self development

In Inspiration November 25, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Nadia Murad: The Nobel Peace Prize Winner Who Set Up Fund For Survivors Of Wartime Rape

Nadia Murad was born into a farming family in Kojo, Iraq. She belongs to the Yazidi ethnic and religious minority. When she was 19 years old, the Islamic State attacked her village and killed 600 Yazidi men, including several of her family members. ⁣
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Murad and other young women were taken prisoner and subjected to beatings and rape. She managed to escape, however, and make her way to a refugee camp. There she was offered the opportunity to move to Germany, where she now lives.⁣

She was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2018 alongside Denis Mukwege for ”their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.”⁣
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On October 30, 2019, Nadia and Dennis set up a fund to provide reparations for survivors of wartime rape.⁣
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The Global Survivors Fund will provide tailored support to help people recover from the emotional and physical trauma they have experienced. This could be in the form of financial compensation, support to access healthcare services or return to education, or assistance with getting somewhere to live.⁣
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The fund will also support governments to set up their own reparation schemes.⁣
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Commenting on the development, Nadia said ”Reparations are a step toward restoring dignity to survivors who often do not have any means to seek justice for the pain and suffering they have endured.”⁣
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”A global fund is an innovative solution to providing survivors with a path towards healing, and it signals that our collective conscience acts in the name of humanity.”⁣

Nadia’s Story

“Nadia Murad is herself a victim of war crimes. She refused to accept the social codes that require women to remain silent and ashamed of the abuses to which they have been subjected. She has shown uncommon courage in recounting her own sufferings and speaking up on behalf of other victims.

“Nadia Murad is a member of the Yazidi minority in northern Iraq, where she lived with her family in the remote village of Kocho. In August 2014 the Islamic State (IS) launched a brutal, systematic attack on the villages of the Sinjar district, aimed at exterminating the Yazidi population.

In Nadia Murad’s village, several hundred people were massacred. The younger women, including underage children, were abducted and held as sex slaves.

While a captive of the IS, Nadia Murad was repeatedly subjected to rape and other abuses. Her assaulters threatened to execute her if she did not convert to their hateful, inhuman version of Islam.

“Nadia Murad is just one of an estimated 3,000 Yazidi girls and women who were victims of rape and other abuses by the IS army. The abuses were systematic, and part of a military strategy. Thus they served as a weapon in the fight against Yazidis and other religious minorities.

Watch: How To Be A Competent Leader

“After a three-month nightmare Nadia Murad managed to flee. Following her escape, she chose to speak openly about what she had suffered. In 2016, at the age of just 23, she was named the UN’s first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking.” writes.

Source: Nobel Prize.org, Guardian

In self development November 21, 2022 By Women of Rubies

Chisom Winifred: Want To Be An Excellent Blogger? These Tips Are Here For You

Would you like to start a successful blogging career? Reading broadens your horizon. Read the works of other writers, read articles, newspapers, magazines, self-help books, and fiction books. Just read! If you read regularly, you would always have things to write about.

When most people start blogging, they get excited, announce it on their Instagram pages, add ‘blogger’ to their bios, and then – almost predictably – after a while, their creativity and consistency fade away, and drop drastically.

What has helped me stay consistent over the years, as a blogger, is that I consider blogging as a part of my legacy. My content, words, and ideas are forever on the web and anyone who searches my name would get a feel of the gift God gave me.

If you are about to start blogging or if you’re already a blogger, here are some tips that have helped me to creatively solve the problems I’ve faced:

Deal with your bias

We’re all biased in one way or the other. When it comes to subjects and issues, we always have our opinions based on our experience or on what we think is right, and most times, we are wrong about those opinions. Dealing with your bias when it comes to issues and topics you blog about helps you present your articles in a clear, wholesome way, devoid of personal judgment. Deal with your bias by doing adequate research before you write, present all your thoughts in your articles and give different perspectives on the matter. It shows your readers you are not a narrow-minded person and they are able to draw their own conclusions without you forcing your own opinions on them.

