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I don’t think I went through much of a hoe phase, but not because I didn’t want to. Thinking back now I feel like I missed out on a lot. I don’t drink or smoke, so a lot of the time I was very aware, with my inhibitions staring right back at me.

I wish I had a few one nightstands and dabbled in the casual dating scene a bit more or maybe just experimented in general.

According to Urban Dictionary, the hoe phase is a phase in your life that occurs frequently when you are fine with exploring promiscuous activities and connecting with random people.

These activities do not always end in sex, but can lead to it. You have a high tendency to dance provocatively with strangers, be a tease in social settings, flirt non-stop, make-out with others, and get caught up in the moment.

This phase helps you establish what you like and what you don’t. You explore your sexuality, and have fun. You have the ability to stop these actions or snap out of the phase.

Please if you are a member of the moral police, take your judgmental hat off and read, or just skip this post and keep it moving. The inspiration to write this article came from reading stories from Joro Olumofin’s page; if you don’t follow him you better start.

Now there were a few posts where some couples got married, but throughout their entire courtship they decided against having sex. Come the wedding night when the goods were being sampled, it’s either they didn’t know what to do, or the husband was an indomie man (premature ejaculation issues).

There were also men who complained about their wives’ just lying in bed like bed linen and not adventurous or exciting enough.

Some people complained about how tepid their marriages had become, and how cheating brought back the excitement.

There was one lady who was getting married a virgin and scared of sex as she had been circumcised and thinks she might never enjoy it.

A particular story stood out to me the most; it was about a married lady who is sleeping with a dad (also married) in her daughter’s school. She claims she’s been with her husband for 13 years, never cheated on him prior to getting married or through out the marriage up until this point. Right now she doesn’t know what’s come over her and she doesn’t think she can stop. She says she’s doing things with the man she’s never done before or with her husband. Sex in different places, various positions, she even mentioned in broad daylight against the wall. Wow!! That, I certainly never tried.

The closest I ever came to a hoe phase was in an article I wrote a while back about DTFing (Down to F%$king) with this hot mocha latte I met. It was supposed to be a drive by, on both our parts… but I found myself holding onto him. Ever since that ordeal, I’ve locked up shop and checked into the celibacy hotel room 101. But with the wedding epidemic hitting us left right centre, I’m wondering if I’ve been out there enough, dated enough, had enough wild uninhibited sex, so that when I do tie the knot, I will be experienced enough for my husband and won’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything or crave any other man aside from him.

I know what the Bible says about fornication, but the practicality is the hoe phase does in a peculiar way play a role in ship shaping us. When you’ve been there, done it all I doubt anything will faze you. You would have had your fill and peaked!

There’s this guy who’s been asking me out for a long while. To me, he looks like he’s been around the block; plus I’m way too scared to date him. I doubt I ever will, because he reminds of the type of men I run away from.

During one of our conversations I asked him why he hasn’t given up on me, and in his words “Uru I’ve been with beautiful women of all shapes and sizes, from different races. I’ve seen it all. You are the sort of homely girl I want to settle with” I rolled my eyes and told him to take several seats. Was that supposed to be some sort of compliment? So I’m not beautiful, just homely? Rubbish!! Anyway, clearly he’d been through his hoe phase and was ready to hang his boots, I think.

Some people are of the opinion that women should go through their hoe phase in their 30s, maybe that’s why it’s labeled the dirty thirties,

I guess maybe because women reach their sexual peak in their 30’s and start to know what they want and how they want it (sexually), Wendy Williams would suggest you go through your hoe phase in your twenties – this is going by some of the advice she gives her audience during her ‘Ask Wendy’ segment.

If you havn’t been through a hoe phase and have arrived at the marriage juncture, there’s no going back, although that’s easier said than done.

