Volunteer Roles at Shades of Us
Photo by Jep Gambardella On May 13, 2022, we got our certificate of incorporation as a non-profit organization from the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission. Since then, we have been looking to expand our operations and impact lives across Africa and with people of African descent. As a direct result, we are hiring volunteers to help us chart the course of our organization’s direction and growth. As a reminder, Shades of Us Storytelling Initiative for African People (‘Shades of Us’) is a non-profit organization using storytelling to address the socio-economic issues affecting Africa, Africans and people of African descent, with a view to facilitating open and honest conversations that lead to introspection, analysis and perspective change towards the greater goal of a redefined continent and people. Our goal is to promote a just, equitable and sustainable society for Africans and people of African descent. Our objectives are: – To use storytelling to promote equitable societies for African people. – To spark conversations on human rights, roles and responsibilities for more equal African societies. – To promote African cultures and increase indigenous, national, regional and continental pride in our heritage. – To promote learning, development and capacity building of young people to push for African development and growth. – To create safe spaces for survivors of abuse geared at facilitating healing and shared communities for growth. We have the following positions open and look forward to interested individuals applying. Job Title: Project Manager – Shades of Us Location: Abuja (Hybrid – 75% Remote) Employment Type: Volunteer (20 Hours Per Week) Duration: 6 months Openings: 1 Job Summary We are looking for a creative, dedicated individual to volunteer on our team as a Project Manager. The individual would be responsible for overseeing the organization’s direction, developing growth strategies and providing oversight functions to the team. Responsibilities Plan and execute programme activities in a timely and accurate manner. Develop and implement programme strategies/work plans. Collect, analyze and present information needed for programme development and implementation. Develop and implement project communication strategies. Assist in preparation, filing, compilation and dissemination of documents/materials relating to the programme. Prepare reports on the findings and lessons learned from specific projects and initiatives. Requirements Interested candidates should possess: Basic understanding of the sustainable development goals. Prior experience working in a non-governmental organization. Proficiency with computer technology and Microsoft Office applications. Oral and written communication skills. Negotiation and problem-solving skills. Time management and organizational skills. Attention to detail. Training and facilitation skills. Remuneration: N25,000 per month Application Closing Date July 22, 2022. How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and Cover Letter to: shadesofusafrica@gmail.com using the Job Title (Volunteer Project Manager – Shades of Us) as the subject of the email. Job Title: Business Development Officer – Shades of Us Location: Abuja (Hybrid – 75% Remote) Employment Type: Volunteer (20 Hours Per Week) Duration: 6 months Openings: 1 Job Summary We are looking for a creative, dedicated individual to volunteer on our team as a Business Development Officer. The individual would be responsible for seeking funding and growth opportunities for the organization, and seeking community engagement activities to increase the organization’s impact in accordance with the sustainable development goals. Responsibilities Apply for film, podcast and operational grants. Apply for writing competitions. Research short film and podcast competitions and festivals and submit entries into them. Seek opportunities for community engagement. Write monthly reports. Requirements Interested candidates should possess: Basic understanding of the sustainable development goals. Strong business development knowledge. Ability to effectively research new markets. Creativity and problem-solving skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Analytical and detail-oriented. Strong negotiation skills. Decision-making and leadership skills. Time management and organizational skills Remuneration: N25,000 per month Application Closing Date July 22, 2022. How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and Cover Letter to: shadesofusafrica@gmail.com using the Job Title (Volunteer Business Development Officer – Shades of Us) as the subject of the email. Job Title: Content Creator Location: Abuja (Hybrid – 75% Remote) Employment Type: Volunteer (20 Hours Per Week) Duration: 6 months Openings: 1 Job Summary We are looking for a creative, dedicated individual to volunteer on our team as a content creator. The individual would be responsible for developing the organization’s content strategy and working with other team members to create tailored content for our websites, social media handles, and newsletters. Responsibilities Develop content goals and strategies for the organization. Collaborate with other team members to brainstorm subjects for creative content. Create unique, simple-to-understand, and user-friendly content using good SEO techniques. Editing and proofreading new content before publication. Write scripts for podcasts. Support film research, production and post production. Support community engagement program. Document community engagement program. Managing content distribution through our various channels, including developing an editorial calendar. Analyzing performance indicators and web traffic and determining the effectiveness of created content. Write a monthly performance report. Requirements Basic understanding of the sustainable development goals. Copywriting, graphic design, script writing. Strong working knowledge of content creation and management software, including Canva, Hootsuite, Buffer etc. Good working knowledge of HTML and SEO. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong attention to detail, multitasking, and analytical skills. Ability to work independently and as part of a team. Remuneration: N25,000 per month Application Closing Date July 22, 2022. How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and Cover Letter to: shadesofusafrica@gmail.com using the Job Title (Volunteer Content Creator – Shades of Us) as the subject of the email. Job Title: Audio and Video Editor – Shades of Us Location: Abuja (Hybrid – 75% Remote) Employment Type: Volunteer (20 Hours Per Week) Duration: 6 months Openings: 1 Job Summary We are looking for a creative, dedicated individual to volunteer on our team as an Audio and Video Editor. The individual would be responsible for creating tailored audio and visual content for our websites, social media handles, and newsletters. Responsibilities Record and edit weekly review podcast episodes. Record and
Poor People Work Harder…for a Whole Lot Less
Men watching from a gate.Image: The Daily Maverick I live in one of the poorer communities in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja. Like most of the communities surrounding it, Jikwoyi is a densely populated area. Because most things – accommodation, food, clothing and transportation – is much cheaper than other areas in the Federal Capital Territory, it is not unexpected that there are more people who live around these areas and places like this. One of the first things you notice about the neighborhood is that it pulses with activity and life; almost like a hive. People are always busy. Activity starts as early as 5am; earlier in fact. People who want to beat the eventual daily traffic jam leave as early as possible. And trust me…you don’t want to be in that traffic situation. So as early as 5am, you begin to see lots of cars heading out to town. Because the number of buses allocated to our part of town isn’t nearly enough to cater to the number of people in the area, many private vehicle owners pick up people as they head out to their ‘8-4’s or ‘9-5’s. It is an opportunity to make an extra N500 or N1,000; depending on the size of the car. Shop owners also begin to open up for the day’s activities. Most notable are people whose businesses are in the food sector. They may not be catering to the early birds – unless they sell things like Akara, puff puff, massa or other such fried foods – but come 9am, most of the rush to head out would have begun to slow down and people who work in the community would need to eat. And when school is in session, students pile the roads on their way to getting an education. They need to be catered to by provision store owners who sell biscuits, drinks, sweets, and other pacifiers children take these days. Or it could be to provide books, pencils and pens, or other necessities for school. Soon after, other businesses open up for the day and Jikwoyi becomes a full hub of activity. It is not hard to tell that the soul of the community is driven by work. What is surprising (to me) is that this work doesn’t seem to let up until late at night when I return home, which is usually between 8 and 9pm. In fact, if anything, it seems to pick up at night. Lights blazing, open grills, loud noises as cars jostle to pass the narrow roads, hawkers and street vendors calling out their ware and people generally