Arise Magazine - Agents Of Change by Arise Magazine

Agents of Change

The Editor’s Welcome In this month’s magazine we are looking at young achievers and appreciating business minded individuals who have also displayed their role model attributes. Although this is a Christian magazine, in this issue we have also acknowledged young non Christians, who are seen as perfect role models to many and other young business minded associates. Furthermore, we also get an insight of Christian’s who are in the business world and through it all had kept their faith. We see how they share the word of God through their continuous work they do, in order to encourage, elevate and uplift the young people of today. We are all agents of Christ and as young people we have to make a difference in society. It’s imperative that we impact those around us and change our communities in a more positive light. We are constantly surrounded by negative press and hear how our young boys and girls are in conflict, however as young Christians of today it is our duty to lead by example and portray a good image in order to show God’s glory. In this issue we specifically look at individuals who are currently Agents Of Change. Young men and women who are currently helping their society; providing positive solutions to deprived communities; sharing the word of God to bless their peers and uplifting many others through the work that they’re doing. We hope that you enjoy reading Arise, Issue 2 – Agents Of Change, and may the glory of The Lord rise among us. Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through him who strengthens me. “

David Wurie Editor

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3-4 6

Nevaeh’s Angel

7-8

Annika + The Media = Joint Formula

9-10

Choose Your Own Cool Career

11-12

Jennifer Kamara

Monthly Word

Energy Praise Night

Dekkel’s Journey to Uni

Talents of Pride & Prestige

18-19

Deborah’s View on Success for our Young

Poetry Experience

Christians

20-21

Tahlulah Ray

Poetry Contd.

24-25

Utter Couture Limited

Still African: Dutch Wax relax

December, 2014

Agents of Change Nevaeh’s Angel; gospel rapper, singer, musician, entrepreneur, designer, ambassador for Christ and that’s just a small snippet of her many attributes. Nevaeh is more commonly known for her music as she is a well known gospel rapper but has recently branched out into other avenues and created her own clothing line called Candy Clothing. Nevaeh has always had the love for music and had always desired to share her faith through music. Initially, she started out as a singer by singing in church through her involvement in music ministries. She only discovered rap a year after she had been involved with music in the church and explained that her first encounter with rap was when a music producer had sent her an instrumental; where she felt that there needed to be a rap vibe in the song, “It was like God was telling me you will be rapping on this” Nevaeh explained. By this direct message from God, Nevaeh didn’t know how to respond as she had never rapped before and had never really been exposed to the gospel rap genre. Before she knew it, Nevaeh got a piece of paper along with a pen and started to write what God placed on her heart. Through this, Nevaeh managed to write her first song, called “Fire” and from then she described how she managed to get a certain flow going through her most recent encounter with gospel rap. Nevaeh’s rapping talents didn’t go unmissed. As she was able to rap at a few more gospel shows and even to friends, many people thought she had been in the industry for year’s until she told them that she had only discovered her God given talent of rapping a few months prior. As you can see, God was using Nevaeh in such a way that those around her and the individuals she ministered to were blessed. The talent that God had blessed her with was now being exploited in a positive but yet spiritual way. “I think I prefer rap, because now rap is more natural to me, I listen to a lot of gospel rap music, I’m more comfortable with it and able to have a bit of humour as well with my music” “I like rapping It’s good, a bit like poetry as well” Despite enjoying being involved in music and the whole rap scene, Nevaeh expressed the difficulties with that especially being a female gospel rapper, “Not many people want to hear about gospel, or about God, they see it as a religion but it’s not a religion as I’m just trying to share my faith and positivity for our music” said Nevaeh. Nevaeh would like to see more mainstream gospel TV shows and channels because there are many people that have never heard about gospel music so by creating a platform to display the genre, Nevaeh feels that this will be beneficial. Nevaeh mentioned that “There’s a new gospel TV show called Gospel Eyed that’s coming out soon, so I’m definitely going to be checking for that.” Candy Clothing is Nevaeh’s brand new fashion label and has been up and running now for only a year. She

explained that she has a sweet tooth so that played a big part in naming her new clothing line. The catchy name kind of makes you want to taste the clothes, well at least imagine that you could. Again, this concept was a God given idea in which Nevaeh was obedient and listened to God’s call. Seeing as she has such a strong relationship with The Lord, Nevaeh was able to hear from him and as a result she believe that God had called her to create her own clothing

line. “Everybody can wear it, even if you’re not a Christian as well.” Nevaeh would like the clothing line to reach out to the world, so that those who aren’t aware of God would be able to get to know him. She feels that God has just allowed her to reach souls through just ministry in rap, however she strongly believes that through her newly established clothing line, she could reach out to people in a spiritual way because her clothes have a special anointing. The advice Nevaeh gave to all the young aspiring business minded individuals is that you must do your research. It doesn’t matter which type of business you want to get into, if you haven’t done you research in Nevaeh’s eyes you wouldn’t grasp the full understanding on how to work things within that particular area. You have to know what is needed within your specific industry and make sure that you have a support team in order to guide you and give encouragement. The 25 year old sees herself on a more international scale within the next 10 years; through her fashion label, music, ministry and mentorship. Nevaeh is an extremely blessed individual who surely has God in her heart. We expect greater and better things to come from the young role model and we are excited to see what God has in store for her next.

