Interviews&profile Archives

In Interviews&profile February 10, 2018 By Women of Rubies

“I STAND FOR EVERYONE WHO IS UNABLE TO LIVE BEYOND THEIR PAIN” – EDEN ADAOBI ONWUKA

Cancer Survivor and life coach Eden Adaobi Onwuka shocked many when she revealed her ordeal with the dreadful disease few weeks ago. On January 7th 2017 , Eden was diiagnosed with cancer and for eleven months she went through intense treatment while also still trying to keep up with her daily activity. In her gripping memoir, I am More Than Body Parts, Eden writes of her experience in real time, right in the middle of her Cancer diagnosis and progression. She shares her daunting journey and how the mindset of being an overcomer has kept her spirit-woman at ease. Eden believes it is possible to be ‘Cancer-ed’ and not cancelled, and like any negative experience life brings, the response of the human spirit plays a pivotal role in restoration.
In her words “After a year of chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, physical therapy, hormonal therapy, countless needle pokes, hospital visits, side effects etc, I realize that daily choosing Joy kept me sane. Empowering others even as I fought the biggest battle of my life has revealed to me the unbreakable strength of the human spirit.
In commemoration of the world cancer month, I bring you the inspiring and life changing story of Courage in despair and Hope in adversity.

My Childhood
It was a beautiful closely knit family with brothers and sisters, born to parents who placed a high premium on education. Dad worked for Unilever, while Mum was an Educationist. Typical post colonial middled class family in Lagos State. I recall Fun trips to the Bar Beach, Amusement park and Trade fair. Then boarding school in a Federal Government Girls College in Kwara/Niger state.

Eden!
I am the middle child in a family of seven, I have a twin sister and I pretty much love to read, travel and volunteer. I’m easy going and friendly but love my quiet times, that is where I refuel as a creative person. I like to describe myself this way; I am from the East, born in the West, schooled in the North and served in the South, and i now live Western. Funny, but true plot twins. I begun my career with a brief stint at Shell Petroleum and have about 15 years corporate experience in financial services and consulting. Currently with a fortune 500 company and have my own Coaching business, having been certified by John C Maxwell.

The Cancer Journey
On January 7, 2017 I got a phone call which changed many things.
“We’re sorry to inform you that your Biopsy came back for Cancer…”
Cancer.
One word that was very alien to me. With no previous family history of cancer, and being relatively healthy, I was very surprised. I was a new Twin mum, my twin babies were just nine months when I had noticed a Lump and went to the for a routine check-up. A series of consultations later, then the shocking results. Can-cer? I was totally blindsided. Then angry, then sad, then confused. I honestly didn’t see this coming.
“Dear Lord, Why me?”
I let myself internalize this and it didn’t feel good. What do you do with a news like this? When the reality you see as a Positive person has no iota of Positivity in it?
After a few weeks I encouraged myself. I said Eden, ” Your perspective determines your narrative. What you magnify grows, what you simplify goes”. I asked God for strength to help me ‘find’ a Purpose in it. I remained focused on my assignment, hard as the next phases of my life was, I was going to walk in integrity before God regardless.
Today, I stand in awe of God’s grace, strength and power. I stand for everyone who was unable to live beyond their pain. For everyone fighting a secret battle, for everyone shamed by their scars, for everyone overwhelmed by sickness, for everyone silenced by affliction, for every warrior who gained (untimely) heavenly wings.

I decided to write about my journey in REAL-TIME, while going through an intense treatment (Tough): To show through my Story how finding and focusing on Purpose, helped me overcome. And to lend a voice to demystify the stigma attached to any cancer or breast cancer. Because anyone can write after they’re out of a storm, only revelation will make you write in the storm. I wrote to encourage you that you can feel helpless sometimes BUT you must never be hopeless.
After a year of chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, physical therapy, hormonal therapy, countless needle pokes, hospital visits, side effects etc, I realize that daily choosing Joy kept me sane. Empowering others even as I fought the biggest battle of my life has revealed to me the unbreakable strength of the human spirit.

