Interviews&profile Archives

In Interviews&profile March 1, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

MEET OLUFUNMILAYO ODUNAIKE, THE WOMAN GIVING HOPE TO THE HOPELESS VIA HER FACEBOOK PAGE

If you want to know the positive impact of social media , Please go on Olufunmilayo Odunaike wall on Facebook, this beautiful woman who have been tagged “Mother Theresa” on Facebook made a simple post to give 20,000 to someone in need and ended up getting more donations of over half a million from well meaning Nigerians.

Although this is not the first time she will be “Paying it forward”on her page but this particular post however went viral and got the attention of passionate Nigerians , who not only donated but also gave material support to those in need. Sh also had a panel who helped in the selection criteria to help in disbursing the money to those who TRULY need it.

Since she kicked off the “Paying it forward” initiative several accolades have been rolling in from different people, mostly Facebook users who were blown away by her kind heart.

Here is what some have to say about her kind gesture:

Chris Adetayo wrote:

Homage. To Olufunmilayo Odunaike, Facebook Nigeria’s Mother Teresa and the Sage of “Paying It Forward”. 2017 is only 2 months old but it’s doubtful if anyone will surpass what she has already done for quite a number of unknown folks in Nigeria via Facebook in what remains of the year.

Like all great things, it started out rather casually. And small. She put up a post asking anyone who is struggling to provide food for self and or family to write out a small justification for support. She had N20,000 on offer. Before long, she was flooded with lots of tear-inducing stories of folks seeking help. More impressively, many friends joined in contributing money for the cause. By the end of the day, she had enough to offer 17 “unknown” people N20,000 each.

Fuelled by the growing financial support of many who are drawn by 1] the keen desire to help those going through hard times and 2] the innate trustworthiness of Funmi, this cause has grown in leaps and bounds. And ever so diligently, Funmi and a small panel of like minds select recipients based on well-judged and clearly spelt out criteria, disburse the sums available and render full account of same. All on her Facebook wall. This week, this self-imposed task has seen this full-time worker, wife and mother visit some patients in an hospital to make donations. Mother Teresa will be immensely proud.

So, Sis, take a bow. The world is celebrating you already! And to all my FB friends who are moved to help out the needy in this trying times, please reach out to them through this lady with a heart of gold. The Angels will smile at you”

Omotoyosi Ogunbanwo had this to say :

See ehn…. anyone who asks who Facebook epp needs a slap on the face really.

Olufunmilayo Odunaike made a post this morning promising to give #20k to someone in need. And right now I have no idea how much the total donations have been.

This evening it was about 240k in total.

Wow…. I am beyond surprised.

Loads of people are in need.

You don’t have to have enough to give out.

I always tell people, you can never give out without receiving. As long as you do it with happiness and love.

I have no words for all the donors.

It is my prayer that the universe smiles on them. And they get all they ever wish for.

People are suffering. The economy is hard. Give the little you can. Your neighbour might have no idea what to eat for dinner. 1k can do a lot in some people’s life.

Give and never stop giving.

And you would never lack.

Try it.

You don’t even need to pray. Just give with love.

Thank you @olufunmilayo for this initiative.

Yesterday Funmi gave a report on how much was raised on her Facebook page:

Paying it forward.

N175,000 raised between yesterday and today. Wow! All donors prefer to remain anonymous. Some have indicated that the funds go to 2yrs old Mary Idowu who is finally receiving treatment. I am glad we’ll be able to go back to LASUTH as promised. From a meagre N20,000, we already disbursed N615,000 and raisedN790,000 in total. My people, you are the reason we continue to pay it forward. God bless you. When we come together, we can do amazing things. Thanks to you all.

*** We salute your courage and appreciate all you have done and still doing to help humanity. Thanks for giving hope to the hopeless and shining a light on their dark path.

You are a Woman of Rubies inside out and we celebrate you Funmi.

