Thinking Aloud Magazine: Apr-Jun 2019

THINKING ALOUD

ISSUE

6 A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE publication of rehoboth dream solid foundation (rdsf)

APR - JUN 2019

| 2 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

Cover Photo: A Selection of Entrepreneurs

Dr. Folasade Hunsu Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria

Mr. Patrick Edebor Editorial/publishing consultant. Owner, Patrick Edebor and Associates.

Mr. Akin Adejuwon Curator, Institute of Cultural Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Dr. Mrs Olayinka Opadiya Senior Pastor, Every Nation Church Sydney Australia.

Mrs. Abimbola Komolafe Founder/Executive Director, Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation.

Rear Admiral (Rtd) Oladeinde Joseph , Chairman, Board of Trustees Pharm. Samson Igbokwe Mrs Roseline Igbokwe Mrs Ronke Osikoya Mrs Ketumi Alasa Pastor (Dr) Joshua Opadiya Dr (Mrs) Yinka Opadiya Mrs Abimbola Komolafe Rear Admiral (Rtd) K O Komolafe

Editor Bimbo Komolafe

Publication & Design Benjamin Eze

Project Manager Tomi Olatunde

Project Team Edison Egere Othniel Komolafe Eunice Olatunji @2019. Thinking Aloud Magazine, a publication of Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non -commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

| 3 |

EDITORIAL

ISSUE

6 APR - JUN 2019

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the Q2- 2019 edition of the Thinking Aloud Magazine produced by the Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation (RDSF).

Our cover story in this edition focuses on entrepreneurship. We interviewed three entrepreneurs who shared their different journeys and the various reasons they decided to take the bold step into self-employment. These are Mrs Comfort Ukpong (MD/CEO, Greater Scholars), Mrs Modupe Marc-Dawodu (Managing Director at Marcforte Business Consulting) and Mrs Adetola Odunsi (CEO/Owner, Amazing stitches). These interviews are insightful and present our readers with valuable lessons for practising and aspiring entrepreneurs.

The RDSF Success Story features Makanjuola Ogunleye, a past beneficiary of RDSF who recently obtained his Master’s degree in Computer Science and is now pursuing a PhD. His story affirms the RDSF slogan of little drops making big changes.

The Finance Coach Column features an interesting article on Smart Spending and highlights four steps to buying smart with practical examples.

Our Health Corner educates readers on Hepatitis while our Fitness Corner shares an interesting article inspired by Daniel in the Bible. Our guest on the “Fitness Spotlight”, Mrs Lola Idudu, shares valuable advice and tips on keeping fit.

As usual, sit back and have a delightful reading experience. Remember to share the magazine with your loved ones, as there is something interesting in there for everyone.

Send your comments on any of the featured articles to ThinkingAloudPublication@gmail.com.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Bimbo Komolafe Editor connect with us on social media | thinkingaloudmagazine

| 4 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

Only

some years ago, it was common enough for parents and guardians to instruct their children and wards not to watch particular movies or series because they were rated 18+ or 13+.

Thirdly, no matter what you teach, one day our children will have to choose without our consent, and we want them to choose right. Therefore, we cannot afford to be complacent in our relationship with them. We do not have to wait until we see the need to "poke-nose", we must start from the moment they are out of the womb.

Fast forward to recent times‌ I occasionally spend time to watch the contents of what my children give attention to on television, as well as on their laptops and phones.

What did I find? I discovered that the same ungodly distractions we are supposedly shielding them from stumbling upon in adult TV programmes have been factored into children’s shows.

Be involved in their choices; do not leave the society to teach them about sensitive topics (child molestation, rape, sex, pre-marital pregnancy, drug abuse, etc.).

Teach them by yourself from God's perspective. The search for the answers to these topics is what takes them to Television and social media in the first place.

It is appalling to know that some animation series for children, for instance, Loud House on Nickelodeon, has homosexual characters. The storyline suggests that they are to be seen as normal as "straight people" are, and others to see it that it is not their fault that they chose that path.