Also, learn to think clearly before writing. Analyze and understand ideas and arguments before expressing them. Thinking clearly makes you bold enough to write with assertion. It also helps you question if what you are writing is the truth or if it’s influenced by your biases.

Always research your blogging niche

Read a lot, listen to people, watch movies, and open your mind to learn from different sources. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Doing adequate research on topics you choose to write about arms you with the knowledge you need to pen down a good piece.

Get an editor

Getting an editor is very important. Imagine a pencil without an eraser. An editor not only serves to grammatically correct your work but also plays the role of a gatekeeper before your work is shared with the public. Having an unbiased mind go through your articles and give you honest and constructive criticism makes you a better writer and that way, you churn out awesome essays every time you write. A common problem most beginners face is the inability to afford an editor at the early stages of their careers, mostly because of financial constraints. What you can do is think of the other skills you have that the editor can benefit from and offer that in place of money. Since you can write, suggest ghostwriting for your editor in exchange for him/her editing your blog posts.

Planning

Always plan ahead. Create a monthly/quarterly content calendar for your blog. It helps you stay consistent and gives you plenty of time to research your topics before you write about them.

Read

Reading broadens your horizon. Read the works of other writers, read articles, newspapers, magazines, self-help books, and fiction books. Just read! If you read regularly, you would always have things to write about.

Tell your story

It’s advisable to always put an element of yourself in your stories. Tell your story in a way that only you can. Don’t fall under the pressure of trying to sound like someone else because you think that person is gaining more traction. You can never be excellent at copying someone, so learn to be the best version of yourself.

Be ready to deal with writer’s block

Writer’s block happens to the best of us. Most times, it is your brain trying to tell you that it’s time for a break. Whenever I deal with blocks, I try to relax. Breathe and think about why you are unable to write at that point. You can also write about the block, and what you’re feeling, and share it. That is solid content on its own. If you have a block about a certain area you are trying to write on, try writing about something that is entirely new to you.

Get an accountability partner

What happens when you don’t publish a post as you promised yourself you would? Nothing? Too bad. That is the beginning of the end of your blog. You need someone to keep you accountable. You can get your parents to help by sharing your dream with them, they’ll keep you on your toes.

Blogging is not as easy as most people think, it can be draining and often discouraging when it doesn’t pay the returns you’d like immediately. See blogging as an extension of yourself, a hobby you enjoy doing, and would continue to do even when you have zero readers. Think about it as your legacy, this would keep you going when no one is clapping for you.

I hope you found these tips helpful. Happy blogging!

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In news November 21, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Fly Fitness Factory Partners With Rubies Ink To Empower Women

Fly Fitness Factory recently partnered with Rubies Ink Initiative and Women of Rubies to empower women with basic skills. The women were trained online in different skills such as; Content Writing, Make-up and gele, and skincare.

Fly Fitness is one of the most popular fitness and wellness organizations in the ancient city of Ibadan. Their offerings includes but not limited to personalized training programs, wellness management, supportive community, group training sessions, nutritional guide, diet plans and lots more

Philanthropist and multi-award winner, Bolarinwa Kashif O who founded the company alongside his wife supported the women in a bid to strengthen their goal for wealth creation through poverty alleviation programmes.

Asides running his companies, the duo also give back to the society by supporting vulnerable persons, empowering the youths and organizing sensitizing workshops such as his; “School Is Not Scam” project.

An initiative aimed at fighting miseducation, and helping to reverse the trend that education isn’t ultimately profitable, especially amongst children of low-income homes, In a bid to restore hope, educational value and create a better Nigeria.

Their Fly Fitness Factory gym has become a safe haven for pregnant women, where they are assisted with stressless delivery through healthy exercise, the gym boasts of world-class equipment and it is one of the most visited in the ancient city of Ibadan.