December, 2014

Agents of Change

EXPERIENCE

As for God his way is perfect, the word of the Lord proves true He is the shield, to all who take refuge in you In my distress He heard my cry From His temple, the Lord the Most High Descended from heaven, he sent arrows to scatter My enemy God, the great deliverer saved me from calamity My fear was great and foes were too strong for me His statues I have not set aside You repay righteousness and those who are pure in your sight You save the humble and those that bless your name Who else but God that surrounds me with strength And makes my way without blame Lord our lives are never out of Your gaze Your love has no limits and it delivers us from shame You are our Father God worthy of all praise Inspired by Psalm 18 By Kirstin Lewis

Are you ready to walk into change? Prepare yourself to dress your change. Do you know what needs to be changed to make a difference? Identify what is the source to your change. What choices will you make to make a change? You carry a change lighting up the world. Why do we have to change? You have a fire within you to bring a change to your situation. You make a change in all that you do. Your change brightens your life, Or it can destroy you. What change are you chasing after? Darkness or light? Good news is that you can be changed and transformed fully through Jesus Christ. Jesus washes all our sins away. He is our world changer. A powerful changer is easy to forgive and wash our sins. He is a changer who makes a change within you, clothing your spirit with righteousness. He changes everything about you and everything around you. He loves you, so open your heart to find out more about whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in store. Purging what needs to be changed and keeping what pleases His eyes. Your changer is calling you to turn away from Sin and dwell in His presence. So come and "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." [Romans 12:2] Shantel Cherebin

December, 2014

Annika + The media =

A JOINT FORMULA Annika Allen, who has been in the media industry for over 14 yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shares her wisdom with Arise magazine. Annika is the owner of a digital communications company called Impact and Beyond and this was her desire from a young age. A Birmingham girl; born and raised ended up in the city of London when she decided to study journalism at The London College of Communication. Seeing as the media industry is such a competitive and at times a lucrative corporation, Annika expressed how hard it was in the beginning to get reorganization for her work. She mentioned that one of the struggles in getting into the industry was due to the fact that she was from Birmingham and the big move into London, was at first daunting however she knew it was the right one as there were more opportunities to work in the capital. Annika was always determined to succeed in the media industry and felt that she had to put herself out there in order to get recognised and also gain work opportunities. She first started off writing for a magazine called Mega then she moved on to write for The Birmingham Post and after some time writing for the newspaper, Annika stepped up her game and managed to place herself writing for Street Cred, where she was able to really express her writing abilities and also opened doors for celebrity interviews; in which she conducted. She described her perseverance as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hustlingâ&#x20AC;?. This is something that if you are young, ambitious and creative, you must be able to do in order to place yourself within the media industry.

Agents of Change

Annika now is the programme manager for Industry Takeover which keeps her busy but with over a decade of experience; this doesn’t stop her from being involved in other media platforms. Nonetheless Annika expressed that there are numerous challenges working within the media. “When working in the media there a majority of the jobs are contracted, so I guess that’s a challenging factor” Annika exclaimed. As a result Annika advised that if you are working within the media and you have a contract position, you must be able to manage your finances well. You should also be active and try and build a reputation as people will only remember you if you put yourself out there. Annika also went on to give advice by saying that “You must always do your best, because people could recommend you”. Having worked with, BBC, Channel 4 and Google, Annika isn’t shy to success or achieving great heights. When asked by Arise Magazine what was her biggest achievement Annika responded by stating that “being a black woman working in the media industry is a huge achievement” simply due to the fact that it’s such a tough industry. Annika believes that if you are a young person desiring to work within the media or any sector, you must first set yourself clear and precise goals; know what it is that you want to do so that you know what it is that you are working towards. Annika also expressed that passion has to be exploited in order to get to where you want to because there are going to be setbacks but your passion and drive is what will counter-act it. “You must keep on marching on until you achieve your vision, because at the end of the day it is your vision,

your life and you can achieve what you want to if you keep on working hard” Annika expressed. Not only is Annika a media guru, she also finds time to do a bit of youth work. She works with brands and different business that want to engage with young people; where it’s online, or through a campaign to attract young people’s interest Annika provides a platform for that. So she runs enterprise workshops for young people who want to start up their own businesses and teaches them the basics of what they need to do to start their business. Annika also conducts social media workshops to express the impact of the social media outlets. This stemmed from Flavour Mag a magazine that Annika use to co-own and on a regular basis she was contacted by young individuals seeking journalistic work experience and she feels proud to see how they have blossomed and moved on to bigger things. “Describe success in the business world?” – “I see success as getting up in the morning and being happy in the job that you are going to” Answered Annika. “Tell us something about yourself that not many people will know” – Annika answered by stating that when she was in her early teens, she won Miss Jamaica UK. By winning the pageant show, she was not only recognized by her beauty but was awarded a first class trip to Jamaica and stayed in a fabulous hotel with a celebrity lifestyle treatment.

