Interviews&profile Archives

In Interviews&profile August 15, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

“I ONCE WALKED INTO A CHANGE ROOM NAKED TO PROVE I WAS A GIRL”- CASTER SEMENYA

Caster Semenya isn’t new to her gender being questioned and used against her. The athlete recently shared that even as youngster she had to sometimes prove she was a woman as her teammates struggled to compete against her. “They started questioning, are you really a girl? One day, I walked naked into the change room [to prove to them],” Semenya was quoted as saying by The Sowetan.

The athlete was speaking at the Standard Bank Top Women Conference held at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park in Johannesburg.

The athlete, who also revealed she used to be a soccer player, shared some of the reasons she is as strong and fast as she is. She said she grew up with boys and walked long distances to school. She added that she used to train on sand.

“I think my parents raised me well,” Semenya said. “They have never questioned what I do, my feelings, how I see life. They accepted me for who I am. They could see that this one was a little bit different. I did not like being in the kitchen, but being in the garden. I just wanted to give you background why I am tough, why am I fearless, why I do not care about what other people think about me.”

The Court of Arbitration for Sport recently ruled against Semenya in her case against the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) forcing female athletes to regulate their testosterone levels.

Semenya, always resilient, was quoted in May of this year as saying after the ruling: “For a decade the IAAF has tried to slow me down. But this has actually made me stronger. The decision of the CAS will not hold me back. I will once again rise above and continue to inspire young women and athletes in South Africa and around the world.”

In Interviews&profile August 15, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

MEET OMOWUNMI SADIK, INVENTOR OF BIOSENSORS THAT DETECT BOMBS

Meet Omowunmi Sadik, the inventor of microelectrode biosensors that can detect foreign materials and can be used to spot drugs or explosives.

According to patent number 20060275786A1, the request for the patent was filed on December 7, 2006. Sadik also has patents for additional distinct biosensors

Sadik is a surface chemist, inventor, and college instructor. She was born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1964. In 1985, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Lagos. She also obtained a Master’s degree in chemistry in 1987. In 1994, she earned her PhD from Wollongong University in Australia.

Sadik is the recipient of several fellowships to include the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the National Research Council to name a few.

She is also a collaborator with the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, UNESCO in Romania, Turkey, and Japan; and previously a panel member for the National Institution of Health on Instrumentation and Systems Development.

In 2012, Sadik in conjunction with Barbara Karn formed the not-for-profit Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization.

Sadik is currently a professor at Binghamton University in Upstate, New York while formulating technology that will recycle metal ions from waste for industrial and environmental purposes.

In Interviews&profile August 12, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

NIGERIAN DOCTOR, DR ELEANOR NWADINOBI, EMERGES HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL WOMEN’S BODY

A Nigerian, Dr Eleanor Nwadinobi, has emerged President-elect of Medical Women International Association (MWIA) in the United States.

The MWIA is a global association of all medical women doctors in the world, Igbere TV reports.

The association’s spokesperson, Dr Udochi Okoronkwo, said in a statement on Monday that Nwadinobi became the first Nigerian to emerge as president-elect of the 100-year-old association, an indication that she would become the International President by 2022, Igbere TV reports.

She said Nwadinobi, who hails from Umuahia, Abia State, was celebrated during the closing ceremony of the Centennial Congress of the MWIA, organised by American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) from July 25 to July 28 in New York.

According to the spokesperson, Nwadinobi joined the association in Nigeria through its Enugu branch in 1982 and rose to become President of the Enugu branch in 1997.

In 2005, the MWIA president-elect was elected as the National President of Medical Women Association of Nigeria and served on the Scientific, Ethics and Resolution Committee and chaired the Finance Committee.

Nwadinobi is also a co-country representative for the Working Group on Women Youth Peace and Security for UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS)

In Interviews&profile August 12, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

MEET TANZEELA QAMBRANI, PAKISTAN’S FIRST FEMALE LAWMAKER OF AFRICAN DESCENT

Pakistan went to the election voting a month ago and among the legislators selected is a lady of African plunge assigned to a women’s reserved seat at the regional parliament of southern Sindh region.

Tanzeela Qambrani originates from the Sidi, a community made up of a larger part of individuals of African descent.

Qambrani’s progenitors originated from Tanzania simply like the ancestors of numerous Sidi individuals, who are accepted to be either the descendants of slaves conveyed to Asia by the Portuguese or traders and pilgrims.