My final word: Parenting is a lifetime job that requires being deliberate and intentional.

If you want results, then you must embrace the process.

Our children are extensions of who we are, let us not ignore our responsibilities for technology to take up. We have the help and the direction of God.

Moving on, I used the above extreme scenario as a reference point to bring our attention to the fact that there are innovative entertainment crafted carefully to manipulate our children.

What is the way forward in this situation? First, we must realise that it is easier to influence, advise and lead someone that trusts you and sees love in your eyes.

Therefore, give your children reasons to trust you. Lead by a good example. Give the right attention. Money and material things are not the same as LOVE. Secondly, in most cases, parents and children are two generations apart. For you to lead them, you should attempt to view the WHY behind their actions from their perspective. This means that you should intentionally make time to hear your children. It is your access to know what is going on in their lives and an opportunity to correct what needs to be corrected.

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

Annie Jonathan (Aanuoluwapo Ayo Okpah) is a Nigerian who graduated from the University of Ibadan in 2002. She is a vocalist, voice coach, choir director and song composer. She is a counsellor, pastor, pastor's wife and mother of three beautiful children aged thirteen, eleven and nine.

She strongly believes that if it must be done, then it must be done excellently.

She recently released her single album, NO ONE. Instagram: @iamanniejonathan | 5 |

We

all know that it is far easier to spend than to save, which is the very reason why many people never have enough, are broke or have declared bankruptcy. People have various reasons for spending such as for necessities, for comfort or pleasure, or to keep up with the circle they move in or will like to join.

Whatever the reason may be, in order to have a grip on your personal finances, you must master your spending habits; you must know when to spend and how much to spend. Ultimately, every person’s goal should be to spend less money than they actually make so that there will be enough to save for later.

This article will not dwell too much on savings but will guide the reader through the questions to ask when about to embark on any major expense, how to safeguard those expenditures and pitfalls to avoid during the decision process such that the item purchased is the best value for money and comes within budget. It takes each reader through the four steps to smart buying decisions.

The first step is to differentiate a want from a need. Why is this needed? It’s a way to confirm that the item to be purchased is absolutely necessary. A need is something that you must have and cannot do without, while a want is something nice to have. So, a need may be a car because your current car is old and malfunctions all the time, while a want will be a Rolls Royce. Wants usually come with trade-offs; the Rolls Royce may come at the expense of those planned vacations. The rule about wants is that you should buy them only if you can afford them.

Still on wants and needs, this is the thought process that I go through personally for every purchase that I make: 1. This looks very good, but do I really need it? 2. Can I afford it? 3. Can I do without it? Q3 may appear extreme but what it does is to revalidate Q1 because if I can do without it, then it really means that I do not need it, it is

a want. Once you have established that the item you want to purchase is a need, then we go to step 2.

Step 2 is to do your homework. How much can you afford to spend? Affordability may not mean having all the cash in the bank but it means that even if you take a loan to finance your purchase, you can fit the monthly repayment into your monthly budget. Be conservative, do not budget on those promised funds from your uncle or that governor. Budget on money that you know for sure will come, like your salary.

Do a lot of research on what you want to buy. If you need a car, you want to know what kind of car is best for you.

If you are a businesswoman that moves around with your goods, you will want a van. If you are an executive that goes to work and back, a salon car should suffice. If you live in a neighbourhood that floods, you may want an SUV (jeep) because of its high chassis. Next, you want to look at the fuel efficiency of the brands available. Look at insurance and the cost of maintenance. We call this looking at the “Total Cost of Ownership” (TCO). Most times, people look at only the initial cost of purchase but not other costs that come with owning and maintaining their purchase.

Step 3 is to actually go out to make that purchase. In the case of the car, which dealer do you buy from? What is the range of price that you are willing to pay? You need to review the internet for information, ask friends who are knowledgeable in this area. Do you want a lease or to buy it outright? Do you want to pay cash or finance the car?

