womenofrubies - Women of Rubies

In Interviews&profile August 25, 2018 By Editor

“I AM AN UNREPENANT OPTIMIST AND A FIRM BELIEVER THAT OUR DREAMS ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR” – TOLULOPE BABAJIDE

Tolulope Babajide, the Lead strategist of Ink & Ideas Consulting is a passionate and creative Communications specialist. A 2006 graduate of English and Literary Studies, Tolulope started her career in Advertising as a copywriter and swiftly moved into core journalism at the defunct 234Next as a copy editor, Arts and Culture reporter and a columnist.

Since then she has worked in the Non profit sector as a Communications and Programmes strategist and also consulted with organizations on grants writing, rapporteuring, social enterprise strategy. She is highly committed to using communication in changing human narratives and excited in helping organizations get their writings done more creatively

“Growing up in family where intellectual conversations are held around the dining table helped me to be in constant search for knowledge/”, Tolu says as she shares her story with me in this interview.

Early life
I grew up in Ilesa, Osun State and as a young girl, all I was surrounded with was books and thought-provoking conversations. My dad had this huge library (at least to my eight-year-old mind) and he compelled us to read as many books as we could. He encouraged us to read across all genres, so one minute am reading medical textbooks, the next minute am buried in Wole Soyinka’s books. This has particularly helped me in having a rich imagination which has in turn strengthened my writing skills. My parents made it their priority to consciously train children whose minds are not controlled by their environment and backgrounds. Through the books I read, I went and experienced so many cultures even when I haven’t been there physically.

Meet Me!
My name is Tolulope Babajide. I am a graduate of English and Literary Studies. I am a Communication specialist with the belief that any narrative can be changed with the right approach of communication. I started my career as a copywriter, then as a journalist at the defunct 234Next newspaper and moved into Development Communications (Nonprofits).
I love learning new things, this is what drew me to online learning. I don’t miss out on any opportunity to stimulate my brain. I am an unrepentant optimist and a firm believer that our dreams are worth fighting for unless they remain just dreams.

Inspiration behind my initiative Ink & Ideas Consulting
The inspiration behind Ink & Ideas Consulting is the need to do more and be more, a bespoke content creation agency with services including speech writing, grant writing, rapporteuring and social enterprise strategy. It has always been my side hustle, from helping people to write compelling grant applications to crafting human centered and creative speeches to offering my scribing services to organizations and strategizing with social enterprises. I finally got to the point that I wasn’t comfortable again having it as just a side gig. I believe that there are millions of grants for nonprofits and startups in Nigeria, all they need is a passionate grant writing agency who will go all in. There is also an urgent need for creativity to be infused into speeches; most of the speeches I hear today lacks the passion and not memorable at all.
Rapporteuring/report writing also has become one service that is undervalued in Nigeria. There is a need for every organization to have an objective, accurate record of their retreats and business meetings.

Impact of working in the print media and advertising sector for a while
I am particularly grateful that I started my career in Advertising as a copywriter. It gave expression to my creativity and helped me to receptive to endless possibilities in life. On a lighter note, it helped me discover my very playful side. In the print media, I learnt a lot from the industry’s best, the likes of Molara Wood, Kadaria Ahmed, Dele Olojede, Victor Ehikhamelor etc. My time at 234Next newspaper is still one of my most exciting experiences in life; there I learnt that the world is not just black and white. That I can question status-quos and not be put in a box of conformity.

Helping organisations in the non-profit sector write grant proposals
It was my move to Abuja that exposed me to the Nonprofits industry. There I learnt that living for oneself is selfish and smallminded, there are tons of great causes to advocate for. Having worked on projects including Female Genital Mutilation, Immunization, Adolescents Access to Family Planning Services, Maternal and Newborn Health, I discovered that I enjoyed helping these causes to raise funds through grant writing. There are many great nonprofits who really need a funder so that they can scale up their activities.
There was this Cancer Outreach nonprofit that I worked with on grant writing. They go into very rural areas to screen women for breast and cervical cancers; we can all attest that it is not cheap to get test kits for the screening. Nonprofits like this need donors’ money to be able to continue with their good work.

Challenges
I just moved from Abuja to Lagos. I guess that that is a challenge in terms of building networks and making them see reasons why they need my services. But the prospect of meeting new people, businesses is exciting and am all in for the ride.

What next?
I am presently working on projects that advocate for Adolescents to have a safe, no-judgement access to Sexual Reproductive services in Nigeria. I am also passionate in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation, I believe that no female should be cut. I am blessed to have this bubbling energy that enables me to collaborate with people on projects that are dear to my heart. It is an ongoing journey and am excited about it.

Reward
Getting into the Cherie Blair Foundation Fellowship for Women in Business is one reward that I am so grateful for. I just became a Mentee in the Foundation’s Mentoring Women in Business and it runs for a year. Being peered with my International mentor will redefine my game and belonging to this awesome community will strengthen my networking and business skills.

My view on the advocacy and development sector in Nigeria and access to funding
The advocacy and development sector are doing a lot and they should be commended. I cannot imagine a Nigeria without the tireless input of this sector. Nationwide Immunization success will not have been possible without organizations like Gates Foundation, GAVI, John Hopkins etc.
Still on the immunization angle, I believe that there is an inadequate funding. There are new vaccines that are unaffordable for the common man; vaccines like Rotavirus, Chicken Pox, Typhoid, Meningitis etc. It will be great if these vaccines can be subsidized, there shouldn’t be anything like ‘Special Vaccines’. All vaccines are important.

Women in advocacy not celebrated
They are appreciated majorly in the terms of salary and emoluments but not celebrated.

My Inspiration…
My kids inspire me to be more in life. That might sound so cliché, but it is so true. They are my greatest motivation. Also, the need to touch everyone I meet positively. People need to know they are needed, respected and their opinions are valid even if it disagrees with mine.

Being a woman of Rubies
My refusal to be broken by life’s pitfalls. It doesn’t matter how many times I fall, I keep on standing up. I don’t have the luxury of giving excuses. I am also not shy in blowing the horn of another woman. Rising together as women is the sweetest. What is the essence of living in a castle if you are going to be there alone.

