Interviews&profile Archives

In Interviews&profile July 7, 2018 By Esther Ijewere

“IT’S MY DESTINY TO DEDICATE MY LIFE TO HELPING THE VULNERABLE AND UNDERPRIVILEGED” – MODUPE OZOLUA

PrincessS Modupe Ozolua is an American-Nigerian philanthropist and entrepreneur. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Body Enhancement Limited, which pioneered cosmetic surgery in Nigeria in 2001 and aesthetic lasers in 2007. In 2003, she founded the non-profit organisation, Empower 54, which offers humanitarian programmes to underprivileged women and refugees. Princess Ozolua is active in rehabilitating women and children survivors of Boko Haram insurgency in North Eastern Nigeria, through self-employment and education for the children at the Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps.In recognition of her philanthropy, Princess Modupe Ozolua has received many international awards and recognitions, including an award from the internationally-acclaimed magazine, Elle. Elle Magazine, South Africa, has also featured her twice for her entrepreneurial achievement as a leading “African Female Boss” and also as one of the “50 Women Changing Africa”. She shares her story with Esther Ijewere

Childhood Influence
My natural inclination towards business originated from my late mother, who was an entrepreneur to the core and owned many successful businesses during her lifetime. As a philanthropist, I come from a famous family known to be very generous to those in need. That’s how we all are. So, my passion for helping the underprivileged is no surprise to my family and friends.

Pioneering Cosmetic Surgery in Nigeria
When I started Body Enhancement in 2001, the reception was absolutely wonderful because everyone, both men and women, were thrilled to know they could improve areas of their bodies they felt uncomfortable with. Of course, some people misunderstood what cosmetic surgery was and felt it was a conflict with our valuable African culture and religious beliefs. They didn’t understand.

I did not preach against our culture or religion. Neither did my business. I am from a very traditional and religious family. My parents hailed from two Edo royal families. How could I ever encourage anyone to turn against what makes us a people? My parents and family members would have lynched me! Despite the few misconceptions some people had, the overall response was wonderful and till date, people contact my office for services. I closed Body Enhancement Limited in 2014 to focus more on my philanthropy through Empower 54.

Inspiration behind your initiative, Empower 54
When I created Body Enhancement Limited in 2001, it opened my doors to people that needed both cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries. It also made me globally known as the contact point in Nigeria for plastic surgery. In 2003, a couple came to my office seeking reconstructive surgery for the wife who had severe burns and lacerations from a fire accident. Unfortunately, they couldn’t afford to pay for it and narrated how they had made numerous appeals to wealthy individuals for financial assistance but to no avail.I found it very disturbing that no one agreed to help the woman. Then, the husband suddenly, said: “Madam, why don’t you help people like us? When you speak, people will listen.”It’s My Destiny To Help The Vulnerable And Underprivileged
Immediately they left my office, I called the Head, Plastic Surgeon in Beverly Hills and told him I was starting a non-profit project to help underprivileged people and I wanted him to put together a team of surgeons to come and help people for free in Nigeria.

Rehabilitating women and children survivors of the terrorist group, Boko Haram
In 2014, a friend from Adamawa State pleaded with me to look into the IDP crisis in the state. We went to visit North East states to see first-hand what was going on. To get a proper brief on what was going on, we didn’t only visit the IDP camps, we also took the risk of going into rural communities that were destroyed by Boko Haram. Back then, only some villagers and military personnel visited those areas. Humanitarian organisations were too scared to go there because those areas were still under the attack of Boko Haram insurgents.
Our tours enabled us to truly understand the extent of damage done by Boko Haram, and we then decided to focus on two things: Getting the children engaged through education, both in the camps and rebuilding some schools destroyed in rural communities as there were still children living in those places; and empowering the women to start small-scale businesses because we saw many young women, some 30-year-olds, with 12 children!

Testimonials
Majority of IDP camps have schools established for the children. Testimonies? There are too many but I always fondly remember a little girl, who was born with a cleft palate and was one of our beneficiaries during our first humanitarian programme in 2003.Prior to her coming to us, her palate had been operated on twice by other doctors, but it always relapsed. After we performed her corrective surgery free. It did not relapse and she began speech therapy.
Years later, her parents surprised me by bringing her to my office to say, hello! She had grown and looked so beautiful in her native attire. When she saw me, she ran and hugged me. I was shocked! I asked her if she remembered me, and she said: “Yes, I remember you! It was you that saved my life!” I immediately started crying, held her close and I thanked God for using me as an instrument to help that young lady lead a normal life like everyone else.

The narrative of the helpless people at the IDP camp
When people hear the acronym IDP, they assume they are all illiterates and poor people that lived in rural villages. Unfortunately, that’s not so! Some of these IDPs are doctors, teachers among others They were successful businessmen and women that owned large farms, houses and companies. Some of those children are extremely intelligent and had excellent grades in school before they were all displaced by Boko Haram.
If Boko Haram attacks Abuja today and we all flee to Lagos or neighboring states, leaving our homes, cars, clothes, businesses, among others, what does that make us? It also makes us IDPs because we would be internally- displaced. If we flee to Cameroun or Chad, we automatically become refugees.

Governments doing their best
Having to tackle insurgency and manage IDP camps is not something the Federal Republic of Nigeria ever thought it would experience. It’s not easy for any country to maintain IDP or refugee camps because of the many challenges involved, especially financial implications. Considering this is the first time we are facing such a huge security and socio-economic disaster, we are learning as we go. I think the Federal Government, NGOs and state governments are doing the best they can.

Challenges
Our biggest challenge is finance. Empower 54 isn’t a personal foundation such as the Bill Gates and others that are largely funded by the billionaire founders. Even the Bill Gates Foundation receives millions of dollars in donation! So, people should please be more compassionate and respectful because it could be any of us in those camps.

Your other projects?
We have some wonderful ongoing projects that we haven’t gone public with. So, I cannot share them with you just yet. However, since I personally led the joint evacuation of the malnourished children from Bama to Maiduguri for treatment, the Federal Government has declared malnutrition a national epidemic with one in every three children suffering from malnutrition. We had to tackle the issue of malnutrition beyond risking our lives to evacuate children from high-risk zones for treatment.Although very expensive, Ready-To-Use-Therapeutic-Foods (RUTF) has been medically proven to save lives of malnourished children and with extremely limited funds, we came up with a solution.This prompted the creation of an Empower 54 campaign to eradicate malnutrition in Africa with our goodwill ambassador being His Imperial Majesty, Oonirisa Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife.
We have now successfully established a small-scale RUTF production facility in Nigeria to produce free RUTF for malnourished children. It is sponsored by the Australian government and International Monetary Fund (IMF). With donations received, we will produce and distribute to malnourished children all over the country for free. That is why we need donations. How can we save lives without money to execute these projects? Please, donate to Empower 54. We are doing great projects with every penny we receive and we can do so much more with your support.

