community - Women of Rubies

In Inspiration September 3, 2023 By Esther Ijewere

The Inspiring Journey Of Rose Cathy Handy And CIBWE

In the rich tapestry of Canada‘s multicultural landscape, stories of resilience and triumph often stand as pillars of inspiration. Among them, the remarkable journey of Rose Cathy Handy, an immigrant from Cameroon, shines brightly. From being the CEO of H.E.R Consulting and Services Inc. to founding the Celebrating Immigrant Black Women Excellence (CIBWE) Awards, Handy’s story is a testament to the transformative power of determination and community.

Creating a Vision of Empowerment

Rose Cathy Handy’s journey commenced with a simple yet profound vision – to create an event that not only uplifts the women of her home country but also celebrates and elevates Black women, both immigrants and natives to Canada. This event would become a platform to showcase their achievements, resilience, and perseverance in the face of adversity. With this vision, the CIBWE Awards were born.

Shining the Spotlight on Achievements

The inaugural CIBWE Awards marked the realization of Handy’s dream. Beyond recognition, the event ignited a sense of unity and empowerment among Black women. It celebrated their strength and contributions, offering a space for their stories of triumph and success to be heard and appreciated.

A Sister’s Legacy and a Growing Movement

Handy’s commitment to her sister’s memory became a driving force behind her work. Beyond a single event, CIBWE expanded its scope and evolved into an organization dedicated to acknowledging and honoring the accomplishments of Black women across Canada and even beyond its borders.

Empowerment Through Unity

CIBWE has become more than an event – it’s a movement that amplifies the voices of Black women, providing a stage for them to share their journeys and insights. The organization showcases achievements across a myriad of fields, from business and leadership to arts and academia. In a world where representation is vital, CIBWE stands as a symbol of unity, empowerment, and positive change.

Breaking Barriers and Inspiring Change

The journey of Rose Cathy Handy, from immigrant to visionary leader, exemplifies the profound impact that passion and determination can have. Through CIBWE, she has crafted a legacy that serves as an inspiration to Black women, demonstrating that their excellence knows no bounds.

Uniting Dreams for a Brighter Future

As we applaud Rose Cathy Handy’s accomplishments and the remarkable journey of CIBWE, we are reminded that progress begins with a dream and the unwavering resolve to transform that dream into reality. Handy’s story underscores the power of unity and the potential to create a world where every achievement is celebrated, regardless of the challenges faced.

In honor of Handy’s sister and the countless Black women striving for greatness, her journey shines as a beacon of hope. It reaffirms that when individuals unite to uplift and empower each other, a brighter future is within reach, where achievements are limitless and empowerment is shared by all.

In Career Gems February 3, 2017 By Editor

AUGUSTSECRETS GIVES BACK TO RURAL MOTHERS

Augustsecrets is a growing baby and toddler food solutions company with the goal of helping Nigerian mothers to feed their children healthier food options, rather than junk foods. It provides recipes online and runs a homemade food range of paps, locally-made cereals from everyday home-grown foodstuffs like vegetables, fruits, and grains. Its major strength is busy mothers with fussy eaters and children who are malnourished due to poverty and displacement. Augustsecrets reaches more than 50,000 young mothers all over the world on social media with its recipes and cooking tips.

The AugustSecrets community “Give back” project is one of the activities leading to the official launch of the “AugustSecrets Sample Meal plan book that will be unveiled soon, the aim is to sensitize women at the grassroots the importance of healthier complimentary foods for their babies and toddlers. The workshop kicked off in the riverine area of Makoko community where over 100 rural women were educated and encouraged to serve more varieties to their children like proteins and fibre-rich locally available foods and given free Augustsecrets guinea corn and maize mix.

According to Oluwatoyin Onigbanjo , the founder of AugustSecrets; Nigerian and even African mothers at the grassroots should be encouraged to make homemade meals for their babies from locally available food items ; beans, grains and fish, this will lead to better nutrition for the children and Augustsecrets makes this range of food affordable.

The educative give back workshop will spread to other parts of Lagos before the official launch of the AugustSecrets Sample Meal Plan book in a bid to sensitize more mothers.

In Career Gems January 13, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

PHOTOS | WOMEN OF RUBIES GRASSROOTS WOMEN SENSITIZATION WORKSHOP

The first and second phase of the Women of Rubies sensitization workshop tagged “Empowering grassroots women and giving them a voice“ which kicked off on 26th of August 2016 at the Alimosho LGA Akoonjo, and the second one at the Eleganza Sport Center, Lagos East LCDA Sura Market, Lagos Island was a huge success.

Women came out enmasse from different spheres of the community to be part of the workshop. The women were not only sensitized on the need to be empowered but also encouraged to save towards the future of their Children by the Keynote speaker; Chinyere Anokwuru of Self-worth Organisation for women, while the Sole Administrator of the Alimosho Local Government; Hon. Ganiu Quadri encouraged them to attend more of such programmes to be enlightened and have a voice in the society.

In Lagos Island, Betty Abah of CEE-HOPE Foundation and the Keynote speaker; Mrs. Falana, Director, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, also educated the women on the need to enroll in vocational skill centres and learn more hand work, Founder of Sisters Interact Network and motivational speaker; Kathlyn Eyitemi encouraged them to speak out and report cases of Domestic abuse while using her personal life experience as a motivating factor.

According to the Founder of Rubies Ink Initiative for Women and Children and Editor-In-Chief of Women of Rubies ; Esther Ijewere-Kalejaiye; the workshop was an impactful learning experience for the women in Lagos Island and the feedback was inspiring.

Pictures from Alimosho LGA