In Interviews&profile March 1, 2017 By Women of Rubies

MEET PRINCESS ODIAKOSA, THE BEAUTIFUL CHOCOLATE MAKER

Africa produces nearly 70% of the world’s cocoa yet the continent is not known for making luxury chocolate. Princess is a woman on a mission to change that. Her company, Kalabari Gecko produces different kind of chocolates in Nigeria, using only Nigerian contents.

Princess had always loved chocolate from as far back as when she was little. This is probably one of the things that motivated the business. In her own words, “there is something very compelling about the visual structure of chocolates and its formation in a box. There is the mystery embedded in the interiors of its inner cavities, and the burst of polyphenols, a reward your brain is always thankful for.”

Another reason she started making chocolates was the fact that whenever she traveled outside Nigeria, she was always asked to come back with chocolate, when there’s so much cocoa in the country. She wanted to change the narrative.

The journey to achieving this has not been easy. Since there were no chocolate making schools or classes in Africa, she had to go to North Europe to learn the art of turning bean to bar.

Her dream is for her factory to produce high quality affordable chocolate for Nigerians and the people they love all over the world.

On how knew how to make chocolate

I have always had this love for chocolate. I think it was as far back as when I was a little girl and being ascribed to as having a chocolate complexion. Also as a child, my sister planted a cocoa tree in front of our house all on her own.

There is something very compelling about the visual structure of chocolates and its formation in a box. There is the mystery embedded in the interiors of its inner cavities, and the burst of polyphenols, a reward your brain is always thankful for.

Whenever I travelled outside Nigeria, people would request I come back with chocolate. That used to get me upset. My response sometimes would be, “But we have cocoa, why don’t we make ours?” It was even sadder when visiting friends or family abroad, I had nothing to offer as gifts from my beloved Nigeria. So, you can say it was a two edged-sword. Thinking about Nigeria and the cocoa we have motivated me to stop talking and start creating.

She wants to make Nigeria the sweetest place in Africa!

In Interviews&profile February 28, 2017 By Women of Rubies

“A WOMAN CAN SUCCEED ANYWHERE” – STELLA DURU

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

In Interviews&profile February 27, 2017 By Women of Rubies

#PROFILE | BLACK FEMALE INNOVATORS YOU SHOULD KNOW

You know we love profiling Amazons and Trailblazers, Women who beyondjust being part of the board room are making change happen. We profile some of this epic black and female innovators you should know.

The’ Budgetnista’ Tiffany Aliche.

She works tirelessly to make sure more women worldwide become more financially savvy. Isn’t that amazing? She does this through her Facebook group and bestselling books. Because of her consistency and excellence in the field, she has been featured on Forbes, New York Times, Essence and more.

Laura Weidman Powers

What’s not to love about a beautiful and fearless woman who daily does all she can to make black people proportionately represented in tech. She is the co-founder of CODE2040 a nonprofit organization that creates pathways to educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities. Laura was a senior policy adviser for Science and Technology in Obama’s administration.

Evita Robinson

Who creates a group dedicated to building a community of travelers and making world travel more accessible to people of color and successfully builds the group to more than 14, 000 members? Evita! She has even built a successful business around the community.

Bozoma Saint John

Boz as she is fondly called is the Ghanian- Amercian woman , making waves at Apple Music. She was recently appointed the head of global consumer marketing for iTunes and Apple Music and has proved her worth ever since. She is the brains behind the biggest Apple Music ad ever starring Taraji P. Henson, Mary J. Blige and Kerry Washington.

Lindsey Day

Natural hair is the in thing but we love that Lindsey found a new way to celebrate the movement. She started CRWN, the world’s first natural hair magazine. The quarterly publication amplifies the experiences of women of color with curls and afros to celebrates them like the queens they are.