How much price you are willing to pay should never be linked to how you want to pay for it. So, in the example of the car, you first agree how much the car costs before you go on to whether you want to pay cash or take a loan out to pay for it. This is because a lot of dealers are smart and will make you pay more because you are not paying | 6 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

cash but if you think about it, the interest you are going to pay should be the cost to you of not paying cash for the car. You should not have to bear an additional cost burden for the same item.

If you are purchasing a used car, you want to take a qualified mechanic along to check it out. Ensure that you test drive the car during the day so you can see all the scratches and confirm that the wipers, lights, horn, etc, are all working. Be very wary of sales during the night.

Always negotiate the prices you are quoted. The rule of thumb is at least 5% If you are given any documents to sign, either for outright purchase or one with a loan; do not be in a hurry to sign.

Read and be sure that you understand and agree to all the clauses. It is better to be safe than sorry. It is better to take a few more days to be comfortable than to sign millions away to a dud transaction.

Congratulations, now you have made your purchase. Is there anything left to do? Of course, there is! The 4th and final step is to maintain your purchase. This is where we fall short most of the time. I earlier referred to the Total Cost of Ownership. Given the amount invested in the purchase, the cost of maintenance is usually a fraction and if not done, can cost a lot more down the road. The things to consider include having a comprehensive insurance from a reputable company, taking the car for regular, scheduled maintenance and keeping the associated records, looking out if there are any manufacturer’s recalls, acting promptly on warnings from the dashboard or if the car is not driving right, checking your tyre pressure, etc.

No matter what good you like to purchase, if you follow these steps carefully, you will have the assurance that your purchase is affordable, best value and durable.

Kemi Akosa-Ofili is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the current Chairman of ICAN-USA District. She has over 30 years of experience in Accounting Practice, Banking and Oil/Gas. She is a Certified Public Accountant and lives in Houston, Texas, USA.

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

| 7 |

identity, it will be clear for all to see that ‘that’ is the exception and not the norm.

•

Brand owners should make standard brand guidelines more readily accessible via their website, for example. Taking such a step helps the brand users know their parameters. An example would be to explicitly state that the logo should always be pink and white. Don’t complain that cars aren’t stopping if you forget to put traffic lights at the junction.

•

Brand owners should accept that their ‘strong’ brand is being ‘marketed’ free of charge and involuntarily. Despite the revolutionary advancements in the marketing industry, word of mouth still proves to be one of the best and most effective ways of gaining and increasing a more loyal customer base. When someone other than the brand owner publicises a good or service, it appears more authentic (especially when it actually is), and causes those around them to inquire about the brand further.

While

deliberating on content to post, I decided to touch on the concept of brand stifling, and how many brand owners are limiting their brand’s growth and reach because of it.

A brand owner can be the founder, CEO, any member of the marketing team, an organizational body, an institution or any group of individuals tasked with “protecting” and maintaining a brand’s core identity and values.

Going back to the first point, if your brand is strong in itself, as enquiries are made (via the website, social media, print, face to face with staff etc.), the essence of the brand’s core message will be received, regardless of how ‘badly’ it was initially portrayed by someone else. This, thankfully, returns the initiative back to the brand owner.

Similarly, a brand user is anyone who enjoys, uses or interacts with a brand (good or service).

It is helpful to understand the concept of the root word “stifle”. According to Google, to stifle is to, (1.)

Make (someone) unable to breathe properly; suffocate.

Or (2) Restrain (a reaction) or stop oneself acting on (an emotion or impulse).

Applying these definitions to a brand, we can agree that stifling occurs when brand owners are “too jealous” of their good or service (especially noticeable in their attempt to micro-manage every expression of their brand's identity), that they don't allow free organic interpretation by brand users/participants.

On the other hand, when brands choose not to be as “intentional” and allow all brand users to freely “reproduce” their goods and or service(s) as they perceive it, they run the risk of being portrayed wrongly and the essence of their brand’s core message is misplaced.

How then do brand owners combat the issues associated with both approaches?

