Interviews&profile Archives

In Editor's Choice June 5, 2021 By Women of Rubies

#Interview |”The World Is Waiting For You To Unleash Your Greatness” – Odunayo Sanya

“The world is waiting for you to unleash your greatness.” – Odunayo Sanya.

Our ‘Woman in Leadership’ this week is Odunayo Sanya.

Odunayo is a Nigerian executive with over 23 years of experience in the corporate world. She currently serves as the Executive Secretary of the MTN Nigeria Foundation. Her work experience spans education, financial services, telecommunications and development sectors. She is a gifted writer who received widespread acclaim for her book ‘Alphabets of Leadership for Young Minds,’ which she published in 2019.

Odunayo is an International speaker. A Certified Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team. She is an alumna of the Lagos Business School and the Institute of Management Development Switzerland, with executive training from the Harvard Business School and Cornell University.

She is also the convener of the ‘Thrive Circle’ a mentorship platform which she describes as her ‘pandemic story’. The Thrive Circle is a platform for individuals seeking growth in life and career. Odunayo is passionate about youth empowerment, leadership, mentorship, and nation building. In 2019, she received the Marketing World ‘Customer Service Thought Leader Award’ in Accra, Ghana. She was the 2019 Global Leadership Program Speaker at Coventry University in the United Kingdom. She shares her inspiring journey in this exclusive interview.

Childhood Influence

First, I’d like to thank Women of Rubies for having me and for creating this platform to showcase and encourage women. My childhood was exciting with a disciplinarian as a dad. I was brought up to cherish family – I come from a close-knit family of nine; Dad, Mum, 2 boys and 5 girls.

My childhood was in Lagos. From a young age, my parents taught me (likewise my siblings) to embrace the world with an open mind, this found expression in the choice of schools i attended – F.G.G.C Akure (Ondo State) & New-Bussa (Niger State). The choice of the boarding house shaped me and strengthened my sense of independence. I learnt diversity and inclusion from my parents, they never discriminated. The boarding house helped my social skills, it opened me up to interactions with diverse individuals and great minds. I was brought up to be comfortable in my skin and to strive for excellence. At a point in primary school, my dad taught me maths after school. I learnt from my parents that “putting in a word for someone is easier when the individual brings value to the table.”

Adventure was a pastime for my parents as i was encouraged to take some bold steps – i recall my dad seeing an advert in the newspapers for a new university that is, University of Abuja and he encouraged me to apply though we knew no one in Abuja at that time. And yes! I got the admission and as they say, the rest is history. I spent my Youth Service year in a small village called Ukpa in Ogoja, Cross Rivers State. My first job was outside Lagos (my parents lived and still live in Lagos). As a child I had a prayerful Grandma who taught me about God.

I would say YES, my childhood prepared me in more ways than one.

Inspiration behind The Thrive Circle

I have a strong passion for people, and I get very excited when individuals realize their potential. Someone described me as a ‘serial mentor’ (lol!). I had a strong desire to birth a platform for sharing knowledge that will enable individuals to thrive in their neck of the woods. The perfect opportunity came with the COVID-19 pandemic, the fear in the air was palpable and the confusion was like we had never known, i had a conviction within me that this was the right time. The first session was tagged ‘Finding Strength in Adversity.’ It’s been twenty-two speakers and thirty-one sessions after, ‘Thrive Circle’ is still standing. We are a community committed to learning.

The Journey so far

I am grateful for the journey. It has tested my resilience. I have expanded my network of friends and acquaintances. My knowledge horizon has been broadened, topics such as; Entrepreneurship, The Future of work, Mental Health, Crucial Conversations, Strategy, Emotional Intelligence, Conflict Management, Ethics, Risk Management and many more have been discussed in the Thrive Circle. We have also played host to accomplished professionals as our speakers. The future for Thrive Circle is bright – watch out.

Impact of being an International Speaker, and Certified Coach

My first international speaking engagement was borne of the need to affirm myself. I had a strong desire to share my thoughts with other professionals and enrich the discussions in the field of Customer Experience. Was i scared? Yes, I was. Did it go well? Yes, it did and opened more opportunities for me. We are all speakers, and our voices are gifts from the ‘Grand Overall Designer’ (GOD). The question is ‘How are we using it? I am also a John Maxwell Certified Coach.

Being a Coach and a Speaker has enabled my growth and depth. As it is said, ‘Sameness is the death of a speaker’ and since I don’t want to die yet (lol!) it keeps me on my toes to keep gleaning new knowledge and applying them to my life. In terms of impact, i am a much better individual, leader, team member, mother, wife and member of the society. It has helped me with the mastery of human relationships and excellent delivery people. The most important impact is the privilege of connecting people to their aspirations and potentials. Speaking whether as a hobby or professionally is 99% about the audience (listener) and maybe 1% about the speaker.