Living and Thriving…
Restoration is a process, so some things take time. I humourosly say, it takes a while to put humpty dumpty back together again. Seriously though, I still have a few residual side effects from treatment like intermittent fatigue, hot flashes, born aches now and then. Then for any survivor of anything not necessarily cancer, surviving is the first aspect, living and thriving is the most important next phase. You grapple with one of the biggest ongoing mental battles, like Joyce Meyer calls it the ‘Battlefield of the mind’. It is in those silent moments when negative thoughts creep in or the enemy whispers to you that you’ll never be whole or pain free or have a full abundant life, that’s when you cant be silent. Therein lies the greatest battle- To embrace a ‘New normal’, and refuse to call it abnormal. Because after you survive, you gotta Thrive!

Inspiration behind my “tell it all” book
So after I received my shocking diagnosis from Kelsey Siebold hospital in Kingwood Texas, I got a second opinion from MD Anderson Cancer center Woodlands Texas, and the reality of it all dawned on me. I started looking for resources, like a book on this journey. Not just the medical info, that was everywhere on the internet, all kinds of fearful info. I was looking for encouragement from someone like me-African, Nigerian who had gone through it and at the time I didn’t find any. Some people blogged about their experiences, others mostly told their stories after everything had become perfect or cancer FREE and they were mostly non Africans like Tiffani Rose and Makosi Musanbasi. I decided to become the answer to a need I had which I believe countless others have or will have. In the early moments of adversity, after their diagnosis, for them to have a resource from someone who understands their journey and is connected to the similitude of their pain. Not theories but a lived experience. A book that peaks to the emotional aspect of this journey that is often ignored: how the mindset of an Overcomer can play a strong role in restoration. That is the why of the book. And i wrote it while going through treatment and battling cancer, when all i had was faith that I would prevail. The title came from a low moment in the beginning of the cancer treatment when the oncologist and surgeons has discussed the possibility that certain genetic results may mean bilateral mastectomy or double boob loss. I had a discouraging moment in the shower where in response to a negative voice of fear I boldly declared “I am more than Body Parts!” Which was based of the scripture that says ” man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out from the mouth of God, I kept saying to myself, I am more than boobies, I am more than my hair etc. And I believe that we all must get to the place in our identity where nothing external, additional defines us. Our identity must become based on who God already says we are, in alignment to our Purpose regardless. We must work it from inside out. An unbroken spirit, a vibrant soul and hopefully a healthy body. Any other thing is an accessory. Eventually, genetic results were negative and the treatment plan didn’t require a bilateral so we had a segmental mastectomy.

Greatest Reward
Changed lives. People who try again after they had given up before. In the past 12 months, I have received inbox messages or private calls from four people who changed their minds about ending their lives because they read my Book, or a write up or listened to me speak. Precisely on my last birthday, a lady I haven’t even had the privilege to meet all the way from Nigeria wrote to me, in her words ” Eden, you talked me out of suicide”. That for me is the most compelling reason why I pour into people, coach, mentor or write.

Giving Up
I’ve experienced delays. After youth service 16 years ago waiting for a dream job that didn’t come for 2 years, waiting for a good man when i was in my thirties and the immediate prospects seemed like a joke. Being tempted to adjust my ambitions because of cultural pressure for marriage, thankfully I didn’t. I went abroad for my MBA which has been a long time personal goal, and in a stroke of God’s grace and serendipity my husband met, courted and married me towards the end of my post graduate program, exactly the kind of person I desired who got attracted to the very thing (goal getting/ambition) I had felt pressured to tone down. Last year, I almost ended my treatment when the side effects were uncomfortable. The temptation to give up is part of life. But we never give up because generations are tied to our rising.

Women who inspire me
I have a few, my mum Lady Oby Ike-Udemgba would be number one. Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, Pastor Bimbo Odukoya, Bimbo Awosika, The women at Wimbiz and many others who are breaking frontiers in their industry’s. Joyce Meyer and Sherly Sandberg are people whose messages connect with my soul. I recommend them.

I am a Woman of Rubies
A rubies woman is anyone who uses the very things that was meant disempower her, to empower others. One whose confidence comes from a cause greater than herself.