“My father told us that his grandparents had been brought to Sindh now around a century ago from Tanzania. That’s why one of my sisters is married in Tanzania,” she said.

Photo: Daily Messenger

The Sidi have managed to hold onto their roots and cultures but still face racial discrimination.

“As a tiny minority lost in the midst of local populations, we have struggled to preserve our African roots and cultural expression, but I look forward to the day when the name Sidi will evoke respect, not contempt,” Ms Qambrani, told the BBC.

Qambrani, a member of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of Benazir Bhutto, was nominated by Bhutto’s son Bhutto Zardari, making her the first Sidi to join parliament.

Photo: Twitter

It is not the first time the mother of three who holds a postgraduate in computer science has held political office. She has served as a local councillor in Badin, where she comes from. She, however, says the new position comes with a lot of responsibility and expectations.

“I can already feel the weight,” she said. “I’m a Sidi, and all these middle class, lower-middle class and working class Sidis know that I’m one of them. And this means there will be expectations.”

Source: Women4Africa

In Interviews&profile August 12, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

19-YEAR OLD MIRABELLE MORAH IS BUILDING A STRONG COMMUNITY OF YOUNG AFRICAN WRITERS

Mirabelle Ogochukwu Morah is the 19-year old founder of Blankpaperz, a literary platform for young African writers.

As a teenager, Mirabel had read Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie and she was struck by how the writer could capture societal issues in words. So, being a writer, Mirabel decided to start her website just to put up her stories.

Soon, she got all her friends, who are writers to publish their stories on her platform and advocate for societal change through them.

Since its inception, over 100 people from over 12 countries have published on Blankpaperz, with 33, 000 online viewership.

Mirabel hosts events and programs to promote literacy, local leadership and support other social causes. In partnership with other organisations, Mirabel also give out books to promote education.

Mirabel wouldn’t have belived that she could build a community so strong as Blankpaperz but for the books she read growing up.

“..the books I read opened my mind up to the possibilities inside of me. they made me much more confident in myself,” she said.

However, the teenager battled with some feelings of inadequacies before doing it afraid with her platform

“There was always this fear, ‘if I try this, it might fail. What if I’m not good enough? But then, the whole thing was just try. Just be a voice for someone who is voiceless. In as much as you are afraid, you can always overcome the fear,” she said.

Watch her video below;

In Interviews&profile August 12, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

YOUNG GHANAIAN WOMEN DEVELOP A DEVICE TO COMPLETELY RID THE COUNTRY OF MOSQUITOES

Mavis Kusi and Sharon Aforo Acheampong are two young Ghanaian women graduates who have just perfected a device that can incapacitate mosquitoes. The goal is to prevent insects from biting humans to help eradicate mosquitoes completely from Ghana.

The device is composed of IoT technology and is able to repel and collect data on mosquitoes that are within two meters in specific areas

According to various reports, Kusi and Acheampong were motivated by the apparent lack of impact of mosquito repellent products in Ghana. Kusi says the product is sold at a reduced cost and would help people do their business without fear of mosquitoes.

Available information suggests that some outpatient departments in Ghana have identified about 11 million cases of malaria in 2018, up from 10 million in 2017. 428 people died from malaria in 2018. This is a decrease of 29% compared to 2017, when 599 people died.

In Interviews&profile August 12, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

5 FEMALE MAKE UP ARTISTES IN NIGERIA EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

The crowded terrain of the make-up industry following the popular cliche that “Everybody is now a makeup artist” has definitely not slowed down those who have taken it upon themselves to create a legacy in the beauty industry. The Nigerian beauty industry is undoubtedly massive and has continued to grow as a result of makeup artists that have proven to be exceptional and excellent. These makeup artists come in to make their mark, create a name for themselves and stand out of the crowd and are constantly pulling amazing traffic to the makeup world.

So whether you are a celebrity or not and you are looking for the best of the best or just to keep up with the trend, in no particular order, here are 5 skilled female Make Up Artists you should know in Nigeria:

1. Banke Meshida Lawal, popularly known as ‘Bmpro’.
The CEO, BMPRO Makeup, is one of the biggest brands in the Nigerian make up industry, with over 400k followers on Instagram. Being the highest followed IG make-up artist in Nigeria, she is on speed dial of first ladies and wives of billionaires, celebrities and stars in the country. She is described as the queen of Make Up Artists, having worked with several top celebrities as clients. With over a decade in the beauty industry that started as a hobby from her days at the University of Lagos, she doesn’t come cheap at all. She has successfully created a name for herself, evident in the numerous awards she has won over the years.