My Customer Thought Leader Award, 2021 Sales Ruby Influencer Award & recognition as one of the Top 100 Career Women

These awards came as surprises. I recall for the sales Ruby award, I was getting ready to retire for the night and I got a message from a secondary school friend that she had voted. I was at a loss, I asked her what for, she then laughed at me and sent me the link to nominations. It however feels good when one’s good work is recognized by others. It really is humbling. I see this as a call to do more and be more.

Challenges of My Work at MTN Nigeria

On a lighter note, I have been working from home for over a year now and enjoying every bit of it. One of the greatest challenges of WFH is the near loss of work-life-balance. I self regulate and try to keep to a time regime to prevent any form of burn out. My Organization also ensures we keep to healthy work regimes.Challenges are a constant part of life. These challenges are opportunities in disguise. My work keeps me on my toes and presents me with the opportunity to serve and innovate. Creating and implementing service experiences and engagement strategies for 75m customers is a huge responsibility. I recently, changed roles and I look forward to the opportunity of enabling people and communities through the MTN Nigeria Foundation.

Other Projects & Activities

I am an Author. My book ‘Alphabets of Leadership for Young Minds’ is listed in the United States Library of Congress, it is targeted at youth ages 10 – 16. I desired to give my oldest daughter a journal filled with my thoughts on various leadership topics as she moved into the boarding house. The journal was to help her navigate the new phase of her life and be a valued member of her community. The journal became the book.

My work with youths through the John Maxwell Team exposed me to the dearth of understanding of Leadership at that level – it has been positioned as the exclusive preserve of adults. The book is my contribution to nation building. I decided to put down my thoughts and make it available to every Youth. The book is listed in the United States Library of Congress and available on:

https://bit.ly/ALYMAmazonkindle

https://bit.ly/ALYMgooglebooks

https://bit.ly/ALYMibooks

https://bit.ly/ALYMKobobooks

https://bit.ly/ALYMLItireso

It is also available at Laterna Ventures, Oko Awo Street, Victoria Island Lagos

3 Women Who Inspire Me to Be Better And Why

My Grandmother of blessed memory – she taught me to love God.

My Mum – she taught me resilience.

Mother Theresa – She embodied the fact that Leadership and purpose are conjoined, when you walk in purpose you will Lead. Most important, her life teaches that you don’t need a position to lead. Lead from wherever you are.

Advice to Young Women Who Wish to Be Trailblazers Like Me

1) ‘The world is waiting for you to unleash your greatness, don’t negotiate away your purpose in the face of seeming difficulties.’

2) ‘Dreams are free but the journey is not’

3) ‘You are limitless until you tell yourself otherwise’

4) ‘Let the quality of your work speak for you when you are not there’

5) ‘Be comfortable being you.’

Being a Woman of Rubies

Hmmm!! I should be asking you that question.

First, is that God says my worth is far above rubies – Prov 31.

Second is that I carry in me the seed of greatness and I am nurturing it.

Third is that I seek to add value to the people and environments I find myself in.

Maybe you should carry out a survey and let us compare the results.

You can connect with Odunayo Sanya through her handles below:

Linkedin – odunayo moritiwon sanya

Instagram – Odunayo.Sanya

Facebook – Odun Moritiwon Sanya

In Inspiration June 8, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Meet Dr. Victoria Kisyombe, The Tanzanian Entrepreneur Providing Micro-Leasing For Widows

Dr. Victoria Kisyombe is the founder of SELFINA, a company in Tanzania that provides micro-leasing to mostly widows and young girls.

Given women’s lack of collateral and resulting lack of access to capital, Dr. Victoria Kisyombe began pioneering micro-leasing as a solution. Her pioneering micro-leasing model as an alternative way to financing women has generated praise beyond Tanzania, and efforts are under way to expand the model to other countries in the region.

Victoria’s incredible journey into entrepreneurship emerged as a result of personal tragedy and the unexpected death of her husband back in 1991. For her and their three young children, life was to change inexorably as she was left to deal with the resulting social and economic challenges facing them. An entrepreneurial approach to life thereafter provided the solution.

When Victoria faced the prospect of providing for her family alone in Tanzania, she was faced with some stark facts – under customary law, his family reclaimed all their marital possessions. She didn’t own property in her own name, she didn’t have any collateral, or indeed a personal credit history with a bank.

In fact, she had only one asset to her name – a cow named Sero. Being educated and resourceful out of necessity, she looked to make this sole asset work for her and become a critical source of income. She sold the milk produced by Sero each day and used the income to look after her family and accumulate some savings with which to rebuild her life. That precious cow, Sero, made all the difference in the world to the family.

During this time, Victoria found that her difficult circumstances were not unique, indeed she knew that many women find themselves in similarly tough circumstances, yet often without access to productive assets like Sero to help them through those tough times.

In 2002, she recognized that access to micro-finance for women could be a game changer in the lives of Tanzanian women, so she took on the challenge of redesigning the traditional model of micro-finance to make it work for women.

She launched a new business venture, SELFINA (Sero Lease and Finance Limited), named after her first asset, her cow Sero, and began loaning and leasing productive assets to Tanzanian women.