Reward
The greatest rewards I have received for being a philanthropist are: “God bless you. Thank you!” When people tell me they had no hope before I came to help them, that God sent me to restore their faith in humanity and they voluntarily pray for me and say “thank you”. What greater reward do I want? I’m sorry, but I don’t know any greater reward than that.

Never giving up
No and yes. No, in the sense that being a philanthropist is my calling. It’s my destiny to dedicate my life to helping the vulnerable and underprivileged. So, I can’t run away from that. Yes, in the sense that there was a project that verbal attacks we received made me to almost shut down all our humanitarian activities in Nigeria. But when I looked at the pictures of the beneficiaries, I knew I couldn’t do that because our obligation was to help them, not the people trying to create negative distractions.

Those who inspire me to be better
My family is my greatest inspiration, especially my late father and my son. I was a daddy’s girl. My father’s approval and love meant the world to me, and till date. Wanting his approval still puts me in check. When I think of what my 22-year-old son would say about anything I do, I quickly check myself, because I want him to be proud of me always.

The fact is everything I do affects a lot of people. I might not have really realised that when I was much younger, but I sure do know that now. I am a very family dedicated person and very close to many members of my extremely extended family.

Being a Woman of Rubies
Hmmmmmmmmm….Why don’t you tell me? (laughs). But what I do know is what makes me a woman that has gone through various stages of life and is getting better by the day. I was married at 21. I was a dutiful wife, pregnant with my son, running a home, taking care of a husband and running my first business in America. I had my son at 22, divorced at 23 and I have raised my son singlehandedly since. At 27, I returned home to Nigeria and pioneered cosmetic surgery, which put Nigeria on the global map as a destination for plastic surgery in Africa. At 30, I started an NGO, which was the first to provide free reconstructive surgeries for the underprivileged in Nigeria. Between then and now, I brought the first aesthetic laser machine to Nigeria among other things. I have been appreciated in my birth country, Nigeria, and many other countries in the world, both for my private business and philanthropy.Through it all, I have watched myself evolve over the years into a woman I’m proud of and I know I am getting better daily with the right people guiding and advising me.

Dear Woman,
Hold your head up! There is nothing wrong with working hard for success, but never be desperate for fame. Fame comes with a price and most times, you end up paying with your peace, happiness and pains, when you are slandered and painted as who and what you are not. Today, you are famous and you are celebrated by all, tomorrow, it’s going to be someone else. Don’t allow your self- worth to be based on others’ perception of who you are. Identify those that genuinely love and care about you, hold them close because as you get older, you will discover such good people are rare to find. Know you, be you and do you. Remember that, and you will be okay!

In Interviews&profile July 3, 2018 By Women of Rubies

“NIGERIAN EMPLOYERS ARE MORE INTRESTED IN AGE, MARRIGE STATUS MORE THAN EXPERTISE”- NGOZI MADUEKE-DOZIE

Ngozi Madueke-Dozie is an experienced professional in the Technology, Mobile and Entertainment eco- system. Prior to joining IFLIX as General Manager for West Africa, she served as the Consulting Country Manager and Business Development Director at Viacom, Nigeria. She also served as the Growth and Partnerships Manager for West and Central Africa for Facebook. In addition, Ngozi has worked as the Geo-Marketing Manager at MTN Nigeria and the Chief Partnerships Officer at Iroko TV. Over the years, Ngozi has gained a wealth of experience in International consulting, in-depth knowledge and exposure to the Media, Telecommunications, Technology and Mobile industries across Africa. She holds a BSc in Management Information Systems and Decision Science as well as an MSc in Systems Engineering and Engineering Management. She tells TOBI AWODIPE about age and status discrimination in the country, being the Go, Girl Woman and her struggles in career choices.

You were the Go, Girl! Woman for this month. Tell us what this was about and how it made you feel?
Go, Girl! is a woman empowerment platform that showcases women in different careers and levels and encouraging them to share their stories as well. I am honoured to be the first woman showcased on this platform, as I am always looking forward to hearing other women’s stories never realising that anyone would be particularly interested in hearing mine.

Tell us about your career journey so far?
OK, so I will skip the baby-sitting and telemarketing jobs (although I must say they both built my tolerance and perseverance). However, my first real job was with Sprint as a Network Engineer and then Databasics as a Requirements, Analysis and Design Consultant before I moved back to Nigeria and worked for Interconnect, MTN, Facebook and Viacom before my current job here at Iflix. My roles have spanned the gamut from Organisational Design and Development to Country/General Manager.

You’re in the I.T field, which is male dominated. How do you manage this experience?
To be honest, I find there is more age and status discrimination in Nigeria than gender. I find it interesting the preoccupation with your age rather than your level of expertise. I also find that one’s marital status and perhaps whether or not you have children are also meters used to determine how much respect you are accorded. It’s like there are only two categories for women, ‘small girl’ or ‘big woman’ (according to your marital status and if you have kids or not) and so I created a third for myself; ‘qualified professional,’ and I strive to make sure I live up to that in every interaction.
How are/would you encourage younger women and girls to venture into this field?
I am a mother of girls and I am raising them to pursue whatever passions they desire and not let their gender determine their careers or interest. I was raised this way, my older sister and I studied technology and engineering and my younger sister is a medical doctor. I do not adjust for gender when it comes to the capacity and capability of ones’ brain and passion and so I would say to young women to not let the world or society limit your ambition or worse, pigeonhole you to a particular career path simply because you are female.

Tell us how you cope with challenges and the burden of expectation?
One of my favourite sayings is, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” It is a blessing and responsibility to pay it forward and so I do not consider it a burden. As for expectations being a challenge, what is life without challenges? It gives one something to strive for and a sense of accomplishment when achieved.

Apart from sharing each other’s stories, what affirmative action or impacts is this having on women?
I think sharing each other’s stories is actually impactful in and of itself. It reminds you that nobody has all the answers; it frees you to accept your imperfect self and reorients one’s perspective to always approach each situation as a learning opportunity.

How do you strike the perfect work-life balance?
Ha! Is there such a thing? It is always going to be a struggle, I have come to accept and embrace the fact that I will drop a ball or two every now and again, but my work and my life are both important and so the juggling continues.

Who and what motivates or inspires you to keep going?
That’s easy, my daughters, Chizoma and Kelenna. I am fascinated that with absolutely no qualifications whatsoever, God saw it fit to give me these two human beings to be responsible for emotionally, physically, financially and spiritually. Typically you do not get a job unless you have some kind of experience or qualification and so I find the blessing of being a mother to be such a vote of confidence and this inspires me everyday to be the best version of myself as that is the only way I can fulfill this responsibility successfully.