December, 2014

Agents of Change

CHOOSE YOUR OWN

COOL CAREER

“You can aspire to any career you want but make sure you

talk about because quite simply we are still struggling to choose it for the right reasons,” says Frances come to grips with the concept of new media and have only Mensah Williams. the haziest notions of the many opportunities available in When a friend of mine recently vented her disappointment at the new creative industries. But our limitations don’t need to the fact that her privately educated son had announced his be your limitations and it’s not your responsibility to fulfil plans to train as a plumber's apprentice, I listened sympa- our ambitions through you. thetically, silently praying that this wouldn't be my fate in the next few years. Interestingly, this generation appears to have embraced what many older people struggle with – the idea of finding a Why, she cried, had she bothered to sacrifice for so many job that takes into account your skills and interests, rather years to give him a good education if he was going to choose than doing the job expected of you and looking for another something he could have done after leaving school, instead outlet for your talents and interests. The respondents to the of now, after graduating from the top university she had survey felt no inclination to follow traditional career paths slaved to get him into. but did feel strongly about aligning their personal proficiencies with their chosen career path, with 67% actively search"He's not interested in a professional career because it's ing for careers that 'fit their interests and talents', allowing boring," she snorted. "He says he wants something more them creativity and the opportunity to be innovative in the hands-on" – a wish she was probably tempted to fulfil in workplace. quite another way. Are young people wrong to want to spend the bulk of their It would appear that her son isn’t the only one who feels this week doing a job that makes use of their interests and talway. A study which polled school-going students across Aus- ents? Not at all, but there are ways to create a win/win, tralia, seeking to gauge their perceptions of different indus- rather than a win/lose situation when planning your career. try sectors and how they were going to decide on their eventual careers, showed that for Generation Y (in demographic Rather than creating conflict with your caring and anxious speak, those born roughly between 1980 and 2003 and now parent, focus on how you can not only educate them on the aged 6 to 28) careers such as Medicine, Law and the Arts are career routes open to you today – remember that many of now seen as decidedly 'un-cool'. these careers didn’t exist even 10 years ago! Share with them the reasons why you think you will be successful in The study showed that this generation has an affinity for that field and how you plan to train and develop yourself to both practical education and to pursue cool, 'sexy' careers, achieve your ambitions. Show them how you can be not only mostly within the creative industry. Of the students polled, cool, but successful. In the process, you will have a better careers in television (25%), the music industry (24%), film sense of your own skills and the limitless potential ahead of (23%) and digital media (22%) featured most frequently, you. while over 65% of respondents rating 'acting' as a job which 'attracts the sexiest people'. The survey also showed a With the right approach, you can calm their fears and create marked shift towards practical education, with an astonish- a new and positive conversation about your cool future. ing 83% of those considering future education specifying Frances Mensah Williams is a writer, careers coach and consultant and that they would rather pursue studies that gave them practi- the Editor of ReConnect Africa (www.ReConnectAfrica.com) an online publication for professionals of African origin. She is the author of ‘I Want cal skills which are 'useful in the real world'. to Work in… Africa: How to Move Your Career to the World’s Most ExcitPeople like my friend, and if I’m honest myself, are nervous ing Continent’ (www.IWanttoWorkinAfrica.com) and ‘Everyday Heroes – Learning from the Careers of Successful Black Professionabout some of the career choices that young people als’ (www.everyday-heroes.co.uk)

December, 2014

As an innovative person who is also passionate about success Jennifer believes that key things about leadership are: Listening to those around you Empowering the individuals that you work with Helping others Getting people to follow you Being able to inspire someone Giving someone courage Jennifer went on to state that “We really can achieve whatever we put our minds to” “A lot of us don’t really know the potential we have inside” World Health Equity Currently, her business is working primarily in Sierra Leone where she grew up, however their aim is to branch out to other countries within the next year. Her focal aim with World Health Equity is to bring healthcare where it pretty much is Jennifer Kamara, a recent nonexistent. They currently have 3 projects in which she felt graduate in Chemical Engi- lead to lead. neering has used her Project 1: is with a community in northern Sierra Leone, knowledge and work exwhich holds around 25,000 people within the provinces. The perience with large phar- people in the area would have to travel 3 hours to reach the maceutical company Novartis to help explore her interest in nearest hospital, which means that, those who are farmers global health. She discovered that she wanted to have more or don’t make much money suffer as their health isn’t reof a direct impact with people and that’s how she identified garded as number one priority. Lack of education also suga population in Sierra Leone, West Africa that was undergests they have less of an understanding of seeking quality served; seeing as there weren’t many organisations that healthcare. Seeing as they are medically underserved, Jennicould cater for them, so she boldly decided to form up her fer believes that it’s wrong and that people shouldn’t live own organisation; through her network and resources that this way in the 21st Century especially with all the technolshe had. Consequently, a year and a half ago at the young ogy and connectedness that we are surrounded with. As a age of 21, Jennifer started up World Health Equity which she result they’re establishing a clinic for that community and feels has had a tremendous impact on the health scheme in are looking to get that up and running within the next year. Sierra Leone and described it as being “great”. Project 2: improving maternal health in Sierra Leone as a whole, seeing as it is a huge problem that has stemmed Leadership within the past few years. Statistics show that Sierra