Curled from Leadingladiesafrica.org

In Interviews&profile February 24, 2017 By Women of Rubies

ONCE YOU DELIVER EXCELLENCE WITH INNOVATION & PASSION, IT DOESN’T MATTER THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN, YOU WILL STAND BEFORE KINGS” – KUNBI ADEOYE, FOUNDER-SESEWA

Kunbi is the executive director of SESEWA; a company she founded while still in university in 2009. She holds an LLB from Obafemi Awolowo University and was enrolled as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2010. Her company, SESEWA is at the forefront of providing internship and career opportunities for Nigeria’s young generation and she is building a legacy for internship businesses in Nigeria. Adekunbi is a frequent speaker at youth events, and a big inspiration for young people in Africa cities in Africa. In this interview, the beautiful entrepreneur opens up on how she has been able to build SESEWA into a formidable brand.

Growing Up
Growing up for me was fun and filled with lessons. I was the child that was born to work…. I was really enterprising, I still am but when I was younger, I engaged in several kinds of businesses. I was particularly thrilled by the reward and satisfaction I got when I delivered a certain value or sold something. Let’s just say I was born for enterprise!

Inspiration behind Sesewa?
My sesewa experience is one that has changed my life forever.
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For me, SESEWA is not just a business idea; it is more like a mandate attached to my life. It is seated at the core of my existence. SESEWA started first with my deepest desire to have people experience clarity and pursue a career they were really in love with because that was what I felt like after I had an internship in a law firm as an undergraduate. That experience left me empowered and I felt everyone deserved this opportunity- To be sure about what they wanted to create with their lives.
This desire grew into a business because of my highly entrepreneurial spirit. The business operates as a social enterprise designed to tackle the diversified problems of recruitment and unemployment in Nigeria. We specialize in providing internship, volunteering and job-shadowing opportunities to youths. With our well-developed curriculum, training school and set of assessments, the regular Nigerian graduate is transformed into a job-ready professional. This serves a dual purpose, in that it also provides organizations the best wave of talents to drive their corporate vision. For those who don’t know, the name SESEWA is a coinage gotten from a Yoruba expression ‘Se ise wa?’ (Is there a Job?)This seems to be question on the lips of many Nigerian graduates and SESEWA will always say YES! We have got the RIGHT JOB for you!

Beyond Expectation
The truth remains that the big picture for SESEWA keeps expanding as we break new grounds; and yes! SESEWA is having the effect I caught a glimpse of in my mind years back. It just keeps getting better. Today, young people walk into my office with potentials that are worked upon and made valuable. They always leave better than they came. I have my interns go to clients and I get feedbacks from clients saying the interns are so fantastic that it is difficult to pick just one intern for the job. We call it the SESEWA Experience… As I will always say, “there is no discrimination against excellence.” Once you deliver excellence with innovation and passion, it doesn’t matter the color of your skin, you will stand before kings.

Reception
Just like every other ‘new’ idea, SESEWA had some acceptance issues, basically because the concept was not so popular when we started. We just did our part, defined the value we were offering and we were determined to be the best at it. It wasn’t long before individuals and organizations started warming up to the idea. Let me mention here that there are times you just need to believe in you enough to give others the right reasons to believe in you too. I had people who believed in SESEWA because of the confidence and passion with which I spoke about the value we proposed to deliver even though we were doing it for the first time. I look back now; I am so fulfilled and grateful to God for being my Anchor.
Xby Counterflix

Giving Up
This is one truth not so many people talk about. Fulfilling purpose is not as easy as spelling P.U.R.P.O.S.E. It sometimes feels like swimming against the current, it is super difficult. There were days that didn’t look so bright, there were days I didn’t feel up to the title “Executive Director” but at such times I was reminded of the WHY behind SESEWA and I got energized again. This is one thing I tell everyone who cares to listen, understand the purpose behind anything you do because when the road gets rough, you will be in one piece, strengthened by WHY you started in the first place. So, at the times I felt like giving up, I remembered SESEWA is not about me. This makes me jump out bed every morning whether I felt like it or not. Though right now, I feel we have gone too far to look back. The only RIGHT way is FORWARD!
Relationship with Interns
Yes, we have succeeded in building a FAMILY. It is not just a work relationship. Our lives are so intertwined with the entire process that after the internship, it is hard to go back as just regular people. For the SESEWA family, we are consciously raising a new breed of excellent, talented professionals to redefine work in this part of the world.