What would you tell women out there struggling with life and career choices?
To be honest, I struggled as well. I always dreaded the question “what are you passionate about?” I am passionate about running, traveling and going to the beach, but I am still yet to find anyone that will pay me to do any of those things and so perhaps I was being asked the wrong question. Instead I ask myself the following, “What are you good at”? What are your strengths? What makes you stand out? When I started answering those questions, I found it easier to navigate the types of roles and careers I was most suited for and would excel in. Besides, the world is constantly changing; the industry I work in now simply didn’t exist 15 years ago and so re-evaluating your career path every so often is also necessary to remain relevant in our rapidly changing world.

****Interview by Tobi Awodipe for Guardian Woman

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

MANY YOUTHS VENTURE INTO ABUSING DRUGS OUT OF FRUSTRATION, IDLENESS AND JOBLESSNESS- OLABISI OLATUNDE

Olatunde Olabisi Hawwau is a young, dynamic and resonate Nigerian. The flair for creative writing and the zeal for giving back to the society led her into studying mass Communication at the Lagos State Polytechnic where she is currently a student of Higher National Diploma Programme. OLABISI being a motivational speaker with great interest in leadership skills is also an agent of positive change who is very passionate about good governance and transparency..
She is a girl child advocate and tailored her strength towards teens mentorship and education.

The aim to empower the new generation birthed Step Up Foundation which was Olabisi’s brainchild through her love for humanitarian services.
An organization that focuses on empowering young women and driving the youths towards personal development and nation building, and most importantly helping the less privileged through empowerment. She recently launched the #StepUpagainstDrugAbuse campaign that went viral on social media where she educated the youths and society at large on the topic and also created awareness. Olabisi shares her inspiring story with me in this exclusive interview.

Childhood Influence
Growing up was quite tough and rough and my parent especially my mum taught me how to be STRONG in the face of all difficulties. She also taught us to share what we have with the world no matter how so little it may be.
This prepared me to always ensure that I share my little knowledge with the world, My childhood experience helped sharpened my preparedness into doing all that I do to help and contribute to the development of my community and society. Even when I never had any idea about what volunteering means but I have learnt to always step in for people who are sick and help lessen their problems if not totally solved.
While growing up, my mum would make us share our food with neighbours even when the food is so little, she would encourage us to help with assignments of other children and help the old ones in our area to fetch water, all these we did without expecting anything in return.
So, it became my way of life and got me all along while growing which metamorphosed into becoming an habit to help others even when they do not call for it.
Therefore, I can boldly say that my childhood experiences contributed immensely and actually prepared me for what I am doing right now and have been the drive towards all the idea of selfless act.

Meet me
My name is Olatunde Olabisi Hawwau. I am the founder of Step Up Foundation. I am a motivational speaker with great interest in developing leadership skills. I am an agent of positive change who is very passionate about good governance and transparency and I believe change start with me.I am committed towards rendering selfless services through volunteering of which I had effectively and distinctively volunteered for different reputable organisations such as Better society begins with me, Enough is enough Nigeria, Sickle cell aids foundation (Lagos), Brain builder international, Girl hub Africa, Eagle Foundation for Humanity, Ladies with Radiance, project Revamp Africa, to mention a few.
The flair I have for creative writing and public relations led me into studying Mass Communication which I am currently running a Higher National Diploma programme at the Lagos state Polytechnic.

Step Up foundation
The quest to put smiles on the faces of many, most especially the less privileged and love to empower the new generation inspired me start step up foundation. After much brainstorming, an idea popped up that since the motive of the team is to step up to help another and charge people to stop complaining about the society but to step up and join in making it happen for others. Hence the name Step Up Foundation became visible.
Step Up Foundation focuses on empowering young women and driving the youths towards personal development and nation building and most importantly helping the less privileged through basic educational tools which is in line with (SDG 4 – QUALITY EDUCATION), creation of awareness and empowerment programs
Since inception, Step Up Foundation has always call on vibrant and purpose driven youth to join in promoting selfless act in their society. It also encourages the introduction of positive attitude into the society by staging peaceful campaigns to enlighten the youths about volunteering and humanitarian services.

Combining school with work
There is something I have learnt so far in life and that is knowing how best to use your time. My work and schooling are two different things of which I set out the time for each. One is not affecting the other and that is because I set my priority right and straight.
When it is time to give back to the society I do that effectively well, and when time comes to study I focus on that too without limitation. Everything boils down to know what my priorities are and going for it.
Another thing that is helping me cope with the work and studies is my supportive team members. Even if I am not available my mind is always at rest because Step Up Foundation is in good hands. So, God blessed me with very supportive team members who take the vision of step up foundation as their own.These have in doubt been helping me tremendously to balance work and school.

Decision to sensitize the society on drug abuse
The drug abuse campaign focuses on educating the people on the effect of abusing drugs and how dangerous it is to their health and psychological well-being. The aim of the campaign is to influence the youths and everyone engaging in the misuse of drugs on the reasons they need to see beyond their limitations and despise drug abuse. Also, to encourage parents and guardians on proper and adequate care for their children.
Most importantly the sensitization was aimed to achieve a society free of drug abuse, more reason we keep saying it is a collective effort to curb this menace that have eaten deep in the souls of our youths.
However, the inspiration behind this campaign was my encounter with a very young lady taking marijuana and a recent documentary on codeine diet I saw. I was debated and disturbed to witness the derailing path which our promising youths most especially have embarked on. Then I realized that social media is a strong tool in the hands of Nigerian Youths of which I can use this medium. This was the main reason we adopted several platforms on social media to reach out to people on the effect and defects of drug abuse and we were glad of the positive attitude the campaign received from the public and the impacts on the target audience. This campaign also got us featured on a blog called Blackbox Nigeria and here we are again on women of rubies,

Challenges
A problem free life is an illusion. We all at a point face challenges and that is what makes life interesting when we overcome them. First and foremost funding this is always a challenge for most startups and nonprofits. Secondly, the difficulty of convincing corporate organisation to sponsor our events . When we started we propose to feed 1000 orphans in three states and our budget was 500,000. We started contributing within ourselves to finance the project but with the economic meltdown and coupled with the fact that most volunteers are student we couldn’t achieve anything with this idea. However, aborting the project doesn’t mean we didn’t achieve it, Better society begins with me did a street Christmas fair by feeding the kids on the street on Christmas day, we raise little money and send to them as a way for contributing to the society. Also the challenge of assembling volunteers for our projects

Volunteering for notable organizations
I live with this philosophy that you can’t say you live a worthwhile life if during your stay on earth you don’t help other people grow, I love helping but since I don’t have the capacity in cash as of the moment to help people why not offer my kind which is in my capacity to help others grow. That is just why I volunteer for organisation in order to reach out to people.
You see, volunteering to me is a win-win cause. While helping others you are also getting help by developing your skills one may not even think of having. The drive has always been to help and show love as much as I can. That is why you see me joining other organisations and it has been a wonderful experience for me.