conversing in louder tones because of the racket of everything else that is going on is how you would describe Jikwoyi at night. The sounds of chaos and the smells of all sorts of food mixed with putrefying drainages and gutters greet you as soon as you return to the community. Jikwoyi at night is bedlam. But it doesn’t end there. There is an active night market scene in Jikwoyi. You can buy almost anything at the Jikwoyi Market from between 6pm and 9pm when some people begin to close up shop. So if you had a craving for Ogbono soup at 7pm, you wouldn’t have to worry about satisfying your craving because, not only are there a myriad of restaurants that sell the soup, the market will be open if you are the type to want to cook yourself. I learned that many people who owned shops in the market – and the entire stretch of shops that are at the Jikwoyi junction and surrounding areas – are also those leaving the community at 5am to do their day jobs. To make this clearer, many people in this community leave for their offices in the day time and return home to their businesses to make a little extra cash before they go home at around 10pm (or later) so they can wake up again and set out for work at 5am the next day. For these people, the rat race seems a bit unending. In spite of all these, neighborhoods like Jikwoyi are home to some of the poorer people in Abuja. It is a mix of the extremely poor, people just above the red line of poverty and the aspiring middle class hoping for one move away to wealth and knowing that they could also be one move away from poverty. These types of neighborhoods are replicated everywhere in Nigeria and many parts of Africa. But it gets worse. Neighborhoods like mine are only considered ‘poorer’ neighborhoods because they are in the Federal Capital Territory and because they pale in comparison to the suburbs at the city center. In reality, there are many more neighborhoods with people living in extreme poverty than there are neighborhoods like mine. And the people in these neighborhoods have to do even more to survive. It is not hard to see that these are some of the most hardworking people in the community. They have to be up earlier and usually not by choice; they have to deal with some of the worst traffic as they leave for work; they juggle at least two jobs, with very little increase in income; they come back home through even more traffic at the end of the day; then they come home to their businesses in a quest to make even more money. In spite of all the work and time they are putting into their day jobs and night time businesses, many people in these types of neighborhoods will never get out of the poverty that they are mired in. The big question is…why? For one, the economy isn’t helpful. Inflation means that the prices of goods and services is constantly going up. This wouldn’t be so bad if salaries are increasing concurrently. But they aren’t. Which means that you have to spend more out of the steady pay you are getting. Think rent, water, electricity, feeding, healthcare, spousal and
Unsung Heroes: Mai Ruwa
Due to a failure of government to meet basic infrastructural necessities like constant power supply, running water, good health care and quality education for its citizens, many people are constantly having to provide these necessities for themselves. In fact, it has become quite normal for households to provide their own water and electricity and pay exorbitant fees for quality education and healthcare for themselves and their families. Personally, I can’t remember when we had water flowing from the tap from the water board. If I could put a time to it, I would have to say when I was an early teen. I remember this because for the longest time, we used to fetch water at our neighbors’ wells to fill the big drums that most big families had. And when these neighbors didn’t have water or there was short supply during the dry season, we were always prevented from fetching water. This continued until we dug our own well and became kings. Soon enough, many families started to bore holes in their houses and rig a system that stores and distributes water to them. It has become common place to see each house with its own ‘GP Tank’; typical case of a brand name replacing the generic name. As it is right now, the skyline of many houses are dotted with these water storage tanks. Drilling boreholes is not cheap. It costs anywhere from ₦150,000 to ₦2 million. In a country where 64% of the populace lives below the poverty line and is expected to take over from India as the poverty capital capital of the world (United Nations: Nigeria’s Common Country Analysis, 2016), where general unemployment rate is at a whopping 