I put myself in the shoes of the lady who’s having an affair with someone at her daughter’s school, and to be honest I don’t know what I’d do. Maybe she’s doing it a result of several things;
1. Dynamics between husband and wife
2. The loss of excitement in the marriage
3. When spouse turns to sibling. i.e so used to each other they seem like brother and sister

Whatever her reasons are, I’m thinking maybe if she had her hoe phase, this gentleman that she’s cheating with may not have had the chance to sway her.

In conclusion, I would agree with Mark Zacchiomy “regardless whether you’re a male or female, before you settle down with the one you care most about, you should go through a promiscuous phase at some point in your life.
Date people. Date a lot of people. Date more than one person at a time. While you’re looking, you might as well see what’s out there. When you’re in search of a new car, you don’t just go to the first one that interests you and stick with it; you shop around.

You don’t have to sleep with someone you’re dating, but it’s your prerogative and you shouldn’t be judged one way or the other”. You may never know what you want in life until you know what you don’t want first.

Uru Eke

About Uru Eke

Uru Eke is an actress, host, and activist.Her website is www.urueke.netInstagram: @urueke

The Communicator organizes first Elevate Your Communications Summit for creative people.

The inaugural event is scheduled for May 25th 2017, online via a webinar-styled conference with seasoned industry experts as facilitators. It is specifically designed for Content Writers, Engagement Mangers, Graphic Artists and other team members who form a Communications team either internally in an organization or externally in an agency.

Packed with a line up of speakers to dissect several topics are Nkiru Olumide-Ojo, Executive Head, Corporate Communications Stanbic IBTC; Aligning with a Business’ Critical Need, Oluwaseun Shobo, The Brand Master on Personal branding for Creatives, Nelly Abgogu, Nellies healthy foods; Community Building for brands, Mitchelle Defounga, Creative Director, Noah’s Ark, Design; Aesthetics versus Functionality and George Omoraro, Ragemedia Global on Growing in a Digital team.

This hands-on workshop will discuss the importance of communications in a Business and how their roles make them gatekeepers of several brands.

According to the lead consultant, Tracy Oyekanmi, also known as The Communicator, “Businesses need competent staff to be relevant online and we can also leverage the online space to organize trainings that would benefit people in such roles nationwide.  Twenty years ago, some of these roles didn’t exist and the need for capacity development is necessary especially for entry-level staff in these roles.”

Attendees will receive a certificate of participation, discounts on further training from Simon College of Marketing- Nigerian learning partner to undertake Digital Marketing Institute certification as well as gym membership for work life balance with B Natural SPA Group.   There will also be access to further mentorship in an exclusive online group after the event.

The submit is free to attend but registration is compulsory here http://elevateyourcommunicationssummit.gr8.com/

 

My Heart is heavy, no one deserves abuse. I’m inspired to respond to ignorant comments made to an abused victim’s brave story. In this month of Domestic Violence (DV) awareness, here’s some ways we can make a difference: Asking a DV victim ‘what did you do? is not a good way to give advice. Asking her to adjust ‘herself’ or do some behavior modifications does not address the root cause and places responsibility solely on the victim. Advocating ‘run’ sounds good on paper, but doesn’t offer her the practicality needed immediately. It doesn’t tell her HOW to go about it if she’s unemployed, in a situation where there are no helpers or family etc.

Any statement that doesn’t deflect the pain or impact of the abuse on its victim is unfair and unkind. It promotes a false assumption that the victim somehow contributed to his anger. The issue here is not to blame her, blast her or tell her to divorce, BUT to focus on the abuse. When a bloodied battered helpless woman is crying out for help and all we offer in her pain is distant unsympathetic lectures on her ‘adjusting’ her behavior and ‘taking it’, that’s not love. Whatever religion we practice, if we aren’t showing compassion then it is cold religion and biased judgment and is not the Heart of God.

The reason some people die in pain rather than ask for help is because of unsympathetic vibes from people around them. Why not offer support even if we don’t have all the facts? Offer kindness, and ASK the victim what help she actually needs? Dear Abused Woman, You are beautiful and worthy and you are a Queen.