Jennifer KAMARA

Agents of Change gramme. With the monies raised they help provide protective equipment to help look after Ebola victims. Directorship “Becoming the director of World Health Equity wasn’t something that was planned, it’s something that just happened” Jessica explained. Her father is a medical doctor so it’s through his profession Jennifer adapted her desire to help those with little quality health schemes. Healthcare is something that she values as being important and so she learnt, through her father’s travels the poor communities across Sierra Leone that were in need of sufficient health provisions. She then decided to reach out to a group of organisations and also to the country’s ministry of health and decided to start up her own healthcare provider aid. Jennifer managed to put some funds into her organisation and also raised some through numerous appeals. After setting up 2 clinics, she helped pay for a nurse to look after the vicinity and it’s patients. In the past year, the Pilot clinic has now seen over 2,000 patients.

Leone has one of the worst maternal fatality rates in the world, so her organisations are currently working with Harvard Medical School to help over 100 workers in and around Freetown, the capital. So far, they have helped save over 40 mothers within the past 10 months. This recent success has made Sierra Leone’s national health department aware and would like the project to expand to other African nations. Project 3: helps care for the Ebola response. This is set up on a social media platform to give people the chance to make donations to help counteract the worldly disease. Jennifer along with her team managed to raise $10,000 to help people that are in their pro-

African Community Education Jennifer took her leadership skills and utilised it to become a mentor within the group. The organisation gathered refugee youth’s who had been involved in civil wars in Africa. She helped teach the young people English, Maths and Science. However, there were challenges as some of the young children she mentored were being bullied at school and were seen as a misfit within society, so Jennifer had to make sure that she encourage and motivated them at all times. Nonetheless Jennifer realised the skills the young children had and pushed them into the direction of the things they were good at in order to give them something to look forward to but to also show encouragement and love. Music This is a particular area that most people don’t know about Jennifer. However, besides helping the world Jennifer has a great desire and passion to sing. She told us that she’s actually looking to create her album and making music is something she would one day like to do, so let’s make sure we watch out for her music!

December, 2014

Agents of Change

WORD

Greetings reader’s; this is the day, this is the day that The Lord had made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! We have life, we have food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over our heads and a family that love and care for us. Remember to give God thanks, not only for waking you up this morning but for the countless blessings he has showered you with. Psalm 100:1-4 states Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness;come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God.It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. So today young people, let's make a joyful noise unto The Lord, our God and see what he does for us. When we do a good deed to a friend and we don't receive any thanks, what do we do? We dislike the fact that they haven't acknowledged our kindness. So what do we think God thinks when we decide not to thank him? Through the good times and the bad we should also give thanks. Although it may not be easy to thank God when things are going wrong and when everything seems so cloudy, but what we must remember is that God is God, a God that can turn situations around, a God that can move mountains and also a God that shows unconditional love. Through giving thanks we are lifting up his name in glory and recognising and appreciating his countless blessings. We must praise God at all times and through the good and the bad. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 states “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you.” Giving Thanks is an attitude that shows maturity in your walk with the Lord. The psalmist wrote “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.” Psalm 9:1 When we look at the story of Job, we see how Job continued to worship and serve God throughout the good times and when things turned sour. Job was a wealthy man, with many sons and daughters with a 14

beautiful wife. He had many possessions, animals and land, but most importantly he loved and thanked God. Up in the heavens, God brags to the divine assembly about Job. Lo and behold, Satan comes out and challenges God on Job's goodness. Satan didn’t believe when God had proclaimed Job’s faithfulness and thankful heart. So, Satan tells God that, sure, Job loves God now, but take away his earthly possessions and his children, and he will dump you and turn his back on you. God agrees to the challenge, and Satan unleashes a force that kills all of Job's family except his wife, kills his servants, and reduces his homes to dust. Now, Job is left with nothing, absolutely nothing. All of his land has been taken away from him and worst of all he has lost his family. His wife got angry and even told Job to curse his God. But guess what? Job remains loyal. He refuses to denounce God. Job continues to serve God in the way he did when he was blessed with the numerous pleasantries in his life before. As a result, God saw how Job had remained faithful and rewarded him with twice as many land, animals and possessions. He even blessed him with more children who Job loved so much. We must look at this story and see Job as an example, an individual who stood strong and continued to praise God through every situation life could oppose. Let us remember to share our praise with others and remember to always give thanks. God bless, David Wurie

Energy

PRAISE NIGHT

December, 2014

Agents of Change

EXPERIENCE DEKKEL’S JOURNEY TO UNI “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. Paul must have thought about me and many others when he told the Philippians church this. This is the bible verse which I ground myself in as I grew and matured spiritually, physically and mentally.

