Omotola Olaniyi-Omosebi is the current Creative Director of Gmoty Fashion Academy. A graduate of Business Administration from Yaba College of Technology Yaba Lagos. She founded Gmoty Fashion Academy in 2014 graduating from Ginani Fashion School. In 2016 she attended Zaris Fashion Academy for a finishing course. Her mission is to help women become resourceful so they can help their children and family.
“A few years ago, I struggled with how to cut and sew clothes, I didn’t know where to start from or where to learn the skills I needed. So I spent years looking for a solution to this problem from different places. I ended up wasting years learning little to nothing, I wasted money and time yet with nothing to show. On different occasions I would watch videos, read books and even attend sewing group tutorials all in the hope to learn. My sewing skills, interpretation of designs or perfect finishing was nothing to write-home-about. I became so confused, worried, scared and frustrated because I knew I was losing out, I didn’t believe in myself and my skills as I couldn’t sew anything meaningful for myself, not to talk of making clothes for clients. I spent a full year learning from a so-called ‘good’ tailor. But I knew if I could get hold of these skills it would help a great deal. I knew I needed a way out very fast because it was starting to affect my self-esteem; I didn’t like the fact that I was always asking my husband for every single kobo I needed. It was really bad. I finally found a way out.”
Today the story is different, as Omotola not only sews well fitted garments, she also now help and teach other married women who are interested about learning how to sew and earn from the skill. In May 2018, she opened a Fashion Training Academy where she trains people so far, they have trained over 300 women (boys and girls also included for summer classes) and still counting. Gmoty Fashion Academy is indeed a community that helps women find clarity and move very fast from being a full housewife to a resourceful housewife.
Her fashion school doesn’t teach only fashion, they also teach the business side of fashion. This is where they bring in experts from the industry to train and educate their students on selling and branding etc. They train them and we give them their first job.
They also teach their students how to use the latest tech tools to promote their products and services.
We do fashion training and education, sales of fashion designs (Ready to Wear), childrenswear, handcrafted products made by students, including Laptop Bags, Ankara Tote Bags, Neck Pillows and Accessories etc. We also offer a range of consultancy and advisory services.
Omotola specializes in African ready to wear, casuals and corporate wear. She has participated in various fashion shows including Runway Fadan 2015 (Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria), Ankara Fiesta 2015 and a host of other exhibitions.
She has participated in various fashion shows including Runway Fadan 2015 (Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria), Ankara Fiesta 2015 and a host of other exhibitions.
Omotola is a recipient of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 women initiative Scholarship, and studied Entrepreneurial Management at the Pan Atlantic University (Lagos Business School). She is a member of FADAN (Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria) the recognized body for the Fashion Designers Profession. Also a member of AFDEC (African Fashion Development and Empowerment Centre).
What gives her the most satisfaction as an entrepreneur is the ability to practice her skills every day, and she is happy that this skill is creating the safe place for women to grow their self-belief so as to become support systems to their families and role models in their communities. Omotola finds joy in seeing women become more involved in running the home front, leading in their communities, and speaking out loud with their heads up high. This can only be achieved when our women are empowered with livelihood skills, when they have different streams of Income.
This is why Omotola screams to anyone who wants to listen “Learn a skill today!! Never depend solely on your spouse, the power you have is that little money you can call your own. The best time to start is NOW!”
Onugha Rosemary is a passionate educator and serial humanitarian, she alongside her wonderful team educate and support vulnerable children living in slums across Lagos. The graduate of Applied Microbiology from Ebonyi State University advocates for quality education, reduced poverty by education and empowerment of women in the society.
Rose who is also a food vendor, has been involved in
teaching and raising role models as well as carrying out humanitarian
activities with marginalised children by donating
school materials to aid easy learning as well as coaching them on the
needs of education not withstanding their immediate communities.
In her words: “I intend working with urban and rural slum
kids by making sure that each one of them have the privileged of attending
basic education and as well acquiring the needed skills to survive as an
individual”.
The serial Humanitarian shares he inspiring story with me in
this interview.
Growing up
My childhood and environment prepared me for what I’m doing
now. Growing up in a community where we had hoodlums and sex workers as
neighbours made we know who and what I don’t want to be like.
I had several occasions where I was sent out of school
because of fee. These are few things children in slums and undocumented areas
go through, when asked why you are at home, my parent could probably say I’m
not feeling too good.
My environment made me very ambitious because I really wish
I could change a lot of things, it made me who I am, it made me have a picture
of who I want to be. It made me aspire for greatness.
It was quite unfortunate that I didn’t grow up having role
models, I only grew up having people I didn’t want to be like and seeing
situation I’d never want to be in.
My passion for the vulnerable and less privileged in the society
I discovered that most times when interventions, outreaches,
sensitizations, quizzes, debates are being carried out the children living in
the slums are being exempted. They miss out on a lot of opportunities and
empowerment programs because of their environment, as a matter of fact, people
and even government hardly remember that they exist. I’m trying to be their
voice, to give them hope and as well motivate them to be their best versions of
themselves irrespective of their present environment.