Other projects and activities
After we had the online media campaign against Drug Abuse we are currently on school tours to educate the young ones on the side effect of drug abuse and teenage pregnancy in Osun state, Osogbo to be precise. Also we are planning to stage a walk against Drug Abuse in Lagos by July with focus on market place and where we can get handful of youths for positive impartation.
Also, our “Cloth and Feed The Street” will be coming up later in this year. It is project proposing to cater for 500 children living on the street. We are open to partnering with other organisations whose vision are in line with ours to reach out to people .

Greatest Reward
I believe reward comes from God and all actions are directed to be selfless without expectation of monetary or recognition from anywhere. The reward received during the course of doing my humanitarian acts may not be materially inclined but if we can count lives impacted as reward then I will say that is the greatest reward so far. People have been getting in touch on how I have impacted them through posts on my social media handles and through step up foundation.
We might not be able to help all but the little we can do we will do it with all our hearts. If lives are impacted and souls are save from going astray through our little acts no reward best suit that.
Having this opportunity to feature on women of rubies is part of reward of encouragement and a call to do more.

Step Up foundation in five years
In five years, I see step up foundation on the world map as one of the leading NON governmental organisation. I see step up foundation providing shelters for the homeless in African, I see us providing jobs that would be a point of reckoning for many.
I see step up foundation in a good place in five years with enhanced vision. In five years I see step up foundation giving life transforming opportunities to young women in Africa countries, giving voices to the voiceless. Providing quality education and helping people have a better life. I see step up foundation achieving more and more by the time we will look back to count the numbers of lives that have been positively impacted, it would be overwhelming.

Dear Mr. President,
I pray this day comes, if i ever had the opportunity to meet the president on this cause, here are what to tell him:
Your Excellency sir, based on the effects of drug abuse among the youths of today I will advise that more attention be focus on this, because youths are the leaders of tomorrow which is today. To end this menace, youths need to be adequately sensitized and given reasons to stay out of drugs by providing more job opportunities. .
Most youths in the country venture into abusing drugs out of frustration idleness and joblessness. An idle hand they say is a devil’s workshop, you will agree with me that youths are characterized with impatience of change, curiosity, and zealousness. They have different aspirations but the unavailability of grounds and platforms visualize them get them frustration and could possible lead them into drug abuse which is neither the solution nor the right thing though.
Sir, the decision which had been implemented to ban some pharmaceutical companies that are producing drugs that are capable of causing damage to the Nigeria youth is a laudable step but there still more to do to put an end to this life threatening myth.
Also, having rehabilitation centres that will help the youths who have engage in this act get proper care so as to be useful to the society is very important. Let us have a standard rehabilitation centres that will help the youths find their ways back and pick up their broken pieces.
More so, grassroots education is important too, therefore no stone should be left unturned in putting a fight up to end the menace of drug abuse claiming the lives of our future leaders. Educational groups should be formed and agencies seeing to the control of drugs under your authority should take significant steps and re strategize to ensure that everyone abides by the rules and regulations guiding the use of drugs. Fines and prosecutions may be adopted caution anyone found guilty of abusing drugs.
I want to believe that if all of these are taken into cognizance, the death rate tool towards the youth caused by the effect of drug abuse would be marginalized.

Giving up
Oh yes, there have been so sometimes I feel like giving up when things seem not to be just right and the passion and strong determination towards selfless service keep me going stronger than imagined. This thought could be inevitable in a man’s life and mine is not an exception but I never gave as I continued pushing.
Here are some instances the thought flashed. One major incident occurred when I and my team proposed an outreach to feed one thousand orphans in three different states in Nigeria, we started the plan much earlier so as not to be caught unaware, but unfortunately the project was eventually cancelled when all places solicited for funds to push through the project proved abortive.
This period really make me have a second thought if I can actually achieve aim set out for Step up foundation and even for myself.
All of these I later realized that Roses cannot always come without Bruises. Then with consistency and hard work we restrategized and I refused to let a NO or closed doors stop my aims from achieving them.

My Inspiration
My mother has always been my inspiration to be a better version of myself. I am convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that if my mother had the opportunity to acquire formal education, she would be among the leading women in the country because of her strong nature and positive vibes. She will always challenge and encourage us to be better than her in all areas. Each time I see her it reminds me of the reason why I need to strive tirelessly to be a better person in the society so as to inspire other young women never to relent in all their dealings.
My background also inspired me to be a better me. Just like I said earlier that growing up was quite demanding and tasking where you need to strive at times to fend for yourself. These entire put together had been a great inspiration for me to keep on fighting because I never wanted my background to put my back to the ground.
Also learning and looking up to women who have done great exploit in the society always inspire that if these ones can make it, likewise will I make it too. Then through my inspirations, I also strive to be a source of inspiration to those who look up to me especially my siblings.

Being a Woman of Rubies
Well, I will say what makes me a woman of Rubies is just GRACE. Then determination and consistency with hard work upon the grace fetch me this honour. I never give up so easily on the vision to strive tirelessly to attain positive growth and development towards being a better me. More so, the passion for having women live their world in peace made me realize the potentials we possess as of which can never be overemphasized and ultimately must be pursued to change the orientation of those who do not believe in the super power of a woman.
Many a time women are being brutalized physically, psychologically, and morally simply because the world has failed to appreciate their strong powers and values in developing of a country. Women are very strong and energetic creature and we will continue to be.
12. Any final word for young women who want to go into advocacy:
Advocacy is a practice that should be done with so much interest and utmost willingness to make others live and lead a better life. If anyone would go into advocacy at all, I will leave them with these [3 Cs]
The first ‘C’ is Commitment. Be committed. Commitment is a strong will that will enable one see beyond the present situation or any challenges that may pop up and channel one’s energy towards achieving the best.
And the second ‘C’ is Consistency. If one is committed and not consistent in pursuing a goal, it may likely be impossible to get there. Consistency brings about result of being committed towards a cause. Not matter what, do not give up. The effort to put beautiful smiles on any one is the greatest achievement one can ever record.
Finally, do not Compromise. This is as well very important in order not to truncate your positive vibes of advocacy.

Final words or advice for women all over the world
Women are never a piece of furniture nor useless. It is vitally important that every woman all over the world to note that and carry it as a flag wherever they find themselves. Say it to yourself that “I can do it and I believe in myself to make impact” trust me, your believe will drive the strength to actually push through in whatever thing you have set your mind to achieve.
Then every woman should always know that “brain has no gender” the capacity of a woman is not limited to physical fitness. In as much as every individual possess that God given divine gift, irrespective of the gender, it can be used to achieve ultimately to break bounds and barriers. If all notable influential women throughout the world who have contributed remarkably to the growth and development of their society can make it happen, why can’t you too? You being a woman is not an exception to turn things around.
However, just in all you do, what people see, feel or think about you does not define who you are or what you do, rather always believe in yourself.