Advice for young women who want to go into the communication sector
Read, Read and Read. It stretches your mind and gives you insights into a variety of subjects. Don’t be that woman that knows only one thing, be all compassing. This will help in dealing with different clients from different sectors. Be flexible, learn how to be a people’s person.

In Inspiration August 18, 2018 By Editor

“I STARTED MY ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY AT THE AGE OF 10, SELLING FIZZY DRINKS IN TIED NYLONS” – KARIMOT ISIAKA – KARIMOT ISIAKA

Karimot Isiaka is a Certified Life Coach, Two Times Amazon Best Selling Author, a Personal Development strategist. She is the founder of Becoming More Academy, which is an online Academy where people learn different tools that help them improve in their personal development journey

She started her entrepreneurial journey at the age of 10 by selling fizzy drinks in tied nylons. She moved on to trying her hands on other businesses which she stopped after a while. However, as soon as she embarked on self-discovery journey, she discovered her passion for helping others become better and she started consulting on personal development at the age of 19 as Law student of National Open University of Nigeria.

As the founder of Becoming More Academy she has organized personal development programs such as, Becoming More Summit, group coaching sessions, Confidence building masterclasses, Empowering beliefs training. These programs have helped participant become better version of themselves and many are learning to live their life without limits.

She is known for helping individuals build confidence in themselves. She has done this through her coaching programs and also through her Best selling Book, ‘Confidence Within’. She is also known for helping individuals overcome limiting beliefs so that they can utilize their greatest potentials and live a life of inspiration.
She has volunteered for community services with several non-profit organizations because of her passion for humanity, Karimot shares her very inspiring journey with me in this exclusive interview.

Early Life
My childhood prepared me for what I do now. Although, every of my life experience has contributed to this preparation. I started as a confident child; I would say i was fearless. I approached events without fear and i confidently had conversations with people including strangers. However, this confidence and fearlessness began to fade away after a while. I almost got into trouble expressing my opinion on matters sometimes. I was either asked to keep quiet or told that I say things that are beyond my years, in such a way that made it look like it was a taboo for a child to be expressive. Speaking up against wrong done by an adult was turned to rudeness. I was painted too forward and I really began to think something was wrong with me. As a kid, I really was not my wonderful mother’s friend; she made it obvious that I was different in a kind of way she did not like. Truth be told, i did some things i and my siblings were asked not to do. I was just a child who does not follow instructions because they were given but because they were right and reasonable.
My life story is not complete without my childhood. My childhood is like my origin, and when everything changes, the origin remains the same.

Karimot!
I am a lady who is passionate about living for a reason. I believe it important we have something to live for. I call this something that gives one’s life meaning. I am the third child of five children. I was born on the 13th of May, 1996. I am Muslim and I am forever grateful to almighty Allah for this privilege. I love to write. I enjoy educating others in such a way that gets them inspired and transformed. I wake up every day with the desire to positively impact someone, even if it means just putting a genuine smile on someone’s face. My mantra is Become More.

Becoming more academy…
Becoming More Academy was inspired by the need to cater to more people on the subject of personal development. I remember I launched the Academy online in 2017 with a free online course on confidence building. This course was inspired by an undergraduate who was introduced to me by her friend and she needed help with building confidence. So I worked with her and I also got to realize that, there are a lot more people who need to fix their confidence and creating an online course for these people which they can take at a time they find convenient.
Apart from this, I also got to realize people want to learn a couple of things I know, so an online academy makes it easier for them to access these things. We have courses on writing, speaking, confidence building, self-discovery and other related subjects.

Starting my entrepreneurial journey at age 10
I think the greatest impact it had on my life journey is having the courage to start something new without knowing how it would unfold.

My book “Confidence within”
Confidence within is book embedded in so much value. It teaches readers how they can overcome low self-esteem and in turn build self-confidence. It is a book that shows how parents influence the self-esteem and confidence of their children. It shows how teachers, schools and the society at large have got a role to play in the self-confidence of every individual. It also opens the eyes of the readers to how I was able to bounce back and take charge of my confidence after going through so many experiences that crushed my confidence. It is even more interesting that it shows us how we can help others develop confidence in themselves. Every reader would be inspired to live with confidence from within, the book guarantees that.

Challenges
Challenges are beautiful if you ask me and they are normal when dealing with humans. Working with people who have given up entirely on themselves is a big challenge. Some people know they need help regarding an aspect of their live but they do not believe the growth they desire is possible. So I have to do a lot of work by convincing these people before getting to work with them.
Another challenge is the issue of trust. When some of the people I have worked with recommend me to other people, sometimes I notice they have doubts about whether to sign up or not for the program they want. Some people also believe I should offer my services for free since I am not selling a physical product.

Other Activities
I like to come up new ideas that i believe can help others make tremendous change in their lives. We have ‘Becoming More Community Stories’ where we invite people from different fields to share their inspiring stories with others, to get them inspired and also rekindle their hopes. This is a project that runs in a Becoming More Community on Facebook. I also hold trainings from time to time on several personal development topics.
I also would be starting a school tour later this year, to educate secondary school students on confidence building, I also look forward to training teachers and parents on how they can help student s and their children build confident. So, if you own a school, feel free to reach out to me.

Adding value
The greatest reward so far is knowing that I am contributing to making lives better. The feedbacks I get from people I have worked with sometimes make me look back from where i used to be and ask if it is really me that is helping people produce great results regarding their lives. I read emails and messages that say; I never thought I would be confident until I met you. Some people say they look forward to reading my posts. I remember a woman who reached out to me saying life is unpleasant; she later got to say she has realized that there is hope and life is beautiful when you choose to see the beauty. On my birthday someone said to me that, she blesses the day she summoned the courage to chat me up on Facebook. Some even pray for me. I mean, what can be more rewarding?

My organisation in 5 years
In five years, I see Becoming More as a bigger movement with footprints across the world. I see us raising leaders. I see us impacting the corporate world also. I see us becoming one of the most sought after human capital development firm.