18.8% (Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, 2017 Q3 Report) and where the average person struggles daily, access to clean, safe water is an ever-constant issue. This means that though all households need water, not all families can afford to have boreholes installed in their homes. ‘GP Tanks’ for storing water pumped from a borehole. Image: Premium Times Nigeria This is where the Mai Ruwa comes in. The Mai Ruwa is a Hausa term which translates to ‘water seller’. The term can be used for a person who has a borehole and sells water to people who go to them to fetch or to one who takes water in 20-litre jerrycans to people’s houses to sell. In most cases, it refers to the latter. A typical Mai Ruwa starter pack is a trolley (or truck as they are popularly called), 12 to 14 jerrycans and an able bodied man with the simplest of clothes and worn out shoes. Unfortunately, I haven’t ever seen a female Mai Ruwa. Or should I say, fortunately. So this is one of those jobs that is strictly an all men affair. The job requires pushing a truck carrying around 300 litres of water from street to street calling out people to buy. In poorer neighborhood, they don’t need to scream as much; there will always be people willing to buy. But in richer neighborhoods – and by richer I mean middle class neighborhoods because no one in the upper class bothers about these kinds of problems – it is an uphill task selling water there. Most people in these types of neighborhood only buy water when they have gone days or even weeks without power supply to pump water. Or, if the pumping machine for the boreholes are bad. Which was what happened to me last me last week. I recently moved from a core ghetto to a slightly better neighborhood. The house was still getting some work done so there was barely any water in house. I knew I had to get a Mai Ruwa to supply me water until the problem was fixed. When I was in the ghetto, all I needed to do was walk out of my gate and find someone selling water. But in this new neighborhood, that wasn’t the case. Everyone in the neighborhood had their own boreholes and didn’t need the services of a Mai Ruwa. I had to walk a long distance to find out. By this time, I was already tired and sweating profusely. But I found one! When I told him where we were going, he said each jerrycan cost ₦30. I told him I only wanted 7. He agreed and we set off for the long journey to my house. Mai Ruwa pushing his truck down a hill. Unlike my Mai Ruwa, this seems much easier even though it is still a lot of work. Image: Wikimedia Commons Now here is what I didn’t tell you. My house is atop a small hill and the entire road leading to the house is rugged, uneven and bumpy. Walking up the hill is a chore. Now imagine what pushing a truck with 300-litres of water means. As the Mai Ruwa started climbing the hill, I knew it was going to be an uphill task. (You know I did that on purpose, right?). He pushed the truck in one direction and was shocked when the truck rolled back and nearly toppled over. He used all his strength to keep the truck aright and paused to assess the road. I could see the wheels of his mind working as he considered what path to take that would offer the least resistance. He took off his shoes and started again. The truck kept swerving and the contents nearly spilling. He had done this like five or seven times when I saw he was almost quitting. I knew I had to do something. If he quit, it meant I wouldn’t get any water. If I was to get water, I had to help out. So I offered. Again, I could see him contemplating. I can almost swear he was wondering what kind of help I could offer since I am a woman. But he was already sweating and puffing. You could tell that the work had taken a toll on him.
Would You Work for an Unprofessional Boss?
Employees working on a problem.Image: Video Block So…I got an invitation to attend an interview in Lagos and it got me really excited. The company had a great online presence and I imagined how I could add value to the company. I took a bus trip and somewhere between Ondo and Oyo, we were nearly in an accident. It would have been fatal if the cars had connected so I was thankful for the miss. The near accident left me shaken until we got to Lagos and as such, I couldn’t sleep well that night. By morning, I knew I had to get myself together or be horribly bad at the interview. Knowing Lagos traffic, I set out for Ikeja 2 hours before the scheduled time. As fate would have it, I got to the venue a good 1 hour before my interview; even though I took leisurely walks and paced my bus-hopping. I decided to buy time by going to the bank, entering a shopping mall and enjoying the scenery. I only managed to use up 20 minutes. I walked back to the venue