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

MEET 10-YEAR-OLD ERICA TANDOH, AN AWARD WINNING FEMALE DJ

10 years old Erica Tandoh, popularly known as DJ Switch, started deejaying at the age of nine and she has already won Ghana’s annual DJ Awards just a year after she started deejaying.

Erica’s came into the limelight when she emerged the winner of the 8th edition of TV3’s Talented Kidz, a Ghanaian Talent Show for kids.

While speaking to BBC Africa, DJ Switch said she started being interested in the art and went on to learn it.

“I started deejaying when I was nine years and I just wanted to try my hand at it… Being a young DJ is not that difficult, when you are being taught in school you pick everything fast, so when you are being taught deejaying you also pick it up fast,” she said.

About her stage name she says;

“I picked the name DJ Switch because I switch up people’s happiness,”

The multi-talented 10-year-old can dance, play the trumpet, drums and is still learning the piano.

She says:

“Deejaying is my passion but I want to be a gynecologist because I want to help women,”.

DJ Switch has already recorded a song with her mother dubbed Deceiver.

This interview is one of the first to come out of BBC’s new Africa-focused program, “What’s New,” which is geared towards engaging children on the continent.

Credit: fabwoman.ng

In Interviews&profile June 25, 2018 By Women of Rubies

“WITH THE BCC WE WANT TO SHIFT CONVERSATION TO BOYS” – DR. KEMI DASILVA-IBRU

During the second quarter of 2018, the Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) implemented the Boys Conversation Café (BCC) a project sponsored by Diamond Bank PLC. The interactive session involved a set of students predominantly male between the ages of 13 and 17 years old, in SS1 and SS2 levels. Experienced male mentors interacted with the students using a guided curriculum for four consecutive weeks. The discussion centered around sexual abuse, boys as protectors not perpetrators, peer pressure, responsible behaviour and the law on rape. The objectives include changing the attitude and mindset of boys about rape and sexual abuse, to educate boys to participate as protectors rather than bystanders or perpetrators and to equip young boys with the knowledge and the tools to assist in the prevention of gender-based violence with the provision of the services provided by WARIF Centre. In this interview with WARIF Founder, Dr Kemi Dasilva-Ibru, she talks in length about this project and what she aims to achieve with it.

You recently launched the Boys Conversation Café. Tell us more about this?
The WARIF Boys Conversation Café is a new initiative launched by the Foundation which is designed to educate young secondary school boys between the ages of 12-16, on the prevalence of sexual violence in Nigeria and aims to change the attitudes, perception and behavioural pattern that exist amongst these group of boys, towards gender inequality and sexual violence against women. The WARIF Boys Conversation Café runs a series of informal sessions with cohort groups of these young school boys, with vetted male volunteers, recruited from different organizations who facilitate as mentor’s /role models at these café sessions. On the issue of sexual-based violence in Nigeria, there are no existing curriculums in schools and elsewhere that directly address these topics for boys and so specific guidelines have been designed by the Foundation and are used as the basis for the topics and issues discussed at the Café sessions. These conversations also highlight already existing issues of gender disparity that exist between the sexes in our communities and the potential for violence against women that occur as a result. It teaches young boys to become protectors of women and not potential perpetrators as these boys reach adulthood.

What does WARIF aim to achieve with this feat?
We spend most of our time discussing how many women are raped in a community, how many school girls are harassed or whether or not consent was given and not enough time asking how many men rape women in that community and how many school boys harass young girls. This initiative plans to shift the focus of attention from educating girls and women on the prevention of sexual violence and rape and how to protect themselves, to teaching boys and men about positive masculinity and standing up for women and changing their mindsets so we prevent them from becoming perpetrators in the future.

How many schools/boys do you hope to reach and in what time-frame?
The goal of the initiative is to reach as many boys as possible across Lagos State. Following the conclusion of the first session sponsored by Diamond Bank in Surulere in May 2018 and the positive measured impact the initiative had in this school district, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) has recently entered a partnership with WARIF where the Boys Conversation Café will be introduced into secondary schools across all six school districts in Lagos State from the next school calendar year in 2018. Through this partnership I believe we will be able to achieve this.

What other activities have WARIF been involved in recently?
The Foundation effectively tackles the issue of rape and sexual violence by working under its three main pillars. The WARIF Centre: a Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Yaba offers free treatment, counseling, accommodation and legal aid to all beneficiaries that visit the Centre free of charge. There is also a 24-hour confidential help- line available to all in need of services, but wish to remain anonymous or are located too far away to reach the Centre. The Educational Pillar of the Foundation has in addition to the Boys Conversation Café – two other initiatives being carried out across the State; the WARIF Educational School Program (WESP), is a preventative initiative where the identification of the signs and the prevention of sexual violence and rape is taught to secondary school girls between the ages of 12 and 16 through a specifically designed curriculum by the Foundation. The WARIF Through the Arts Program is the initiative targeting tertiary level male and female students in universities and colleges across the country. Using the performing arts as a tool for social change, a short powerful skit depicting scenarios of abuse is shown to large audiences of these young adults in these schools and used to create awareness, encourage dialogue and educate and prevent sexual violence amongst this target audience. Under our Community Service pillar, through sponsorship from the ACT Foundation, we have successfully trained 500 traditional birth attendants from several rural local government areas across Lagos State on the signs and prevention of sexual violence under the WARIF Gate Keepers project. This was the first time traditional midwives had received any training in this area and are now equipped to becoming first respondents in the prevention of gender based violence and related issues in their different rural communities. All cases are logged for data collection and referred back to the WARIF Centre for continued care. Advocacy, awareness and sensitization programs are also carried out in more urban areas where public spaces such as market places and known brothels are visited.

Would you say you have recorded increased success in the war against GBV, Sexual Violence and rape since you started and how?
With regards to our various initiatives, the WARIF Centre has attended to over 470 beneficiaries since December 2016; The WARIF Educational School Program has educated 300 girls so far and will continue in the next calendar year with an additional 500 secondary school girls. The recently launched BCC Boys will be introduced throughout all six school districts across Lagos State in the next school calendar as well; impacting on the lives of as many young adolescent school aged boys as possible. With the Gate Keepers Initiative we have trained 500 traditional midwives and have attend to 132 cases from different local government areas and we intend to continue our training with an additional 400 midwives in August 2018. We have also addressed over 550 beneficiaries in the urban areas. Our strong advocacy and awareness programs and campaigns through online social media platforms, radio and TV as well as in traditional newspapers has also reached a significant number of individuals in the thousands; so I would say we have certainly recorded a significant number of beneficiaries we have had a large positive impact on in the war against GBV. There is, however, so much more to be done.