2. Lola Maja Okojevoh, CEO ‘Sacred Beauty’.
Lola Maja is highly reputed for not just bridal or facial make-up, but “Special Effects” in addition to eyebrows and eyelashes visual. She started working as a make-up artist at age 14 and has since grown into a brand. She launched her lashes range “Sacred Lashes” in 2010 which later metamorphosed into “Sacred Group of Companies” and has won several awards for tricks she has used in the visual, film and theatre world. She is a massage therapist, beauty tutor, spa and cosmetics brand consultant, has worked on several music videos, tv series, fashion events and films. Creating a name for herself in a rare part of the make-up world is why she is popular.

Well done Lola!

3. Adetola Anita Adetoye, popularly known as “Anita Brows”
The creative director of “Anita Brows Beauty”, started makeup as a hobby and self –taught herself through “Youtube” by posting pictures and videos of her work on social media which attracted potential customers to her services ranging from wedding ceremonies , television commercials, photoshoots and many more. Her star studded clients include the likes of Tonto Dikeh, Toke Makinwa, Annie Idibia and many more. Over the years, she has created a name for herself and was recently listed as a game changer in Forbes 25 under 25 list.

4. Elaine Shobanjo, Make UpArtist Extraordinaire, Funder of ShoMya
Elaine Shobanjo is one of the most talented ladies in the Makeup business, and she has caught our attention by how she has managed to move from working in the financial sector in London to pursuing a career in makeup artistry. She is often regarded as beauty and brains as she topped her class studying Economics and later Finance before quitting and delving into make-up. She has somehow managed to combine motherhood and a career successfully. Despite being armed with degrees from the world’s most prestigious institutions she chose an unusual path and decided to pursue her passion. She has worked with several celebrities, a beauty consultant for Television and has won several awards excelling in the Makeup world.

5. Omontese Akhethuamen , CEO “BeautyCook Studio”
Omontese Akhetuamen is a make-up artist with an edge. Her studio, established in 2005 managed to bring in a one-stop centre for beauty matters, skillful in the art of gele-tying and hairdressing, her brand specializes in hair, make-up and beauty- products. She is one of the most followed make-up artists on Instagram and has managed to make a name for herself in the past decade by making up several celebrities and having them as clients. So for your one shop look, Omontese’s beauty studio has got you covered and we love a woman who knows her onions, walk in and walk out looking it all!

Source: Women4Afria

In Interviews&profile August 12, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

MEET THE WOMAN WHO IS CONNECTING NIGERIAN ELDERS TO PROFESSIONAL CAREGIVERS

Many people fear to leave their loved ones with caregivers because they are usually underqualified. Many families end up complaining that when they leave elderly people in homes they tend to be mistreated. However, Chika Madubuko is changing that with her company, Greymate care. Greymate care has an online platform that connects specialist carers to those in need of care, giving both patients and families the peace of mind they are looking for.

While we may have figured out how to move around and get food delivered to our doorsteps, we haven’t really done enough to make technology useful.
Greymate Care is the uber for home care. It is the online platform that connects the elderly to a vetted and insured caregiver/doctor/nurse at the click of a button. They take the stress of care off busy professionals using technology. Greymate Care not only solves the problem of finding a companion right in the comfort of one’s home but they also have the potential of providing 10,000 jobs within Africa.

So what inspired Chika to start this company?
Every startup has a story behind it and as for Chika her company was started as a result of a highly personal experience. They found it difficult to find someone to provide care during the last days of her diabetic grandmother. At a point, they took turns in the family to spend time with her and this made their school work and jobs suffer. Even when they opted for a paid caregiver, there was no regulated marketplace and they were worried about the quality of the caregivers they found as none of them was background checked or trained. She eventually lived the rest of her life with less care and attention than she truly deserved. She decided to solve this problem for other families by getting some training in the UK and started Greymate Care in Nigeria.

Obviously, the reason why anyone would use this platform is rather obvious.
For starters, who wouldn’t want their loved ones with caregivers that are actually qualified? Greymate Care differentiates itself from other home care services due to their highly mechanised processes and equipment as opposed to the regular manual handling methods that are currently available. They thoroughly check their caregiver’s backgrounds and make sure that they are well suited for the job.