of the interview as slowly as I could and got there with 20 minutes to spare. I knew I couldn’t go anywhere else so I just went in. When I got into the office, I was a bit disappointed. It didn’t look as I expected it to do. I was not bothered (much) because they were an online firm and all they needed were computers and internet right? Moreover, I felt that since they could rent a place in Ikeja, they must be serious with themselves. At 10:20am, only one person had resumed work. That was my first cue that something was wrong with the firm. The guy whom I saw kept calling his colleagues to inform them that the person scheduled for the 10am interview was around. After about 30 minutes, the guy told me he had to go somewhere and left me alone in the office. I was surprised. How was he comfortable leaving the office with a total stranger? What if I was a criminal? Or had evil intentions? I remained where I was, hoping the guy wouldn’t be long. Another interviewee came in at around 10:40am and we both sat and waited. You wouldn’t believe that the COO of the company came in at about 11:30am and the CEO came in at about 12:30pm. How could they set an interview for 10am and turn up more than two hours late for it? I sat there and waited like a fool, wondering if this was what I left Kaduna to Lagos for. I hoped that it would be worth it in the end. When the boss was finally ready for us, he asked to see the other girl first. The guy I met said I came in first and the man said in a loud voice that ‘it didn’t matter’. I was beyond shocked! Did this man have no principles?! I sat there fuming and knew I wouldn’t want to work with them. When it was my turn to be interviewed, I went in and sat across from the man. He started by saying, ‘so you are the one who came here since 8’o clock right?’ That made me pause. Here was a prospective employer mocking me for coming to an interview early! I wondered if the man even knew any interview etiquette. I faked a smile and waited for the questions. He asked me a series of questions and I answered them. Then he mentioned a few brands and asked if I followed them. I said I had heard of them. He said he wanted to do ‘something like that’ and my disappointment finally set. This company didn’t understand what originality was. After less than 5 minutes, he said he was done and that I should return in 3 days for the second phase of the interview. I was so mad! If I had known that was what I was coming for, I would never have come to Lagos! I went back home and packed my things. My friends and siblings said I should wait and see since I had gone all that way. I really wanted to leave but I didn’t want to worry about ‘what could have been’. So I waited. I went back to the office as planned and again, had to wait for 2 hours before the CEO came in. I swore that no matter what they were offering, I was not going to take the job! From the waiting area, I heard the CEO call a group of people repeatedly and I thought they were part of the interview panel. This was because he kept saying, ‘we are waiting for you oh!’ When these people finally came, turned out they were also to be interviewed; just like me! They had no sooner sat down than the CEO invited them in for their interview. I was mad! So was the other girl! Here we were waiting for more than two hours and the moment 2 guys walk in, they were attended to first. Eventually, I moved beyond anger to resignation; I had wasted money coming to Lagos. When I finally got in, the first thing I noticed was that the CEO’s shirt was streaked with dirt; almost like he had spilled coffee on himself and used his shirt as a rag. I was repulsed. This man didn’t even bother to make an impression. Like the first time, I sat across from him and waited. The man said I had the job and explained my duties. It wasn’t another phase of the interview; it was just job confirmation. I wondered if they couldn’t have done that via mail and why I had to come back after 3 days to hear that. After explaining himself, he told me what the salary was and that was when I lost it. The fake smile dropped and my semi poker, semi I-wish-I-can-punch-you-in-the-gut look came on. I
Should I Quit My Job?
