Chioma Madueke is a Geophysics graduate, a serial entrepreneur, and a philanthropist. She runs Zidora Consults; a travel and tour company, and Zidora Real Estate; a real Estate company. She is quite passionate about putting smiles on faces of the less privileged, and making the society a better place. She co-founded Zidora Aid Foundation; a not-for-profit Non-Governmental charity organisation borne out of the need to help alleviate the suffering of  Nigerians and by extension , the world.

Childhood

I will say in a way it did because I grew up with a strong mother figure and I got my first love for business , entrepreneurship and charity work from my mom. My father is also an entrepreneur and a businessman , I believe I got my sense of accountability and my flair for figures from him.

Meet Me
My name is Mrs. Chioma Madueke , I am a Wife ,mother and a serial entrepreneur. I run a travel and tour company that assists people to get visas and book flight tickets :Zidora Consults, a real Estate company ; Zidora Real Estate , and I am also a Co-founder of a charity organisation ; Zidora Aid Foundation. I was born in Calabar , I studied applied Geophysics at the University level, I am a moralist by principle , I am passionate about God , family ,business and the society.

Zidora Aid Foundation
Zidora Aid Foundation ZAF , is a not-for-profit Non-Governmental charity organisation borne out of the need to do our bit to alleviate the suffering of my fellow Nigerians and by extension , the world. We seek to empower women , educate children and better society. We do these through sustainable programs like the EDUCATION 2020 project and the Zidora Infant Nutrition programs designed to empower , educate and subsequently eradicate suffering and poverty. We also distribute relief materials , food materials and study material to all who need it , we provide legal and medical aid , as well as financial empowerment programs .

Motivation
I will say I am motivated by “people” , I am very interested in human beings ,from the mallam selling biscuits and sweets out of a kiosk to the market woman , to the CEO of a fortune 500 company , I am interested in people , their thought process , their dreams , fears, hopes, the relationships they form, what makes them tick basically.

Greatest reward
I think the greatest reward is that feeling of satisfaction that I am doing exactly what I was called to do. When I first graduated and started my various businesses , I was caught up in the rat race of trying to make money and more money…But as I grew and evolved , I began to be affected by the stories I heard , the suffering of people which I encountered and I realised there is more to life than the next big business or investment , I sought out ways to help someone other than myself hence Zidora Aid Foundation.

Challenges
I think the foremost challenge as a woman is the work-family balance. I believe this is a challenge faced by women all over the world but we are able to achieve all we achieve even while doing family duties because us women are blessed with the power to multi-task. Another challenge is the Nigerian factor , some imposters who approach zidora aid foundation seeking for assistance when they really do not need it but as an organisation , we have ways of verifying claims and this has helped us.

Projects and activities
Zidora Aid Foundation spearheads the EDUCATION2020 project ; a project designed to wipe out illiteracy in rural communities by the year 2020.At ZAF , we believe the best way to wipe out illiteracy is through education. Hence , ZAF through the Education2020 preoject is building schools , distributing books , school uniforms and other study materials to students aged 2 to 18 years in rural communities. We are also committed to enrolling students who can’t afford JAMB /WAEC registration fees as well as awarding scholarships to outstanding students and organising extra lessons for students who aren’t doing well in their studies. This is a project very dear to my heart.
I am also organising a forum for Women in Real Estate ,encouraging women to take charge of their finances , their future and make wise real estate investments.

On giving up
Yes , sure . There have been points in business when I felt like throwing in the towel but I am well aware that so long as you keep keeping on ,persistent and consistent ,then you haven’t failed just yet but the moment you quit , then have you failed. When I first got into the travel industry , there were so many challenges but we were able to build Zidora Consults to what is it today ; a company that a very high success rate with various country’s visas, exceeds our set targets and goals and does work we are proud of.