Speaking on the why they supported the empowerment skills acquisition programme, the couple had this to say; “We love to see women excel in their chosen field, we believe that when these women are empowered, life becomes easier for them, we look forward to partnering with Rubies Ink and Women of Rubies for future projects beneficial to humanity”, they said.

Follow Fly fitness factory on social media to know more about their activities

Website: flyfitnessfactorg.ng

Adebola Adefioye, Adekelu Ogunleye,Others Recognized As Women Of Distinction In Sudbury,Canada

Adebola Adefioye and Adekelu Ogunleye were recently recognized as Women of Distinction by YWCA Sudbury along with six other women, for their achievements, accomplishments, leadership, and the impact they’ve had on girls and women.

In 2020, Adekelu emigrated to Canada during the pandemic as a single mother.

She runs Kelu Cooks, a business venture that majors on delicious African and intercontinental dishes. The astute entrepreneur also runs an alteration business, known as ‘international obioma’. Her passion for cleaning, creating order and staying organized inspired her to start Kelz Cleaning Services.

Her passion for humanity made her enrol for a diploma in developmental service work program from Cambrian College in Sudbury Ontario, Canada. The stylish mother of two is currently studying Indigenous Social Work at Laurentian University, Canada.

YWCA Sudbury is recognizing Kelu as a woman of distinction for her achievements.

Speaking on the recognition, the entrepreneur had this to say to Cbc ;

“I was able to study developmental service work, and I’ve worked with a school board where I supported kids who have intellectual disabilities, I’ve been able to create job opportunities for a lot of international and domestic students,” she said.

She will receive the award for entrepreneurship at the gala on January 28th, 2023.

Activist Adebola Adefioye will receive the social justice award, for founding the Afro Women and Youth Foundation, which provides mentorship and leadership for Black women and youth.

Adebola very passionate about building authentic relationships with racialized, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) children, families and communities and collaborating with them to reduce inequities, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and improve mental-health and wellness.

She holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Child Development from Seneca College, Master’s in Child and Youth Care, from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and a Certificate in Advancing Women’s Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding for Community Development from Coady Institute, Canada.

She is also a final semester student in a Graduate Certificate program in Mental Health Intervention (MHI).

In 2016, Adebola’s daughter was bullied because of her skin colour, this inspired the activist to start her foundation.

Speaking to CBC on how that situation impacted her daughter, Adebola had this to say; “By the time she got to Grade 5, she won the award for the most confident child in class because she had learned self-advocacy, she had learned how to be a leader, she had learned to say no to people.”

We are proud of these amazons, and celebrate them for adding value to humanity.

The Women of Rubies team will be on ground to cover the award gala in Sudbury.

In self development November 21, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Yewande Jinadu: 5 Things You Need To Know When Negotiating A New Salary

Salary is very important in the life of an employee. In fact, that is the reason why people leave their houses every day to go to work. A lot of people have made mistakes in the area of negotiation, and I can totally relate to it. This is for those thinking of making the next move in their career, but don’t want to later regret their salary due to lack of information.

1. Know the difference between Net Pay and Gross Pay and ensure you negotiate based on Net pay

Gross pay is the total amount an employer pays to an employee. Gross pay includes the breakdown of what an employee is entitled to, and it is from the gross pay that deductions are made, while net pay, which is also known as take-home pay, is the amount you receive after all the deductions, like tax, pension, etc., have been made. It is preferable to state your salary expectation in terms of net pay because you may not know the basis for which deductions are made in the new company.

When you negotiate on the net, it ensures that you’re not on the losing end, and HR will do some calculations before making you an offer, which will be more than what you negotiated. This is to leave room for deductions. E.g., your letter may carry ₦150,000 as pay, but by the time you receive your first alert, you will be getting ₦120,000.