2013. Not long after I accepted my offer at UEL. It is now July; I have a conditional offer but no money to pay for school. My only option for tuition was the scholarship, and if I didn’t get through I basically would have been at a dead end. In the First week of August I got a letter from the Ministry stating I was awarded a partial I wish to share a brief portion of my life, a testimony of scholarship. Not the outcome I expected but grateful befaith, endurance and perseverance. This is a testimony of a cause I remembered the seed I sewed and the prayers I 20 year old fulfilling his dreams leaving his home in Turks prayed and trusted God. My parents and friends encour& Caicos Islands moving to London for university. My plan aged me to go any how because God will provide. was to graduate from secondary school, go to college and get my Associates degree, then take a break from after It was so short of a notice, I had less than a month to apcollege for a year and then pursue University. With God’s ply for a flat and find money to get a deposit for it. I also help I achieved just that, but the journey took more than a had to get my British passport which came two weeks bevision. fore I left for London. I didn’t buy my ticket until three days before I left for London due to lack of money. I got In 2012 I began to apply for Universities in the UK mainly my flat 2 weeks before I arrived in London. There was a lot because the value for money compared to other universi- of meetings and paper work to be taken care of and the ties across the world was most reasonable. I applied to 5 pressure was at the highest. universities. Quite confident with my choices it wasn’t before long I got two immediate responses. Optimistic, I As I reflect back on the entire experience, I remember I opened each email with anticipation of an acceptance. The asked God before applying if it is your will for me to go result was a double “sorry we regret...” and that was all I university you make everything available and so it was. At needed to see to know the outcome. I didn’t allow that to the end of it all if it’s meant for you God will give it to pull my spirits, so I held on to the other three options. As you, but only at a price that you will serve Him and have we corresponded sending transcripts. In April of 2013 I faith in Him. got another response from one of my choices. This time I wasn’t as confident but I opened the email to see a repeti- I am a second year student at the University of East Lontion of the first response. At this point I was torn, as that don perusing a Bachelors of Arts degree in Business Manwas one of the two main choices. agement: Marketing with Hospitality and International Tourism Management. It’s my desire to Serve God with my Later on that month, I submitted an application to the Min- call and gifts in the Church and in the professional world. istry of Education in the Turks and Caicos Islands to get a Since I have been saved my faith and trust in The Lord is scholarship to peruse my studies. This was a major chalgrowing. I’m here without family or familiar faces but God lenge for me because my grades were not “the best” and has helped me through it all and build new relationships my university prospectus weren’t either, so I was nervous in church, work and university. about that as well. During this time I was quite an active person and was the Youth Ambassador for Turks and Cai- Finally if you are saved, this is not the time for quitting, cos Islands. whether it’s in school, work, church, or life. There is nothing to hard for God to do. I am a witness to that every day Nonetheless, I ended up getting a conditional offer from as I roam the streets or my university I leave home in one my current University, University of East London (UEL) and piece and return just the same because of God’s blood Brunel University London. I sent a final transcript to which my safety. If you are not saved, I would like to tell Brunel and a week later the email came through, yet anyou the Jesus loves you. You will never truly understand it other disappointment. By now I had a conditional offer, no until you gain a personal relationship with him. God cares room, no UK passport or tuition money and it was June of for his children and he is forever faithful and just to wel2013 and the start date for my course was September come you as His child.

December, 2014

THE TALENTS OF

Pride and Prestige We the founders of Pride and Prestige Hair, Emmanuela Koranchie and Delawoe Adjaklo, had a vision to create a high value and well trusted brand of hair extensions which mainly targets women of all ages in the UK. As university students in Birmingham we saw there was a high demand for good quality and reputable hair vendors which sold hair at a good price. University students were also of high priority and we made appearances in universities to advertise and sponsor cultural events which allows for great contact to our major target audience. We have always had a passion for hair and we wanted to give students a reasonably priced product that would suit their hectic schedules. We have to thank God for giving us the opportunity to do what we love doing. Creating a business in this field is such a blessing and we are grateful for having such an innovative platform to display our collections. Within five years, we aim to have our own outlet store within the Midlands and in London. We aspire to be one of the top selling vendors in the U.K while branching out to Ghana and the United States. We also see ourselves owning hair factories in our supplierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s countries and have many hair distributors selling our products worldwide. There will also be a variety of curl patterns to suit the desire of the customer and to also suit the curl pattern of customers who want a more natural look. Pride and Prestige will not just be a brand which sells high quality hair extensions, but a company which will provide an experience for the customer, not only with hair, but with other beauty products. Social media Twitter: @prideprestige1 instagram: @prideandprestigehair Facebook: Pride and Prestige hair

Agents of Change

DEBORAH’S VIEWS ON SUCCESS FOR OUR YOUNG CHRISTIANS Arise Magazine sit down with Co-Chair of BAME and EDF Energy Senior Business Partner, Deborah St.Clair-Thomas to gain insight into how to succeed when in the working world and make it in your desired career path.

