channel has grown to over eighteen thousand (18k) subscribers. Incredible and remarkable success stories have been shared by her subscribers regarding how helpful her content contributed to their migrating to Canada.
Passion For Tech
Wendy Nwajiufor is also a Brand influencer for companies and organizations some of which are Teddy Blake, Zinff Optical, Biocosmetics, Wraptucknmore and many others. She is also a Director with BlackTECH – an organization that focuses on empowering professional immigrants with capability-building tech skills to beat underemployment. Wendy is also the Executive Director of the NIPCA Women in Tech Working group as well as the Founder of Intentional Women Foundation – an organization focused on supporting black and racialized women to become economically empowered thereby contributing meaningfully to their families and society.
Her passion and work have seen her travel to 5 continents and several countries including Dubai, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. She is very passionate about family upliftment and women empowerment especially racialized and black women to become all they have aspired to achieve.
Wendy Nwajiufor
Other Area Of Expertise
Wendy‘s Specialty includes Business Development, Planning and Coordination, Business Analysis, Agile Scrum Master, Strategy/transformation and Content Creation. She’s certified with multiple international certifications such as SAP ERP Certified Human Resources (HR), PSM1, Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and Certified Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). In her spare time, she loves having quality time with her family, shopping, Cooking, and listening to good music.
WorkTorch, the only career discovery platform for the service economy workforce, raised $2.2 million in a seed round led by Tenzing Capital, Tech Crunch reports. Previously known as QuickHire, sisters and founders Deborah Gladney and Angela Muhwezi-Hall’s new focus since raising more funds is not only more recruiting but also retention, as proved by the name change
“Finding the right talent is just half the battle,” Gladney said. “Where companies are really being hit the hardest is losing people faster than they’re coming in the door.” Wanting to make more of an impact, they considered their recruiting efforts fruitless since businesses weren’t doing anything to keep their new employees. “We started leaning into what was happening to people post-hire and have started to focus on career development and talent retention tools,” Gladney continued. “So our new name is WorkTorch. We want to be a guiding light to a better career, a better workforce.”
Less than two years old, WorkTorch has a roster of more than 40,000 people actively looking for a job with 1000 scheduled interviews monthly. To continue to shift the company towards retention, users can now track their career development and connect with other users; employers now have access to new retention tools based on regional trends.
Despite things like “quiet quitting” or “The Great Resignation,” HR platforms are still on VCs radars, pouring $1.4 billion into the industry at the top of 2022 with HR startups raising a total of 12.3 billion last year. Based in Kansas, Gladney and Muhwezi-Hall are the first Black women to raise more than $1M in the Midwest. But according to Muhwezi-Hall, this time was harder than the last time they raised funding. “People would give soft commitments, perform extensive due diligence, and then back out, saying they actually never wanted to get into HR.” According to Forbes, Black founders were receiving less than 1% of VC funding; in 2021, they received 1.2%.
Deborah Gladney and Angela Muhwezi-Hall – Founders of WorkTorch
“It was very odd,” Muhwezi-Hall said. “A lot of these individuals have social media presences that are focused on diversity and inclusion. We were excited to meet with them. But when push came to shove, it was like any other — probably even worse than the VCs that just wouldn’t respond to our emails because they strung us along and wasted so much of our time.”
However, despite the obstacles, they were able to secure top investors such as Bloomberg Beta, MATH Venture Partners, Ruthless for Good Fund and Graham & Walker, which will allow them to expand to Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, and Dallas.
“Employers need better tools and capabilities to meet the needs of their workforce, and service-industry professionals thrive when offered opportunities to develop and grow their careers,” Josh Oeding, the founder of Tenzing Capital, told TechCrunch. “WorkTorch has figured out how to deliver value to employers, and professionals and the market is responding.”
Leslie Feinzaig, the founder of Graham & Walker, added, “I was deeply impressed by Deborah and Angela and had one of those magical first meetings where I immediately know I want to invest,” she told TechCrunch. “It was striking to me that this team deeply understands and respects the service workers, in a way that is rare in startup pitches. And this translates to metrics that are undeniable and unheard of for a startup at this stage.”
“WorkTorch is empowering people to pursue whatever they are passionate about. And then we come alongside them to help them get there,” Gladney said. This sister-duo is shifting the workforce. Looking at the economic downturn of the pandemic, we’re happy to hear that the relationship between employees and employers is changing. Not only is WorkTorch helping people snag interviews, but they’re also helping them grow professionally.
Captain Annabel Vundla and First Officer Refilwe Moreetsi are not just queens of the sky, they are history makers. The amazing pilots, who fly South African Airways planes, became the first black African female pilots to operate an SAA flight in its 88 years of existence.
Captain Annabel Vundla and First Officer Refilwe Moreetsi operated the flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town on Tuesday, 25 October 2022. The whole crew on Flight SA346 was female.
Captain Vundla made history for the second time. She is SAA’s first black African female captain. She is also a military flight instructor and a Presidential pilot.
Captain Vundla was born in 1980 and attended Kingsway Christian School for her primary education before moving to Mmabatho High School from 1991 to 1997.
Upon completing her Matric, Captain Vundla joined the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for about two years. After serving in military training, she joined the South African Air Force in January 1999 and became a Presidential Pilot.
She has flown the Presidential Inkwazi BBJ1 (Boeing 737-700) jet, Falcon 50 and Citation II (C550) planes for 23 years.
In 2010, she joined South African Airways as a pilot., becoming the national carrier’s first black female captain.
Moreetsi attended Merensky High School from 2001 to 2005 before enrolling at Stellenbosch University. She attained a Higher Certificate in Military Studies and later a Bachelor of Military Science in Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology with distinction.