Every child matter notwithstanding their environment and their background.
Working directly with slum kids
I believe all children should have an equal right and access
to education.
During my research I discovered that about 40 to 50 percent
of children living in slums do not have basic education. And this can further be a
disaster to the society in the future. I thought within myself how do I stop
this trend and reduce the level of illiteracy in Nigeria? This also formed the
basis of my outreach. As we know, education reduces poverty and it has been
noted that the level of poverty in the slum is in high rate. To tackle poverty,
disease, ill vices in the society and to create jobs and be employable,
educating the slum kids is the best shot.
Reception
Most times I go to these communities, I’m been looked down
on, like what has this small girl got to offer us. But at the end of the
visits both the children, school owners
and their parents are always grateful and they have a different mind set of
what education is about.
My Inspiration
Like I said earlier, my environment inspired me. My parents
as well especially my late father. He was able to raise us in a godly manner
with the help of my mother. Until this moment, I can’t explain how my parents
did it that we never took after the environment or joined the bad gangs. Till
this moment is bewildering. Honourable Buumba Malambo from Zambia also inspires
me she built a home for vulnerable children, orphan in her community as well as
educating them.
Also, the founder of La Roche Leadership foundation Mrs
Osoba, she is a humanitarian with a golden heart, she is also a member of the
Global Goodwill Ambassador. she has a library in her foundation that
enables children to read to fun and examination. She also donates educational
books to different government schools. She supports humanitarian workers to
create more impact in the society.
Dr DiPillar Richard who is the founder of Global Goodwill
Ambassadors worldwide, he unites humanitarian workers around the world with the
goal of making our world a better place. We also have the opportunity to
network with other humanitarian workers outside the country and as well learn
from them to create a greater impact in the society.
Reward
The greatest reward is the reward of fulfilment. Been able
to create an impact in the lives of these kids. Also, when I joined the Global
Goodwill Ambassadors network worldwide. When I got featured in a newspaper as
well. Those are the rewards for now.
Challenge
One of the challenge is getting funding for projects which
is the most challenging. Another is my gender, people tend to think that as a
woman you have less to offer, especially going to the slums where they believe
that women are not supposed to be educated but they can either fish, farm or
trade and also help out at home. It’s challenging having to change their mind
set and showing them women role models in all fields. That’s why we need more
women to engage in both science and politics, because the society has made them
believe that some profession are meant for a particular gender.
On giving up
Yes, sometimes when I have ideas written down and want to
implement them but not been able to
because of some situations like funds. For instance, I visited a community in
Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State and discovered that there is no
secondary school in Abaranje and Okerube communities. These two communities
only has primary education, we can
imagine what happens to the children after the primary education. Most of them
that their parents can’t afford a private school are either seen roaming about,
hawking, some have even joined hoodlums and some others not too good
gangs.
As individuals and government trying to reduce the crime
rate, illiteracy and poverty in the society, education should be the number
tool to help curb the menace. I have a temporal solution to educate children in
that community pending when the state government will erect a proper school and
classroom for the community.
Being a food vendor and serial Entrepreneur
My food vendor business is new and I’m still looking out for
more clients, so combining it with my
humanitarian work is not really stressful. Because we do mostly in bowls, for
meetings and office packs. I have people that can help out in both my
humanitarian work and my food business, so I can take an order to deliver meals
today and as well go for my outreach the same day. It’s just a matter of
planning and having volunteers to assist.
Being a Woman of Rubies
Been able to impact lives, giving hope to children living in
slums and undocumented areas and been able to empower women. A woman of rubies
is a woman that is a role model in her society.
For women in the development sector
You have to be dogged if you want to go into activism as a
woman, people will sometimes look down on you and make you feel you are making
a mistake doing what you are doing. Sometimes you might even get a threat on
your life, you will go to some places that you would be turned down but don’t
give up because a lot of people are looking up to you and would also like to
trade on the path. Giving up means you have succeeded in making people looking
up to you to loss focus.
There’s always light at the end of the tunnel and you’d be
surprised to know many lives you’ve been able to impact with your works.
Activist being appreciated
Activist are not appreciated enough, that’s why we need to
create more awareness to show the impacts of our activism and how our activism
has made changes in day to day life.
One thing I wish I could change in the education sector
I would like to change the conventional ways of teaching and
as well change the mind set of our tutors. Some of our schools still teaches
with the same methods our are parents were taught. Education has evolved from
been a normal classroom teaching to incorporating our day to day activities
into mathematics and all subjects.
Children should be able to mix fun with learning. Games, and life skills
should be incorporated into teaching. If children are guided to express
themselves and not been imposed, educational system would have a dynamic and
drastic turnaround in Nigeria. Education should not only be maths and English,
children should be given the space to be innovative and creative.
