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Child Rights Activist and the Executive Director/Founder of Morna International Children’s Foundation (MICF), Bukola Afolabi Ogunyeye, has won an award from Baobab Awards under the category of “Community Building”.

Baobab Awards is a Hungary based Organization with Affiliation in London.

While sharing the exciting news on her facebook page, she said:

It was double celebration for us in my family yesterday as I received an International award from Baobab Awards under the category of “Community Building”.

Baobab Awards is a Hungary based Organization with Affiliation in London.
It feels so good to be a recipient of this award. This is my first award in my Humanitarian work.

You see ehn, It is difficult to run a cause in a Country like Nigeria and be “straightforward” with it cos money doesn’t come in like that, yet you have a burden, and if you choose to do it without compromising in anyway, be sure you can never make money from it. You will sweat seriously.

NGO is not business, I can say that categorically but it is possible to make it a Business venture for those who want to do it that way. Me, I am not like that. This NGO work is like Slavery sef, but it is a good kind of slavery you enter into yourself because there is a burning passion in you to do something for the cause of Humanity.

Getting rewarded in this manner is a huge encouragement for someone like me who don’t make money from what I do yet I carry the work on my head like gala.

I remember sometime in June last year, I got a call from a woman who said she had got my contact from a School owner. It was one of the Schools I have been at to speak and empower the children against Predators somewhere at Ketu. She asked for our website address that she needed to see it first then arrange a meeting with me.

I agreed to meet her, we met at Chicken Republic and we ate “chicken periperi” with chips all on her own expense.
A big woman, highly connected, she told me about some International Organization who fund NGOs with credible activities through some Consultants and how they are about to fund NGOs. She said the money would be coming in quarterly. She mentioned the amount and the “sharing formula”, what percentage would go to the “Consultants” abroad, her, and me.
Sincerely, I didn’t have any issue with the sharing formula ‘cos I don’t know the people in the Abroad, they only wanted to help but I asked to know the name of the “International Donors”. I wanted to know the source where the money was coming from?
Here was dollars about to be wired into our account and our own share would be about one million Naira in Nigeria currency, which would be coming in quarterly, yet I was still asking questions? A poor NGO that has no money?
That first amount was enough to take care of at least 10 seminars which we hold in the Foundation. It meant that about 3.5 million Teenagers would benefit from the money. I had done serious mental calculation, the Foundation really needed the money but I was not desperate.

I wanted to know the source ‘cos every Donor should have a name and should be verifiable online just like our activities are online on our website which led to the meeting at the first place..
They said they didn’t want me to go through the back yard door and agitate with the organization. Lol…… Fine. I let it go.
I am sure the woman would be wondering what kind of person I am, person see free money, she didn’t jump on it?
I didn’t even bother to ask her about it again. I will not soil my name because of money. It is the Foundation’s account the funds will go into, not theirs and I am the one EFCC will come and arrest if the fund was not a clean one.
Haters will now have the mouth to say, Ah! Those NGO people, that is how they do money laundering and they will be saying they are doing NGO.
That was how I made “haters score 0 and I scored 100%”………

I am writing this alongside this award because amidst our very low resources, we have been imparting greatly and our effort is now being recognized.
Faith Ogochukwu Silver , thank you so much for the nomination. We don’t know each other beyond Facebook,(I met you for the first time yesterday) we have never had any form of private conversation, yet you nominated me for this?
May you shed tears of joy for the rest of your life……Tears fell from my eyes that day you in boxed and told me about this award. *Coversface*
So Bukola Afolabi Ogunyeye is now an “Award winning” Child Rights Activist. You can also say an award winning Bitter Nigerian feminist, everything goes. We are alright after all.
And………. this came at the right time. It came at a time it would seriously boost something I am working on. Yipppiiieeeeee!
It is true that God can NEVER forget our labour of love.
So I dedicate this award to the NIGERIAN CHILD……….
Eyin temi, let us celebrate this great feat.
We are going to dance to Yinka Ayefele. We will dance and “ju di” .
B’eru ba mo nu ro ni, a dupe, B’e ru ba mo nu ro ni a dupe
Baba o sheeeeeeeyyyy
Baba o shey!
B’eru ba mo nu ro ni a dupe
d:t:l:m:s:f:r: d:d:d:r:m
(Olorun ayo) Jah Jehovah! Oba ale wi le se, iwo lo fi lokan
bale wipe kin ma beru
Alagba wi, Baba wa gba mi o ee
Iwo lo sore ana, ore esi mare, Lodun ta wa yi
Ida ju to po, wipe wa si se t’ola
Baba wa gba ko so o
(Olorun ayo)
Ohun to ba wu kaiye wi,, ohin toba wu koso
Emi o ma wo, Eni to baka, Sebi ohun loni rora
Kin sa ma te si waju oooooooo

25 years old Chiamaka Deborah Motilewa recently bagged her doctorate degree from Covenant University, thus making her the youngest Nigerian to achieve that.