2. Ask about other benefits that the company offers during a negotiation

Some companies have variable pay, based on certain conditions like the performance of the individual or the company. Some benefits may be in kind and not be cash; this should be noted when you want to mentally calculate your pay. What I’m trying to say is that do not reject an offer because it doesn’t really meet your expectation; find out if they have other perks, which can be considered. Also, if you’re coming from a place that has a lot of office perks, don’t take an offer just because it pays higher. E.g. if you’re coming from a place that pays for membership of professional bodies as well as subscriptions, cars, performance bonuses, higher HMO packages, etc.

It’s best you put a cost to the benefits you were enjoying before and ask if it exists or if it would be more, then weigh your options.

3. Do your own research

You may think you have gotten a good offer, but when you get in, you may eventually get disgruntled when you realise that your colleagues who have the same job description as you earn far above what you accepted. Jobberman, Payscale and Glassdoor will help give you insights into relevant data. If you can make calls to people in the industry who will have an idea of the range, it would be helpful (not necessarily the exact figure, though). Some people on Nairaland sometimes disclose pay for some roles, so please dig well.

4. Be open to negotiation

I always advise you to mention something higher than what you expect, then tell them you are open to negotiation. E.g., you earn ₦150,000 and the minimum you can take before considering an offer is ₦220,00. It’s best you say ₦280,000 then tell the recruiter it’s negotiable. This way, they don’t start negotiating from ₦220,000.

5. Negotiate a salary based on what works best for you

I’ve realized that different things matter to different people at various points in their lives. This guides their decision to take an offer or reject it. E.g., I have a friend whom a premium HMO is what mattered most to him (at that point in his life) because his wife needed it. To someone else, he was stupid for taking that pay, but he negotiated an HMO package that saved him millions for the birth of his child. For some people, proximity is more important, for some, it’s staff bus and canteen. Whatever your own case may be, identify it and negotiate with that.

Don’t be pressured unnecessarily. Negotiate with confidence, because you know the value you will be contributing to the organisation. Don’t be scared to have that conversation when it’s time.

Follow @careerlifeng to know more about Yewande’s work.

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In Inspiration November 16, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

How Wendy Nwajiufor Is Using Her Youtube Channel To Touch The Lives Of Women In And Outside Canada

Wendy Nwajiufor fondly called Chylove by friends is an award-winning Content creator, Director, Executive Director and Entrepreneur. A graduate of Computer Science with Masters in Human Capital Managemnt. She has a passion for helping people and seeing everyone succeed and this led her to venture into many initiatives geared towards the empowerment of women and professionals to become the best version of themselves.

Wendy’s Partnership with Youtube

Her passion for sharing important information including, healthy and family living led her to start a YouTube channel that originally focused on unique and delicious meal recipes inspiring people through her humble lifestyle as a Nigerian Immigrant in Canada with her family.

As the channel grew, many of her community members and subscribers wanted her to share more of her Canadian Journey and lifestyle – which led her to enter into a partnership with YouTube in 2020 to reach more audience and today the channel has grown to over eighteen thousand (18k) subscribers. Incredible and remarkable success stories have been shared by her subscribers regarding how helpful her content contributed to their migrating to Canada.

Passion For Tech

Wendy Nwajiufor is also a Brand influencer for companies and organizations some of which are Teddy Blake, Zinff Optical, Biocosmetics, Wraptucknmore and many others. She is also a Director with BlackTECH – an organization that focuses on empowering professional immigrants with capability-building tech skills to beat underemployment. Wendy is also the Executive Director of the NIPCA Women in Tech Working group as well as the Founder of Intentional Women Foundation – an organization focused on supporting black and racialized women to become economically empowered thereby contributing meaningfully to their families and society.

Her passion and work have seen her travel to 5 continents and several countries including Dubai, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. She is very passionate about family upliftment and women empowerment especially racialized and black women to become all they have aspired to achieve.

Other Area Of Expertise

Wendy‘s Specialty includes Business Development, Planning and Coordination, Business Analysis, Agile Scrum Master, Strategy/transformation and Content Creation. She’s certified with multiple international certifications such as SAP ERP Certified Human Resources (HR), PSM1, Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and Certified Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). In her spare time, she loves having quality time with her family, shopping, Cooking, and listening to good music.