I am a Woman of Rubies
I am a Woman of Rubies , because I am diligent in my work , mindful of my household and doing my bit to better the society. It may not be possible to have it all at once but I believe we should at least attempt to have a balanced life. I am a product of my experiences and the lessons life has taught me , I am wiser and stronger than I used to be , I have a solid foundation and I pray daily for wisdom to handle challenges life throws at me.

Final Words To Women
Women are the most fantastic species God created , we are blessed with so much skill set and wisdom and it is possible to achieve just as much as the men folk if not more. God has blessed you with a far superior brain and a fantastic skill set which if well utilised , will change the world. The only thing limiting you is yourself ,whatever a man can achieve , you can do too and surpass. As women , we are the bedrock of society , the anchor that holds it all together. Together , we are greater than the sum of our individual parts, let us shun the stereotypes and uplift each other because together , we will achieve more than we can achieve individually.

Since Saidy Brown tweeted about her status, thousands of people all over the world have re-shared her hopeful message, with many praising her courage for speaking publicly about her own experience with the virus.

Activist Saidy, who describes herself as an HIVictor in her Twitter bio, has been speaking to the BBC about the extraordinary reaction to her post, why it took so long for her to be diagnosed and how she is turning a predicament to a cause.

Meet Saidy

I am a 21 year old girl from a small township in the North West called Itsoseng,I am a sister,a daughter a niece and an HIVictor.

Finding out

When I was 14, I went to a youth day event to represent my school. At the event there were people who do HIV tests, counselling and everything else.

“When we got there, they asked us if we would like to test. I was one of the people who got tested. That’s how I found out.

“I was shocked, I was in denial, I couldn’t believe it. I was only 14 at the time so I was like: ‘How? I’m only 14… I haven’t done anything. How?’

“But when I got home and told my aunt and she was the one who told me that no, I’d actually been born with it. My parents had died from Aids-related diseases, which I had never known.

“My mum passed away when I was 10, my dad when I was nine.”

Living with HIV

I initially wanted to cry, but I couldn’t because I knew that if I cried, everyone else would know before I even tell them, so I just kept it to myself. I was confused though, I mean, I was 14,I could not understand how I could possibly have HIV. “I have not necessarily been discriminated against. I can say that I was discriminating against my own self, from around 14 until I was 18, because I didn’t want to talk about it. Only my family knew; no-one else. Once I reached 18 I decided to start disclosing. It’s been better and wiser. “Where I come from [Itsoseng, a small town in South Africa’s North West Province], I’m the first person to ever come forward and talk openly this way about my status. “But the response and the support is there because whether it’s me or someone else, the reality is that people are living with HIV, whether we talk about it or not.” “

Viral tweet that got people’s attention all over the world

I feel happy at the fact that people saw that tweet and they were interacting, meaning we were talking about a subject that is deemed “unspoken”, so I was happy. I’ve always disclosed my status. I started disclosing it when I was 18. I usually use Facebook to talk to people about HIV and Aids,” she says. “But I’ve been having this urgent feeling to post it on Twitter, so it wouldn’t be just limited to my Facebook friends. I needed the world to get into conversations about this virus.”

Love life

“I’m in a relationship currently. It’s very amazing because usually I disclose right at the beginning of the relationship. “So once the person decides that they want to stay with me then it’s all good, but if they decide to leave, it’s still fine.

“I won’t hate them because people still have their own issues regarding HIV. I don’t really blame the person who says: ‘No I can’t stay with you because you’re HIV-positive’. I’ve had someone say that to me in the past. It hurt a lot. But after a while they came back and apologised. We’re on speaking terms now, it’s fine. I’ve forgiven them.”

What Inspires Me

I am inspired by my courage to live despite everything bad that comes my way, my fighting spirit.

Turning my Predicament to Passion

I knew that pity was only gonna kill me. I wanted to speak up for my parents as well, because I feel like had they been more accepting, they probably would still be here.

Scared of death?

Yes, I have been through stages where I genuinely thought I was going to die at some point, as I stated in that tweet,  never expected to even see my 18th birthday.