What do you think the government can do in helping to address the problem of GBV?
The Lagos State government has set up a Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) made up of a select number of ministries and related regulatory organizations such as law enforcement to address all aspects of sexual and domestic violence in the State. As an official member of this regulatory body, WARIF works hand in hand with other qualified representatives to reduce the number of these cases in Lagos State. I believe this unprecedented level of collaboration created by the Lagos State Government among these professionals all working towards ending sexual and gender-based violence is seeing positive results. The Police Force are also sensitizing more police officers to tackle this problem in some police stations; Gender desks with trained sensitised officers are now available to address these cases. This must be encouraged and emulated in all police stations across the country.

What would you tell survivors and how can they seek professional help?
It is very important for a survivor of a sexual attack to immediately visit a rape crisis centre such as the WARIF Centre located in Yaba. We have specialised qualified staff and offer readily available services that offers an all-round holistic approach to her care. For forensic medical examinations to be carried out, a 72-hour window from the onset of the attack in when specimens for DNA evidence in a rape kit can be retrieved. When a woman is seen at the Centre, she is walked through the event in a very sensitive and least intrusive manner; all the necessary tests are carried out and professionally trained medical personnel examine her. It is the most natural thing to feel the urge to wash away all signs of the attack as soon as it happens, as most women immediately feel dirty and used; but it is important to emphasise that important forensic evidence may be lost in this event; so she must visit the centre prior to washing/ bathing. She must also bring along with her the clothing that was worn during the attack. Other tests and medication also need to be administered to her within this 72-hours period, including the post – exposure HIV drugs to reduce the incidence of HIV. She is also seen by a trained social worker for counseling as her psycho –social needs must also be met. This component of abuse is as traumatic as the physical attack suffered. Before leaving the Centre, her social welfare needs such as accommodation and legal aid are addressed where necessary.

By; Tobi Awodipe for Guardian

In Interviews&profile June 25, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET LAUREN SIMMONS, THE YOUNGEST AND ONLY FEMALE FULL-TIME TRADER NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE

23-year-old Lauren Simmons is the youngest and the only female full-time trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Lauren is a graduate of Genetics with a minor in Statistics and she works as an equity trader for Rosenblatt Securities.

According to CNBC, Lauren described her experience as “surreal” adding that when she tells people what she does for a living, “they are always surprised.”

Her plan had been to pursue a career in the medical field, but after discovering it wasn’t for her, she started applying for positions in finance.

Before her employment was made permanent, Lauren said she had a month to take the exam all floor brokers must pass, the Series 19, and, she said:

When I tell you a lot of people did not think I was going to pass, they really did not think I was going to pass.

But she passed! And now, she’s breaking boundaries.

Watch her tell her story below:

Credit: fabwoman.ng

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

“I AM A BORN ARTIST, ALL I DO IS CREATE- ESTHER TOM

Esther Otomi (popularly known as Esther Tom), is the lead stylist and CEO of Game Of Fros natural hair hub. She has a Bachelors Degree in Choreography and a Maters Degree in Media Studies but chose to focus on her passion
fornatural hair styling.

In this exclusive interview with Women Of Rubies, she talk
s about how she left Calabar for Lagos to chase her dreams, the interesting name ‘Game Of Fros’, and how meeting Mo Abudu changed her life..

Childhood
Did my childhood prepare me in anyway for what I do now? Not in a million years! Growing up as an average Nigerian female child, the time line was the usual… It had to be, get a university degree in medicine, law or journalism, or a number of other jobs that were considered “professional”, finish your NYSC, get a job, get a husband, have babies, and you have lived life. I would never have imagined myself in this position and without a care in the world.

Meet Me
My name is Esther Otomi, I’m 26 years old, the last of a family of 5. I majored in Choreography for my Bachelors degree and proceeded to Media Studies for my Masters degree. I’m a born artist by nature. All i want to do is create! I live very simply and try to keep a low profile (i think…Lol). I hate to dress up, I’m not your typical “ladyish” lady. I dress for comfort and keep it true to my personality. I’m a lover of myths and legends, I love Rock ‘n Roll, animation and books!

“Game Of Fros”
Game of Thrones! Yes! Hahahahahahaha…Pardon me, I just couldn’t hold that in! Obviously that’s where Game of Fros came from. We are passionate about Natural Hair Styling. We believe in natural hair as a voice, as a mark of identity, as a crown that needs to shine. For too long we have seen our natural hair as a burden, as an unkempt load of rubbish that we must constantly hide under weaves. Not that wearing weaves is a problem, but when you spend and cater more to your bundles than what is under, then we have a situation. The purpose for which Game of Fros is designed for is to showcase how versatile and sophisticated our Kinky /Curly hair is capable of being, and also to make your natural hair journey stress free.

How I met Mo Abudu…
Big shout out to Aunty Mo! I came to Lagos 2nd week in November, 2016. Frankly, my intention was to work here for the whole December and return to my base which was Calabar. Coming with two pairs of jean and 4 shirts, you could tell how unassuming i was. I would go to Ebonylife Studios to style hair for Arit Okpo. When i count my blessings, I count her thrice. She’s the reason I packed my bag and left Calabar without a second thought. She would say, “Esther, don’t be a whale in a pond”. I would style hair for a couple of other ladies as well in the studio. One day, Emily (works at the studio) called me saying “my M. D. said she likes my hair, ” and there I was saying
“Which MD?” She goes, “Mo Abudu”. And I let out a loooonnng laugh of disbelief. Emily calls again after some days saying the same thing, my reaction was the same. Then Mo Abudu’s personal assistant called me to book an appointment on her behalf. At that point, my legs went limp and I had to hold on to something, all the while thinking, “Is this really happening???” This was a lady i grew up watch on TV with my mum. I was about 16 then. Now I’m going to be working with her?! I didn’t know what to expect. But i gradually eased into it. Aunty Mo is a one strong woman. I watch her make things happen and I think to myself, how much willpower can one person have?! She is inspiring and one heck of an amazing client.

My experience on the set of the movie Wedding Party2…
To be part of the crew of a record breaking movie , not only was I honored, it expanded my work experience. From waking up early, closing late, getting barely two hours of sleep, to eating food you’ve never seen before! You’re not only dealing with hair, you’re dealing with personalities from a different race, a different country. It opened my eyes to realize that experiencing different cultures is wealth in itself.

What and who inspire me
I really cannot say who because alot of people inspire me in different aspects of life. But as for what inspires me, I’m certain it is fear of not fulfilling why I was made. I strongly believe I live for a purpose, and everything I do, everywhere I find myself, are all a means to an end. When i say a prayer, I always ask that whatever it is that will be a hindrance to fulfilling my purpose be taken away from me. When you’re 6 feet under, what matters is the lives you touched regardless of how little it was.