Never giving up
I know giving up is never an option. However, there have been times I got tired. I have discovered that, being tired is a signal that i need to pay attention to something. It is either I need to take a break, or focus more on things I love to do which are usually work-related. I get tired, but I have to keep going. Giving up is equals failing myself, disappointing my creator who has placed this great desires in my heart. Giving up is not an option, instead I choose to keep going up.

Who and What Inspire me to be better
I would say life as complex as it appears to be, inspires me. I get inspired by people’s stories. The stories of Steve Harvey, Lisa Nichols, Sidiquat Akindele, Tope Fajengbesi , Remi Fagbohun, Chichi Umeseaka and many more have inspired me a whole lot. Remi Owadokun is a very inspiring lady who mentored me and continues to inspire me by the way she projects her greatness. She has impacted me a lot and has taught me to make myself proud. Making myself proud became a desire, and this desire inspires me to be better. My parents and my family inspire me to be better too. You know, wanting to live a better life than the one handed over to me is enough inspiration.

I am a Woman of Rubies
Being me makes me a woman of Rubies. By that, I mean being a product of many experiences. Choosing to be a blessing to others regardless of the circumstance. Choosing to stand even when there are reasons to fall. All of these makes me a woman of rubies.

Final words of advice for women
I advise every woman to be great. You are great when you help others. No matter how bad you think your circumstance is, there is always someone in a worse situation. Be a helper. Be yourself. Live your dreams without holding people’s opinion of you in high esteem than you hold your dreams. When you are afraid of moving, remember that not moving gets you no where. Thank you.

In Editor's Choice August 11, 2018 By Editor

“TALENT WILL GET YOU TO THE DOOR , BUT THE RIGHT ATTITUDE WILL GET YOU INSIDE”- VICTORIA NKONG

Victoria Nkong (C.E.O Qtaby Events) is a multilingual Entertainment consultant, An Events Producer, Talent Manager, Public Speaker, PR strategist with a strong interest in supporting less privilege children and youth, she has been involved in events production and entertainment for over ten years and has been running charity projects for about five years now. Her break into entertainment was through the prestigious KORA All Africa Music Awards as bilingual presenter.
As a talent Manager and PR strategist, Victoria has worked with most of the big artists and personalities around Africa and the world like.
Besides KORA, she has also successfully produced a number of world-class events like the Opening Ceremony of the International African Athletic Competition, Headies and several others.
As a Philantropist, She is on the board of trustee of Jegede Paul Foundation, she is the Administrator and mother to the children at Life Fountain Orphanage Home. She is also the brain behind the annual “Slum Invasion” outreach to slums and Share your closet for widows.

Childhood Influence
Yes, partly my childhood prepared me for the charity work that I do now, my parents operated an open door policy and at every point in time we had relatives living with us, as a matter of fact, my mum was a school principal and back then even at moments when she did not have a lot because my dad and her were separated for a while and she had to carry all our bills over, she was still the mother to all the youth corps members in her school and she will ensure that all of them are fed on a daily basis in our house. In our family house there was always an average of 20 people, my parents went the extra mile to touch lives and that naturally became part of me .On another note, I realised at a very young age that fixing peoples problems and putting a smile on people’s faces gave me a lot of Joy.
For entertainment and media, I was a part of a dance group in secondary school, I was always the one getting everyone together. I realised that I was entertainment inclined while I was in the university. My HOD was launching a book once and the person to anchor was running late so he asked if any of us could handle it, everyone called my name, maybe because I was also the best student in class at the time so they believed I will be able to handle the switch begin French and English better. I found myself anchoring that book launch with everyone applauding me and telling me how impressed they were. I automatically became the anchor for any of our departmental events in school up to our farewell dinner.

The Victoria Nkong story
My name is Victoria Nkong, I am a Nigerian from Cross River State, I am the CEO of Qtaby Events, we are into Events Production/Content Production, Talent management and PR. I am also a writer and I just unveiled my first book: DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN” it is actually my memoire. I have learnt through life to be the sweetest to the sweet and gal to the bitter, maintaining the balance is unarguably one of the most challenging parts of my job but I have also since realized that I was born to do this, it is my calling, it is the life I chose and somewhat the life that I am stuck with. I am that little girl on the inside that comes out exuding so much confidence and behaving like I have got everything in control and I can look the world in the eye, while in truth I am very shy on the inside and wishing that someone else would take away the responsibility of the front line from me. My life is so full of drama that I sometimes wonder how anyone could live like I do; constantly running between changing diapers and playing loving mother to 23 children on the average, and trying to keep up with the glamour involved in strutting the red-carpet while trying to be the modest Christian woman…no stop button at all. My core objective is to help as many people as possible to find themselves and make a meaning out of their lives

Inspiration behind my foundation
I grew up to a family where all my sisters sang in the choir and I was the only one who did not have a good enough voice to sing, I prayed to know what I could do for Gods kingdom and I realised that I derived fulfilment from putting a smile on people’s faces. I set a goal to start an open kitchen where street children and homeless people will be guaranteed 2 free meals daily, I was working towards that plan before the saddest event of my life took place: I lost my elder sister to a violent marriage, domestic violence and her husband eloped with the kids. That was what finally pushed me to stop work for a period and start the Foundation and Orphanage Home, I needed to heal, I needed to reach out to people, I needed to convert my pain by turning other peoples pain to joy.
I found someone with like-passion who was a lot older and financially stable and we got it going. I am glad I did because it has been very rewarding, my children at the orphanage have been my real source of joy and the reason life really has a meaning. Wealth for me is measured by the number of lives a person touched rather than how much money a person has.

Running my events company successfully
Getting Qtaby Events to where it is has been a journey of several phases; rough, tough, exciting, challenging and fulfilling. Being a woman in the industry is not easy, you get to deal with a lot. Firstly there are still a lot of men who do not believe that women should be front liners in the society career wise. Also, for a male dominated industry like ours, I have had to deal with continuous sexual advances, harassment and in some cases refusal of contracts e.t.c due to not giving into some of these advances. If I say all these and not add the brighter side, it will be wrong. So on the brighter side, I get to meet a lot of people, impact lives and earn a living from having fun.