In lifestyle November 14, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

14 Jobs Women Can Do From Anywhere Without Experience

Are you looking for the best remote jobs for women who may not wait to have all the experiences?

Financial freedom is one of the best ways to have self-confidence as a woman. There is power in the ability to work and earn an income. Sadly with COVID, and competition for work getting tighter, more women need a job that pays well and gives them the flexibility that they need.

Fortunately, work-from-home jobs are now an option and there are a plethora of freelance jobs available as well. What’s more, many online jobs don’t require applicants to have any experience. In this post detailing how to make money from home, we will look at 14 good jobs that women can do from anywhere without experience.

Here are 14 remote jobs for women:

1. Online Writer

Online writing basically involves producing written content for your clients and covers anything from crafting letters to drafting articles. A lot of writing jobs require little to no experience, particularly simpler writing tasks. For example, CustomEssayMeister hires freelance writers who have no experience, provided that they can produce output with high quality. However, having effective writing skills is a solid advantage.

It’s not a secret that writing services pay attention to the quality of the paypers they provide. For that reason, companies might ask the applicants to show proof of their competence, for example, by writing a test essay on the given topic. Using tools such as Grammarly can make your tasks much easier when it comes to content writing. Check out Grammarly Review for more information.

2. Blogger

As a blogger, your main job is to come up with content for your personal website. You can use tools like Semrush & Ahrefs to do keyword research to find relevant topics according to your niche. Regardless of what you share, whether recipes, do-it-yourself craft tutorials, or your reviews of products, your goal is to make your content worthwhile to grow your internet following and attract ad placements from companies.

Experience in this field is not necessary, but creativity can certainly get you far. You can also be a blogger on any social network, which there are a lot now.

Let’s take tiktok as an example. You need to create different content that will be interesting to your subscribers, and if you have at least little acting skills, you can already become famous.

The more you know, the more opportunities are in front of you. But if you know nothing, you can learn everything from scratch. Can you play the synthesizer? Yes? Fine! Can’t you? No problem, take a digital synthesizer for beginners, find videos on YouTube and learn, and you can upload videos on TikTok, how you learn so that your subscribers live this experience with you. This is exactly what our guest Vanessa Ideh does to earn thousands of dollars from her YouTube channel.

3. Virtual Assistant

Like a traditional assistant, the job of a virtual assistant involves executing tasks delegated to you by your employers such as transcribing data, drafting letters, and managing schedules among others. This job requires little to no experience, but soft skills such as attention to detail, organizational skills, a strong work ethic, and communication skills are vital.

4. Survey Taker

One of the easier ways to make money online, this job requires you to answer surveys such as opinion polls, questionnaires from researchers, and product reviews. Although this job is relatively easy, note that honesty and integrity are important in this field.

5. Online Tutor

Online tutoring is also one of those no-experience jobs that can get you earn extra money. While you’re not required to have any experience as a tutor, this job may require you to have extensive knowledge of a specific area, especially if you’re tutoring clients at higher academic levels such as college students.

6. Search Engine Evaluator

The main task of this job is to evaluate the efficiency of search engines in delivering results. For example, you will be given a topic by your company to search for, and then you will evaluate the results for accuracy and relevance. Experience is not needed when signing up for this job, although companies usually look for wide knowledge on various topics and contemporary culture when considering applicants.

7. Translator

This online job requires you to translate audio or written documents from one language to another. Whereas more advanced jobs necessitate some experience, simpler tasks are perfect for beginners. Make sure, though, that you’re fluent in the foreign language you choose and that you do not just translate literally but also consider the cultural context. You can register as a translator here: https://www.tomedes.com/user/provider/createaccount

8. Bed and Breakfast Host

Another work-from-home option is being a bed and breakfast host. If you have an extra room or a guest house, you can list your property for short-term rentals. That said, make sure that your property has an online listing and that you’re easy to contact. Also, ensure that your property is clean, comfortable, and welcoming. Finally, make sure you have the necessary social skills for interacting with clients.