Staying healthy

“I’m really not a person who is more conscious about what I eat, but I make sure that I take my pills at the right time every night. I don’t skip them.

Connecting with other “HIVictors”

Currently, I just connect to most people through social media, it has been a great help in me getting my story across. Having people tell me that I gave them a new meaning to life, that my story encouraged them not to give up, especially my fellow HIVictors, is a reward for me.

HIVictors who inspire me

I love Criselda Dudumashe, I also love my big sister and mentor Lebogang Brenda Motsumi. They give me all the hope in the world.

My strength and fighting spirit makes me a Woman of Rubies

The fact that I don’t let my conditions define me. That I fight for healing and once I have healed,I fight to heal everyone else in the similar situation.

Message to women living with HIV

I need for them to understand that the past can never be changed, but we can control our futures… we are not victims, we are HIVictors.

Enari Ofoegbu is an epitome of strength. She is a television content Producer, founder and CEO of SheBossTV, Creative Director of Aria Eden Luxe; a fashion brand,  and also an emotional Health Activist/Counselor. She battled with suicidal attempts, maniac depression, and insecurity for close to 19 years as a result of the verbal and sexual abuse she experienced as a young girl, This inspired her to create The Confident Woman Network.

The Confident Woman Network is a movement premised on Emotional and Mental Rehabilitation for women, paticularly women suffering from varying mental and emotional imbalances like chronic low self-esteem, self hate, maniac depression, Type A madness, Stockholm’s syndrome and more, due to poor ‘love modeling or dealings’ in their childhood and adult lives.

Read more about her inspiring interview with Women Of Rubies

Childhood

My childhood did form the foundation for the birth of ‘The Confident Woman Network’. Growing up, I was exposed to both verbal and sexual abuse and as a result of that, I struggled with my identity, inner peace, and my confidence, which always left me vulnerable to sucidal thoughts and attempts, as well as maniac depression. For close to 19 years of my life, I struggled with either becoming all the harsh words that had been sown into my life as a kid, or forging a path of glorious perfection that Jesus had already become for me. Also, because I didn’t know Jesus in His entirety at the time, I sought validation from the wrong men who I thought would be reliable father figures for me but they disappointed me and left me worse off, emotionally. I was dragged into a dangerous bouts of self loathing, low esteem, and depression, until I came face to face with the CEO of unconditional love, Jesus. I was worshipping God that day in a full cry mode when I heard Him asked me just like He asked King Solomon in the Bible ”What do you want?” I found myself saying ”I want to love and I want to be loved. I want to know the true love of God”

Meet Me

My name is Enari Ofoegbu. I am a Televison Content Producer, CEO, SheBossTV. I am also the creative Director of a fashion brand called Aria Eden Luxe. I have my professional beginings in Media as a producer and presenter with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) for five years. I was also a radio host with an online radio station. I also have fashion and styling experience, among other arts related experience. I am an emotional health activist/counselor, which is what I do with ‘The Confident Woman Network’

The Confident Woman Network

The Confident Woman Network is a movement premised on Emotional and Mental Rehabilitation for women, paticularly women suffering from varying mental and emotional imbalances like chronic low self-esteem, self hate, maniac depression, Type A madness, Stockholm’s syndrome and more, due to poor ‘love modeling or dealings’ in their childhood and adult lives.

A year ago, The Confident Woman Network (TCW) was birth with a vision to stop the cycle of emotional and mental abuse recurring in the lives of women and young girls, by helping them rediscover and situate their identity in the eternal love and devotion of Christ. We have classes where women gather to discuss the way forward in our emotional and mental health. It usually involves teachings from the Word, spiritual healing clinics, talks given by invited guests, sisterhood support circles and more. Our programs include customized counseling sessions, confidence coaching classes, structured awareness campaigns(walks, media campaigns, mini documentaries, mentoring programs) and sisterhood support programs.