•

Brand owners must ensure that, at the core, their brand content, delivery and approach, are cohesive at as many touch points as possible. The idea being that, no matter how much brand users “distort” the original message, core values and brand

•

Brand owners must sadly also accept, that, no matter how strong the brand is, some brand users will never fully understand it well enough to portray it as you would like (exactly). The earlier this notion is accepted, the happier the brand owners will be. This is not to say that brand owners should sit by and accept a complete misrepresentation of their brand; on the contrary, I believe that they should fight for what they believe in, as much as they believe in it, for as long as they believe in it. That said, there is also wisdom in discerning when to pursue and when to let go.

When I founded JFConsult Group (the performance improvement brand education consultancy which I currently run), several brand users would often mispronounce the name; mistakenly mixing it up with my surname or adding and removing letters as it made sense to them. Initially, I would get annoyed as I corrected people but over time, I realized, “...Yes, I must continue to correct and inform as many people as I can…”, however, it should be done out of love and from a place of understanding, i.e., accepting that not everyone will fully embrace or understand and to then replicate the brand as you passionately intend them to. | 8 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

•

Taking that point a step further, brand owners must take responsibility to educate and train as many as possible on the vision, direction and brand identity of the good or service they find themselves to be custodians over. We have reached an age where complete control over the manner in which your brand is perceived is no longer possible. In the piece of the opinion pie, now, everyone has a slice. Disregard ‘them’ at your peril.

To conclude, the best approach will involve a mixture of strategies by brand owners, depending on their industry and end goal. No one size fits all, but we all have shoes to wear. Find your shoe, wear it and take care of it.

It is impossible to completely manage every expression of your brand. Instead, be ready for it to go through the fire and the water… Will your brand still survive?

Joshua holds a BSc in Economics from the Institute of Brunel University, London, as well as a postgraduate certificate in Marketing Communications from the Manchester Metropolitan University. Joshua has also gained additional qualifications in Project Management from the Said Business School, University of Oxford. A man of many talents, Joshua delivers resultbased solutions via three of his main areas of gifting: As an Orator, Eyeonaire (a term Joshua uses to describe his ability to observe processes, change, and, people), and as a Pioneer.

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

| 9 |

Thinking Aloud magazine reaches a diverse readership around the world including Nigeria, Zambia, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and the Philippines. Advertise in the magazine today and experience Growth in your enterprise.

Send your advert enquiries to: thinkingaloudpublication@gmail.com

interview with mrs comfort ukpong md/ceo greater scholars school & coordinator/convener joycity ministries

| 11 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

1. Thank you for accepting to share your story with our readers. Could you please tell us about your family and educational background?

My educational journey started at Lutheran Primary School. It was a missionary school run by the Lutheran Church in the 70s. It was later taken over by the Ministry of Education. From there, I attended Federal Government Girls College, Calabar, and the University of Port Harcourt where I obtained a degree in Education. I also have a Masters’ degree in Educational Administration from Houston Baptist University. Currently, I am working on my doctoral degree. I am married to Mr Isang Ukpong and we have three children.

2. You started your career as a banker, how was that phase of your life and what motivated you to walk away from that career?

I veered into banking shortly after my NYSC days mainly because, at that time, I was repelled by the state of our public school facilities and the nonpayment of teachers’ salaries. There were very few private schools at that time. Banking was very attractive then because of the pay.

My time at the bank was fun and enlightening. My colleagues were friendly and supportive. I acquired a number of skills that have impacted on my organization today. I loved the idea of working; I loved the salary and the professional image.

However, I did not have that deep fulfilment as a banker.

3. What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?

Basically, the need to do something different. There was a gap to be filled. I realized that the schools around my neighbourhood did not fully meet the individual needs of the children. Everyone is unique. Even conjoined twins are known to have different personalities. Children have differences in learning styles, memory capabilities, home environment, human development, etc. Schools must take these differences into consideration, especially in teaching and learning. And I wasn't seeing a lot of that.