You do not deserve abuse, irrespective of the facts leading to it. You are not alone and you will yet overcome. You will still experience beautiful dreams beyond this drama. Yes, you can go against popular grains to save your life. You deserve to Live. There are a variety of unbiased professional agencies that can help address this. You alone cannot change him, intentional intervention is mostly necessary. You already won because you cried out for help, it isn’t shameful, it is Courage. Dear Friend, Family, Onlookers of DV, Affirm the victim without endorsing the abuse. Offer support or be a listener without asking dumb questions. Be the shelter and safety net for them in their chaos. Ask how they would love to be helped, without bruising their boundaries.

Empower them towards financial independence until they can find their feet (some DV victims have no means to start a new life and are heavily dependent on their abusers for subsistence). Don’t enable the abuser or disable the abused by your action or words.

Take a stand against violence even if the perpetrator is your brother, father etc Protect the battered woman’s honour. Gossip a No-No. Pray for, and love them back into wholeness and confidence. Signed, One who believes in you. Eden A.Onwuk (C)dreden 10.8.16 #Enlightenmentoverarguments #Educationoverignorance

Keesha Hall, a 42-year old Chicago-based mother is on a quest to assist mothers in learning how to help their kids with developmental problems.

Keesha, who herself lived in denial for about 7 years after her fourth child was born, later became determined to learn how to become a champion for her son.

In an interview with Essence, Keesha who is an Entrepreneur and Chair of the Educare Alumni Network, shares how she went from being unemployed, broke and on the brink of poverty to helping mothers with children who have special needs.

What she does

I work privately with clients and go to their houses and help them with their children with special needs. Not all of my clients have children with special needs but the majority of them do.

How to Care for a Child with Special Needs

You have to be understanding and have the patience to be able to live in a household with a child who screams all the time or have difficultly going through life himself. With my son, I’m always grateful for progression rather than perfection because he’s perfect in my eyes and in his own way.

The Challenges of raising a child with Special needs

I’m a mother of four, but I didn’t have this experience living with a child with special needs. I was in denial for a while. He’s 10 now and I was probably in denial for about 7 years. I wasn’t ready to accept the fact that he would struggle or that he would be behind academically. It took years of therapy and years of educating myself, learning more about him and developing patience.

Why she does what she does

If I can help the next person, then they can pay it forward and maybe they can help someone else. So it’s always important for me to give when I have and help the next person.

Advice For Young Mother’s With Special Needs Children

You’ve got to dig deep and you can’t give up. You have to be patient and try to see the world through your child’s eyes.

Source: Bellanaija

 In our society today, when a man is cheating on his wife with another woman, the other woman is called out and labeled a whore. But the man?

Sonia Ogbonna,who is also a life coach on her Instagram page complained about the double standard regarding this issue.

According to her, women should tackle the problem which is the man and stop shaming the other woman who may or not know whether the man is married.

In her words: 

I’M SO SICK OF DOUBLE STANDARDS. Help me understand this please: so when a woman cheats on her man, y’all don’t call a side dude “home breaker” and “wife snatcher”. Instead, wife is labeled as an irresponsible whore.

When a man cheats on his woman, it’s not a man that you will blame. You justify his actions just because,(even though in most cases his married self is the one throwing bread at them babes) and it’s all “side chick’s” fault.

She is the one you will abuse, insult and call names, “husband snatcher aka home breaker”..etc… I don’t get.. The most painful thing is, it’s WOMEN who support, accept and teach their daughters to live according such double standards, not even men sef.

It’s your fellow lady that will call you names and point fingers at you. Stop shaming one another all in the name of idiotic competition based on jealousy and personal insecurities among women. YOUR MAN DOES NOT TREAT YOU RIGHT BECAUSE YOU SETTLED FOR IT AND ALLOWED IT , NOT BECAUSE OF ANOTHER WOMAN.

The reason why women are so bitter, angry, unhappy, lonely and ready to tolerate and settle for nonsense is because they seek the approval of their own worth from men since they are not familiar with it themselves. Purpose of your existence is not all about getting yourself a man.