These leased assets provided a practical means of women being able to generate their own sustainable income, and over the lease term, eventually owning the assets in their own names. This not only newly empowered these women, but also provided them with critical collateral to qualify them to access traditional bank finance in the future.

SELFINA has gone on to finance 27,000 women, create 150,000 jobs, with 250,000 people impacted and US$17 Million revolved.

She was also recognized as Regional Social Entrepreneur of the Year for Africa in 2010. In addition, and in keeping with her personal philosophy that the key to empowerment is through education, she raised money to build the Mukuza Girl’s Secondary School in Dar Es Salaam. The school has 129 students, and provides room and board so the girls can have their own space to study and learn.

Dr. Victoria is a leader who has used innovation, initiative, and determination to empower women in Tanzania to become economically self-sufficient.

“If I can change the life of one person it makes a whole difference because behind that person there is a whole family. It’s a family, it’s a society, it’s Tanzania”

In Inspiration June 2, 2021 By Women of Rubies

#WCW | Celebrating Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, CEO and Co-Founder; Wecyclers

Bilikiss Adebiyi Abiola is the CEO and co-founder of Wecyclers, a for-profit social enterprise working to help communities reclaim their neighborhoods from unmanaged waste.

Bilikiss is a graduate of Fisk University, Vanderbilt University, and MIT’s Sloan School of Management. While at MIT, Bilikiss was a Legatum Fellow at MIT’s Legatum center for Development and Entrepreneurship and was a vice president of the MIT Sloan Africa Business Club.

Wecyclers was founded in 2012 and utilizes low-cost cargo bicycles called “wecycles” to provide convenient recycling services to households in Lagos, Nigeria using an SMS-based incentives system.

Bilikiss Adebiyi Abiola, CEO of Wecyclers

The company offers waste collection and recycling services to the Lagos informal settlements, where an estimated 66% of Lagosians live.

As a part of the process, residents are offered an incentive for collecting their household waste which is picked up for free by Wecyclers using specially adapted bicycles. To create incentives among low-income households to participate, rewards are given to them for every kilogram recycled, via points sent by SMS. These points are then redeemable against goods they value, such as cell phone minutes or basic food items. The rewards have been funded in partnership with big brands such as Coca Cola and GlaxoSmithKline.

In 2019, Wecyclers, won the 2019 King Baudouin African Development Prize worth €200,000 (N104 million) for its development work and its contribution to solving waste management problems not only in Nigeria but Africa.

In Inspiration June 3, 2021 By Women of Rubies

#Interview | “My Advocacy Is Focused On Breaking Sterotypes” – Roseline Adewuyi

Roseline Adewuyi is a social educator a gender advocate, and a blogger at
roselineadewuyi.com addressing the concerns of girls and women, particularly in the African context.

She is also a 2018 Dalai Lama Fellow, a 2016 YALI RLC alumna, and a 2017 ONE Champion, her work on female empowerment has taken her to the United States, Ghana, Rwanda, Ethiopia, France, and other countries. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Masters degree in French Language.

Her area of specialization as a French Literature student has been Feminist Theory. According to her, this strengthens her academic knowledge in the field of advocacy. In 2018, she represented Nigeria in a program on Human Rights sponsored by the French Embassy in Nigeria. She was among the sixty women doing phenomenal things celebrated by Business Day Women’s Hub in marking Nigeria’s 60th Independence in 2020. She hopes to keep contributing to the girls’ development through advocacy.

She has also been featured on the Nigerian Tribune, National Television called Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), and RFI (Radio France Internationale) for her works. She is also a member of the Commonwealth Youth Gender Equality Network. From 2019 to 2020, She worked as a Translator and Interpreter with the African Union. While speaking with Women of Rubies on this interview, she took us through her explicit journey as a trailblazer.

Growing Up

As a developing woman, I witnessed many a difference in the prejudiced treatment of men and women. This was quite surprising for me because I lived with the idea that both genders are first humans regardless of appearances. So, I could not fathom why there is a difference in the treatment of the female gender and how we are seen. As a young girl, it baffled me and left me with more questions than answers.

As a result, I had an internal conflict about my identity. I was curious about the reason behind people seeing us differently, why gender roles existed, and why people tried to box women. I also wanted to know why people associated certain character traits or qualities with a gender. I was confused and wondered if I should accept this or challenge these assumptions. I asked many questions concerning my identity but got no answers. With growth came the understanding of how things worked, and I began to gradually realize why things were the way they were.

There was a burning desire to launch out and find my lost voice. During my university days as an Arts student, I was exposed to books that facilitated my understanding. Following a popular saying “literature is the mirror of life”; I was able to imagine and understand, to some extent, the lived experience of many girls and women all over the world particularly in Africa.

On this personal trajectory, I am still on the path. I am not there yet but I am constantly growing as a leader and I want more girls to confess in the future that I inspired them.