Challenges
Every idea, business and journey has peculiar challenges. SESEWA had the challenge of acceptance as certain organizations didn’t understand what we were proposing at first. We had to work on our product, curriculum to ensure we deliver excellent value every time. We were also faced with fund challenges just as many start-ups with bills rising and demanding attention.

Future Plans for Sesewa
We hope to expand our sphere of influence, reach out to more youths, develop more products and programmes that can come in handy to youths as we groom the best waves of talent, the most sought after in the land. We also hope to establish solid local and international partnerships with other organizations.
Advice for Young unemployed Female Graduates?
Give yourself more credit. You are awesome too if only you can believe in yourself. Please don’t define your entire life by your current phase of being without a job; just don’t be idle. Keep your hands and mind busy. Get as much skills as possible. The internet has made it so easy for you to learn practically anything, enroll for online courses, volunteer for projects, get an internship just ensure you are increasing in value. What employers pay for is not the number of years you spent in school or the kind of school you graduated from but the value you can bring to the table.
For those who want to run their businesses, don’t get too excited yet; get the needed skills and knowledge and please get a mentor! The concept of mentorship has been abused but I am sure you can still find great people who will be willing to take you through the paths they have walked in smarter ways.
What Makes You A Woman Of Rubies?
I will just describe who I am in my own words and you will decide if that qualifies me to be a ‘Woman of Rubies’, I am simply Adekunbi Adeoye, a woman passionate about living out the blueprint of the Master for her life. I love God with my whole being. The process of fulfilling my purpose of helping others discover who they are has developed traits in me that I find amazing myself. I am a fantastic problem solver. I don’t see problems; I see opportunities to touch lives. I am highly enterprising, I am so gifted that I believe I can sell anything even sand and still create a lucrative business out of it.

Final Word for Young Women?
Don’t put a pause on your life waiting for anything! It doesn’t suggest that you shouldn’t be patient; just don’t be mediocre. Discover what your life was designed to be and spend every moment living it out. Live freely! Dance, Sing out loud! You are beautiful, celebrate yourself always and quit settling for less!

In Interviews&profile February 24, 2017 By Women of Rubies

#PROFILE | MEET KELECHI UDOAGWU & TOLU AGUNBIADE, THE WOMEN HELPING COMPANIES GET GREAT CONTENT

In a time when business owners have been informed over and over again about the importance of good content as part of their marketing strategy, Kelechi Udoagwu and Tolu Agunbiade are helping them find great content managers in one of the easiest ways.

Wondering how? She is the Co-Founder of Skrife, an online platform that helps entrepreneurs, brands, digital agencies and startups communicate and create quality written content by leveraging on their exclusive community of freelance writers and editors.

The business idea was birthed when Kelechi and her Co-Founder Tolu realized that there was a need to bring brand owners and freelance writers together. In her own words, “I met Tolu (my co-founder) at MEST (Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology) and we got into the habit of brainstorming and sharing business concepts with each other. One day, we realized there was an overlap in one of our ideas. Tolu had a client who was finding it difficult to get good freelance writers (like her) on a consistent basis and was always asking for referrals, and I had a lot of freelancer friends who constantly needed jobs. That was the beginning of the idea that is now Skrife.”

Although the company has come a long way already, their long-term goal for Skrife is to grow to a point where they train aspiring African writers and connect them to paid writing jobs all over the world.

Kelechi’s advice to other women looking to start-up is that they should visualize their perfect future everyday. “Think it and you will become it. I believe that when you have a clear picture in your mind of who you want to become, the universe will work with you to make it happen.”