In 2006, she joined the South African Air Force as a pilot.
From 2008 to 2009, First Officer Moreetsi did a Pupil Pilot Course with the Central Flying School in Langebaanweg.
Despite achieving all these, First Captain Moreetsi felt this was not enough.
In 2010, she went to Starlight Aviation Group and got a Private Pilot’s Licence. The same year, she also went to the Helicopter Flying School.
From 2011 to 2013, while in the air force, Moreetsi was the Limpopo/Mpumalanga Branch Coordinator for the South African Women In Aviation.
The pilot then left the South African Air Force and joined South African Express Airways as First Officer from 2014 to 2016.
Captain Annabel Vundla and First Officer Refilwe Moreetsi
First Officer Moreetsi’s academic pursuits resumed in 2016 when she enrolled at the Da Vinci Institute. In 2020, she graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Business Management, specialising in Aviation Management.
From 2016 to date, she has been with South African Airways, where she was Senior First Officer and later promoted to Deputy Fatigue Risk Management Specialist.
In June 2022, First Officer Refilwe Moreetsi was promoted to Fatigue Risk Management Specialist.
She had words of inspiration to girls on the day of her historic flight with Captain Annabel Vundla this week:
“My message to young girls is that your dreams are valid. If this is a career you would like to follow, it is possible. Your gender and your race are not a barrier.”
Judge Rochelle Ivri is one of ten citizenship judges in Canada and a paralegal professor at Mohawk College in Hamilton. She has a degree in Criminology from the University of Windsor, a post-graduate certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from York University and has co-authored the textbook, Tribunal Practice, and Procedure for Legal Professionals.
Career of Rochelle Ivri
Rochelle was the first Black person to be appointed as a board member on the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library Board. She served for 8 years as a board member of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library Board. . She was also the first Black person to be appointed to the Council of the College of Midwives of Ontario, where she served for 8 years, 2 of which involved being on the Executive Board.
Additionally, Judge Rochelle was a member of the Discipline, Appeal, and Review Committee of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council. She currently sits on the board of Bravo Niagara!
She is the first and only Black woman to be appointed to the inaugural Niagara Region’s Women’s Advisory Committee. Judge Ivri is the co-founder and facilitator of a mentorship program for Black youth.
Passion For The Black Community
Judge Ivri is committed to enriching her community and ensuring that the voices of Black women are included and heard. During her eight years as the first and only Black woman appointed to the Council of College of Midwives of Ontario, she made certain that Black women’s experiences and perspectives were included in the development and implementation of policy affecting the regulation of maternal health in Ontario.
Award and Recognition
In 2019, she was awarded the Woman who Rocks Award for Hamilton. In 2020, she was a finalist nominee in the Education/Mentorship category for the YWCA Hamilton Women of Distinction Awards. She was awarded the Leading Women, leading Girls, Building Community Award for her work in Kitchener Centre.
Judge Ivri was awarded the Lincoln Alexander Award in 2021 by the Law Society of Ontario making her the first paralegal to ever receive this recognition in its nearly 20-year history.
Family of Judge Rochelle Ivri
Rochelle and her husband, Eldean, have 4 children. She is passionate about human rights, the Charter, and encouraging good citizenship and civic engagement in the diaspora.
Olunike Adeliyi is a Canadian actress, writer, and producer. She got her big break in the hit television series Flashpoint where she played Officer Leah Kerns. Since then, she has built an impressive resume and inspired other women to chase their dreams.
The Early Life of Olunike Adeliyi
Olunike Adeliyi was born in Toronto, Ontario to Sunny, a Nigerian salesman and Roxy, a Jamaican nurse. Raised in both Jamaica and Canada, the well-travelled actress ultimately earned a place at the highly coveted American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.
Education
Adeliyi had her primary education in Canada. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts In Newyork. Reportedly, she used to visit Brooklyn, New York, for her acting career and returned to her home country.
Career
Her popularity gained momentum after her appearances in films and TV shows like SAW 3D, French Immersion, The Listener, Being Human, Republic of Doyle, Lost Girl, Christmas Horror Story, Killjoys, and The Girlfriend Experience. In 2012, Adeliyi was nominated for “Best Performance by a Female – Film” at the Canadian Comedy Awards for her performance in French Immersion and won the 2014 Black Canadian Award for “Best Actress.”
Some of Adeliyi’s critically acclaimed stage performances include Macbeth (Unit 102 Theatre), HER2 (Nightwood Theatre) and Bleeders (Summerworks).
In 2019, she starred in the horror feature She Never Died, which premiered at LA Screamfest, where she was nominated for best actress and at the Blood in The Snow Film Festival, where she won the award for best actress. Olunike has performed in theatres throughout Canada and the U.S. playing leading roles in many productions.
Recognition and Award of Olunike Adeliyi
Olunike was nominated for “Best Supporting Actress” at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards for her role in Boost; “Best Performance by a Female – Film” at the 2014 Canadian Comedy Awards for her performance in French Immersion and won the 2011 Black Canadian Award for “Best Actress”.
She recently received the 2022 Rising Star Award from the Excellence Awards program of the Afroglobal Television channel in Toronto. Away from her awards, let’s take a look at Olunike’s journey into motherhood.
Motherhood
Olunike Adeliyi and her daughter, Alesha Bailey
The amazing thespian is a mother of a beautiful daughter named Alesha Bailey, an actress. However, the details regarding her baby papa are missing. Further, the actress shares a good relationship with her daughter, and the mother-daughter duo is often seen enjoying with each other on different media platforms.
We celebrate Olunike for her tenacity, passion for her craft, and for creating room for other women to thrive.