Motivation

The desire to bring peace to the mind, heart and life of a person is my motivation, and I do that by bringing them to God. Peace is the most expensive commodity to a mentally and emotionally oppressed person; the Woman of Samaria, Mary Magdalene, David, knew this and judiciously found it in Christ. I know firsthand the deep ache and unrest, feelings like worthlessness, shame, inadequacy and pain feel like and i am determined to make sure no young woman goes through it and to help every woman going through this find peace.

Greatest reward

The greatest reward I have received? I will say the testimonies I get from all the women I have had the opportunity to counsel, the lightness that replaces the heaviness they once felt, the scales dropping from their eyes. These are my greatest rewards. Peace is magical and being able to give it to someone is a great privilege.

Challenges

One of the greatest challenges I have faced is getting women to admit to having emotional or mental struggles. Another challenge is doubt and criticism, people who look at me and condescend to me saying I am not qualified to do what i’m doing or to be used by God. People who are oblivious to my mess, and therefore judge the message God has made me into because I agreed to yield to and be broken by Him. Getting support of any sort to organize programs, outreaches and sort, is another major challenge.

Projects and activities

We have lots of projects and activities at The Confident Woman Network. One of them is THE CONFIDENT WOMAN MASTERCLASS; this is a quarterly meeting where women gather to discuss the way forward in our emotional and mental health. It usually involves teachings from the Word, spiritual healing clinics, talks given by invited guests, sisterhood support circles and more. Another one is THE “LOVED MADLY DEEPLY TRULY” AUDIO DEVOTIONAL; We have an audio devotional we share on Whatsapp that exposes God’s love for His female flock. This started precisely a month ago, and we have sent out 10 episodes so far and have an audience of 40 women from Nigeria and outside. Our reach is exponentially increasing, all thanks to God. We also have THE LEAD AFRICA FOUNDATION; This is a leadership & entrepreneurship mobile academy for teens & youth. At the moment we go to schools to conduct our trainings, taking 1 school per 6-week period, bringing in facilitators covering the following courses, Leadership (Theory and practical), Creative career counselling (careers in Arts), Basics of Businesss and Entrepreneurships, etc. We have programs we are currently working on that covers business/skill acquisition for women and girls, organized visits to the mental hospitals, media campaigns(tv/radio shows, mini-documentaries etc) highlighting the epidemic untreated mental and emotional damage in women is, a daily devotional book, collaborations with willing NGO bodies, government agencies and individuals and getting an office space/training facility to start operations from. Lastly, we have an outreach we started last month that meets the basic needs of individuals, from as little as buying sanitary pad to paying for JAMB forms, to helping with accommodation issues to feeding the poor {we have a deaf & dumb community that we sharefood to every Saturday evening. For now we go by the name ‘THE BASIC NEEDS OUTREACH’.

On giving up

Finding purpose is different from staying happy always in purpose. So yes, there are times I do feel like giving up. Purpose has a way of taking forever to launch, so the periods of waiting, begging people to buy into and support the vision, trying to defend the visions in the eyes of critics, always take a toll. But I am a beast once I have found what I’m passionate about, its hard to keep me down for long.

I Am A Woman Of Rubies

I am a Woman Of Rubies because I am pro-women; from encouraging women to empowering them. Also because I didn’t make an excuse of my past but rather took it by the horns and I’m daring to do the impossible with it, putting a stop to the mental and emotional war the devil is waging against women and I am already on the WINNING SIDE.

Final words to women

Dear women, greater is that which we are called to be than which has held us down from becoming. Seek necessary help early with any mental or emotional oppression you may be experiencing so this vicious cycle of our children inheriting our emotional pain and damages, can be put to an end.

Stella Duru is the first female partner in the Energy Practice Group at Banwo & Ighodalo law firm. Her rise to the top will definitely motivate you. It is a story of passion, commitment and the resolute belief that no challenge is too difficult to overcome. Because of her grit, many women have found themselves leading the pack in the area of oil and gas in the legal field.