In Interviews&profile February 23, 2017 By Women of Rubies

WHY BONANG MATHEBA IS WINNING THE HEARTS OF MANY

Bonang Matheba keeps winning our hearts all the time! Call her a diva, a social media queen, a super woman – she is all of that and much more! Here are our top ten reasons for not being able to get over her:

Bonang is pro-woman all the way

Boning is a staunch lover and promoter of women. Even more, she is a strong believer in the strength and dreams of African women. To her, a woman can have it all. Her dream to promote self-love in women led her to launch her lingerie line, Distraction. Through it, she encourages women to embrace their bodies.

She’s got burnt and made it through

Bonang did not just wake up one morning to become an overnight ‘disney’ princess. She has had her very fair share of disappointment and frustration. She’s been called names. What she did? She moved past it all and gave herself a better choice. She grew to be the woman we all love now.

She’s a serial achiever

Bonang is such an inspiration to many young ladies. She has had more achievements than most media personalities can get for themselves. Of course, she has become a favourite cover star for renowned international fashion and lifestyle magazines such as Grazia, Marie Claire and Elle South Africa. Talk about a black girl who rocks?

She is love’s biggest fan

For Bonang, love is everything. That, for her, is the biggest principle to live and work by. She tells LLA, “it is the love that drives the passion of what I do, being true to myself means I will always be authentic in what I do and the brands I align myself with, happiness brings positivity into your life and the more of it the more life seems great”.

Bonang is an early planner

For Bonang, life did not have to start at 21. At 13, she did not have anyone telling her what to do, she had it all figured out. She knew just what she wanted to be and went right ahead to chase after it at 16 by kicking off her career in a South African’s television series for kids.

She’s a perfect fit in two contrasting worlds

If she is not here on the noisy, photo-splashed side of glam, then she’s on the other side. Either way, Bonang makes a perfect blend of both worlds. She knows how to be just the diva and the home girl.

She’s a super slay queen

Bonang is a fashion favourite and definitely a designer’s muse. She does as much justice to the red-carpet as to the streets. She is a slay queen with a capital ‘S’.

She’s not just about the glam

Bonang is not just about the pretty face or the 6-inches. She pushes herself to be better and smarter, and we’ve come to know that a pastime of hers is reading. Oh yes, she loves to read. Her favourites are socio-political books. So, thinking of being the next Bonang? Try reading a few books.

She is on the look-out for everyone

There is no disputing the fact Bonang loves her fans and wants as much good for them as she does for herself. She is an amazing giver. Whether it involves offering mentorship to young girls or inviting her fans to an expense paid trip, Bonang is willing to do so much and more.

She stays leading!

Bonang is our quintessential Leading Lady! She just keeps on winning! She is a perfect blend of both the entertainment and fashion industries. She is leaving the B prints everywhere she can possibly be. We love, love, love her!

Source: Leadingladiesafrica.org

In Interviews&profile February 20, 2017 By Women of Rubies

PROFILE| MEET VICTORIA KISYOMBE, THE WOMAN BRINGING HOPE TO WOMEN AND WIDOWS IN TANZANIA

Dr Victoria Kisyombe is the founder and CEO of SELFINA, a non profit company in Tanzania that provides loans to mostly widows and young women. Starting from a very humble beginning, SELFINA has gone on to improve financial inclusion for women. More than 27,500 women have received lease finance, 250,000 lives have been impacted, 150,000 jobs created and more than US$ 17 million has been availed to women through a revolving fund.

SELFINA was birthed when her husband died in 1991, leaving her with three children and no property or asset, except a cow named Sero. She turned the cow into a source of income by milking the cow and selling the milk to sustain her family. She also managed to accumulate savings out of the income she yielded and in 2002, she started SELFINA in Dar es Salam and began loaning and leasing productive assets. The leased assets enable women to generate income sustainably, and at the end of the lease a client owns the asset in her own name. It becomes collateral that qualifies her for a traditional bank loan.