Getting married is NOT an achievement nor a proof of a woman’s worth. There is so much more to that. Get your life right before becoming someone’s wife. Seek your worth within yourself before you expect it from HIM to acknowledge it.

These ones are another kind of mischance.
Don’t get me wrong, nothing beats a partner who is really into you. A partner interested in every detail of your welfare is fantastic but borderline is when he is becoming too interested in your every detail.
I get, your partner wants to spend every waking moment with you but if this is infringing your productivity or happiness, it sure is a sign you don’t want to ignore.
It is not bad to want to want to be in control of happenings/situations in your life and as a matter of fact, knowing you have or are in control of your relationship can be a morale booster, a push on self-esteem but when your partner becomes dominantly manipulative and controlling, it is only a matter of time before you lose yourself in that relationship.
Obsessive partners are controlling and very manipulative. They want to be the final say, scratch that, they want to be the only say in the relationship. They don’t take no for an answer. It’s either their way or their way. They pressure you till you cave in.
You know what happens with controlling behavior, it fasts degenerates into emotional abuse.
Let’s be real, most violent partners/ relationships don’t start out being outrightly violent. There are usually the tell tale signs.
These are the signs that you need to look out for.
It is okay to get jealous. I mean, who doesn’t get sweaty palms with threats? However, extreme and excessive jealousy is very dangerous.
Excessive jealousy is when your partner has a constant conversation in their head that you are cheating or will cheat and so puts extreme and dehumanizing measures in place to curb this.
Wait, isn’t love supposed to be accompanied with trust?
Trust is fundamental in a relationship. Excessively jealous partners don’t have this. They think their spouses are so vulnerable, they can cheat with anybody. They suffer so much insecurity, it is limiting their reasoning.
Another thing an obsessive partner does is help or mandates you to cut ties with your loved one. This is very dangerous. They try to pull off all plugs that may be your succor should their be a fall out. They are sometimes harsh and brash in their approach of severing ties or they may subtly orchestrate ways to let these loved ones go. They are skilled in manipulation so this is no feat at all.
How do they achieve this? They make you feel guilty. You eat and drink guilt. You never give them enough attention they say. They make it seem like the love they have for you is so overwhelming, they can’t live without you.
Messed up reasoning? Yup! Their reasoning is not only messed up, they mess with yours too.
Your self esteem begins to dwindle till you lose touch with reality.
Experts manipulators they are!
If your relationship is not in its early stages where infatuation is allowed to some extent, you may want to check out what those extreme traits you noticed in your partner is about.

After many years, I’ve finally uncovered the key to a healthy church-going experience: avoiding people. Not all people of course, but there are certain types of people you won’t see me hanging around on Sunday morning.

I know it may seem mean, un-Christian even! But trust me, it’s a necessity. A survival skill, of sorts. Avoiding awkward conversations, peer pressure, and distractions before, during, and after services has revitalized my whole church life.

This secret is something I’ve held very close to my heart, but now out of sheer kindness, I’m going to share with you my no-fail strategy on finding the safe zones at church.

Without further ado, here are the nine Christians you don’t want to sit beside on Sunday morning.

  1. The Unrequited Crush

Whether he won’t stop texting you or keeps asking you out on dates despite your polite declinations, it’s always a good idea to avoid The Unrequited Crush.

The Safe Zone: This safe zone is a lot less about where you are and more about who you’re with. Keep a safety zone of friends around and it’s much harder to get cornered. Bonus: by making sure you two are never alone, you don’t have to hear comments like, “You sure would make sure a cute couple!” Talk about an awkward moment.

  1. The Opera Singer

The Opera Singer has so much vibrato that there’s a rumor she’s the real reason the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. The great news is that God thinks this worship is beautiful. The bad news is you don’t. It can be quite the distraction during your time of worship.

The Safe Zone: You can sit as close as you’d like to the person, as long as it’s not directly in front of them. So you’re in the clear if you’re anywhere behind them, but I recommend a safe zone of three seats to their left or right.