Why I chose French as a major

I chose to study the French language because I am drawn to languages. This might be a little difficult to describe if you are not like me. But let me try: I believe that everyone has something that makes them tick. It could be a skill that they are good at or the fire of a passion that burns bright in their heart. For me, though, my penchant is languages. I love the way words differently sound in different languages. I love trying out new sounds and trying to relate with people of different cultures. I guess it is also linked to my innate desire to relate with people on a deeper level. And one of the best ways to do that is to learn their language. I chose French because it was the earliest foreign language to which I was introduced. And I would say, I fell in love right there and then. You know the way some old-time couples say, “When I saw her, I knew she was the one”? That’s how the French language was for me!

Experience as a translator / interpreter for the African Union

Working with the African Union was quite an adventure. Although it was something a lot different from what I was used to and I was far from home, I enjoyed every bit of it. I was in a place where my ideas mattered. I had colleagues who admired and respected me. I also worked with a boss who was like a father and a mentor to me. The best and simplest way to put it is that I had a great time!

I would say that working with the AU changed a lot of things for me. Now, I understand clearly that you can’t say you know about a place until you have lived there. I am saying this because of people who love to share stereotypes about places they have never been to. Before I went to the place where I worked, I was told that I would not be safe as a woman. No one will ‘barber’ my hair etc. to my surprise, I found everything to be the exact opposite of what people had conjectured. This taught me a lot!

While working with the AU, I also learned a lot about networking, personal development, and tolerance.

Recognition Awards

My advocacy and the things I do have never been about recognition or awards. I just want to make a difference and inspire people. Generally, I am shy and I don’t like being in the spotlight. But I have learnt that letting people shine the light on what you are doing paves way for more people to benefit from your advocacy. So, I see these awards, not as rewards for my good works, but as a way to reach out to and connect with more people. While I am super grateful that people honour me, what I am looking out for is creating and leveraging opportunities to collaborate with more people or organisations because I have a message to relay to the world. I would also like to say that every award I got so far has been on merit. I say this because I have been persuaded in the past to pay for some awards but I will never do that! If I get an award, it has to be deserved and not bought. This is one of the reasons why I do not rate awards. I focus more on impacts because there is no point in doing all of this if it is just for the awards. I always look at the big picture and see the impact I am making — one young girl at a time. And that’s weightier than all the awards in the world to me!

My Advocacy with the Girl Child and Women

My advocacy is focused on breaking stereotypes and unlearning indoctrination in the form of deeply entrenched societal constructs that are regressive to women. I am all out for teaching young girls and inspiring women to break away from age-long societal norms, constructs, and stereotypes that have limited their progress by showing them that they can do anything and be whomever they choose to be regardless of society’s dictates. I teach them to discard society’s scripts and follow personal passion and purpose to be the best version of whom they want to be.

Therefore, I am fierce against cultural and traditional norms. I believe that society has to do away with some of these cultural elements, while some are reviewed, and others are preserved.

I am also unrepentantly particular about re-imaging women in our society and orienting a woman that she belongs in the society.

Asides from this, I have observed that educational institutions which are supposed to be hallmarks of enlightenment foster gender inequality. We can see examples around, girls being denied leadership opportunities, indoctrinating them with the mindset of being assistants, discouraging women who want to be student union president, leaders of their groups among others. The educational institution, as a citadel of learning, should not be a place where societal constructs are amplified or embraced. Rather than recycling these archaic norms and traditions, I advocate that our institutions should show people a better way of doing things. I advocate that girls should be seen as students just as boys. Their abilities should be rated before their gender. They should be given equal opportunities when it comes to leadership. I encourage teachers to show their students that women can be national leaders, doctors, pilots, governors, etc. Chores should be shared equally to teach responsibility. Thus, through education, we can also create a society devoid of gender bias or discrimination. I am highly interested and involved in the revamping of educational institutions to be conscious about schools being more gender-inclusive, gender-responsive, and gender friendly.

Clarity on the misconception of what feminism Is

Yes, I know there are a lot of misconceptions about feminism. Many people berate feminism today because they misunderstand it or have a wrong notion about the movement. Several people, even those who believe in equality, refuse to be associated with the word “feminism” because some pioneering advocates have ideals or a lifestyle they don’t want to emulate or be associated with. But is a concept or idea defined by the people representing it or do the people representing the idea let the idea define them? According to the dictionary, “feminism is the belief that men and women are equal and thus deserve equal rights and opportunities”. Simply put, Feminism is the belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.

You can read more on this article from my blog.(https://roselineadewuyi.com/misconceptions-of-feminism-the-propounders-meant-well/)

Challenges

Some challenges I encounter regularly include:

I am often misconstrued
I get backlashes from people who think I don’t mean well.
I get tons of insults too. Someone once remarked that if she got half the insults I get, she would have snapped and lashed out at her critics. Thankfully, what I am working for is bigger than any insults!
Some people don’t see our work as noble and so they are against it. They won’t even listen to you or try to get your point of view. This makes them closed off to your advocacy.
Finances are a huge challenge! Advocacy is not easy. It is not cheap either. It takes money to put events together, create published materials that you would distribute for free, and so on. I am always grateful for and open to any partnerships by people or organizations who are as passionate about girl child advocacy as I am.