To every woman going through same ordeal…..
Don’t give up on your dreams. Don’t tone down your strengths, don’t make it easy for the glass ceilings or age old barriers to stick, you can have it all, it may require patience, unpopular decisions but walk in the truth of your beliefs. If you fall, get up, if your heart breaks, break boundaries. Whatever happens don’t stay down. Remember, no one can ‘use’ you without your consent, use what used you by learning from it, and growing imspite of it. Cancer survivors or those in the journey, I salute you, stay the course, your purpose is Greater, well beyond your pain. Ladies, please don’t ignore your bodies and mammograms, be proactive about health check ups.

In Interviews&profile February 7, 2018 By Women of Rubies

READ HOW AJAK DENG ROSE FROM BEING A REFUGEE TO BECOME A TOP MODEL

Born in Sudan, raised in Australia and now living in New York, top model Ajak Deng broke into the modelling world about a decade ago, when she was scouted while still in secondary school.

She made her runway debut at Melbourne Fashion Week, and has since stormed the runway for the likes of Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Growing up was no walk in the park for her, as her family fell victim to the civil war in South Sudan which led them to flee to a refugee camp in Kenya where they spent three years. After losing her mother to malaria, the Australian government moved her family out to Melbourne when she was 11 years old, and that was the beginning of her runway fate.

Although given her sculpted physique, stunning skin tone and striking features, you’d think a career in modelling was predestined for her, however her initial dream was to fight in the army.

Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald about becoming a model, Ajak said:

“I wanted to join the army but my teachers at Kurunjang Secondary College told me no, that it wouldn’t be for me.

They knew I loved to travel and had a thing for fashion and suggested modelling, and since then I haven’t looked back.”

Ajak is very hard to miss, and you’ve probably noticed her in a magazine editorial or storming the runway during fashion week. Despite this, as per usual in any industry, her race poses a problem as she doesn’t get booked as much as other white models do. To protest this, in February 2016, the model announced in a now deleted Instagram post saying:

“I am happy to announce that I am officially done with the fashion industry, I will be moving back to Australia in order to live the life that I fully deserved, which is real life. I can no longer deal with the fakes and the lies… My life is too short for this dramatic life.”

We need more models like this shaking the table so that black models get their coins for their good and hard work!!

Credit: konbini.com

In Interviews&profile February 7, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET GLORIA OLORUNTOBI, POPULARLY KNOWN AS MARAJI ON INSTAGRAM

Gloria Oloruntobi, popularly known as Maraji on Instagram gained fame after series of her funny videos went viral on social media. . She has earned more than 650,000 followers creating skits about everything from friendship to gossip to film and television.

Here are some things to know about her:

1. She was born on the 6th of February 1997

2. She studied international relations at Covenant University.

3. Born in Edo State, Nigeria, she has one sister and two brothers.

4. In addition to her Instagram account, she has also been known to create lip sync videos for her maraji_ musical.ly account.

5. Maraji’s consistency in delivering highly entertaining content via instagram saw her reach hundreds of thousands of followers and engage with millions in little over 12 months.

6. It was at university she started making lip sync videos out of boredom.

7. Her greatest fear would be to lose her mum and to lose her spirituality.

8. Her biggest achievement is the ability to make herself a public figure because she never used to be one.

Credit: fabwoman.ng

In Inspiration February 3, 2018 By Women of Rubies

GROWING UP AS A REJECTED CHILD FROM BOTH PARENT WAS A BIG LIFE CHALLENGE FOR ME – DEBORAH FUNMI MUPAPA

Deborah Funmi Mupapa was abused physically and sexually abused by her step father at the age of 12, after years of emotional healing and redefined life purpose she founded “Empowerment of African women” a branch D&Ks foundation, based in Finland , DRC Congo and Nigeria. She has a strong desire to help other women in Africa that are undergoing similar experiences and are not able to speak out. The Inspirational speaker, author, gospel singer and entrepreneur is passionate about providing a secure future to the needy especially in Africa.