BAME BAME stands for Black Asian Minority Ethnic Education and it's vision is to grow an inclusive network of people from different backgrounds to champion diversity by inspiring it's members and supporting EDF’s ambitions and aspirations. At EDF there are 15,000 employees and out of that 12,000 are BAME.

“Having a diverse work force has proven to increase business value.” BAME host annual events that promote BAME university graduates coming through the organisation, specifically STEM (science, tech engineering maths) graduates. The careers event is hosted by Deborah St.Clair-Thomas and her Co-Chair Donna Fraser, showcases all the opportunities they have. They offer the graduates opportunities for placements, apprenticeships and graduate schemes. They give those individuals hints and tips on how they could get one foot in the door within their field of study. About Deborah Deborah St.Clair-Thomas is from Guyana and Jamaica. She is a believer and she grew up in the church as her greatgrandfather and grandfather were all pastors.

How to succeed

She went to Kingston University and studied Business and Finance and is now married to her husband, who intriguingly, is also Guyanese and Jamaican. They have three children together aged 19,11 and 9 who they encourage to also go to church.

To succeed you need to be educated and skilled in the career you're pursuing. If you don't have the qualifications and you can't do the job then you're never gonna get there.

“As long as you hold yourself with integrity, you’re passionate about what you do; you strive for success and set your goals I think you can go far.”

Building a network is key and with Social Media like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook available it is much easier to "It's good to have a partner who has the same values, cul- connect with people who can help you in your journey to get ture, background and beliefs as you." Deborah exclaimed. in your desired career path. On her days off she enjoys going to the gym, whether that's “Social network is amazing. 20 years ago I didn't have a to do Zumba, go swimming, or just do some general exer- mobile now it's instantaneous. You can go online and recise. search anything which you never would be able to go.”

"It's my chill down time, as I'm getting older I need that Tapping into people who have the skills you desire and more. It keeps your energy up, mind focused and keeps you achieve the things that you want to achieve can help you to sharp." Deborah expressed. go far and have more of an understanding of where you She also likes walking and spending time with her family.

want to be. Then you can contact those who are in those fields and ask for work experience. Deborah encourages all young people to be determined! We should know that there is no limit, the only limit is the ones that you give yourself but set realistic expectations.

"I've always wanted to fly, I love traveling it's on my bucket list of things I'd like to learn." Deborah stated with such “We were not born into this world to stop still, we have a purpose and destiny to fulfill and we have a role to fulfill excitement.

within this life and achieve that will allow other people to As CIO of the organisation Deborah looks after the peo- achieve and be inspired by it.” ple and she also mergers sales and acquisitions.

December, 2014 Although we may work in an environment where we are minority, we have to acknowledge that we have to do a bit more, we have to study, work a little bit harder to get what we want, ultimately if it's the right thing for us to do we will achieve it.

what your God given talents are and then works towards them.

“When you realise your God given talents that’s when you can know what you want to do.”

“I don't want to be recognise by just the colour of my skin I How would you define success in the business world? want to be recognised by my competency my ability to do the “To me being passion about what you do, happy, having the job and do a good job.” right balances in life, doing well in your responsibilities, for me that's being a mother, wife, sister and friend and alive Deborah went on to encourage by announcing that if you're and ready to do what you're meant to in that day is successtrue to yourself, hold on to your own personal values, know ful.” where you would like to be, and then you can't go wrong. You've got to be you as long as you can operation in a role with integrity, honesty, openness and are able to listen to what somebody has got to say you will be successful.

In the business world, to be successful you must make sure that you are doing the best and pushing for performance, being initiative and creative, coming up with new ideas, pushing boundaries, overcoming challenges, making decisions, meeting or exceeding tasks and goals set and being proactive in what you're trying to achieve.

Great communication skills are key as they allow you to share your ideas and give you the opportunity to move up the organisation. Deborah believes that networking is a critical thing do if you want to be able to move up the ladder “Success is not just about profitability, because when you're and to network you need to know how to communicate well. happy in your job you're going to generate more income.” Resilience is key.

“Your attitude to life, to others, to serving others will help to grow and then become a leader. When you get to a position and put yourself on a pedestal above everybody else that's the time you're most likely to fail.” She also went on to state, “I've learnt anything in the last five years is that the ability to bounce back after something hasn't gone quite as planned, you need to know that there's hope that you can achieve more that's the only way you are going to learn and keep on learning.”

Sacrifice Deborah went on to explain that some women may leave getting married and children until later in life because they feel it will hinder them and slow their progression in their careers. She then went on to explain that she dismissed the concept of leaving marriage and children until she was further down her career but instead decided to get married and have children. She loves the family that she has and enjoys family life.

“Having my husband their as a soul mate who is able to

What discourages young hopefuls to pursue the desired pro- direct me and support me, reassures me that I made the fessional careers? right choice.” Unrealistic goals. Deborah feels that all young people must try different “If you think that opportunities will come knocking at your things, experience life and challenge for the best opportunidoor and you don't need to do anything about it then you're ties.

not going to get anywhere.”