Events production could be very time demanding and also stressful, but once you know what you are doing and have the right team, it’s a wonderful experience. In the end I love to chill and watch people enjoy the experience we created for them. It could also be very financially rewarding when you hit the right production but these do not come every day so you need to know how to manage and create your own events.

I was quite lucky that some of the big brands that we worked with while I was with KORA Awards, noticed my dedication and hard work while I was there and contacted me and started working with me a year later when I opened up that I had left. Gear House South Africa worked out a representation with us and gave us major jobs and referrals. They actually sponsored my trips for a couple of trainings outside Nigeria.
Through it all, I am happy to say that we have been part of some of the biggest Events ever produced in Nigeria. We have produced the Headies Awards twice, Co-produced the AMVCA with uncle Eddie Lawani, the last AFRIMA Awards e.t.c, corporate events like SCB Road show, Bidvest Chairmanship Awards in South Africa. In all, making and maintaining relationships is very important.

My big break in the music industry as a bilingual presenter for Kora awards
For me, my break into KORA All African Music Awards was like my dream job finding me. I was very young when I joined KORA, about 19years old. Initially I was recruited as a bilingual phone operator taking enquiries from artistes from all over the world speaking English, French and Spanish, I remember receiving a call from 2face Idibia, just after African Queen…Lord, I felt I had arrived. I was later trained to present the prestigious Red Carpet for KORA Awards, it was like a dream come through. It was a lot for me at that age as I was quickly introduced to the crème-de-la-crème of the society and the industry. It quickly became life on the fast lane flying from one country to another, flying business class, keeping up appearances, trying to live up to public expectations e.t.c. Of course it was very exciting at the beginning, we were received by presidents in some countries and my official car will have a presidency plate-number driving in a convoy and all…I felt I had blown…lol.
On the other hand, my family was worried about me because I was supposed to go for a 2nd degree in Law, as far as they were concerned, entertainment was a waste of time, it was for unintelligent people and miscreants. I always tried to send gifts home to create an impression that I was on top of money in order for my family to leave me alone, I also had to take up online courses and send my results and certificates home to satisfy my family.

One remarkable lesson I learnt from mixing with celebrities from different cultures and high flying political officials was the fact that “A woman needed to keep herself, respect herself and maintain dignity and self-respect” as I was privy to several conversations where women were explained off in the most disrespectful manner simply because they compromised their integrity for material gifts.
On the other hand, I never lost sight of the fact that I am my mother’s daughter, I doubled up as personal assistant to the KORA president and that was the sour part, I worked so hard behind the scenes, I slept for 3hours at most. so much work keeping the team together and cleaning up the mess behind my boss (I guess that is where I learnt a lot about PR and diplomacy), the irritating part which I have never mentioned all these years was the fact that my boss started making advances at me, at first I was terribly shocked because he paraded himself like a moralist so I could not understand this new discovery…in fact, he attempted to rape me twice & I could not understand why me; because I knew he could get almost any girl he wanted. It is a long story and I opened up about it in my book “Diary of A Mad Black Woman” I think every young girl or boy deserves to read and learn a thing or two about managing sexual harassment at work and knowing when to walk away irrespective of how glamorous the job is.

In all KORA gave me a lot of exposure to the entertainment industry, talent management, events production and most of what I do now. I also made a few enemies as well because a lot of people did not understand that I did not have as much power as they imagined to either make them win a KORA or make certain things happen for them. The entire experience was priceless and I am grateful to have been a part of such greatness irrespective of the challenges.

Challenges
First and foremost being a woman, a lot of people already do not give you a chance, being a woman with high moral standards and principles also worsens the matter, 98% of the men that I have met in the course of work actually made sex the first and most important topic of discussion, I will arrive for meetings and have to waste the first 30mins talking about looks and trying to steer the conversation away from “the other room”..lol. The fact that I am also young and get to look younger than my age is a challenge sometimes though I overcome that as soon as we get into a conversation because you quickly realise that you are not speaking with a child. it is also a challenge when you don’t belong to certain “caucus”, I tried to join initially but my personality doesn’t allow me to keep up appearances or make certain compromises, I don’t mean this in a rigid way but since I lost my sister I have had to look at life from a different angle. I also prefer to feel like I truly merit something rather than feel like I got it because I had to cheat someone else or give kickbacks. I don’t mind appreciating people and all after getting a job but I like the appreciation to be done after proper completion of the job, voluntarily.

Finding the right manpower is also quite challenging as a lot of young people do not understand the concept of “work” & dedication.
The biggest challenge in all these however is finance, there is a lot that one can do but it is easy to get crippled midway because of finance.

Other Projects and Activities

Besides Events Production, I manage talents and we have worked with quite a wide range of artistes around Africa. We also do PR and marketing for brands and SMEs. We produce content for TV, we have a TV show currently running on African Magic, we shot the last GOTV commercial, we just finished producing an educative TV show for children which we are looking to sell to a TV station and we are currently in pre-production for another kiddies reality show. There is a lot of work on going as we continue to innovate to add value and make a difference.
I just unveiled my book Diary of A Mad Black woman and the book will be launched next month. The book is currently available on pre-order on www.victoriankong.com. I also write a series on Talent Management on 360nobs and I am working on starting it on my own website mentioned above.

For charity, I have an annual slum outreach project called Slum Invasion, we take celebrities with inspiring stories to the slum to celebrate with them and motivate them to strive for a better life. We partner with organisations to enrol the youth from the slum to learn different skills as well as providing scholarship and feeding for them.

Managing the “Olajumoke” brand successfully
Yes, when Olajumoke approached me to work with her, I gladly took up the project and informed my team. I knew it will be a challenging project but I had a clear picture of the vision I wanted us to attain with her project, at the time the initial buzz following her discovery had died down totally and my fear was that the society was about to create a problem; take a lady who was harmlessly earning her humble living from selling bread, expose her to a better life, make her popular and unable to continue hawking bread then leave her to her devices. I was glad to be able to attempt to help as I could identify with the attributes that TY Bello saw in her, Ty Bello had done her part alongside her former managers in a bid to change a life, however she now needed a grounded team and the right attitude to move things forward.