During an interview, she said;

”I saw that there were other women, other widows—some of them had not been to school like I had been and they were less privileged than I had been—and I thought: ‘How are they managing?’”

Victoria’s successful micro-leasing model has generated praise beyond Tanzania. She has been profiled by the World Bank “Doing Business in Africa”, by CNN, Lionesses of Africa (South Africa) and by Deutsche Welle, etc.

In 2009, she received a TIAW World of Difference 100 Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution in making “all the difference in the world” to the economic empowerment of women by The Alliance for Women (Canada). In 2010, she received an Outstanding Social Entrepreneur Award from the World Economic Forum and Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs in recognition of visionary, pragmatic and courageous contributions that significantly improve the state of the world. In July 2014,she received a Global Leadership Award by Vital Voices Global Leadership founded by Hon. Hillary Clinton. She was also recognized as a Woman of Determination in recognition of her support on the development of SMEs in Tanzania, during the 50 years Independence celebrations of her country, Tanzania.

In Interviews&profile February 20, 2017 By Women of Rubies

#PROFILE| MEET UDUAK DEBBIE NWAOZO THE WOMAN DETERMINED TO FIGHT SICKLE CELL DISEASE EVEN WHILE BATTLING RENAL FAILURE

She was born in a small city called Ilesha, in the Western part of Nigeria. Her parents were educationists hence they were considered somewhat strict. She grew up with four siblings, second of five kids; Uduak lost two of her siblings in year 2000 and 2010 to Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

Their mum brought them up almost single handedly; as the dad was often away. She was a little over a year when my mum discovered I had SCD.

ON LIVING WITH SCD

Living with SCD impacted my life in so many ways; both negatively and positively. As a teenager I battled with quite a lot of stigmatization especially because I looked very different from my peers in secondary school. I had somewhat stunted growth, yellowish eyes and looked very fragile.

I learnt to talk to my mum a lot and she would in turn advise me to tell God about how I felt. My parents were very religious; so they instilled in my siblings and me the need to appreciate our spirituality. I guess this is a big part of what helped me through life as one living with SCD.

As an adult, living with SCD has also affected my relationships with people especially in relation to getting married . I have had quite unpleasant experiences with parents of supposed spouses because of course no one really wants his or her son to have a wife who might be ill most of the time.

Dealing with SCD as an adult has been better compared to my childhood and teenage years; at least I learnt how to manage my health better and I am more careful. Every now and then though, I have had to cancel appointments, cancel outing with friends, and deal with crisis, mood swings, and hospital sessions and so on.

I established good relationship with my medical team and I have always had an excellent support system from my family and the few friends I have.

ON FINDING HER VOICE ON SCD

I schooled in Ghana and during this period I tried to find myself. I felt something was missing. I wanted to say something to the public about SCD but I found myself always timid when it came to SCD issues but quite bold on other issues.

After I lost my only brother in year 2010 in Russia, I decided to finally talk more about SCD i.e. to create the awareness and educate people but I became more occupied with my job as a Project Manager which entailed a lot of travelling; I could not quite make time to plan strategies on how to go about my awareness creation.

I finally got the bombshell when my friend and colleague told me her 1 year old son had SCD. I remember feeling extremely guilty because she categorically told me she didn’t know anything about SCD and here was I refusing to dedicate time to talk about it with people. I eagerly decided to work on creating awareness; this is when I came up with the Sickle Cell Support Group – Ghana (SCSG-Ghana).

SICKLE CELL SUPPORT GROUP

SCSG is a registered not-for-profit organization and a social health group that was formed in 2014 with the aim of creating aggressive awareness about Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), its causes and prevention, and providing educative support to persons living with SCD for improved quality of life. SCSG-Ghana is meant to reach out to persons living with SCD in Ghana.