9. English Teacher

Many people from other countries learn English through the internet. As such, there is an entire industry that hires people with good English communication skills to teach clients across the globe. Note, though, that while experience is often not required, fluency in a foreign language may be a requisite for some companies.

10. Social Media Manager

As the name of the job indicates, a social media manager is about managing content on social media with the intention of enhancing online presence, advancing the brand, and fostering customer relations. While it is usual for social media managers to be hired even without any experience, knowledge of how social media works is a must for this job.

11. Customer Service Representative

Although working as a customer service representative has been traditionally office-based, more companies today are allowing employees to work remotely. No experience is required for this job, but you will likely undergo a period of training before you’re competent enough to start working at home.

12. Transcriptionist

This job basically involves converting audio files to transcripts by listening. Most transcription companies do not require any experience, although good hearing and typing skills are certainly needed to be effective in this job. This is one of the best jobs for women who are introverted and love working from behind the scene.

13. Telemarketer

The job of a work-from-home telemarketer is generally the same as that of a telemarketer based in an office. And just like how companies hire telemarketers who have no experience, you can easily find a home-based telemarketing job without any background in the field. Nevertheless, soft skills such as effective communication as well as patience and determination are expected from someone who applies for this job.

14. Music Teacher

As a music teacher, your main job is to inspire the next generation of musicians. It doesn’t matter if they have the wish to become a professional, or are just playing for enjoyment, teaching music can be a rewarding and fulfilling job. Most music teachers either work in a school as a peripatetic teacher or from home. Indeed, a lot of music teachers choose to do both; and supplement their income alongside their teaching work by performing in concerts.

As a music teacher, it’s always helpful to guide students and pupils to not just practice well outside of the lessons, but also to use the amazing free resources on the internet to help them develop their skills. Websites such as www.teds-list.com, which provides instrument advice and tutorials on all instruments, can help massively. And best of all, in addition to helping others grow their love of music, you’ll be developing your own skills and love of music too!

As more and more women want to know how to make money online, online jobs from home are fast becoming a viable option. These 14 decent jobs that women can do from anywhere without experience give women the flexibility and income that they need.

However, women must note that while most of these entry-level remote jobs do not require any experience, the criteria and compensation set by companies still vary. The important thing is for you to consider your situation and conduct research to know which job best fits your needs.

Source: Baucemag.com

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In Interviews&profile October 28, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Nigerian-Born Khadijah Haliru Emerges City Councillor In Canada

Nigerian-born Khadijah Haliru has emerged as a Councilor in Ingersoll Town in southwestern Ontario, Canada in the just conducted elections. She garnered 1708 votes to win the election.

In her campaign, Haliru had promised that she would like to shine a light on downtown businesses, engage youth and address homelessness if she becomes an Ingersoll Town Councillor.

It could be recalled that Khadijah Haliru moved to Ingersoll six years ago. She is the CEO of K Business Group Inc and she’s also the owner of Hanak Foods, K Body Blends, and K Coaching Academy.

Having fallen in love with the community over the years, she is determined to make a difference at Town Hall.

“I feel like we just really have to open our hearts and minds to a different way of thinking so we can bring some change. I’m not saying anything about whether the current council is right or wrong, but having an additional perspective is fair.”

The mother of three had also noted that she has some big plans if she’s elected. “Being really strategically located we have the opportunity to be a centre of attraction for tourists. Our downtown is suffering, so we need to bring more attention to our businesses and I have a few ideas on how we can engage youth more.”

She also said, “I see a lot of opportunities to improve the climate for newcomers and small businesses”.

“There are a lot of newcomers to Ingersoll and they deserve a voice.”

We celebrate Khadijah Haliru for her resilience and tenacity, and above all making the country proud.