As long as Olajumoke is under our management there will always be something new coming from her direction. She is currently shooting her reality show, we plan for her to start a hairline soon since she is skilled in that domain, we also did some work collaborations with some very big brands during our trip to South Africa in June and we will be showing it to the world soon

I plan for Olajumoke to learn as many skills as possible and continue to be a better version of herself. I must confess that she is not an easy brand to manage given the nature of her story and background, there is a lot to handle behind the scenes but it is also a welcome challenge and there is a lot of satisfaction each time I see her move a step forward. By the way, her talk show is currently airing on African Magic Yoruba. People need to go and watch it.

Reward
My greatest reward is actually seeing lives change positively. Money will come and go but a life touched is a seed sown that will outlive you because that life is now armed to touch other lives as well and create a positive chain. My entire work is centred on changing lives and turning lives around, be it through the Foundation, the Orphanage Home, Managing Talents and helping them build a career out of their talents or helping brands get better visibility through PR. Even our delve into content production was out of a need to change the narrative and have dignifying content on TV before the next generation gets convinced by most of the things they watch.

I also feel fulfilled when I see my work getting appreciated somewhere, for example, long after we shot the GOTV commercial, a senior friend who I never told we shot the commercial was seating out with some of his friends who are top executives in Multichoice and the commercial aired, they all started talking about how good the production was and how the lady who produced from Nigeria was very professional and did a fantastic job. In the course of the conversation he found out that it was me and he mentioned it to me later, this for me is worth more than the money paid for the job. It is very rewarding when I watch my content on TV or when I see someone recognising the improvement in the life of one of my talents e.t.c. The person doesn’t even need to know it is my work, I just feel satisfied knowing that the work is making the right impact.

Opinion on Celebrities supporting advocacy causes
Sincerely I do not think so, they try from time to time but as a matter of fact I think that a lot of them are only drawn to causes that give them some sort of financial reward, or rewards them in other ways. I feel that we could do a lot more, the commitment and dedication that we show when it is a business deal that brings in money is different from the lackadaisical attitude that we put up towards causes at times. I am guilty as well even as an advocate I think I could be doing a lot more.
One thing I tell everyone is that simply because the problem hasn’t affected you directly yet, it doesn’t mean that it will not affect you or your relative eventually if it is not curbed. A stitch in time saves nine.
A cause is a cause whether it is championed by the MD of a bank or a market woman, and you are no longer advocating if you want to wait to be paid before you speak up or if you only speak up for the sake of PR. I think it is getting better these days though as more celebrities are coming out but we can definitely do better. Advocacy is a lot of work and it is very time consuming so it takes a strong personality, passion and strength of character to indulge in it.

Opinion on Celebrities supporting advocacy causes
I would only appeal to celebrities to make more effort in using their platforms and the voice that they have been given to speak more and make more positive changes. It is okay to have controversial conversations about butt enhancing surgeries and private jet acquisition, we know that is partly what keeps their social media popularity going, but if they can give the same energy and attention when advocating for causes, then there will be a balance and the world will be a better place.

Giving up

Yes there has been several moments when I have wanted to throw in the socks. Entrepreneurship is a lonely road and sometimes you are no longer sure of what the vision and motivation is exactly. Again, once you have the right foundation and build your business through the ropes, it is easy to pick up the pieces and find a way around it; this has been my case, I did not “blow” suddenly or get lucky, I worked and prayed my way to where I am currently so for every blockade that comes my way, I find the strength, pick myself up, look back at how I resolved situations successfully in the past and do so all over again.

There was a particular time I invested in several projects and while waiting for returns on investment, one of my projects crashed. It was a very tough period for us. Scheduled cash inflows were delayed and operatios became very tough. I gradually fell into depression but still had to show up daily at work seeming confident, with prayers and proper strategy, overhauling my system and pushing forward, things stabilised and business picked up.

Who and what inspire me to be better
Myself in the mirror and my endless list of responsibilities..lol.. My family and my children in the orphanage who believe so much in me and think that I am a heroine or some sort of super human; everyone who has ever believed in me at one time or the other, and the thought of failure.

Being a woman of Rubies
I will rather leave this question for you and your readers to decide if I had my way. I think my ability to be sincere with myself about who I am and make an effort to be better while helping other people become better versions of themselves maybe a plus

Advice for young women who want to go into the advocacy and development sector
Yes. They must be well armed psychologically and spiritually. They must never compromise their principles for material things, your integrity is pretty much all you have got as an advocate, and even more as a woman we are role models and supposed to set the pace for the rest of the world to follow, do not ruin it. Finally, create time for yourself to relax and exhale because passionate advocacy could be very demanding and it is easy to get drowned in your passion and forget to live a little.
In the development sector on the other hand, you need to learn to give up yourself to develop others and this is usually very time demanding. You will be misjudged, trampled, disregarded; your magnanimity will be mistaken for stupidity and you will meet with a high level of ingratitude: through all of these, keep your eyes on the goal because when things begin to fall in place, you will realise that it was worth it all. There is no work that is easy, from brick-laying to General Managers, everyone comes with its pros and cons.

Wisdom nuggets for women
1) Financial independence is a must, never underestimate the importance of financial independence. You have so much to offer the world, do not let anyone convince you that it ends in the kitchen and labour room.
2) Stop trying to put other women down, they are not your competition, they are your support system. Hold each other’s hands and it will be a lot easier to move up.
3) Attitude is everything, talent will get you to the door but the right attitude will get you inside. You can get whatever you want out of anyone in the world with the right attitude.
4) If a man is violent, get away as fast and as far as you can from his life, at times separation helps both parties appreciate each other better. Do not stay there and die, I have lost a sister to an abusive marriage and I know how quickly it can happen.
In all remember: IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

In Editor's Choice August 4, 2018 By Editor

#INTERVIEW: “I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT THE STANDARD OF LIVING OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN” – OLUWAFUNMILAYO ONI

Oluwafunmilayo Oni has over 3 years of experience in initiating, developing and executing sustainable strategies for development and poverty eradication in urban slums in Nigeria. She is the founder and team lead of Iranwo Foundation where she focuses on providing economic empowerment opportunities for unemployed women in disadvantaged communities in order to end extreme poverty among women and strategically improve the standard of living of families . She has led her team to provide sustainable interventions for communities such as Oru refugee camp (an abandoned refugee camp in Ogun state), Ifo local government, Mushin by providing empowerment opportunities such as vocational trainings, seed grants, mentorship and support for over 200 women in these communities.