Image: Google Plus Let me start by making this broad statement; I believe that many people are sick and tired of their jobs! Yeah! I said it! I can also go further to make another broad statement. It doesn’t matter whether you are working for someone or you are your own boss: there comes a time when everyone feels their job sucks! And not just the I-hate-my-job-but-I-will-manage kind of suck but the I-hate-my-job-and-desperately-want-to-quit type. I have been at both places. When I went to serve in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria, I was the doe-eyed optimist who believed that I had the Midas touch. I believed I could always find something to do. And true to that, I got something to do barely three months into my stay in Yola. I started ‘working’ at a broadcast media firm. By October that year, a little over 8 months after I started ‘doing stuff’ for the company and the month I finished my service, I was co-opted into their system; I received my first pay as a freelance presenter. For me, it was doing what I loved. I was on radio and I was increasing my sphere of influence. The fact that they were paying me was a plus. Even though the pay was not great, or even good, I was excited doing what I loved. I woke up every day with a burning desire to do well, to be better than I was the previous day, to achieve better than I had done in the past and to dish out new information in newer and more innovative styles. I made sure that my shows were well researched and different from what was the norm at the station. I wanted people to hear a playlist and just know that Ramat was on duty. I wanted my own signature and I worked really hard to ensure I got it. I soaked up all the information I could get from my friends and colleagues and from rival stations in my quest to standout. As long as there was information to be learned about radio program production, you can be sure that I was learning it. As I improved my skill, I took up more and more work until I was spending almost all day at the office. I wanted a scenario where my work would stand out so well that the company would have no choice but to fully employ me; instead of just paying me for my shows. A year went by and I wasn’t given an appointment letter. The disillusionment started to set in. Was I not good enough? Did I not meet the requirements? Did I just have an over-inflated view of my capabilities? These questions plagued me and made me unhappy and unfulfilled. The love for my work gradually began to wane and my passion started to die. This made me take up even more work. I felt like I needed to do more and give more to be good enough for the company. My bosses would praise me for the ‘good work’ I was doing, random people would see me on the streets and appreciate me and some would even pay for my stuff in the market. In spite of all these, the full employment still didn’t come. Here I was living in a backwater town that was so far from all I knew and held dear and to whom I was giving my all and yet, I couldn’t even get employment. Soon enough, resentment began to build up. It came to a place where my self-worth was tied to whether I got a letter or not. You can imagine how bad my life became. I kept sending out job applications but had become so busy at the office that when I got called for interviews, I couldn’t go. This was because my responsibilities were as though I was a full staff of the organization; though my pay grade was notthat of a staff. I was worried that I would lose the little I had in the process of finding something better. I was also worried about the economic situation of the country and when I thought about how many of my friends didn’t have jobs, I just stayed put. And felt trapped. The more I felt trapped, the less happy I was with my job. I kept wondering if I should quit my job and pursue something else or continue to hold on, hoping for a day when my bosses felt I was good enough to be employed. After three years of the same routine and no letter of appointment, I knew I had to borrow myself some sense. For whatever reason, the company didn’t think keeping me was a priority and I knew I couldn’t keep on working like a donkey and getting very little pay. So I knew I had to leave. I couldn’t continue to give a lot of my time, money and energy to a company that didn’t value me. In June of 2016, I packed up my stuff and left Yola for good. I realized I was not the only one with such stories. One of my besties was also going through issues like this. While it was my choice to be overworked, she was forced to work overtime every day and wasn’t paid as much as her work demanded. Recently, she found out that her boss paid members of his staff who were his tribe more than he did her. Truth is, she worked way more than others and was the most trustworthy staff. Finding out she earned way less than her colleagues really broke her spirit. She was at that crossroad where she wondered whether to continue to stay or to leave the company. Another lawyer friend got to that crossroad and walked away from the firm that was overworking him. It wasn’t that the pay wasn’t good but that he wasn’t just growing there. He knew that he could do more, be more, and achieve more if he just wasn’t working with that firm.