Challenges…
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, challenges pop out behind you like VOILA! Being that we offer home services exclusively, challenges include traffic, weather condition especially when it rains, impossible clients who think you have an attitude or who think you’re a fraud when you tell them you’re policy of down payments. I totally understand. It is human nature to be skeptical especially when your environment does not offer anything different.

On giving up…
Hahahahaha was there a time I didn’t?! Entrepreneurship is hard! I rephrase, Entrepreneurship in Nigeria is hard! You must have a plan, a model, a policy that you must stick to. This is important when building a brand reputation. It doesn’t matter who calls you rude or arrogant. Consistency is key. No one gets to see the tears alot of us shed behind closed doors, the fear in taking a business decision, how we calculate our gains and losses, letting go of the people we once called ‘friend’ or ‘lover’ because you realize how much time you wasted being unproductive with them. Still we go to sleep and wake up with high spirits ready for the chase!

I am a Woman of Rubies
I believe I have impacted people in my own little way. It could be one, could be two, I have no idea, but I believe it didn’t come from a place of plenty. It came from that little criss-cross of my fingers. It got better from every trial and error. It grew from every constructive criticism encountered. I never had it all figured out. I’m human. At times I procrastinate, at times I take impulsive decisions. When the chips are high or low, passion keeps me going.
Advice to women
Dear Woman out there, I haven’t walked in your shoes, I do not know where it pinches, but do not kill your dreams because of what people will say. People never stop saying. You will not always get what you request, sometimes you have to disobey, you have to break hearts, you have to go against the norm because you know where your happiness is. Until you grow into this awareness of self, you will continue to live other people’s lives and on your last day on earth, who you are will meet who you could have become. Cheers!

In Interviews&profile June 21, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET 23 YR OLD LAUREN SIMMONS, YOUNGEST AND ONLY FULL-TIME TRADER AT NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE

23-year-old Lauren Simmons is a graduate of Genetics with a minor in Statistics, and has become the youngest and the only female full-time trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Lauren described her experience as “surreal” to CNBC, adding that when she tells people what she does for a living, “they are always surprised.”
Lauren works as an equity trader for Rosenblatt Securities, despite her educational background.
Her plan had been to pursue a career in the medical field, but after discovering it wasn’t for her, she started applying to positions in finance.
Before her employment was made permanent, Lauren said she had a month to take the exam all floor brokers must pass, the Series 19, and, she said:
When I tell you a lot of people did not think I was going to pass, they really did not think I was going to pass.
But she passed! And now, she’s breaking boundaries.

Source: Bellanaija

In Interviews&profile June 19, 2018 By Women of Rubies

GSC ACADEMY GRADUATES 30 FEMALE MOBILE WEB DEVELOPERS

…announces registration, date for GSC Hackathon 2018

Thirty female mobile web developers are ready to grab opportunities in the market after graduating from GSC Academy Batch A program held at American Corner-CCHUB, Yaba.

The graduants are now officially part of GSC Community- Her Code Network.

Speaking to Esther Ijewere on the aftermath of the training ….the Founder of Tech4HerAfrica, said that it was all about life impacting and empowerment of women-in-technology to leverage opportunities inherent in the digital world.She said that out of the world’s 2.8 billion Internet users, only 1.3 billion are women hence women account for fewer than 20% of ICT specialists in developing economies and has been estimated that, by 2020, 90% of formal employment across all sectors will require ICT skills.

“GSC2018 is a program is designed by Tech4her Africa in partnership with Microsoft & American Corner-CCHUB. We are passionate about increasing access of women and girls to technology tools, skills and mentoring leading to financial liberation.
“Our MISSION is to increase the number of women in the digital space by empowering girls of ages 15 to 35 to become Innovators in STEM fields, Leaders in their communities, and Builders of their own futures through exposure to Computer Science and Technology”.
The platform has a vision to train 5,000,000 girls in Nigeria, Ghana, Kigali, South Africa on how to build web + mobile apps + games with Python, JAVA & C++ by 2030.

“There’s a lot to learn when it comes to coding. How do you know where to start?“Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We have something for everyone, whether you’re new to coding,
or a long time learner, explore the options below for #HourOfCode with #Tech4her. In 1 hour, with a network of experts you will be able to master any programming language”.

GSC Hackathon 2018
Meanwhile, the registration has commenced for GSC Hackathon 2018 being organised by the Body in partnership with American Corner-CCHUB.Registration Deadline: June 29
When: July 12, 2018
Where: American corner- CCHUB Yaba, Lagos & Online
Training Theme: GSC2018 Batch B: Jumpstart A Career in Web & Mobile Apps Development + Get Microsoft Certification (Tuition Free).
For more details visit the link: www.tech4herafrica.com/GSC2018b

In Inspiration June 16, 2018 By Esther Ijewere

I DECIDED TO QUIT BANKING AT THE AGE OF 40 AND START MY OWN BUSINESS – OLUWATOYIN EDUN

Oluwatoyin Edun is the Group Managing Director of Fusion Group Limited. She graduated from University of Ibadan with a B.sc degree in Political Science and holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Business School Netherlands.
She started her career at Eko International bank in 1999 then proeeded to FSB International bank and joined FCMB in 2005
In 2012 her portfolio was enlarged with the inclusion of commercial and retail activities covering 10 branches of the bank in Ikeja and its environs where she was designated the zonal head. Based on her initial goal to quit at the age of forty she decided to take a bow from the banking sector in 2014 to pursue her dream. She later became the Director of finance for the Akiwunmi Ambode Campaign Organization for Lagos State.
She shares her grass to grace journey in this inspiring interview.

I grew up prepared to fly in the world
My childhood was full of optimism about the future. I grew up wanting to be a lawyer but
later on I met a Professor of Political Science who influenced my decision to study Political Science, however that is totally different from what I do today. This has taught me that it doesn’t matter where we start from, eventually with our aspirations and as we go along, meet people, interact and deal with issues of life, we will end up at the destination that God has prepared for us. But in terms of academic background and upbringing, I will say that I had enough preparation for the role I am playing now because I was academically inclined as a student and also attended good schools; I was focused very on education with a determination to excel at everything I ever did. I believe I was adequately prepared to fly in the world.