Recently, her team moved to Makoko (the world’s largest floating slum) where her organization has trained over 50 women in vocational skills such as Tie Dye and soap making and employed 20 of these women to generate income for themselves to improve their livelihood. Oluwafunmilayo also works for Kindle Africa in Makoko where she facilitates access to quality education for disadvantaged and vulnerable children in the community. Oluwafunmilayo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics & Education and she is also a certified project manager. She is a Global Youth Ambassador for Education (GYA) and recently she was selected as Ideation Hub Africa Top 5 under 25 Social Innovators in Nigeria. Oluwafunmilayo is passionate about improving the living conditions of slum dwellers and she is vast in the advocacy for inclusion opportunities for women and children living in slums. She continues to work on creating disruptive and more sustainable intervention in disadvantaged communities, and gradually recommending policies and strategies for organizations and the government to further improve the standard of living in slums dwellers in Nigeria. The beautiful advocate shares her story in this interview.

Childhood Preparation
Yes, my childhood prepared me for this. I grew up in communities where several women are in need of financial empowerment. It wasn’t uncommon in these communities to see women lamenting about where the next meal would come from or how to raise their children’s school fees. My first act of charity was when I shared the notebooks my mother collected from the thrift and credit society at her workplace to some kids in class because their notebooks were not complete (LOL) I continued to do the little I could till I eventually found an opportunity to fully manifest my dream of empowering women and children.

Meet Me!
I am a social entrepreneur who is passionate about building peace in urban slums and disadvantaged communities by equipping women with economic opportunities and providing access to quality education for children. In 2016, I birthed Iranwo Foundation with the aim of bridging the economic gap between both genders, one community at a time through policy advocacy and the provision of business empowerment opportunities to end extreme poverty among women. In 2017, I graduated from Tai Sholarin University of Education in where I studied Economics and Education, I am also a certified project management personnel (PMP).

In 2017- 2018 I did a short stint at Catering For Africans in Need (CAIN) as the Country Director, working to break the vicious cycle of poverty in among families in urban slums by providing access to quality education for children living in slums and healthcare for all . In furtherance of my passion for social change, I also coordinate programmes for Kindle Africa Empowerment Initiative. Kindle Africa is a nonprofit situated at Makoko – The world’s largest floating slum and we provide empowerment programmes for women and access to education for children in this community.

I am most excited when I am opportune to work with woman and children and I continue to seek more opportunities to broaden my horizon.

Inspiration behind Iranwo Foundation
I was inspired to launch Iranwo Foundation because I saw a need. Prior to founding Iranwo, I was an active member of ENACTUS TASUED. ENACTUS is a campus based organization that provides support for students to solve community problems using sustainable models. In the cause of these outreaches, I was able to deduce why women are at a disadvantage when it comes to harnessing economic opportunities and the need for inclusion in all sectors for women in Nigeria. .
Supporting refugee camps and slums with empowerment opportunities
In refugee camps and slums, women are saddled with more problems than men. Women and girls are trafficked to other states to work as house maids and prostituted while the meager sums they earn is sent to their families. In these communities too, young girls are given away as child brides to lessen the burden on the family and her wedding cum marriage also serves as a source of income for her family .Women in refugee camps and slums also have higher chances of being raped and abused and they are always extremely poor, missing out on important and beneficial information. All this and more are the reasons why Iranwo Foundation continues to empower women in these communities

Training over 50 women in vocational skills and the feedback
The feedback has been amazing. First, women at Oru refugee camp has started producing tie dye shirts, generating income for themselves, leading to an increase in the standard of living of their families. Another instance is the entrepreneurship boot camp held at Ifo Local government last year, we challenged women to come up with new business opportunities in their community. Mrs. Adeyemi and Mrs. Folashade came up with the idea of producing soap for schools in the community at a subsidized price, they produced the soaps, located schools and pitched their idea to them. Within 3 weeks, Mrs Adeyemi and Mrs Folashade have partnered with 24 schools and sold made a profit of 105,000.
Iranwo Foundation in collaboration with Kindle Africa Empowerment Initiative trained 56 women on Tye Dye production and soap making Makoko- the world’s largest floating slum . We also provided beneficiaries with business advisory and leadership sessions that bring them together in a group, sharing best practices to integrate ideas on marketing strategies, pitching, pricing, business plans and other strategies for scaling their individual business interest in. To improve the standard of living of women in this community, Iranwo foundation has employed some of these women to produce trendy adire wears and leveraged social media to sell the produce. Recently, we launched ‘the liberated women’ collection, it is a collection of adire shirts and jackets designed by women of Makoko.

So far, our beneficiaries have been cooperative and very appreciative of our efforts. Some of them have set up mini soap making stores at their respective houses, some of them produce adire independently while some of them are employed by Iranwo Foundation. In all, the journey has been worthwhile.

Work Challenges
The biggest challenge the team faces constantly is raising enough funds to empower as many beneficiaries that as we would love to. Eventually, we always had to select women who show a very high level of dedication for our empowerment programmes. Another challenge we face is the issue of trust, several nonprofits have abused the privileged given to them by God to help a community, most times nonprofit do very little in a community and blow it out of proportion to the world. Members of these communities are often wary of the cameras and video and sometimes uncooperative .Thankfully, the team has been able to build formidable relationships with these communities.

Being recognized by Ideation Hub Africa top 5 under 25 social innovators in Nigeria
It feels great to be recognized for my consistent efforts in ending extreme poverty among women and bridging the financial gap. I am honoured. It was an affirmation that my dream for every woman is valid.