Being the Weaker Sex
Working woman with her baby.Image: Your Life Hack. I know this very beautiful lady whose spirit is equally beautiful. She is the type of lady that brings about a sense of calmness when you speak to her. Her humility is so inspiring and the light in her eyes tell of a spirit that is happy, carefree and blessed. Then she got married. Barely three months into the marriage, I noticed a marked change in her demeanor; the light in her eyes had dimmed considerably, there was an air of sadness about her and what used to be graceful slimness began to look more gaunt than slim. When I perceive such sadness, I don on Agatha Christie’s Monsieur Poirot’s persona. I went about investigating the cause of her sadness and what I found was deliberately annoying! Her husband works in a multinational oil company while she works in bank. They both have to leave the house before 7am and both return home quite late. You corporate workers know the drill! It was a power marriage…but only for the husband. I found out that the husband demanded she cooked fresh breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. This lady would wake up at about 3:30am to prepare breakfast and lunch and to clean their house. She would package his lunch in a flask and help him prepare for work. After a long day at the office, she would rush home to cook his dinner and probably wait for him to fuck have sex with her at night. What was most annoying was that the husband demanded she washes his clothes too. He used to take his clothes to the dry cleaners before he married her but he was quoted as saying, ‘I cannot be wasting money now that I have a wife’. So this lady had to wash his suits, shirts and kaftans and iron them for her ‘darling husband’. After three months, she was bone-tired from balancing slavery house work and a hectic bank schedule. Truth is, she was tired of the marriage. She wanted out but being a ‘devout Christian’, she felt she had no options. You can imagine how angry I got when I heard all these. I was so mad I almost walked up to man to slap him! I know you would think it is not my business but truth is, it is! Here is why I got so riled up. Time and time again, we have been told that women are the weaker sex. Most religions of the world preach that women are weaker and it seems to be one of the few points that the religions of the world agree. In Islam, the Qur’an the Hadith says a woman has a ‘weaker mind’ (Qur’an 2:228 and Bukhari 6:301 respectively), the Bible in 1 Peter 3:7 calls the woman the ‘weaker vessel’, early Judaism saw the woman as ‘weak minded’ and even my grandfather drummed it in so well into his children that my father believes we are weaker. What of our cultures? They lend their weight to the notion that women are weaker. And not just that, they put up cultural markers in place to remind us that we are the weaker gender. So…if we are the weaker sex, why the bloody hell do we do most of the work?! There are many women like the woman I mentioned above; women who have to get it right at the home front and get it right at work. Some women are lucky and are allowed to have maids. Some are not. They have to do everything themselves! The argument has always been that men need to ‘focus on work and provide the bread’ so women have to ensure the home is properly catered to. I used to understand the logic. But now, more and more women are in the work place as their husbands are. Some women even do morein the office than their husbands. Is it then fair to continue to hold that ‘logic’ and to make such women do all the work at home? Let me shade my dad and brother a bit. My sister and I don’t live at home because of work so they probably see us twice a year. My other sister is in school and is home about four times a year. When we are away, my father and brother do all the household chores and maintain the house. My dad fixes his breakfast – a cup of tea – daily and sets off for work. Fast forward to whenever I come home. Soon as they see I am home, they take their hands off the household chores. My dad would even ask that I fix his breakfast. I want to assume that he misses me and would prefer to have that special bonding moment but eh ehn! I no gree! See, my father is set in his ways and one of his beliefs is that chores are for women. Simple and short! He raised us like that and even when my mother insisted that my brother does chores, my father relegated him to sweeping duty. Even that became a problem for him as we grew up. I knew he wouldn’t do it so I just took his portion. I spoke to my sisters and they said when they also come home, they experience same. My brother is especially worse. If I don’t wake up on time, my dad may still fix his breakfast but my brother? Total hands-off from chores! It wasn’t until I fell a bit ill that they both miraculously found the ability to take care of themselves (and the house) again. They wanted me to feel that if I wasn’t home, they would die but seeing how fresh they both looked, I begin to wonder. Done shading! Okay popsi, no vex abeg! You see, many men in the country are like that. They feel a woman can and shoulddo any and every household chore. A woman is supposed to maintain a house and maintain her husband and
Goodbye Yola! Thanks for the Hard Knocks