So far, SCSG-Ghana has organized the SCD Awareness march which was done in June 2016 in collaboration with Lister Hospital, Sunlodge Hotel, Green TV, Business and Financial Time, Special Ice drinks, Chicken republic, Ghana Police, Green FM ad Ovation International.

I was in the US having my surgery done at this point but I have a very effective team that handled everything. I wasn’t thrilled that I missed it but I had no choice. SCSG-Ghana also has an awareness video which can be watched on our site on www.scsgghana.org or directly on YouTube

I believe SCSG-Ghana will do its own little part to gradually break the barriers that SCD has created by educating people. It is important that everyone knows their genotype. I believe this is the first step in avoiding SCD. SCD is inherited from carrier or suffering parents who have the double AS genotype.

FOR PEOPLE WHOSE LOVED ONES LIVE WITH SCD

I am of the opinion that people living with SCD need all the love and attention they can get. If you are a sibling, spouse, parent or friend, the best you can do is to be very loving. We do not need pity.

Some people tend to pity you when they discover you are living with SCD; but with me once I see you pity me, I start to avoid you. Pity is the last thing I need from anyone.

FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH SCD

People living with SCD also need an excellent medical team. With me, for instance, I bond very well with my medical team, they are a very integral part of my life. I don’t hide or keep anything from my doctors. They know everything about my health. I also try to keep away from anything that causes me stress especially if I have the power to avoid it. I stay hydrated and keep to my doctors’ appointments the best I can; and as mama often advised, I rest even before I even feel tired.

I think as persons living with SCD we should also be careful of the kind of things we consume. Our organs tend to get damaged easily hence the need to consume the right kinds of foods. I recently became a dialysis patient because my kidney packed up as a result of severe damages from SCD, going through frequent infections, crisis and so on. I also think there were many foods I consumed that might have led to damaging my kidneys i.e. weighing down and overworking the kidneys. So now I don’t only battle with SCD but also with end stage renal failure.

ON TURNING 35

I turned 35 years in November, 2016 and for me it was the greatest joy ever. People always say I lie about my age because of my looks but I don’t see why I should tamper with my age. I live each day thankful for all the experiences I have had. I have been able to visit so many African and European countries. I have stayed in the US for a while and I can go whenever I want to. I have had exciting experiences with my work, I have met and made very good friends and I have a very supportive immediate and extended family. I can only stay thankful because I am not better than anyone. Ultimately, I think the best attitude in life is to be thankful in spite of what we think we are going through.

***** Uduak is battling renal failure and needs your help to raise the funds for her treatment. Kindly support her on her journey to better health with your donations and your prayers. Please click here to donate –> gofundme.com/debbie-kidney

This article was curled from woman.ng to support the fundraiser for Uduak’s surgery.

In Interviews&profile February 18, 2017 By Women of Rubies

#INTERVIEW | “I AM AN INSPIRATION TO A LOT OF WOMEN OUT THERE WHO THINK SO LOW OF THEMSELVES” – DR. ADEDUN OLUWO, “DOCTORPRENEUR”

Dr. Adedunmola Oluwo is a Medical Doctor and an entrepreneur. Despite her hectic schedule as a doctor, she still runs four different business ventures all at the same time. She is a baker, a makeup artist, a cook, and a hair stylist. Yes… all that while undergoing the gruelling task of going through med school. Dedun’s multi-faceted reach into the world of entrepreneurship was the result of her determination to survive economically – as a student. This grew into something else when the spectrum of services she provided increased, and she became beholden to the needs of her customers. Her work ethic is admirable, and behind it all she says was the unwavering love and support of her mother, brothers and friends. In 2016, Dedun was recognised as the “Young Person of the Year” by the Future Awards. Here is her motivating interview with Women of Rubies.