Reward
For me the greatest reward for what I do is the significant increase in the standard of living of the women and children that I have worked with. My joy comes from meeting with them and seeing how well they are doing. For example, because of Iranwo Foundation’s intervention at Oru refugee camp, there was a significant decrease in child labour at the camp due to increased income of their mothers. Girls from the refugee camp reach out to me from time to time to intimate me of their progress in terms of schooling, work, relationship and life in general. This for me is enough gratification.

Advocacy in Nigeria
Advocacy has always been and will continue to be crucial to the growth of Nigeria. It is such a good time to be a Nigerian as we have several people advocating for different things such as good governance, human rights, women rights, children rights etc.
I believe that more work needs to be done to improve advocacy in Nigeria, Individuals and organizations should collaborate more and embrace partnerships rather than compete, this way advocates will have a stronger voice and a wider reach .

Never giving up
No, I have never felt like giving up. I have been depressed, I have received several rejection mails but it has never occurred to me to give up.

Who and what inspire you me to be better
First, my mum has been a constant source of inspiration, her life and her achievements considering that all odds were against her has continued to fuel my desire to be better. Oby Ezekwesili’s resilience, most especially how she handles the Bring Back Our Girls Movement continues to challenge me and I am inspired.

I also draw inspiration from the kindness of Olorunfunmi Adebajo and the soothing calmness of Fisayo Aransiola.

Being a Woman of Rubies
Oh yes, I am precious. Overtime, I have come to realize that I am a force, I effect change in my capacity and I go out of my way to make lives better. I have keyed into the words of God which are ‘yes’ and ‘Amen’ and through him I have manifested and help people manifest. I have also felt fulfilled at all my encounters with the beneficiaries of Iranwo Foundation knowing fully well that if I do not create an opportunity for empowerment for them, nobody will.
I shine bright, shinning my light to brighten the lives of others

Advice for young women who want to go into the advocacy and development sector
Advocacy and development sector is quite an interesting one and I will like to encourage every woman who is interested in the sector to embrace collaboration rather than competition. Since our ultimate goal is to make the world better, advocates should work hand in hand.

In Career Gems August 3, 2018 By Editor

NAPTIP LAUNCHES APP TO FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN NIGERIA

Nigeria’s anti-trafficking agency, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has launched an app called the “NAPTIP iReport app” that allows people to report cases of human trafficking in the country. Citizens can alert local authorities on human trafficking incidents via the app.

According to NAPTIP, 80% of all women and girls arriving from Nigeria to Europe are potential victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Officials from the agency also reported that they foiled an attempt to smuggle ten children out of Nigeria to Russia during the World Cup in June.

Since its establishment in 2003, NAPTIP has secured convictions in 359 criminal cases against human traffickers. The Director-General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli said human trafficking networks were recording huge profits from their activities, as even more young women escaping poverty fall into their hands because they paint a rosy picture of life in Europe.

Using the app, the agency hopes to improve its chances of prosecuting these criminals.

Source: konbini.com

In lifestyle August 3, 2018 By Editor

TOKE MAKINWA SETS TO LAUNCH NEW BRAND ‘GLOW BY TM’

Fans speculated it might be a sequel to her book,, “On Becoming”, yet it seems like Toke is towing the beauty line.

On her Instagram page she wrote;

“Here’s to new beginnings darlings 🥂,”

The brand, Glow By TM is set to officially launch on the 13th of August 2018 and even though we don’t know what the brand is all about, we can’t wait for Toke to unveil the surprise!

See more photos below:

In Career Gems August 3, 2018 By Editor

SIMI BECOMES FIRST ARTIST TO HIT 1M STREAMS ON BOOMPLAY

Her sophomore album, “Simisola”, which was released in September 2017, led to her picking up a number of awards including the award for the Album of the Year at the 2018 Headies.

The 16 track album was both a critical and commercial success upon its release, birthing a number of hit singles that includes ‘Joromi’, ‘Aimasiko’, ‘O Wa N’be’ and ‘Smile For Me’, which have become mainstream records.

This was made known according to the platform on its social media page, with the singer also taking to the Instagram stage to appreciate her fans.

A visit to the streaming platform also confirms the figures with Simisola album hitting the 1M mark over Flavour‘s, ”Ijele The Traveler” with 935,000 streams and Tope Alabi with 769,000 her ”Yes and Amen” album to achieve this record.

Source: Pulse

In self development August 1, 2018 By Editor

20 BUSINESSES YOU CAN START WITH 20K

Olanrewaju Salu, a Lagos based Realtor and Entrepreneur, recently took time out to share some amazing business tips and ideas you can start in Nigeria with as low as 20k on Twitter and many have commended him for sharing such amazing business ideas.

He wrote:

1. Bedsheet/Beddings Production

Pay a visit to Lagos Island, or Oshodi where they sell bulk materials, pick good designs and I tell you they guys who will sew it for you are just within the same Market. You can start will less that 100k and diligently grow your money.

2. Shirt Production

A sweet side hustle. There are tailors in Lagos Island or better learn the skill it will save you all the heartbreaks imaginable. Taiwo Street in Lagos Island is where you should be. Materials ranging from 700 – 1k per yard, sew for 1500/2k, Sell for 5-7k.

3. Sales of men’s underwear

Schedule a trip to Aba Market, The cost of production of boxers, you can get one for as low as N300, all you need is to package it in 3s, and market these babies properly beg your friend on twitter for RTs, we buy 3s pack boxers for 1500-2500 sell yours for 1200 gradually grow.

4. E-Payments and POS Business

You can a get POS machine from your Bank, and activate online banking: If you live in a place where banks aren’t much you can handle e-payments for people and make your small change. I paid someone N200 to withdraw 10k in Ikorodu. ATM queue was crazy.

5. Mobile and electronic Accessories

Mobile and electronic Accessories such Pouches, Chargers, USB cables, HDMI cables, earphones and more, can be sourced on Alibaba, Ali Express, Deal Extreme, etc. The more you buy the lower the price. And they are light so shipping won’t be a burden. Sell on here or jumia and co.