For Deborah, it has been an incredible journey. She narrates how she feels when she sees her reflection in the mirror which is a feeling of success despite her previous life experiences. She also goes ahead to tell of how one cannot appreciate good health if one has never been seriously ill, neither appreciate the food if one has never faced a famine or even appreciate peace if one has never been at war.

Growing up as a rejected child

My childhood prepared me to do what am doing without looking back No matter what I will come across on the journey. I do understand when a woman cries to me and…Deborah i was abuse or someone is going through life challenges of nothing to eat

Growing up as a rejected child from both parent was a big life challenge for me.
My mother left me at a tender age of 2yrs due to her second marriage issues, with this I couldn’t enjoy my childhood. I was left with my grandma whom I came to refer to as my mum. Back then my growing was not very rosy, later at the age of 7 years I lost my grandma. This made me lose hope in life since my grandma was like an angel to me and losing her left an empty feeling within me. From then on my life started to turn to the worse and the whole experience started feeling like a movie.

When my grandma died, I was with her in a sleeping room for more than 2days.I never knew that I was sleeping with a dead body, I had no meaning of death at that time, I just woke up each morning played outside and later come back to sleep by her side. This was until people around the village came to check on her because she had not been seen for a couple of days and found her dead. People started crying but I couldn’t get the meaning of that, I just knew she was sick that’s all. I still remember her last words to me was that, Deborah try to share with others whatever God gives you as much as you can, she also said that I should know that God is in my heart as He is in heaven. I never understood the meaning of those words until I grew up and found myself in a real world.

After death had dealt a cruel blow by snatching my grandma, family members from different places had to come so that they could decide who would take care of me. Despite all these meetings no one was ready to take me in thus I had to be placed under some temporary care by an unknown family. While under this care the search for my mother continued. However while living with these families I faced serious challenges because I was used as a housemaid whereby I slept in stores where they kept their firewood and sheep. Sometimes I would experience severe beating and also sometimes I had to eat leftovers and stay without food, as far as I can remember there was a time I have to eat the dog leftover food.

Women are faced with many responsibilities and are also faced with a lot of problems such as discrimination and domestic violence, why? Because the role of women in society has been greatly overseen in the last few decades. However, people now share a different perspective of women and their role in society today. This has been achieved through empowering young girls and women.

The D&K foundation of Empowerment of African women is a non-profit organization which is in the forefront to ensure that women have restored their rightful and dignified status in the society.

Our mission is to empower women thorough micro-enterprise, education, jobs and skills acquisition e.t.c. We are also currently working on certain projects which will help solve problems which in one way or another affect women and young girls thus preventing them to fully exploit their potential and abilities, some of these projects include:

Abused by my step dad at the age of 12 & how I healed

I was united with my biological mother at the age of 12, however my stepfather didn’t want me in their house and my mother was powerless to change that course. This brought more and more suffering even in my mother’s house since I was physically and sexually abused by my stepfather at 12 years old. I was so humiliated, and kept asking why I had to experience all this and who can take these pains away from me. I felt like I couldn’t make it any more in life, I felt less of a woman and thought that no man could ever look at me because of all what I have been through in my life. I was told to keep within me..which kill me within every single day of my at that time
Loneliness, pain and despair started to take a toll on me. I thought all my dreams were gone and wondered: why I was here at the first place?

Those were very painful moments, but the very moment I realized that the point of every failure is to make me move on; I realized that each day of my life would always present a new chance.

With this I have been able to move on and be happy I have also learnt not to look back but always focus on what to come. I also believe I have a mission to show the world how important women are.

Education also proved to be my only way of my hope and I had to sell boiled eggs and yam to be able to pay my school fees. That was the only thing I had to do, since my step father hated me and he was not ready to pay for my school fees. Thus I had to do everything to make sure I finished my polytechnic in business Admin.

What and who inspire you….

God is my Power: There is beauty in my broken heart since I was able to identify who I am and I know that all what I went through and whatever I will face is never my battle, they all are process to another opportunities to the next level.. All I need is to find a way to pray and to look for His grace to be able to listen to what God is about to tell me for that very situation or Direction. Because I know in life, I have to break to be able to be through.