Childhood

I learnt how to cook from my mum and I learnt how to make hair anytime I visit the salon for my weekly change of hairstyle. So in a way, those two prepared me for Dedun Cooks and Hair by Dedun. The remaining skills were acquired in my late teens and early adulthood years. In terms of the business acumen, I guess I got that from my Mum and brothers. They are all entrepreneurs and my mum did that alongside her tedious job as a Civil Engineer.

More about me
Aside from being a Doctorpreneur, I believe I’m an outgoing and highly driven lady who believes in helping others in a bid for all to achieve one major goal, growth. I’ve been told I’m strict but I’ll prefer to use “disciplined”. I’m my own critic, so before someone tells me something negative about a thing or two I’ve done, I most likely already know and as a result, I can get defensive even when I know I’m wrong. Aside from all these, I’m just a simple lady who loves her faith and strives everyday to always be better than the previous

On being the recipient of the “Young Person of The Year Award” 2016

I was filled with joy to say the least. When I got the phone call, I was in shock and I’m sure the caller must have felt my out pour of emotion. Reason being that I really didn’t think I would ever be nominated for an award in Nigeria that soon, because I was just visiting the country at that time. I also didn’t think my story really reached people like that until the nomination confirmed that. It later got me thinking that if one can focus on what one has to do instead of fighting for recognition, the recognition you deserve will eventually find you.

Inspiration

To be honest, there was no major inspiration to start my first business other than the need for extra stipend. As the business progressed and I branched out to more ventures, the one thing that kept me going was this sentence, “I am not a failure”. I believed every word and used them to push me forward regardless of Medical school and it’s trials.

What or who inspired me to be “More”

My Family, my faith and myself. I wanted to be more to make my family proud. I wanted to be more because God created me to be a game changer and a shining light. I wanted to be more because I saw the potential in myself and strongly believed that I was not built to be a lazy being.

Greatest reward

The positive feed backs especially when I’m told I’ve turned their thinking capabilities around. When you can think more of yourself, nobody will do it for you and in return, nobody can poison your mind against you.

Challenges
Back in Medical School, my biggest challenge was time management and saying “No” to orders/appointments when I know fully well that I can’t say yes.I just moved back to Nigeria and logistics is killing me. Aside from this, I’m trying to figure out how I can combine everything. It’s a different ball game now and in a way, I have to start from scratch.

Other projects and activities
I launched a new project in January, the Dr Dedun’s Mentorship Program. After getting loads of requests from potential mentees for mentorship, I figured I should do it the right way. It’s going quite well and it will run in batches for eight weeks. The next batch registration will open in April. Other than that, I’m currently enrolled in the MDCN license program to become a registered Doctor in Nigeria. It’s pretty hectic for me now but after that is over, I will be back to my normal schedule with business and work.

Nigerians views on female entrepreneurs
Men believe women are the weaker sex, they’ve put us in a box that we can’t run businesses, whether small or big, because we are sentimental and not rational. There’s a rise in female entrepreneurs in the country and we will rise to the level that they will finally see that we can run businesses successfully while strutting in heels too.

I am a Woman of Rubies
I am an inspiration to a lot of women out there who think so low of themselves and retract their mind from thinking they can achieve anything they want to. I am an inspiration to students especially female students out there that want to have small businesses while in school but think they can’t do it because of parents, friends, lecturers etc. I am an inspiration to every woman out there that wants to be great, I have paved the way for those behind me to stand up and walk on the road to greatness. My program has made me realize that to be a game changer, you need change agents. I am creating the change agents and I will continue to if I truly want to make a difference in my world.

Final word for women all over the world
Your success solely depends on you but you have to take the first step. As you begin the journey, always remember to take God along and don’t leave anyone that needs you behind. We were all made for greatness, for success, but until you tap into those, you will never accomplish what you were made for, your purpose.

Website: www.drdedun.com <http://www.drdedun.com/
Email: hello@drdedun.com <mailto:hello@drdedun.com
Instagram: @dedun05
@dedunscakes
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DrDedun <http://www.facebook.com/DrDedun>