6. Popcorn Business

We all know this guy! We buy everytime. Bags of corn – Mile 12, Branded Nylon, Sugar, Salt & Butter. The beauty of this is when properly made, its aroma will attract it’s customers. Manual sealing machine -7/9k. Popcorn Machine is 65k on Jumia. Popcorn can be served anywhere.

7. Sales and Customizing of Football Team

Football team supporters always want to show how much they’re rooting for a team. Consult my sister @The_Ronke. She’ll show you how well you survived the business. She’s cheerful enough to train you too.

8. Snail farming

Snail farming in Nigeria is even more popular, due to its relatively cheap cost of start up and If you market your products well, your business will thrive. This is a business you can start from your backyard. Best in mind, snails take almost a year to mature so Patience is Key!

9. Fairly used goods

Fairly Used Goods such as Jeans, Tops, t-shirts, shoes etc. They could be sourced at Badagry, even Cotonou. 100k can’t get you a bale but you can select and mix them. Wash then and pack neatly. Marketing is all it takes, you’ll Sell and see your money multiply.

10. Cleaning Services

Some people find it hard to clean their apartments cos they’re busy from Monday to Friday and Saturday the have engagement and on Sunday all they wanna do is rest. Your tools won’t cost you up to 30k and you can clean 6 apartments a weekend.

11. Home Cooking and Delivery

You can cook a variety of meals well and apply customer service, People will pay good money for your services, You can run this from home @Soup_A_Market and @Marrgarritah are more than capable when to comes to training you on how to start up.

12. Digital Marketing

The success of any business is in its ability to effectively reach its teeming customers and this is achieved by effective marketing: Get a Used Laptop and Smartphone, temporarily your smartphone can double as your hotspot Persistence and Passion is Key.

13. Cakes and Confectionery

This is one business that always comes to play, people celebrate, and bakers are always consulted. Ask my Boss here @mycreamydelight Get the required skill, a decent oven, passion and customer service! You’ll grow! They are open to training too.

14. Aso-Oke Beading and Stoning

Aso-Oke Beading and Stoning has become sometimes in vogue now, and this is another sweet business one can start with 100k. You just have to learn how to bead and unlock your creative mind. Ask my padi @wuragold2 The Also Oke Girl. She stated from the confines of her home in IB.

15. Bead Making

I’m not sure there’s really much to say here. All you need is training, passion, creativity, unique designs and styles, then adequate marketing. You absolutely don’t need 100k to start this.

16. Home Service Barber

This is another profitable small scale business. The beautiful thing about this is you bring your services to your clients for an extra token above regular. The starting capital to get the equipments and I’m sure you know we have rechargeable clippers.

17. Tutorial Classes

No matter your age, this is another well paying job, either as part-time or full-time. Many families are willing to spend what it takes for their children’s success and there’s one subject you’re well versed at. Just close the gap, meet their need for a fee.

18. Internet Services

Forget the extensive coverage of internet and the fact that people can assess it on their phones, Do you know how much applicants pay just to have Jamb applications filled online? You need a good system, printer & ISP. People pay as much as 1k per application.

19. Production Of Zobo, Smoothies, cocktail, small chops, cupcakes and chinchin!

You’d realise the importance of this combo cant be ruled out. You can render these services with 100k startup capital + proper marketing, branding and packaging. @aisinshugga @DojaCulinary can train you.

20. Production of Hand-Made cards

Do you know people pay good money for these thing made of paper and strawboard. This is one business you can start with less than 100k. My friend @CraftsVillageNG started from his bedroom! And his cards went far.

In Career Gems August 1, 2018 By Editor

KYLIE JENNER NOW HAS HER OWN FILTER ON INSTAGRAM

Instagram users who follow Jenner can swipe over to their live camera and see what they look like with a Kylie Cosmetics lipstick.

The filter allows users to virtually wear seven of the most famous Kylie Cosmetics lip colors — Candy K, Dolce, Posie K, Say No More, Shady, Boy Bye and Glitz — which are sold on KylieCosmetics.com, as well as at the brand’s various pop-up shops and mobile truck events.

In addition to testing out the ultra-glam virtual lipstick, the filter will also define and darken lashes, softly blur the face and give users a Jenner-like contour.

Forbes reports that Kylie Cosmetics has sold more than $630 million worth of makeup since its initial launch, which includes an estimated $330 million in 2017 alone.

Credit: People Magazine

In Career Gems August 1, 2018 By Editor

LAGOS GOVT KICKS OFF CAMPAIGN AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN WORKPLACES

Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, the state Coordinator of DSVRT, said on Tuesday in Lagos that sexual harassment was a crime, adding that the state government reserved a right to intervene.

Vivour-Adeniyi said a survey was conducted on the impact of domestic violence on the workplace.

According to her, majority of the results indicated that victims cannot concentrate as a result of the issues they faced at home.

“Majority of women sampled also said they recorded a number of mistakes, felt tired at work due to sleep deprivation and generally unable to work well.’’

She, however, encouraged corporate organisations to put structures in place for reporting.

“Corporate organisations, therefore, need to be awakened to the reality that this and more can be hidden issues in workplace wellness and productivity,” Vivour-Adeniyi said.

She said that workers of some of the multinational companies were recently engaged in several related issues including sexual harassment, steps to take to report and the role of corporate organisations in ensuring safe spaces.

The state coordinator of DSVRT said the workers were also engaged on the impact of sexual harassment, some of which include depression, posttraumatic stress disorder.

Vivour-Adeniyi said that DSVRT engaged over 100 Human Resource Professionals and psychologists from various corporate organisations at a workshop organised by the Employee Assistance Professionals Association.

She said that the engagement was focussed on the impact of Domestic Violence on the Workplace.

“The participants were informed of what domestic violence is and the negative impact of domestic violence on survivors.

“Some of these include inability of victims to fully participate in the workforce, reduced productivity, frequent absenteeism, loss of jobs, potential harm to employees, co-workers and/or customers when violent abusers enter the workplace.

“This can be dangerous, as companies may be held liable if violence erupts in their premises,” the DSVRT coordinator said.

She said DSVRT could be reached on 0813-796-0048 or by dialling *6820#, adding that it was readily available to assist.

Source: Pulse News