Other projects and activities

I am currently working on teaching girls about the corporate world, higher education, soft skills, and work-life balance. It’s a project in the pipeline. The major activities of my initiative have been directed toward organising seminars for girls and staging school outreaches.

Writing has helped me to harness the didactic value or power of the ink as a tool for social change through my blog centres on the cause of the girl child ad women. The subject matter of my writings focuses on contemporary issues particularly within the Nigerian context on their plight on the blog.

3 women who inspire me and why

My mum inspires me. She is the most selfless person I know. I am not perfect but I am thankful to her for who I am today. I am forever grateful for the values she taught me.

I am inspired also by the hope of girls, ladies, and women who, in the future, will shatter glass ceilings, breakthrough concrete walls, stride on sticky floors and escape career labyrinths.

How I cope with backlash in my Advocacy journey

It can be challenging. That is why it amuses me when some say people are feminists because it is trendy. With the backlash, insult, and abuse that I get regularly, I wonder why someone would be a feminist because of that reason. If I am to go by the things that are said to me that get to me, I would have backed out since.

With the backlash that I get regularly, I would have chosen another cause or struggle but I channel my rage into changing things to keep me going especially when it comes to teenage girls and women, whom I do not want them to limit themselves.

It can be challenging because insults will be hurled at one. One might be forced to react to some things but one knows that one radiates light and one must be different.

May I never be forced to use abusive words amid backlashes. I always pray for the grace to be polite and courteous however difficult.

Being a gender advocate is definitely not for the faint hearted. There are oppositions, misinterpretations, and backlashes. In the midst of this, I always connect back to my intention, reconnect with my why. With this, I gain a better perspective and I push on.

I think of girls and women that have been inspired by my work. I also know that not everyone will believe in an individual’s vision. Change-makers always have to face oppositions so I draw strength from those who have gone ahead.

Being a Woman of Rubies

I am a Woman of Rubies because, in addition to being passionate about my cause, I believe in people. I want the best for them and I always try to be empathetic to their experiences. Being a Woman of Rubies sounds a lot like the woman in Proverbs. Being a woman of rubies to me means that I am purposeful, highly guided by morals, ethics, values and a sense of character.

You can connect with Adewuyi Roseline through her handles below:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/roselineadebimpe.adewuyi

Linkedin – linkedin.com/in/roseline-adewuyi-803826112

Twitter – https://twitter.com/AdewuyiRoseline

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/adewuyiroseline/

Website – roselineadewuyi.com

In Inspiration June 2, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Meet Mary Izobo, Award Winning International Human Rights Lawyer

Mary Izobo is the founder of The Amazon Leadership Initiative (TheALI), which aims to empower women and girls, provide support networks, mentorship, career guidance, education and capacity development to alleviate gender inequality.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons) in French Language from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria; a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland; a Barrister at Law (BL) from the Nigerian Law School, Nigeria; a Master of Laws (LLM) in Human Rights and Democratization in Africa from the University of Pretoria, South Africa; and a Master of Laws (LLM) in Rule of Law for Development from Loyola University Chicago, USA.

She is currently studying for a Doctor of Laws (LLD) with a focus on International Governance at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She has worked for the United Nations (UN), the African Union Commission (AUC), the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the Institute for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) and the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA).

In Interviews&profile June 2, 2021 By Women of Rubies

#Interview| “My Passion For empowering Children Was Borne Out Of My Dad’s Personal Childhood Experiences” – Adedolapo Osuntuyi

Adedolapo is the founder and president of Dolly Children Foundation, a non-governmental organization focused on improving the plight of indigent children in Nigeria through Education; emphasis on quality education for all.

She is a fellow of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), West Africa Regional Centre, a US Government Initiative. The desire to start a foundation like this came in secondary school after reading her classmate’s story featured in a newspaper; during the anniversary of the NGO that took care of her from childhood.

This story, as well as other close experiences, motivated Adedolapo to start Dolly Children Foundation (DCF) on April 13, 2006, during her undergraduate years at the University.

Adedolapo graduated from the prestigious University of Central Lancashire, Preston UK, with a masters degree in Child Health & Social Care. She obtained an Africa – America Institute Scholarship to study Social Sector Management Course at the Enterprise Development Centre, Pan – Atlantic University.

She has gained experience in child protection, early childhood and community development programs and over 5000 children in 22 communities have benefitted through various interventions of the organization.

She shares her inspiring story with Esther Ijewere in this exclusive interview

Growing Up

I grew up attending an all-girls’ boarding school in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Whenever I was at home for holidays, I helped my mum look after my three younger siblings. This act of service has helped nurture in me the habit of looking out for people. From an early age, I guessed that I had people around me calling me a “Small Mummy”. Unconsciously, this pet name was later changed by my friends at the University to Mummy G. O (This was a name I didn’t like to be called but, I guess I am used to be called this wherever I found myself).