I think this is a phenomenal woman and this is a very useful and selfless way of using technology.

In Interviews&profile August 12, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

MEET THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN NOMINATED TO BE MARINE BRIGADIER GENERAL

Marine Corps Col. Lorna Mahlock has been nominated to serve as the first black female brigadier general, the Marine Corps media office said. Mahlock was nominated by President Donald Trump, and Defense Secretary James Mattis announced the nomination on Tuesday.

According to his announcement, Mahlock is currently the deputy director of the Operations, Plans, Policies, and Operations Directorate at the Marine Corps headquarters in Washington.

Her nomination was one of several by the President that Mattis announced Tuesday. Last year, an infantry battalion at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina received the first female infantry Marines, who were set to serve in the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, with specializations as rifleman, machine gun and mortar, 1st Lt. John McCombs, a Marines spokesman, said at the time.

Marine Corps Col. Lorna M. Mahlock currently serves as the deputy director of Operations, Plans, Policies and Operations at Marine Corps headquarters.

The Defense Department’s April 10 release of slated general promotions includes a historic first for the Corps.

Marine Corps Col. Lorna M. Mahlock, the deputy director of Operations, Plans, Policies and Operations at Marine Corps headquarters outside Washington, D.C., will become the first black woman to don the rank of brigadier general if she is confirmed.

Mahlock’s nomination was first reported by ABC News. The Marine colonel has not made a public statement since her nomination, but in 2016, she discussed her experience in the Marine Corps as part of a video dedicated to Women’s History Month.

“Over my 30 years in the Marine Corps, my experience in terms of how women have evolved has been very positive,” she said in the video. “It’s been a steady rise. I’m very, very hopeful.”

The Marine Corps is the smallest of the four military services and has the lowest percentage of female members, according to Marine Corps Community Services.

And just under a hundred women across active duty and reserve Marines are serving in various combat job fields that were previously closed to women.

The first black general in Marine Corps history was Marine aviator Frank E. Petersen Jr. He was selected as a second lieutenant in October 1952 after completing flight training and was promoted to brigadier general in 1979, according to Marine Corps University.

Lt. Gen. Frank E. Petersen, Jr. the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps officer to be promoted to brigadier general. (Marine Corps)

The Marine pilot served in the Korean War and Vietnam. He flew more than 350 combat missions.

Petersen retired as a lieutenant general in 1988, and passed away on Aug. 25, 2015.

Mahlock previously was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, where she was charged with overseeing 1,300 military and civilian personnel and $250 million in military equipment in support of U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region.

In Interviews&profile August 12, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

THE WORLD’S FIRST AFRICAN FEMALE FIGHTER PILOT IS FROM SOUTH AFRICA

Mandisa Mfeka is the world’s first Black African female fighter pilot and she is from South Africa.

Major Mandisa Nomcebo Mfeka, a Combat Pilot in the South African Air Force.

She is regarded as the world’s first Black African female fighter pilot and hails from South Africa!

Mandisa, who was born in Ntuzuma Kwazulu-Natal grew up in Malvern. She says she realised her love for aviation when she was about five years old when her mother and grandmother used to take them to airshows in Virginia Airport.

Due to the inability to afford the entry fee, Mandisa says her mom would park outside the airport and they would watch the displays from there.

Growing up she thought she wanted to be a doctor but when she was in grade 10, she started researching careers that used math and science. As a result, she discovered aeronautical engineering. She decided to apply to different universities to study exactly that but she came across an article for the South African Air Force and after seeing that she exceeded the requirements of entry, plus she could become a pilot, she was immediately sold.

“From the moment I discovered the SAAF, I knew that’s what I wanted to do, and since then I haven’t looked back.”

In 2008 she joined the South African Air force (SAAF), and in 2010 she started at the Central Flying School in Langebaan; in 2011 she got her wings.

Mandisa says her journey as a Combat Pilot really shifted her perspective about what aviation and what being a military practitioner looked like. Nonetheless, she believes that becoming a combat pilot has been an amazing experience.

“It is such a dynamic environment and so mentally stimulating, and I love it because I’m growing in my technical expertise and learning more about aerodynamics.”

One quote that Mandisa lives by is, “The sky is the baseline.” Which means, the excellence bar that you pushed yesterday should be your starting point, tomorrow.