Meet Stella 
I am a partner in the EPG practice, (specialising in energy and power) in the Nigerian law firm of Banwo & Ighodalo. I come from a happy, close knit and large family of six children. I am the fourth of six children and the second daughter with two older brothers, an older sister and two younger sisters. My mom and dad are the best parents in the world.

I am from a little village called “Alike” in a slightly bigger town called “Umunumo,” which is located in the Ehime-Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. My parents are retired. My dad was a banker, while my mum was a teacher.

I am proud to say that I am “home grown…made in Nigeria”, as all of my education was in Nigeria. I attended St. Mary’s Private School, Lagos State, and then went on to Queen’s College, Yaba, also in Lagos State. I had my undergraduate studies at the University of Lagos.

I was called to the Bar in 2001 and I have been working at Banwo & Ighodalo since then. I love travelling and when I find the time, I absolutely love to cook.

 Decision to pursue a legal career?
My love for intrigue and righting wrongs. Though cliché-ish, but the late Nelson Mandela unknowingly played a larger than life role in my pursuit of a legal career.

Rising   ranks in your career
A very green horn, I started my career as a Youth Corper in Banwo & Ighodalo. I am happy to note that I was retained at B&I, following the completion of my 12 months as a Youth Corper.

For the first three to six years of my career, as is usual with any young lawyer trying to decipher what area of law to build a career in, I juggled litigation, general corporate commercial and energy (oil, gas and power) transactions. However, by the fifth year, it had become clear that I had fallen in love with everything, oil, gas and power and my career took off at that point. At that time, I had become involved in advising oil and gas companies, negotiating industry specific contracts, and if I recall clearly, I had been drafted as part of the team diligencing the vertically integrated government-owned power utility, known as National Electric Power Authority. Nigeria was deeply on a reform path then. Indeed, the Electric Power Sector Reform Act was passed into law in March 2005.

By my sixth year in B&I, I had started to lead teams in relation to certain oil, gas and power transactions, and in recognition of my commitment to client satisfaction and quality delivery, I was officially elevated to the role of substantive team leader in the Energy Practice Group (EPG) and promoted to Senior Associate/Counsel and subsequently, Senior Counsel under the Firm’s former hierarchical structure.

This elevation to the position of team leader came shortly after I returned home, following a successful nine-week Africa visiting lawyers’ internship programme in the law firm of EdwardNathan (as it then was), in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is important to note that during my stint at EdwardNathan, I published an article on the Nigerian power sector in the Business Law Review of the BusinessDay in July 2005. Thus, you would see my continuing relationship with the power sector whilst the oil and gas sector continued, ever so often to woo me.

I was admitted to partnership, 11 odd years later in recognition of my loyalty, commitment and continuing push/tenacity for “bettering my best”. In a nutshell, I rose through the ranks by remaining focused, committed, passionate, tenacious and never losing sight of the fact that clients’ satisfaction remains paramount. I also hold dear the principle that a lawyer is only as good as what she knows and how she uses what she knows in solving her clients’ problems.

Being the only female partner at Banwo & Ighodalo
I am actually not the only female partner in B&I. Our firm prides itself on being inclusive and have as many women as men, smashing glass ceilings in their areas of specialisation.

However, I am the only female partner in the EPG of the firm, which houses our oil, gas, power and mining deals/transactions.
ven the very technical nature of deals and transactions in this area of law, female lawyers have traditionally shied away from playing in thisspace. However, I love challenges and the ability to be a pacesetter and that helped in directing me into this area of law practice.

How do you ensure that your impact is felt in an environment that is male dominated?
I get younger lawyers, especially younger female lawyers, to see that a woman can succeed anywhere, provided she remains true to what she believes in and does her homework smartly and with grit. I think too much emphasis is placed on male dominance, and not too much time is given to actually doing the hard and smart work required for the job.

So, I make time to deliver presentations to the oil and gas club in the University of Lagos (my alma mater) and also give talks during the Career Fair at the same University. I usually punctuate my talks with pep talks on how the world seemingly dominated by men; can be conquered by any focused, driven and intelligent lady.