Another fascinating thing about my childhood was my desire for knowledge; I would say my dad helped me to nurture this gift at age eight by encouraging me to read newspapers whenever I went out with him on Saturdays to the newspaper vendors. This love for reading newspapers has long stuck with me and propelled my passion for researching.

Childhood Influence

Two significant experiences prepared me for what I do now with the less – privileged. One of the experiences that I would say prepared me for what I do now with less-privileged children was my dad’s personal childhood stories. The second experience, I had a friend in my secondary school that grew up in an orphanage. This experience propelled my curiosity to understudy my friends’ lifestyle and learn more about her stories without her knowledge. The more I want to know more, the more I discover (coupled with other life experiences) that this is what I have been called to.

Inspiration behind Dolly Children Foundation

My deep passion for empowering children from low-income backgrounds through Dolly Children Foundation was mainly borne out of my dad’s personal childhood experiences.

There was something different when he recounted his life story to me as a thirteen-year-old girl. I remember telling my dad that I would need a new set of shoes on that fateful night because the ones I had before I went to the boarding house were too tight for me.

This was the request I made that led to three hours conversation about how life challenges did not allow him to wear shoes to school. According to my dad, he won’t have attended a primary school if not for the free Awolowo education scheme. And he did pass his O’ Level’s exams just by borrowing his friend’s books without stepping into a school. The story’s impact ended up getting my dad in a sad state. This made me cry too (I wept when I saw the impact our conversation had on him).

Hearing my dad’s story that day made me pray that I would love to help any child I see in similar situation when I grow up. In a nutshell, my dad’s story propelled me to start the Dolly Children Foundation that has impacted over 22,000 children in 25 communities in 4 states.

Impact of being a YALI Fellow, and certified Social Worker

Being a YALI fellow and a social worker has indeed impacted my life and work in unimaginable ways. Aside from the skills and exposure I have gained from the programme, YALI has given me the opportunity to network, connect, and learn from like-minded people unique and innovative solutions been deployed in their various communities. The great friends I have made have now turned family for me.

Indeed, I can say here that the alarming rates of out – of school children and the extreme cases of child neglect witnessed and experienced firsthand led me on a journey with blended experiences which cut across national and international boundaries, enabling me with tactical skills on how I address the challenges we face as an organization. This experience with my keen interests in education reforms and community development has enabled me to work closely with government agencies, public and private schools to address and bridge the existing inequality gaps in education. For this, I would always be grateful to God for this life decision and the levels of fulfillment I daily enjoy.

Impact of our Work at Dolly Children Foundation

Today, Dolly Children Foundation is tasked with inspiring African child to adopt 21st- century skills through education, capacity building, and advocacy programmes. We do this by providing a conducive environment for learning, empowering educators and empowering less privileged children.

Our primary interventions target eliminating child illiteracy in rural communities, reducing child labour and abuse, and absenteeism in public primary and secondary schools. Also, we work with private schools in the communities we serve to organize community-based projects between public and private schools to address the existing inequality gaps between public and private schools.

This organizational strategy has impacted directly over 22,000 children in 25 communities in 4 states to benefit from a variety of development initiatives, educational scholarships and school refurbishment projects (- the recent erection of over 70 meters length fence for a community school which never had such since it was founded in 1955 to mention a few).

Our DCF Sponsorship Programme

One of the DCF projects that have the most impact so far is the DCF sponsorship programmes. Without a doubt, we have recorded a good number of success stories in the performance rate of the children we have sponsored to school. We have seen many children who were out of school for years or were on the verge of dropping out of school due to flimsy excuses, now doing excellently well in school and even assuming leadership roles and representing their schools at the State level. Another success story for us in DCF is the ripple effects of our work in the communities we serve. How it has spread and has yielded us a reserve of social capital is a fantastic feeling I do not take lightly.

Overall, seeing smiles on the faces of children who never thought their dreams of being supported through school would be a reality is one that motivates my team and I to do more.

Challenges

The nature of the work I do has its share of peculiar challenges. One of the challenges that I have faced in running the foundation is the belief system of some community members we work with. It is pretty challenging to convince a guardian to allow a ward to continue schooling because of the challenges being faced on the home front.

So far, the foundation has handled a good number of cases like this with incredible success stories. Another challenge my team and I have faced is the bureaucracy issues that sometimes arise in our work with agencies.

Projects and Activities

Some of the other projects and activities carried out in DCF are:

weekly reading clubs in public primary schools which has graduated over 6000 children.
After school and summer tutoring programme which has improved the academic performances of low – performing children. Over, 2700 children has benefitted from this initiative especially child labourers.
Excursion trips (places like ShopRite, etc) /School exchange programmes. Over 2440 children have participated in these programmes. 99% of the children confirmed that was their first time of visiting such places.
Back to School initiatives – over 10,200 indigent children has been given school supplies such as school bags, school uniforms, shoes, stationeries, textbooks, water bottles.

3 Women who Inspire me to be better and why

The three women who inspire me to better are Chidi Koldsweat, Clare Ejehi and Mrs Ireti Ogunlesi. I love them because of the time, resources and energy they invest in becoming a better version of myself. I love them for working out what they say and for their simplicity.