Though I learnt a lot from Oprah Winfey she INSPIRED me, I missed to meet her during WOMEN IN WORLD Conference. I have learnt to pick up my broken pieces to build my plan B, which became amazing. I have leant that I am here for a reason and that is bigger than my imagination, my thinking…Which I have to go deeper with God and able to move in real me.

Success story of our organization

The success stories D&Ksuomi foundation EOAW since 2008 is that today we can see the smile on the faces of women and children around in our field.
we have been able fight for the space that most of our young girls and women have been lacking by providing and ensuring women to get the opportunities they deserve.

Greatest Reward

My greatest reward is when I saw women and children were happy and sent video message of what God has used me for. I am so grateful and I felt like I am on my way to my goal..That is what I was called to do.

Where I see our Organisation in 5 years

In the next five years D&Ksuomi Foundation of Empowerment Of African Women..Between now and five years, we will be able to accomplished our goal on eradicating poverty throughout Africa with the plan of BlackGirlsLand which would be free education Centre for Africa girls and we will as well reach a Lange amount of women for the micro loan business.

Do you think women in the advocacy and development sector are appreciated enough?

I will say yes. Women in advocacy are less appreciated due to the disregard of their efforts, by saying women are not capable of the work that is required to be at Top
As a woman we need to believe in our self as pillar to build a solid foundation and to embrace the power in us can make a change. We need to let go of what the world is painting women that Women are not capable of doing the work that is required at the top.Women do not have the desire to be at the top,the change we need in our society is not require gender , These are structural preventing women from reaching the top and women in advocacy need to be appreciate more in our society.

Other projects and activities

BlackGirlsLand is one the programme that DKsuomi Foundation is working on. BlackGirlsLand is a mentorship program that works to improve the lives of Black women and girls in our communities, mostly throughout the Africa.
The main mission is to improve girls’ perspective towards education and Increasing girls’ sense of worth, giving encouragement to girls and provide support by helping Black girls to become self-sufficient in all areas.

Also, The pen is my power, Permission to heal; a sister to sister healing process for women going through abusive life , the D&Ksuom Humanitarian awards and the annual international conference which will be held in Nigeria this year.

Any plans to come back home and contribute to Nation building

I cry for my Nation, that is where I come from, it is my Image…my work is base there.We have a land in Nigeria to build the BLACKGIRLSLAND center. The micro business loan that will start in March 2018 is to support women and children of Africa. I calL STAR, they are my HIDDEN HEROS because I believe in them and the inner talents are hidden within them . Also, I am working towards my Cosmetics lines in Nigeria.

Giving hope makes me a Woman of Rubies

What makes me a woman of Rubies hmm, living a life of giving Hope for people in need, been the voice for the voiceless is Doing what i was called to do, to secure life for women and children Because the role of women in society has been greatly overseen in the last few decades and i am bless to be part of the solution.

Final word for a woman or girl out there who is presently going through abuse and keeping silent…

I want you all to know that we cannot keep silent than to break the silent, Breaking the silence is a big medication to your healing process and you have to let go your past and embrace the new you. Pick up your pieces and reform it to build a new you. There is power in all your broken heart; you have the power to change your life. Its written in there. All you have to do is to identify who you are, and remember before you can have a breakthrough in life, you have to break to be able to be through.

If I can make it….you can do better.

In Career Gems February 1, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET ABBY AJAYI, THE SECOND NIGERIAN WRITER ON ‘HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER’

Almost a year ago, we gushed about the talented Morenike Balogun, the Nigerian writer and actress, who writes for the Viola Davis-led, Emmy-winning ABC drama, How To Get Away With Murder.

Well, it turns out she is not the only Nigerian writer on the hit show’s crew. For the past two seasons, Balogun has been working alongside British-Nigerian filmmaker, Abby Ajayi, to help deliver one of our favourite shows on television.

Viola Davis on ‘How To Get Away With Murder’ (Photo: ABC)

Ajayi, who wrote the third season’s eleventh episode and the fourth season’s ninth episode, has served as a story editor for the show’s stellar fourth season. She works closely with Balogun, who is currently the executive story editor for the season.