Toyin Edun
I am the first of five children (4 girls and 1 boy). I grew up in Ibadan where I attended Bodija International School, Queens School Ibadan, International School Ibadan and i graduated from the University of Ibadan with a Second Class Upper division in Political Science. I fell in love with the Banking Industry during my University days and this led me to choose a career in banking. I started my banking career at Eko International Bank from the Human Resources department, proceeded to FSB International Bank and thereafter, Metropolitan Bank Limited. I later joined FCMB in 2005. While at FCMB I started as an Assistant Manager and rose to the position of Assistant General Manager having worked in different departments of the Bank. I retired from Banking at the age of 40 to start my own Real Estate and Hospitality business. I bought into a family business in 2015 where I became a Director and subsequently took over the operations in Real Estate and Facilities management, and also expanded our focus into co- working space with the setting up our Virtual Hub. I also have a keen interest in Tourism and hospitality and I have done quite a lot of work in hotel management, short letting as well as consultancy for the hospitality and tourism sector. Currently, I run a group called the Fusion Group with subsidiaries in South Africa and United Kingdom.

Inspiration behind Fusion Group
While in the banking sector, I realized that I had a flair for Real Estate and got inspired by my own personal experiences especially when I was buying my own home for the first time. I realized that I was very much interested in every detail that went into the home. I got really interested in Construction and at that point, I decided to make what was just a hobby into a profession and business. By the time I decided to quit banking at the age of 40, I started to plan my exit and the first thing that came to mind was for me to pursue business in the Real estate sector which got me buying into a family business that was already into facilities management and to expand the scope to do everything else around the real estate business. I am very passionate about space; I love spaces whether it is your home space, your office space, your hotel space etc! I believe a space tells a lot about the personality of the person so I always like to add a personal touch from designing of partitioning, structuring of space, colour scheme, the furnishings and the management of space. Spaces in general fascinates me and I believe that is what has kept me in the business till now coupled with being a passionate person that does whatever I have to do extremely well.

Biggest risk ever taken as an Entrepreneur
The biggest risk I have taken as an individual is to leave the known for the unknown i.e. to leave the banking industry, where I had everything going for me and to launch out to try to do business and I’ve not had a day’s regret since I took that bold step. In the real estate space and in hospitality.

Challenges
We started the business at the time when Nigeria was just going into the recession and this really affected a lot of our projections, our business started off on a very slow note, we did not have the kind of clientele that could afford our services so the sluggish start was sort of troubling but we found our way around it and we were able to understand what the market could absorb and packaged our services to attract international organizations who could understand and afford our value proposition and also wanted to come into Lagos, Nigeria to do business. The other challenge was the power issue ,The third challenge is People. We have had our fair share of human resource challenges with staff turnover.

Balancing the business and the home front
I will say this is the popular problem of every working woman and therefore not peculiar to running a business. It is the same challenge I faced when I was still in paid employment. Once you are a working woman, you have to balance the home front with your career. I understood where I was going and I developed a working template, thus I have structured my home in the most efficient manner. I have always had highly professional carers to support me with raising my kids and happy to pay the premium in order for me to focus on my career. I also structured my timing to accommodate quality family time which is the most important thing to me but also ensuring that it does not affect work.
I also made sure that I took out time to attend every important event in their lives, every important school event, every important exam and all of that. Yes, it meant me staying up longer hours and keeping awake trying to juggle all the balls but I believe that once one is organized and you are committed to something, you will always find a way to make it work. Life is all about planning

Tell us about your other project and activities?
Our other projects include our interest in tourism and hospitality. We have started doing some work with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC). We are also doing some work in short-letting across the continent and the UK. Also, preliminary work is going on in setting up our hospitality school which is a passion for me and I believe has to be done quickly. This is a cause I am committed to in order to boost the quality of services in the hospitality and tourism sector and we are working towards achieving it. It is also my way of giving back to an industry I love so much as unfortunately many Nigerians do not seem to understand the true value of customer service. The focus is to train future employers and employees for the Nigerian Hospitality Industry. This will help the industry grow, reduce the unemployment in Nigeria as well as help to grow the Nigerian economy as a whole.
We also have interest in Infrastructure maintenance under facilities management and we are currently doing some work on some transport infrastructure deployment and management. At the same time, we are looking to expand our co working space, the Virtual Hub by setting up another branch in Lagos and opening one in Abuja. These are the projects we have on the front burner right now.

Fusion group in five years
I see Fusion Group growing in leaps and bounds. Our five year road map is to consolidate our efforts and investment in real estate, in hospitality and tourism as well. We would be developing our own estates and also operating our hospitality school within that period. I see Fusion Group becoming about a $100M dollar franchise within the next five years.

Giving up is not an option
My personal mantra in life is to learn to focus on winning so much that I forget how to fail. Therefore giving up was never an option. I am naturally resilient and tenacious. Challenges bring out the best in me. Like I said, I left banking in 2014 and I knew there was no going back so I always knew I had to keep forging ahead no matter what life threw at me. I must confess that I have had my fair share of daunting challenges and there were times when i felt really overwhelmed but my trust in God sustained me.

Who and What Inspire me to be better
The things that have inspired me to be better at what I do are within me. The desire to excel, the passion for service and the willingness to learn from every experience. I believe that how you do anything is how you do everything.
The person who inspired me to be my best was always my Sister , Dr Adenike Aiyedun , she was also my very first business partner. She gave me a lot of push and support as well. She always saw it in me that I could thrive and excel at business and she was the first to give me her support when I decided to leave the banking industry. She always nudged, assisted, coached and prayed for me. She always reminded me that I have everything that I need to succeed and encouraged me to follow my dream.

Being a woman of Rubies

First, I want to say a shout out to every woman out there who is trying to make a difference in the world, to her society and her family. I believe that I am one of those women. I did not mention at the beginning but I was raised by a single parent and my Mother taught us the value of hard work and why it was necessary for me to able to fend for myself and people around me. Hard work, Dedication, Commitment, Loyalty and Passion were all those words I heard from my mum right from when I was little and those values have positioned me for who I am today. As a person, I believe I mentored a lot of people whilst I worked in the banking sector, I raised a lot of other women because
I believe as women, we must hold and raise ourselves up, we must be able to keep each sister going and I believe this I have done so much of and will continue to do. I also believe that I collaborate very effectively with men in such a way that we all achieve results together.
I believe that as a mother, I have done a whole lot to raise children to understand values, morals and important ethics of life. So in terms of what qualifies me to be a Woman of Rubies, I believe in my personal life, I have been able to showcase that. In my business life, I have conducted myself as a woman of rubies. somewhere. In terms of achievements, to God be the glory; I have been able to record my moderate achievements across board. I believe all this qualify me as a woman of rubies.

Final word for female entrepreneurs in Nigeria and women in general
You need to be very confident, you need to first identify your dream and goal and be committed to it and remain very confident in what you do.
I will tell you for free that you will be intimidated by situations, by people and by the opposite sex as well. You are going to feel like you are at your dead end at different times and feel like you are being taken advantage of. You also have to be upright, integrity is everything in business and you should be known for what you do and be known for what you say.
As a woman, you should never give up and never feel we are second rate to anyone.