To young women..

My advice to young women who wish to be trailblazers like me would be summed up in these three points

Stay true to your dreams regardless of any challenge that comes your way.
Strive to be better at what you do
Be intentional in taking care of yourself, and do not forget your days of little beginnings.

Being a Woman of Rubies

What makes me a woman of rubies is my genuineness in looking out for people and not giving up on myself, people and life.

My social media accounts: Instagram – @adedolapoosuntuyi

Facebook – Adedolapo Osuntuyi

Linkedln – Adedolapo Osuntuyi

Twitter – @adedolapo5

In Inspiration May 28, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Meet the 28-Year-Old Co-Founder of Agrinvestec, Pearl Gaone Ranna

Pearl Gaone Ranna is 28-year-old Botswana born Farmer, Agriculture & Global Food Policy Analyst, Social Entrepreneur and Gender Equality Practitioner.

She is the co-founder and CEO of Agrinvestec, Botswana’s leading private sector owned Agricultural Development and Consultancy Agency.

She holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Agriculture and Development from the University of Reading, a Master of Arts (MA) in International Development and Policy from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Entrepreneurial Studies from the University of Derby.

Ranna is passionate about alleviating poverty and hunger through empowering rural youth and women in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2018, she was the first winner of the Climate Hackathon Challenge, where youths had to address issues relating to adapting or mitigating climate change using various themes such as Agriculture, Health, Energy and Water basing it on the realities of Botswana.

Her solution in-comprised all the themes by providing a solar powered climate sensitive vertical aquaponics systems which works best in rural and urban areas of Botswana.

You can’t believe how hard it is to run your own business as well as raising a child,” says Ranna, who has firsthand knowledge, having experienced those challenges running a poultry operation while raising a daughter.

The program includes an early childhood development center for the children, so that while their mothers are receiving training and working on their farms the children are well cared for in a center-based learning environment. Revenues the women generate with increased productivity on their farms will go towards sustaining the program to provide training to new groups of women.

If the program is successful, as she believes it will be, she hopes it will contribute to policy changes that institutionalize such support for women farmers nationwide. “I am trying to advocate for policies for women and youth,” she explained. “To advocate effectively you need to be able to show something works.”

In Editor's Choice June 2, 2021 By Women of Rubies

#Interview | “My Creativity Has Helped My Journey As A Phone Product Photographer”- Eniola Opaleye

Eniola Opaleye is a phone product photographer and a law graduate. Her ability to create appealing product pictures with her mobile phone stands her out amongst several product photographers. She has shot countless images of products with international standard.

She currently has a telegram community of over 300 members where she teaches basic tips on product photography. Eniola doesn’t believe in giving up on her dreams irrespective of challenges faced. One of her product pictures trended on the bird app (twitter) and attracted the recognition of influencers and foreign communities. Asides taking product pictures she interns with a consulting firm.

She shares her journey with Women of Rubies on this interview;

Childhood Influence

I was very creative while growing up and it has helped my journey as a phone product photographer changing the way product pictures are shot in Nigeria. I was that child that loved hair styling and makeup so much that I would plead with my mum and sisters to practice with their hair and face, you know how last born can be? I pestered till they agreed to be my model. So I was sure I was either going to learn the art of makeup or hair styling, but then I kept procrastinating to take the step till I gained admission to study law and I just didn’t enrol to learn either of the two till date. I remember I had a mini doll I made hair for passionately (laughs).

My Inspiration Behind Photography

I was in a space I couldn’t continue with street photography I started with last year during the lockdown. Then I asked myself “what can I do?”. Immediately it struck me I could take beautiful shots of random product I have at home. Gradually, I improved and some pictures of small business owner’s product I saw on Instagram on a particular day made me realize there is a market that needs a solution. A lot of vendors don’t know how important good pictures help sell their product, I saw that and decided to proffer that solution with what I have.

The journey so far

It has been interesting. I started with little or no recognition to being recognised across several countries. I can recall lots of people didn’t understand what I was doing and they felt it was a child’s play. I started doubting my skill and said I would stop phone product photography till I get a camera but see who is getting paid for the skill she didn’t give up on. I’m also learning every day, using props that I wasn’t aware of and the beautiful thing is I come across products I haven’t seen or used before. I’m optimistic about this journey and the opportunities lined up for me.

Impact Of My Journey As A Law Graduate Currently Working In A Consulting Firm

It has been in several ways; the firm has helped improve my work ethic and client interaction. This is what I have also implemented in my business and life, how to engage with clients, communication and negotiation skills, and also maintaining good relationship with people. I have learnt to understand people differently and manage situations. Also, learning how to meet deadlines is also important in this business. Clients want you to deliver and you don’t want to be perceived as a lazy photographer who doesn’t keep to deadlines.