While filmmaking was never Ajayi’s plan for her career, she’s been killing it. She started out as a Law student at Oxford, but as it turns out, her love for literature and the skills she picked up at Law school — strong writing and critical reading — made her into quite a solid screenwriter.

Prior to working on How To Get Away With Murder, Ajayi had already racked up writing credits on some of the UK’s longest-running dramas — EastEnders, Casualtyand Doctors — and created projects, from short films to TV movies, that portrayed blackness in a positive light.

Speaking with FilmDoo about the portrayal of black women she saw on TV, she said:

“Representation is narrow and limited and I don’t see many black women on screen and not much aspiration in the lives shown.”

Well, Ajayi can be proud that she is one of the writers delivering TV’s most dynamic and complex black woman: Annalise Keating. It’s not every day we get to see a black, queer and powerful antiheroine grace our screens. We honestly can’t wait to see what the talented Ajayi does next.

Credit: konbini.com

In Interviews&profile February 1, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET 26-YEAR-OLD NIGERIAN PHOTOGRAPHER WHO JUST WON AN AWARD BY GETTY IMAGES

Nigerian documentary photographer, Yagazie Emezi, has announced the exciting news of being awarded the Inaugural Creative Bursary Award by Getty Images.

The 26-year-old is among the six recipients selected by an industry-leading panel of the international photo curating platform to get amounts between $2000 and $5000.

For the selection, participants were asked to submit a project proposal and visual brief in support of their creative idea. Awardees were selected from the pool of entries.

The annual $40,000 Bursary will enable them to realise commercial photographic projects which, without funding, they might not have otherwise been able to pursue.

Below are a few things to know about her:

1. Yagazie hails from Abia State and she was born in 1992

2. The Vlogger is a graduate of Cultural Anthropology and African Studies from the University of New Mexico.

3. She came into limelight for her continuous project ‘Another Tale by Moonlight’.

4. She began her journey as a self-taught photographer in early 2015 and has been doing well ever since.

5. The young lady has been commissioned by Al-Jazeera, New York Times, Vogue, Refinery29, Everyday Projects, and UNFPA.

6. In 2017, she was a participant in the World Press Photo Masterclass West Africa and is a contributor to Everyday Africa.

7. Emezi has worked on several projects including ‘Felaberation’ and the Lagos Fashion Week.

8. She is a photographer that focuses primarily on documentary, fashion and travel across the African continent

Her Instagram post is below

Culled from fabwoman.ng

In Interviews&profile January 30, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET TENNIS PLAYER CAROLINE WOZNIACKI, WHO WINS FIRST GRAND SLAM TITLE AFTER SEVERAL TRIALS

Perseverance is what will best describe tennis player Caroline Wozniacki.

Caroline Wozniacki has a lot to be happy about especially with her Grand Slam title win in the recently concluded 2018 Australian Open.

The Danish beauty shows that it is better not to give up your dreams, no matter how many years it takes to get that prize.

Wozniacki has played other winning games and coming in as runner up in the big tournaments but never winning a grand slam title.

Things are sure to look up for the tennis player with a turn in her career. Here are 7 things you didn’t know about her.

1. Caroline Wozniacki was born 11 July 1990 in Odense, Denmark

2. Wozniacki has played different professional sports including volleyball, football and made it to the national teams, showing that she is a versatile woman.

3. Wozniacki speaks Danish, English and Polish fluently and knows Russian.

4. On February 14, 2017, Valentine’s Day, Wozniacki revealed on her social media accounts that she was in a relationship with former NBA champion David Lee. The couple got engaged on November 2, 2017.

5. Wozniacki has won several trophies like in 2004, she won the Osaka Mayor’s Cup singles title. She went on to win other prestigious junior events, including the 2005 Orange Bowl and the 2006 Wimbledon girls’ singles title.

6.She is also close friends with Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwańska and Angelique Kerber who are also her rivals.

7. Since She won the Grand Slam for the 2018 Australian Open, Caroline Wozniacki has taken back her spot as No. 1 in the female ranking.