Motilewa was awarded her PhD degree in business administration at Covenant University and she shared her certificate on Twitter. She also stated that she is the youngest to get a PhD at the university.

The 25-year-old who was excited to receive her certificate took to Twitter to share her success story.

She wrote:

“It’s finally official. Hello Dr. Motilewa🙏🏻🙏🏻
This journey tested me mentally, spiritually and physically.
But it was absolutely worth it. At 25, I am the youngest PhD holder produced from @CUHEBRON” and one of the youngest from any Nigerian University 

 

Dr. Debbie|TheVolunteerNG@itsdjDebbz

It’s finally official. Hello Dr. Motilewa🙏🏻🙏🏻
This journey tested me mentally, spiritually and physically.
But it was absolutely worth it. At 25, I am the youngest PhD holder produced from @CUHEBRON and one of the youngest from any Nigerian University

 

Stacey Naris has been nominated for a position on the board of the International Federation of Professional Footballers(FIFProAfrica Division – and she is the first woman to be nominated for that position.

Naris is the captain of Namibia’s national women’s team. In addition to playing in the field, she’s a staff member of the Namibian Football Players Union (NAFPU) where she’s been working to promote the welfare of female footballers since 2015. With this nomination, she’ll also be joining FIFPro’s Women’s Football Task Force.

Responding to her appointment, the 27-year-old is quoted by Namibia Daily News as saying:

“Part of the goals I would like to achieve while at the FIFPro Africa Division Board is to see Namibian women’s football start a professional women’s league which will really help improve our senior national women’s football team.”

Her nomination is yet to be approved by FIFPro Africa’s general assembly which will meet in Zimbabwe on May 30 and 31. According to Stephane Burchkalter, Secretary General of FIFPro Africa, there’s “no doubt the appointment will be approved”.

(Photo: The Namibian)

Source: konbini.com

Award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie has been chosen by the Harvard College Class of 2018 to address the graduating seniors as part of the annual Class Day celebration on May 23, the day before Harvard’s 367th Commencement.

The announcement was made on the Harvard Gazette. According to the co-chair of the speaker selection committee said:

“We are honored to welcome Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as our Class Day speaker. Her eloquence and perspective as a writer and public speaker have inspired audiences to look beyond stereotypes and social norms to recognize our common humanity. In her captivating TED talks, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie urges us to better understand one another’s stories and to plan for ‘a world of happier men and happier women who are truer to themselves.’ This is a powerful message for our class to hear as we reflect on our time at Harvard and prepare to write the next chapter of our stories,” said Jerry Nelluvelil, co-chair of the speaker selection committee.

The Harvard College Senior Class Committee has invited a guest speaker for Class Day since 1968. Prior to that, the honor was given to University affiliates, such as deans, faculty, or classmates. The first invited guest was Martin Luther King Jr., who accepted the invitation shortly before his assassination. His widow, Coretta Scott King, delivered the speech in his absence and also became the first woman to give a Class Day address at Harvard. Since that time, speakers have spanned fields including politics, social activism, journalism, film, comedy, and more.

 

Source: stargist.com

Aisha Bakari Gombi, one of the few women who volunteered to fight the terrorist group, is 38 and six feet tall. She was born and raised near the Sambisa forest, the headquarters of Boko Haram.

Formerly an antelope hunter, her experience and knowledge of the forest have made her the leader of a team of 15-20 male volunteers despite her limited training in military operations. Everyday, with her shotgun slung over her shoulder, she ventures into the scrubs of Borno, the northeastern province of Nigeria long plagued by Boko Haram attacks, hunting down their fighters.

She has been instrumental in the rescue of a high number of Boko Haram captives and she is front and centre in the efforts to neutralise the terrorist group.