The Amazing Feat Of How One Of My Product Pictures Trended Recently

It was a dream come through and a perfect birthday gift. I have been posting pictures on the bird app but gained little recognition, however I didn’t give up. It was a win I deserved and it attracted influencers which opened up several opportunities that I had to turn down some. It made me realize I needed a community/group where I could help other aspiring product photographers with some tips on product photography. The amazing part of my work is, I inspire other phone product photographers who feel they can’t be recognised to keep creating and that makes me happy.

My Current Experience With Photography And What I Hope To Achieve In The Future

I am enjoying the ride, perfecting my skill, building my profile and ensuring client satisfaction. I see my brand creating appealing product pictures for top brands, teaching millions of small business owners across the world how to create eye-catching product pictures just from their home and hopefully in cooperate phone videography while building my profile as a seasoned legal practitioner.

Challenges

Meeting demands and showing up with good content can be overwhelming considering it’s just me and the brand for now. Then investing in photography equipment can be expensive but gradually I will balance it up.

My Other Projects And Activities.

I love design, so it’s a skill I’m trying to perfect because I need it for my brand as well. It has helped me create simple graphics for my Instagram page and some other projects. I’m working on video content for small business owners but it is still in the works so when it’s ready it will be available for all to see.

Three Women Who Inspire Me To Be Better And Why

I really admire Mazbricreative’s work, her product pictures are standard, colourful and she has worked with several known brands. I also watch her behind the scenes and see how creative she is, this helps me to get creative with all my pictures.

Amanda Campeanu is a commercial brand photographer based in Brisbane, I love her ability to teach with her Youtube videos and this has really helped my product styling.

Ty Bello is amazing and good at what she does, she has built her brand over the years and I aspire to follow that path. She gives me hope that being a woman in this line of work shouldn’t be a limitation but an advantage.

My Advice To Young Women

Don’t let anyone kill your dreams, you have the power to decide how you want your life to turn out with the help of God, so take charge. Always know what you want, it helps you to make specific decisions and if you don’t know what you want, go to God, watch that thing people are saying you are good at and build the skill till you perfect it. Lastly, have the right people in your corner they will always be there to lift you up when you feel discouraged and be prepared for the growth you desire.

As A Woman Of Rubies

I am a sought after woman who possess value. I inspire other women to become better version of themselves through my consistency, discipline and desire for success.

In Inspiration May 25, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Meet Lozaria Lungu, Inspiring Zambian Journalist And First To Obtain A Degree In Her Family

Lozaria Lungu, a Zambian Journalist and Script Writer who recently obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Media and Communication from the University of Zambia, thus making her the first person to obtain a University Degree in her family.

According to her, “My childhood dream was to overcome the hurdles that surrounded my family for generations, I can handpick who attained an education, this one is a big WIN not only for ME but for my FAMILY and all the MEN and WOMEN who dared to believe in me,” she said.

“I remember when I made it to my 8th grade, how my mother was all over the place dancing and shedding tears of joy in gratitude to God. When I passed my Grade 9 and Grade 12, she danced and cried a lot more. My father is a great cheerleader who always said ‘Thank You’ every time I made it,” narrated Lungu.

“This path, however, has not been easy. I was denied admission to the university on my first try, and I was denied sponsorship 5 times when I needed it, but God saw me through.”

Lungu has worked and currently works as a freelance journalist. She has interned as a Public relations practitioner, and is a writer among others.

Her work revolves around women and communities, pointing out issues that are affects them as individuals in a society. She also has a Non governmental organization which focuses on advocating for youth empowerment, women programs in education, and health.

Her story is an inspiring one and a clear reminder that no win is too insignificant for you to acknowledge and celebrate because no one understands your journey and where you are coming from.

Lungu’s story is worth celebrating because it shines a beacon of hope on those who are on the verge of giving up on whatever dreams they have. Keep working hard and while at it, celebrate every win and enjoy the process each step of the way.

Even when you don’t have people in your corner cheering you and supporting you on your way to success, be your own cheerleader.

“To someone out there, your dreams are valid. One day, you’ll thank yourself for not giving up.”

Dare to dream!

In Inspiration May 25, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Meet Dr. Nomkhosi Luthuli, the Youngest Female Lecturer At the University of Kwazulu Natal’s Graduate School of Business and Leadership.

Dr. Nomkhosi Luthuli (PhD) is a 30-year-old South African born Academic, Corporate Speaker, Mentor and Advocate for Development.

She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Regional Economic Development, Agglomeration Economics & the Aerotropolis and Master of Commerce (MCom) in Regional and Local Economic Development from the University of Kwazulu-Natal, a Bachelor of Social Sciences (BS) Honours in Development Studies from the University of Cape Town.

She is currently the youngest female Lecturer and researcher at the University of Kwazulu Natal’s Graduate School of Business and Leadership.

“I’m driven by breaking boundaries and changing beliefs on how things should be in society. I want to change the perception that aviation and planning for airport cities is a man’s terrain, and I hope to consistently challenge the generalisation that academia is for old people.

“I know for sure that a determined mind excels whether male or female, young or old in any space of influence, and that there’s no sector too male-dominated and barrier of entry too great for me to break through and do the best I possibly can,” she says.

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