Credit: Fab Woman

In Interviews&profile January 27, 2018 By Women of Rubies

I BELIEVE THE MARRIAGE INSTITUTION IS UNDER ATTACK -SIJU YUSUF, AUTHOER- HAPPILY.EVER.AFTER.LIFE

Siju Yusuf is a relationship counsellor and writer whose articles have been featured in several online publications and websites. She currently works as a social media influencer and a contributor for several marriage and women based online magazines.

She is passionate to see people live out God’s plan for their relationships and marriages. Her debut book Happily. Ever. After. Life, is a book on actualizing the fiery happily ever after life is targeted at unmarried partners and married couples.

She loves to listen and share real-life experiences with friends. She runs a blog where she typically shares her personal experiences in mundane every-day life, with the aim of identifying to her diverse audience and inspiring hope. She is married and blessed with a son.
In this interview Siju shares her passion and the reason why the increasing rate of divorce and bad marriages inspired her to write a book. In her words “I believe in relationships, I believe in marriages, I’m a big fan for love stories and happily ever afters”

Childhood Influence
I talked a lot as a child, I talked so much my parents said I would ask from time to time, ‘Am I talking too much?’ I guess my parents noticed the strength of a communicator in me and they encouraged me. They answered almost all the questions that I asked. They also invested in novels. I read a lot as a child and I remember writing a novel at 9 where I used big words like ‘Soliloquize’. I cannot remember in what context now. My friends thought it was too big to be relevant.
Also, I remember as a child, I loved giving people a sense of being, a sense of belonging. I seemed to always have the right words to cheer people on so even though I talked a lot, I also listened a lot, which are both key to what I do now.

Meet Me!
I am Siju Yusuf. A writer, a social media influencer and a passionate women health (psychology) activist. I have two masters degrees; one in human relations and the other in media and communication. I am an optimist and very passionate about drawing virtue even from mundane things. I am a wife and a mum, most importantly, I am a child of God. House flies are my greatest phobia (lol).
My Passion
I inspire. I speak. I write. I write on topical issues to influence rational thinking with the aim of inspiring a better people.

Why I wrote “H.E.A.L”
Happily. Ever. After. Life, all about? In 2016, I woke up with a burden on my heart. There seemed to be so much divorce in the land and I knew the marriage institution was under heavy attack. Happily Ever After life is a book that marries real life experiences with the biblical illustration of marriage. It aims to help readers align, re-align to the intent of God concerning and also to wake up to the lies as postulated by the devil in this age. It’s available on amazon in ebook and paperback and a must have for every family especially newly weds.

Culture of reading as a challenge
The challenges are age-long. Interestingly because of my background, I tend to have majority of my audience from my home-country, Nigeria. The general belief is that Nigerian’s would rather watch than read. We prefer visual to textual. I am quite happy though that this is fast changing and more converts are arising. Writers are also finding new ways of interpreting graphics into texts.

Quitting the banking sector for Media…
Interestingly, the move was not something I planned for. I knew it would happen, but not at the time it did. I was on my one year maternity leave when I returned to my first love (writing). It is safe to say many things happen when our minds are freer. I was on the phone to my life coach when she said ‘Siju, your maternity leave ends in a few months, why don’t you write something?’ I remember that night, when I ended the call, I wrote 19 full articles. It was as if I had been unleashed. After my leave. I tried to go back to banking (for the money) but obviously God has other plans. I don’t regret it one bit. A lot has happened since then that would not have happened if I was still a banker. My life has been much more impactful. Purpose has been redefined and I am maximising potentials.

Other Projects & Activities
There is HUG Initiative. A non-profit organisation established to support people psychologically and materially. I run a blog and also contribute on other blogs.

Greatest Reward
Thank you! The look of fulfilment and the gratitude in the words ‘Thank you’ is enough to push me to do more.

Where I see my brand in 5 years
I honestly cannot put into words the visualised 5 years. The vision is beyond me. The feat that I have achieved today is not something I would have thought of a few years ago. I know the vision is big and we are very prepared for whatever is ahead.