Follow Khadijah Haliru on her social media platforms to know more about her work.

Source: Nigerian Canadian Newspaper

In Inspiration October 27, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Human Value Foundation Was Born Out Of My Passion For Humanity-Fatima Mohammed Habib

Fatima Mohammed Habib is a young empath with a heart of gold, and passion for community service. She is the youngest humanitarian in Nigeria. At 14, she founded the Advocacy for Human Value Foundation (AFHVF); a Not-for-profit organization that aims at improving the lives of the most vulnerable by providing them with basic needs such as Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), health care services, protection and education across Nigeria.

Fatima is a graduate of Political science from University of Maiduguri, and a YALI Regional Leadership Course (RLC) alumna. The organization is powered by over 1,300 volunteers around Nigeria and 30 staffs. With operations in Abuja, Borno, yobe, kaduna, Kano, Taraba, jigawa, and katsina states.

Fatima Habib is well known for creating awareness on child sexual exploitation, gender based violence, and promoting girl-child education in vulnerable communities. Her organization has impacted over 6000 lives in 73 marginalized communities in Northern Nigeria over the years it has been in existence.

In October, 2020, Huawei Technology Company Nigeria Limited partnered with the AFHVF and The Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy in donating standard equipment and renovating the school building of Al-Walidyn Charitable School in Pantami Community, Gombe State, Nigerian.

Fatima’s motivation comes from support she gets from her family and the values upon which she was raised amongst which is kindness to people of all backgrounds. She shares her inspiring story with Esther Ijewere in this exclusive interview.

Childhood Influence

I was born on September 23rd, 1999. I am Kanuri by tribe and hail from Maiduguri, Borno State. I had my Primary and Secondary Schools at Adeola International School Abuja and later moved to Maitama Model Secondary School Abuja to complete my SSCE in 2015. I’d say that I have always wanted to help the less privileged. My parents were my first teachers and therefore had the biggest influence on my life. Things they say and do, their way of being and relating to me and others, laid the foundation for many of my beliefs, values, attitudes, and respect for people around me.

Inspiration behind Human Value Foundation (AFHVF)

My zeal and passion to help the less privileged most definitely pushed me into this path. Let me start with the man whose character, intellectual milieu, and philanthropic gesture to whosoever approaches him in the day, at night, or any other time is indescribable. He is Dr. Mohammed Kyari Dikwa mni. He has greatly inspired me beyond measure.

Additionally, Dr. Zainab Bagudu (the First Lady of Kebbi) whose Medicaid Cancer Foundation is similar to my Foundation’s objectives remains dear to my heart as a woman. I also had the opportunity of meeting Hajia Laraba Shuaibu (a barrister who works with my dad in the Corporate Affairs Commission) in 2014 with my siblings. She had cupboard-of awards displayed in her sitting room which I believe was a result of her versatility, network, and consistency towards her work and profession.

My Passion For Issues Centered Around Child Sexual Exploitation, And Gender-Based Violence

We realized that one of the most prevalent issues that almost all women face is the issue of Gender-Based Violence. We have studied and come to the conclusion that why most women face this problem because of their dependence on others for their sustenance. The solution to most of the causes of Gender-based violence is the economic empowerment of women.

To this end, I recently started the advocacy on Sexual exploitation. We advocate making these victims become stronger, and more well-informed so that despite the daunting challenge they could be able to speak up and change the face of the world.

Challenges

Sometimes the security challenges in the Northeast make it difficult to reach some communities. Even when one is determined to go, loved ones will caution against that. Other times, there is the issue of funding.

When we have a project to execute, we usually find it quite challenging to raise funds to meet our budget. We navigate the security challenges by trying to do as much as possible what we can in areas that are safe. For the funding, we try as much as possible to cut down our budget or improve efforts on fundraising

My Thoughts On The Development And Advocacy Sector And What Stakeholders Should Do Better

Stakeholders can do more with the regulations in the sector. Founders should be vetted before giving the necessary license or registration documents to start. This is to protect against people who set up non-profits to enrich themselves. Stakeholders should set more regulations to protect the humanitarian development space from being flooded by people who don’t have the appropriate aim.