She also went on to add that, some people believe that once they finish studying they can go out there in the big wide world and get offered a job straight away, but it doesn't always happen like that and in fact a majority of the time you have to put yourself out there in order to be appointed the dream position.

“You have to network, find opportunities for yourself, push doors open and get out there. So grasp the opportunities that are there for you and presented to you.” Set goals, stick to them, be committed, dedicated and make sure it happens. But if it's not working out try something else. Put your heart in it and don't just do what your parents want you to do. Live your own dreams. You have to work out

“Live because you only have one life.” Deborah reminds us that we don't want to get to the end of your time and look back and regret wondering if only we could have made different choices. We must be daring, confident, positive and live our lives knowing that tomorrow will bring you something else.

In closing, Deborah encourages us all by stating, “You know that you have the skills, time, energy to do and achieve today. You always have to keep testing and pushing yourself acknowledging your best attributes and don't stop learning!”

Agents of Change

The fashion industry is perhaps one of the hardest to succeed in. With so many versions of the same thing, it takes a standout designer to launch her own brand and reap the rewards. Sinead ‘Tahlulah’ Ray Mitchard has done just that, and at only 24-years-old, the business-minded university graduate is now living the dream. Sinead knew fashion was her calling in her teenage years, before making the decision to leave home at 18 and move to Brighton University and study fashion design. At university, Sinead says she “learned how to spot trends and what’s in fashion at the time” and took a particular interest in lingerie and swimwear. Upon reflection she doesn’t feel like this was enough preparation for what she came to find the real world of fashion to be like. While in Brighton, our young entrepreneur worked part-time at a local bar in order to save up for her ambition. Shortly after graduating university in 2010 she spent three and a half years at a baby wear manufacturer. Despite being unhappy and out of her comfort zone, Sinead doesn’t despair: “it was a pretty rubbish job, but I learned so much about working in business, rather than just design! If I had come straight from university, I wouldn’t have had a clue!” In 2013, she flew to Ibiza for inspiration (and a well disguised holiday): “it’s such an exciting, young and vibrant place, it has a unique aura! I wanted my first collection to have all the same qualities!” Having visited the island more than once, she undoubtedly understands what the party-people want.

December, 2014 Upon returning to the UK the hard work began; “I looked at my favourite designers and the gaps in between them and finally I looked into filling those gaps.” Sinead started by sketching all of her own designs and taking them to a manufacturer where she faced the first of many challenges. After presenting her ideas to potential investors she was rejected for a business loan because she had no preordered stock. She had to turn to her family who she says were “incredibly supportive through the whole process. I’m still paying some of them back now!”

With the ‘Ibiza’ collection now for sale, and another in the design process, Tahlulah Ray, with Sinead’s direction and drive will undoubtedly go far, but who knows where the brand will take us next? Perhaps the sensual Santorini; breathtaking Barbados; or vivacious Las Vegas will be on the cards?

Tom Strudwick

“I took my designs to the manufacturer, and a few weeks later they said they’d received a huge order so they had to cancel mine. I then had to find a new manufacturer who turned out to be more expensive, that was a bit of a set back.” When the ‘Ibiza’ Collection was ready, the launch party was the next thing to worry about. Beforehand, she says “I was so worried, I was thinking ‘is it going to work? What are people going to think?” This was the first time the collection was being presented to potential customers, as well as friends and family. Proving the fashionista knows the reality of the competition within the fashion industry, she said “if you release anything too soon, it could be taken from you. It’s so easy for someone to come along and snap-up your ideas and claim it’s theirs. You’ve really got to protect it!” The party was a complete success and the brand was launched. Now showing off the collection to the world was Sinead’s next big challenge. ‘Marketing is so expensive, so I used Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Social networking is so invaluable, word spreads so quickly online and people get pretty excited about a new brand.” And that’s just what happened, her audience are excited! As well as appearing at Essex Fashion week, Sinead says she is on track to meet her sales expectation by May 2015. As well as from the brand’s website (www.tahlulahray.co.uk) the ‘Ibiza’ Collection is also available from online boutique SilkFred. ‘They take a cut as commission but it’s the international exposure that I’m interested in” Sinead says. She says this to anyone thinking of pursuing a similar career: “If it is your dream, and you know you can dedicate 100%, and then some, to it, then do it. But you will need to have a plan B because there will be hurdles and you’ll need to get over them.”