(Photo: Rosie Collyer/Aljazeera)

Her bravery and keen hunting abilities have earned her the title of ‘Queen Hunter’. Government troops are quick to call on Aisha for her skills but slow to reward her efforts financially. Ms. Gombi is one of the recruits who helped the Nigerian Army defeat Boko Haram and chase the terrorist group away from the forest.

Watch the short film (by Rosie Collyer) about the legend that is Aisha Gombi below:

Nollywood actress and The Johnsons’ star, Ada Ameh, has revealed that she dropped out of secondary school at 14 when she became pregnant with her daughter.

She revealed this during her speech at the Benson Idahosa University’s 14th Cultural Day Celebration. She added she is a proud single mother. She said,

“Going through life as a single mother was not an easy thing at all but today I am proud to call myself a proud single mother because whenever I see my daughter I am glad.

I want you to understand that even though I dropped out of secondary school, I am a proud single mother. Just take it that my life is a history. If not for God, I don’t know where I would have been.

My major concern is for the young girls. I am not a victim, I am a proud single mother. Today my child is my school; she was the school that I graduated from. My first degree was that woman. Yu will not understand what it means to become pregnant at fourteen.”

Award-winning writer, Chimamanda Adichie has shared a story of how she was sexually assaulted at the age of 17.

She made this known during an address at the just concluded Stockholm Forum for Gender Equality.

Chimamanda revealed that she went to a “Big man in media” house after she wrote a book of poems who she thought would help her promote the book.

She went on to reveal how within a minute, the said man slipped his hands down her clothes and then moved on to her bra and squeezed her boobs.

She said, “I was so shocked that I did nothing for seconds but then, I pushed his hand away, gently, nicely, because I didn’t want to offend him. Later that day, I broke out in a rash on my face, neck, and chest, as though my body was recoiling, as though my body was saying what my lips had not said.”

Chimamanda Adichie has always been a passionate advocator of gender equality and also encourages women who have been abused before to come out and share their stories.

We understand her better now as she shares her own story.

Watch the video below, starting from the 3:44:08 mark.

Nigeria’s Oluwatobiloba Amusan has made history by becoming the first Nigerian to win gold at the Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles.

The 20-year-old put up an impressive run to come out tops with 12.68 seconds at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Amusa is the reigning American Collegiate 100m hurdles champion, her gold becoming Nigeria’s 8th at the games, pushing the country to 8th on the medals table.

 

Source: fabwoman.ng

Beyonce Knowles made history with her iconic performance at the Coachella. As it turns out, the lauded baton solo during “Like To Party”, was done by a Nigerian dancer, Diddi Emah.

Diddi Emah is part of the dance group, Bad Girls Club, who are directed by Sean and have worked with the likes of Missy Elliot, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar and others.

Speaking about her experience at Coachella, Diddi said on Instagram:

“From a small village in Nigeria to the big stage with Beyoncé!!! You can’t tell me God isn’t real! This one is for all the small girls in villages back home in Nigeria. God is alive and kicking! Dream as big as you can-and then believe it!

Thank you for all the support. To perform behind the first black woman to SLAY the stage at Coachella-to slay the world. All hail the QUEEN Beyoncé . She is a true masterpiece, I’ve never watched someone work that hard- have her empire and family and move with so much grace.

Thanks for showing us all how to STOP THE WORLD. Thank you to all the Historical Black Colleges-you made this possible. I’m so proud to be African and American”

Credit: konbini.com

16-year-old Maud Benson is determined to be the first female grandmaster in Ghana and she’s doing everything possible to achieve her goal. She’s already being hailed as Africa’s Queen of Chess.

Benson only started playing chess at 14 after her French teacher got her to join the chess club. Once she realized the game was helping her strategize perfectly, she stuck to it. Playing in junior competitions, she was the only girl who could comfortably compete with boys.

At age 13, she beat all the best female chess players on the Ghana team during the 2015 Team Championships. She gradually made her way into national competitions, like the Women’s Championship where she easily pushed adult players aside to win the tournament.

She soon moved on to international competitions like the African Junior U20 Chess Championship in Togo where she scored an impressive 6/9 last December.

On how far she wants to go in the game, she said:

“I want to be the first female grandmaster in Ghana. Yes, yes, chess will be a constant feature and, so far, it has taken me here.

I believe that chess will give me the platform to help in creating awareness for female chess in Ghana and Africa as a whole.”

Last February, she secured a spot on the national team representing Ghana at the Chess Olympiad in Georgia come September 2018.

(Photo: Ghana Chess Association)