Thematic Areas My Organization Cover

Currently, we work in the areas of health, education, and the environment. In the aspect of education, we’ve assisted many people. We have given scholarships and we recently built a school with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and Huawei Technologies Nigeria. We just completed the building of a charity school – primary to secondary levels.

How I Am Using My Organization To Create Room For Women In The Community

About thousand of people’s lives have been impacted and shaped by my foundation as we have been able to give children their right education by enrolling them in schools and funding their education. We have done a lot of fundraising on social media platforms and also a television in providing hospital expenses to people with special disabilities ( Vulnerable members of society).

Periodically, I visit the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri and hold discussion sessions with some of our targets where we talk out the problems faced by them. This leads to the curing of trauma and depression amongst the vulnerable members in the various camps we visited. I recently started the advocacy on Sexual exploitation. We advocate making these victims become stronger, and more well-informed so that despite the daunting challenge they could be able to speak up and change the face of the world.

Women Who Inspire Me

1. Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu
2. Hajiya Laraba Shuaibu

Other Projects And Activities

For health, we are assisting people who can’t pay their hospital bills. So, we post it online mostly. In 2018, the then-minister of health saw some of our posts and made sure that one of the boys we were assisting was given the care he needed. As for the environment, you know the northeastern part of the country has been prone to conflicts, especially Maiduguri. We have been providing aid in IDP camps and communities affected by criminalities.

In the area of sanitation, we provide boreholes. For the females, we sensitize them to child sexual exploitation and provide them with sanitary pads to enhance their menstrual hygiene among others. That is water sanitation and hygiene.

My Work-Life Balance Routine

I understand that to whom much is given, a lot is expected. I have never taken the privilege I have for granted. I try to be as very organized as possible. Whatever I do, I plan adequately for it. Anything that comes up later that is not in my plan, initially, I try to see if some plans can make way for it. If they are all priorities, I postpone or discard them as appropriate.

Being a Woman Of Rubies

I am very ambitious. Supporting and encouraging people to pursue their own goals and dreams, I make my own as well. I have a vision for my future and chase after it with voracity.

Follow Fatima Mohammed Habib on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram to see more of her work.

In Inspiration October 25, 2022 By Ruby Girls Nigeria

Camille Williams-Taylor, The Canadian Educationist Improving School Experience For Black Students

Camille Williams-Taylor has worked in the Canadian education sector for over thirty years, from Winnipeg to Montreal, with the better part of her career spent in schools and education systems in Ontario.

She is an innovative leader and an accomplished learner who cultivates an environment that embraces creativity, critical thinking and high expectations for learners and staff. Earlier in her career, Camille promoted Black student success through volunteering in programs with the Canadian Alliance for Black Educators and Parkdale Project Read.

A graduate of the University of Manitoba and McGill University, Camille is currently serving as the Director of Education for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board which is a district of 147 schools and over 75,000 students. Her previous experiences in education include roles at the Ministry of Education, York University’s Faculty of Education and at a number of school districts including Durham, Toronto and Peel.

Her leadership capabilities have evolved through time and experience. In the last three decades, she has been a classroom teacher, a principal, a superintendent, a Ministry of Education student achievement officer and a Faculty of Education course director.

Camille Williams-Taylor has also shaped system structures to improve school experiences for Black students along with other equity deserving/ equity-seeking groups. She was also a key collaborator in the development of the inclusive design framework that has been used by several school districts to systematically advance anti-racist and anti-oppression work in schools, classrooms and departments.

She is also a wife and the mother of three daughters. She believes learning happens everywhere, in school, in the community, at home and in families. In every one of her roles she has learned from students, staff, and community leaders and partners.

Camille was recently recognized as one of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women