Agents of Change Sitting there waiting for the word to envelop us, To reach out and touch, Came here looking for an answer without a question, Are we asking a little too much? Just like the lost sheep that we are, Waiting to be herded in, The world is becoming a totally desperate place, And so were trying to hide from all the sin. Looking for a sanctuary, A place where we feel we belong, But yet there’s so much that were missing here, Why does it feel a little wrong? Have people got caught up with fakery? Has deception infiltrated the church doors? It shouldn’t be an issue for a true believer, It’s not other people we came here for. Although we share our space with others We are here by and for the grace of God, Not for peoples judgement or to judge them, But because of our hope and faith in the Lord. ©Areatha Mogagabe

We are shapen in iniquity, And born in sin, Yes that’s all of us people, Look at the mess we are in, As we all look around, and think of things that, have been done, Well don’t look to far, coz I’m talking to you son; And yes let’s not forget daughter, As we once stood in front of a congregation, And had our old selves dipped in water. As we took a pledge to serve the lord Jesus Christ, And yes it’s hard, but try as we might, Coz, with his might, we can try, to be as perfect as we can; Though, yes we are only human, But whose; man are we serving, The king of kings, who is so magnificently deserving. Who died on the cross and had nails in his hands and a crown of thorns on his head, So that we no longer have only condemnation, But can seek forgiveness instead, So that when we make our mistakes, we can fall to our knees, And cry out LORD JESUS CHRIST, I AM SORRY, I AM SO-RRY, But repentance is no fickle thing, not a game of I’m saved so it’s ok, Now we are held by our words, so talk in truth and mind what you say, We are soldiers in Gods army, So as we put our spiritual armour on, May our hearts be true and our minds right, And our lips be full of joyful song.

December, 2014

Utter Couture is a new kind of online retailer. And it can’t wait to open its first store – at BOX PARK, London. Online retailer UTTER Couture will open a pop up in BOX PARK Shoreditch on 13 January 2015. As a platform for the new, the store will showcase an exciting mix of home grown and international fashion designers. On this day the company will kick off its opening with a press day and host a launch party with a guest list filled with notable fashion designers, bloggers and press. UTTER Couture has a unique offering. The company is run by an small team of innovate and talented students and recent graduates who are tired of the same old patterns, designs and styles flooding the high street. UTTER Couture gives customers a level of exclusivity at an affordable price – something it achieves by stocking fresh, new brands and something they are looking forward to bringing to the BOXPARK. As well as selling these brands, UTTER is committed to supporting the talent that makes its offering so unique. Figures from the University of Kent show there are around 4,000 textile and design graduates in the UK competing for roughly 500 jobs every year. With this in mind, 95% of UTTER’s stock is by emerging talent, with graduates receiving mentoring, support and the opportunity to create capsule collections sold by UTTER – a bold move not many of their competitors can make. CEO Joel Adebayo says, ‘UTTER is for customers like me who love new and emerging fashion, the standout pieces, at good-for-value prices’. When commenting on the BOXPARK opening, Joel added, ‘we want to help these brands grow, and quite frankly give them an opportunity to shine in such a saturated and crowded industry – especially in London’. And here's a quote from our CEO, Joel Adebayo:

'We are our own influences, young creatives who want to stand out, work hard and play hard but do it with a bit of style, originality and class.’ Twitter: @UTTERCOUTURE Instagram: @UTTERCOUTURE Tumblr: UTTERCOUTURE

Still African; Dutch Wax Relax By Elizabeth Akingbade

What makes African fashion authentic? Is African fashion Lets be really open minded, fabrics can even be unprinted exclusive to the designs with their surfaces saturated in loud colourful repeat imagery commonly known as ankara and dutch wax? Or is it an aspect of the design or production utilizing a traditional technique that means it passes? To me, a 23 year old British-Nigerian print and fashion designer living in London it's neither of the above.

and authentic, there is a message is the selected fibre, colour palette, weight and drape before we even get started on the cut. More from Elizabeth on Twitter @IAmYemzi

My personal perspective is simply that because I am African therefore my creations are authentically African. As Kwame Nkrumah once said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am not African because I was born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me.â&#x20AC;? Equally being born in Hackney means London is in me too, brap! The designs you see in this editorial and on www.yemzi.com derive from a young woman who interprets and interacts with the world from a particular perspective. Some may say my selling point is the combination of two cultures. A designer making the headlines for her visually pleasing blend of cultural inspiration is Italian-Haitian designer Stella Jean. "Fashion can be used as a cultural translator and a tool against colonisation; it reestablishes the balance between symbols, stories and different worlds through style," she said in an interview for Vogue a year ago. In this internet age everyone who accesses a device connected to the internet is a few clicks away from exposure to influences from across the globe. As someone who envisages Utopia on Earth as peace, equality and global citizenship I believe it is more important to focus on the execution of the message you are communicating to the world rather then categorising it to a continent based on standardised expectations. My work is of the world, of now, I am a 21st century chick. But do not misinterpret me; I have a huge admiration and appreciated of tradition and craft. To state my point, I am completely bored with seeing the same dutch wax prints roll up and down the runway. I've been front row at fashion shows on handfuls of occasions where two different designers have used the exact same fabric. Are these prints really their story, this Indonesian design ? Must the Vlisco prints be the only ones that are desirable? We lost fabric innovative at tie and dye. But what is more frustrating is the absence of wax too often means a lack of Africaness! It is time that more African designers create their own fashion prints, conveying their personal collections' story.

Jalicia Hebson