Instructively, during my time in Houston negotiating the Brass LNG suite of contracts, I had an all female team and we were dubbed the “B&I Angels,” as we were unrelenting in meeting our deadlines and beating down on the men at the negotiation table! So, I would think I have been able to impact quite a few ladies, who now have blossoming careers in oil, gas and power sectors.

Values
Hard, smart work, integrity, be inclusive, go the extra mile, be different, do different, and have fun whilst you can. All of these values I learnt from my parents. They remain my main motivating factor and influencers. It is also important to note that my parents ensured equal opportunities for the girls, as well as the boys in the family.

As mentioned above, I am from the Eastern part of Nigeria and traditionally, it was not the norm to educate the females, at least not up to high school and university levels in the family, as the men were considered the breadwinners, since the women will most likely be married off.So my parents went the extra mile and they did differently from their peers and I can proudly state that all their children, even the daughters, are accomplished professionals today!

Do you think women are well represented in the legal field?
Oh yes! Nigerian women in the legal field have been smashing class ceilings!

What  it take to have a successful career as a lawyer?
Passion, without which you will not hunger for knowledge and will be unable to successfully improve yourself. A lawyer that is not knowledgeable cannot solve problems, and if you cannot solve problems, then you can be chalked as having wasted the fees you paid for school, especially law school.

It is also important to dominate your skills, by getting better at what you do. There are other values like commitment and loyalty, nurturing and maintaining relationships, as well as remaining relevant by continually updating your knowledge base.

How did you develop the interest in the area of renewable energy?
My interest in power generally was linked to when a distant relation died on the operating table, because of power outage and no back-up generator in the hospital. That sort of shaped my continuing interest in the energy space, especially the link between gas and power. I hold strongly to the view that once we fix the power sector, then quite a huge chunk of our ills as a nation will slowly, but surely be fixed.

What would you say is your most significant achievement so far?
Being able to convince one of our biggest clients that there was no requirement for international counsel on one of our deals and that we as a Nigerian firm could successfully negotiate the relevant contracts at cheaper rates, thus helping with the cost profile of the company with the same, if not better quality than our international colleagues.

I am happy that we delivered on that deal and excellently, too. And the accolades from the chairman/managing director/general counsel of the company were deeply satisfying. Also linked to this deal was my deep satisfaction that the ladies, who were part of my team, went on to become top-notch negotiators/lawyers at the companies they joined after working with out firm. Being invited as a speaker/panelist at the Women in Energy Breakfast, as well as the Africa Power Roundtable all the way in South Africa, between January 31 and February 2, 2017 is indeed a great feat.

What are some of the challenges you have faced in your career and how did you overcome?
Being able to overcome the narrative that, for certain type of deals, local counsels are not “good enough”. With such narrative, your only option is to continually give your very best at all times. You don’t overcome a challenge by talking about it. You continue to do and then you find that the challenge doesn’t exist any longer!

How do you juggle home and work?
I think it all boils down to being diligent and efficient. Also, timing is important. You have to be very deliberate about what you want for you and ultimately find your happiness. It can be tough, but I can say I see more and more women successfully managing these two roles. Some may have health challenges because of a lack of sleep, but they seem to be managing it quite well.
Most importantly, you must find a supportive spouse, who is interested in seeing you succeed at both roles – as a mother and as that successful professional. Your success is his, ultimately.

How do you relax?
I go to the movies, watch series, go to the spa, read or write fiction and cook.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
First female Minister of Power? Minister of Petroleum? Who knows?

What is your advice for younger women wanting to strike the right balance between career and family?
Love what you do and find time for family. Career cannot take the place of family and if you are all for family and cannot bring bread to the table by what you do, then you may not have a family after all.

So, find the right balance. Ask God for guidance, when it gets overwhelming and frustrating. Take a deep breath at such times and then very quickly, get back to the grind. Don’t forget to find time for you though, because without you, there is no career and simply, a memory in the family.

Source: Guardian.ng