The first time I visited Yola, Adamawa state, was when I went for my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in October, 2012. It was the first time in my life that I went far from home…and for me, it was my final escape from all I knew. I was crowned the #MissNYSC for my batch even though I protested my involvement in the beauty pageant. In camp, I met my homie of life, Dr. Hameed Olawale, who is such a good man and an awesome friend! Yola is a simple town in comparison to towns like Kaduna, Kano and Abuja; the only other towns I had been to at that time. Though simple, I fell in love with the town. I had so many activities that defined my stay; I was teaching at Government Girls Secondary School, Yola, I attended almost every House of Refuge church activity and I spent time playing basketball. Don’t hate! I know I suck at it. On the 7th day of February, 2013, my Head of Department in church, Frama Ambrose, told me to get dressed as he was coming to pick me up. He told me I was to be on radio and though I was nervous, I hurriedly dressed up. That was the day I started #Campus360 (airing on FM GOTEL, 91.1). I met the man behind the #Campus360 idea – Stanley Innocent – and I grew to respect him and jump on many other projects with him. Few weeks later, the state coordinator of NYSC sent word to me that I would be crowning the Batch ‘A’ #MissNYSC. I went to the NYSC variety night and that was where I met my bestie and darling, Oluwashadeayo Opeyemi. As fate would have it, she was posted to the same school where I served and our friendship stuck! Shade is the reason I learned to bake cakes and till tomorrow, she is one of my best friends! Soon enough, we were both hosting #Campus360. In March of 2013, Frama married his heartthrob, Aesha Yanuti and he couldn’t have married a better woman! She became our mama and she loved us like we were her family; which we are! Together, they showed us that marriage can be awesome and beautiful and fulfilling; in spite of its many challenges. In May, the supervisor of the FM unit, Madam Chika Ngalome, called me and Shade and asked us to start a program on fashion and lifestyle. We started #Standout in the third week of May. From that moment, Madam Chika fought for me like I was her daughter. Many people thought I was; her daughter. And just as she would fight for me, she would chastise me from here to England if I did wrong. She is a true definition of a mother! By September, Peter Cheman Koti or the #RadioCaptain as he is fondly referred to, asked me to join the #Lunchbox team. He gave me a day and I made it fun! LOL! After some time again, Peter asked me to join the #MorningSplash team and I jumped at the opportunity. Madam Chika got us to do something centered on women and children and YOU KNOW I WILL LITERALLY GIVE MYSELF FOR THAT! That was how the ladies edition of #MorningSplash was born. I met Charles Emuze or as many call him, DaVinci. We actually became friends after Charles gave me an IQ test and the result was above average. LOL! Many would think that is condescending but for me, it was thrilling! I loved that he was confident enough to surround himself with people who shared his intelligence and while many men walked on egg shells around me, he was cocky and confident! If you still feel some type of way, I am sure you wouldn’t understand why I love Sheldon Cooper. And if you don’t know who Sheldon is, then I cannot help you. Charles was the one who urged me to start my blog and aspire for more with my writing. Now to my darling Abdullahi Ahmed! What started out as us being colleagues became the creation of a friendship that will stand the test of time! We were a dynamic team because we truly enjoyed each other’s company and listened to each other about improving our craft. Stanley told me once that I was beginning to sound like Abdul and I laughed! Of course! Abdul is one of the finest presenters I know! He is witty, intelligent, well-spoken and a master of his craft! If you know me, you know that I am sapiosexual and a person’s IQ is my biggest attraction! Abdul would force me to read articles out loud to help with my breathing and news presentation skills and for that, I would always remain grateful. Plus, I saw a side to him most people didn’t know! LOL. I got to meet other really great people like my baby Ololade Hassanat Abdul Kareem who had been my partner on #Lunchbox and #Standout for almost two years, the most elegantly dressed lawyer North of the Niger, Barrister Tochukwu Eziukwu, who is about to launch his book, Ibrahim Gwalem who is my ever pragmatic friend and Kaliat Innocent, my darling of life! By February 2015, I was invited by the Head of Programmes, TV GOTEL, Mr. Victor, to a meeting. In that meeting, Yetunde Oshunbiyi (Aunty Yetty) and Aaron Isaac (Uncle Aaron) were in attendance and the agenda? They wanted me on #Safiya #BreakfastShow. I was flattered but worried as hell! I knew I had the talent but I get VERY worried when people look at me. Abdul convinced me to do it and I did! I guess I was good at it, if the viewers’ comments were anything to go by. And because I ain’t no backside kisser, one particular episode got the Governor of Adamawa state so mad, I got kicked off the show. LOL! That is a story for another day! I ran a cake business and