Not Giving up
Giving up is relative. I have felt dejected sometimes but never to give up. I am driven not by physical strength but by psychological awareness. I am quite aware about the strength of our minds. Whatever is cooked in that space channels the course of our actions therefore, I pay a lot of attention to what happens there.

Inspired by Purpose
The realization that I am supposed to live purposefully and to impact others. There are a lot of women I admire their strengths. Too many to mention.

What makes me a woman of Rubies
Crisp. My renewed mind.

Final words
My message for women most times stems from the obvious, the patriarchal nature of the world we live. Rather than fight this fact, rather than expend energy on unnecessary debates, let us renew our minds. The freedom women seek starts from their minds.

In Career Gems January 25, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET THE MATHEMATICIAN TEACHING UNDERPRIVILEGED KIDS MATHS IN IGBO AND PIDGIN

Last year, the Minister for Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu announced that plans were being made to teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in indigenous languages. But like with most promises the government makes, they disappoint and the citizens are left to make things happen for themselves.

That is exactly what Cynthia Onwuchuruba Bryte-Chinule did. Cynthia is a mathematics teacher in Port Harcourt and she teaches her students the subject in local languages, specifically Igbo and Nigerian pidgin.

(Photo: Techpoint.ng)

She’s a first-class mathematics graduate of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University and she founded PEEL Initiative, a non-profit organization particularly interested in improving education in Africa especially mathematics and impacting the lives of underprivileged kids through education.

65 million Nigerians are uneducated and an even larger, unconfirmed number do not have a firm grasp of the English language. Should that stop them from getting some form of education? No, and Cynthia seems to think so too. Her initiative runs free tutoring programs for kids: every Saturday she teaches over 40 kids and on Thursdays, she teaches at the Port Harcourt Remand Home.

https://youtu.be/O5VgXjPisrY

A lot of her students are school dropouts who do not understand the English language, so she’s simplifying it by explaining it in the languages that they do understand. She gives them math equations to solve in Nigerian pidgin using concepts they could relate to:

“For example, trying to find the sum of 5+7 became; ‘If you carry 5 yam join am with another seven yam, how many yam you go get?’ in pidgin.”

She makes short video tutorials on Facebook and YouTube in Igbo and Nigerian pidgin, which she also shares across social media, and the people love it.

She currently funds the initiative and her educational projects from her own pocket, but her team has recently started reaching out to organisations for support. But she won’t wait for funding to continue achieving her goals.

Credit: konbini.com

In Interviews&profile January 23, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET INSPECTOR JOSEPHINE OKEME, NIGERIA’S MOST POPULAR FEMALE WARDEN

Inspector Josephine Okeme is perhaps the most popular cop manning a traffic post in Nigeria. It is very obvious that she is warm and dedicated to her duty as many people have sworn that she takes her job seriously and always has a smile for everyone.

A mother of five, her service point is along Sabo police station, Yaba, Lagoswhere she is attached. Despite some harsh situations of life she has gone through, she daily finds reasons to remain happy and joyful.

To her credit, she has won several awards which includes JCI-Lagos Awa da, Metropolitan-2017 Toppa Award and GTBank Nominate A Champ 2017 award.

Below are some things you probably didn’t know about her which she revealed:

1. She hails from Ukwala, Delta state but was born in Apapa Lagos.

2. Her primary education was in Ladylac primary school and her secondary education in United Christian secondary school both in Apapa.

3. She furthered her education by attending a computer institute.

4. She has been nicknamed Grace Jones because of her hairstyle, tomboyish look and character.

5. She and her husband were childhood friends who grew up, liked each other and got married.

6. The Inspector is blessed with 5 children- 2 girls and 3 boys.

7. She started out as a sportswoman before joining the police force.

8. She has been controlling traffic since 2011.

9. She was enlisted into the police force through sports at National Stadium when MKO Abiola was alive.

10. She won a competition and earned a gold and silver medal after which she was enlisted into the police force.

11. She was hit by a bullion van in September 2017.

12. Inspector Josephine spends 6 hours at work daily.

13. The mother of five lives in Ogun State and goes to her workplace in Yaba daily from there.

Source: Fab Woman