  1. The Loud Whisperers

Loud Whisperers have this burning desire to comment on everything. Sadly, they were never probably taught to whisper. Unfortunately, Loud Whisperers tend to travel in packs so the occasional comment turns into a family discussion that’s almost as loud as the preacher himself.

The Safe Zone: Safe Zones may varies depending on a person’s volume but the only way to stay focused on the sermon is to stay out of earshot.

4. The Walking Bottle of Body Spray

Too much scented body spray. Maybe these people don’t have sensitive noses, or they don’t believe that there can be too much of a good thing. While it’s okay to approach these people for a quick hug, sitting near these toxic fumes can lead to a headache lasting all the way to Monday.

The Safe Zone: Your buffer radius should be one chair for every spritz of body spray. Five spritz? Sit five chairs away. Taking a step outside to breathe fresh air will help too.

5. The Volun-teller

Has someone ever volunteered you to do something without you actually volunteering? That’s what we in the church biz like to call being “volun-told”. Most churches have at least one person who’s always recruiting you to join their ministry without considering your schedule, gifts, or ability to serve.

The Safe Zone: No one is safe. I repeat: no one is safe! Volun-tellers can find you anywhere you are. They’re in the bathroom, the family room, even waiting next to your car. Always know where the nearest exit is and be prepared to duck into the supply closet.

By: Lindsey VanSparrentak

For: http://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/9-christians-you-don-t-want-to-sit-beside-on-sunday-morning.html

 

 

 

 

When life gets messy, it’s natural for us to get stressed. Or angry. Or bitter. Especially when life takes a turn we didn’t expect – a broken engagement, the loss of a spouse, the diagnosis of cancer, the death of a dream.

Here are seven reasons to trust God with your tears and not stress when you’re in the middle of the mess:

  1. God is more compassionate than you realize.

Psalm 56:8 tells us that God not only sees our tears, he collects them. That means my hurt and yours is more precious to him than we can imagine. That kind of response from him means he’s trustworthy to work our situation out for our best.

  1. Your situation didn’t take God by surprise.

Just because it caught you off guard, doesn’t mean that God was clueless, too. Psalm 139 tells us that God is familiar with all our ways – where we’ve been, what we’re doing now, and where we’re going. Before there is a word on our tongues, he knows it completely. So, trust what he already knows. True faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 12:1). So exercise true faith by being assured and convinced that God is in absolute control.

  1. God is much more capable of managing your life than you are.

We often believe we have the best solutions to our problems. In fact, there are times I’ve found myself suggesting to God what he ought to do in my particular situation. But Isaiah 55:8-9 assures us that his ways are higher than our ways, meaning his method and his timing in how he chooses to do things are so much better than ours. He is God and I am not. And that just might be what he’s trying to show you and me in the struggle we’re struggling to fix. So, plain and simple, give it to him. He can handle it.

  1. God can, at any time, clear up the mess. So wait for his timing and learn all he wants you to learn in the moment.

Romans 8:28 assures us that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.” But the next verse tells us how God works things for good in our lives: “For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his Son….” There it is. God wants us to become more like his Son through our struggles. So be teachable. Be open to what he wants you to learn. And be moldable. You – and your heart – might be the one reason God has not yet fixed the situation.

5. God already has the problem solved.

Often we are looking for a certain resolution, before we will consider our problem fixed. But God looks to the details of our intentions and our very hearts. It’s possible the problem still exists because he’s working on something inside you right now, and then he’ll take care of the exterior situation.

6. A messy situation is one of the primary ways God awakens our need for him, grows our dependence on him, shapes our character, and draws us closer to himself.

Life consists of messes. They are not always because you’ve done something wrong. Sometimes they just happen. And often he allows it because he wants to draw us into a deeper dependence on him and show us a new side of himself. Those are the things that make our messes meaningful – they draw us closer to our Savior. I love how James 1:2-3 tells us to “consider it all joy” when we encounter various trials, knowing the testing of our faith produces endurance. “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (verse 4).

God can be trusted. And he wants you to know that. Lean into him during this time and you will know what it means to “find meaning in the mess.”

 

By : Cindi McMenamin

Gbemisola Boyede, a consultant neurodevelopmental paediatrician at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, sees children with a variety of medical conditions. And every day, the child development specialist sees mothers making health decisions that they think best for their children, only for those decisions to become the beginning of nightmares.

In Nigeria, according to the World Bank, there are 69 infant deaths per 1,000 births; Boyede believes one of the reasons for this high number is late presentation to hospitals. Mothers will ask advice from other mothers, grandmothers or even the often times contradicting Dr. Google before heading to a hospital. Recently, this trend moved to social media, and Boyede was shocked by the wildly incorrect responses many women got  to their questions.

Boyede, who is a fellow of the West African College of Physicians in paediatrics, responded by creating the Facebook group AskthePaediatricians (ATP). When the group started in 2015, ATP’s only member was Boyede; today, it has over 95,000 members and 10 active paediatricians.

“Ask the Paediatricians was born out of the passion to provide accurate information on childcare to mums, dads and caregivers,” says Boyede.

Doctors in the house, pls how many months can a baby boy sit down?” asks one member of the group. In less than 30 minutes, a paediatrician responded with a link to a thread with information on child development.

ATP has hundreds of photos and posts, as well as a website with educational articles on child health care and responses to health questions specific to its Nigerian audience. The articles reveal an important phenomenon: broad local terms are often used to refer to a variety of different health conditions. “Jedi-jedi,” for example, could refer to diarrhea, dysentery or hemorrhoids, depending on the child’s individual case. ATP stresses the vital importance of visiting a qualified practitioner rather than self-medicating.

On October 1, 2016, ATP organized its first medical outreach to Makoko, a Lagos slum community with limited access to quality health care. Over 1,000 children were attended to by 155 volunteers, both medical and non-medical. The outreach featured health talks, health and nutritional assessments, deworming and a good meal for all of the children. Funding for the event was raised through a GoFundMe account and individual donations from friends.

Boyede is the recipient of multiple merit scholarship awards, including the Provost Prize and College Prize for the Best Overall Student of the College of Medicine at the University of Lagos in 1997-98. She was also named the best senior registrar of the Department of Pediatrics LUTH in 2010. These days, the busy mother of two is even busier with her ATP schedule, but she is excited about its impact.

“We are improving child survival in Nigeria, one mother at a time, through access to the paediatricians on social media who are providing evidence-based information at no cost,” she says.

Boyede has big dreams for ATP, which will soon be registered as a foundation in order to be financially sustainable. She also sees it as an avenue for the dissemination of information about children’s health care.

“I see us running child health education programs on radio, television, internet, TV. We are also planning to have the ATP app for people on smartphones,” Boyede adds.

You can join the Facebook page here : https://www.facebook.com/groups/askthepaed/

 

Source: http://www.radianthealthmag.com/health-wellness/gbemisola-boyede-providing-access-to-child-healthcare-information/

 

Nollywood actress and producer Dakore Egbuson Akande covers Genevieve Magazine‘s May 2017 issue in a plunging neckline fringe dress by Nigerian designer Fruché

Her chat with the magazine covers her life but centres on where she is right now. The actress talked feminism, and her role in the romantic comedy, “Isoken”; a movie on the “Before 30” conversation.

She told the magazine, “Marriage has made me more patient and accepting of mine and others flaws for sure.” And, “…becoming a wife and Mum, and having my own personal experiences deepened my appreciation for women’s rights and stories.”

 

Credits
Photography: Tope Adenola of Horpload Works| @Topehorpload
Make-up: Remi of Book Of Glam Stories| @bookofglamstories
Hair: Tonye of Vavavoom
Stylist: Tokyo James| @tokyojames
Venue: Renaissance Hotel GRA