4. Tell us more about Greater Scholars Greater Scholars International school started as a daycare/preschool in the Ajah – Lekki area of Lagos. Over the years, the parents were very impressed with the excellent services rendered and they kept asking for more. Now we have a secondary school. We look forward to setting up a teachers’ institute in the future.

Greater Scholars set out to nurture the love of learning and meet the individual needs of students.

We are your Number 1 school in teaching and learning. We employ technology, songs, role play, creative and experimental activities to make learning fun. Emphasis is placed on mastery as well THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

as development of thinking skills. Our teachers are knowledgeable and passionate about teaching.

5. How did you finance your startup?

You can't go too far without good people, without quality and consistent support. My initial capital came from my husband’s savings, we started small and then got a bank loan from Fidelity Bank which helped us take the school to the present level.

“Beyond staffing, epileptic power supply, you have high interest rates on bank loans to contend with”

6. What challenges did you face as an entrepreneur and how did you manage them?

Entrepreneurship is challenging. Beyond staffing, epileptic power supply, you have high interest rates on bank loans to contend with. What is really shocking to me is that for school business, you expect to make money and then you find out that even when you have an increase in enrolment, you are still looking for money. So even growth comes with challenges because you have to keep injecting funds into the school to sustain the growth. So, school business is very demanding financially, and that happens over and over again. We engage in constant repairs and maintenance. This is often a shock to most people who start up schools expecting something different.

7. If I may ask, what do you consider to be the place of external financing in business?

Loans are very important for anyone who wants to grow their business. While people think it is risky, of course, there could be unforeseen circumstances that could ruin any business with or without loans.

However, I think bad loans have to do with personal discipline and financial intelligence. Loans should be used for the very purpose for which they are contracted. They should not be diverted into things like parties and vacations. Another mistake people make is not to have a good plan to pay the loans back. For instance, when people falsify information given to the bank because they want to get a loan, they are hurting themselves. Understanding the financials of your business, knowing exactly how much you can take, for what purpose, and how you plan to pay back is very important. I think loans can actually motivate people. Whenever I remembered how much money I owed the bank, I pushed myself to go the extra mile. | 12 |

8. Which is more valuable in running your business?

Passion or Training?

When you have passion, you will be willing to learn and acquire the competencies. So, I think passion is really important. You really have to love what you do. Passion is powerful. Passion releases creativity.

Creative minds solve problems. When you solve problems, money will follow you. But when you go into a business with the mind of making money, you're going to shut down sooner or later because when you don't see the money coming, you're going to be discouraged. Instead, when you go into a business because you want to solve a problem, each problem will inspire you to solve more and then you will find so much fulfilment in what you do.

The situation is made more complicated by the high level of corruption that is endemic in the system; so, how do we get out? The education sector holds the key to the solution of the problem of Nigeria.

We must, first, start with teaching our people about the dangers of corruption. Children must be taught the right values and attitudes that will help them become good citizens as well as build healthy community relationships.

Access to education is also a major challenge. A look around our neighborhoods will show an increasing number of children hawking on the streets during school hours. In twenty years’, time, these children will begin to pose a major problem for Nigeria

9. The entrepreneurship journey is not an easy one.

What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs out there who look up to you?

There are opportunities everywhere. Have a problem-solving mentality? Find a problem and work hard to solve it. Don’t be deceived with the fad that entrepreneurship means becoming rich overnight. There are a million entrepreneurs out there who are living in poverty. Be patient. Enjoy the process.

10. What, in your opinion, are key success factors for entrepreneurs?

Clear vision, drive, people skills, passion, knowledge and the God factor. I consider people skills to be very important. You are going to be providing goods and services to people. You will have irate customers. You will have staff.

11. What is the place of training and selfdevelopment in running a business?

I think this is very important especially in these days of constant change and complexities.

Entrepreneurs must be committed to lifelong learning in order to be at the top of their field.

Know what you need to know and educate yourself.

Self-direction is very important here because there is no boss to tell you what to do.

12. What do you think are the challenges of the Nigerian Education System and how can we improve it?

The problem of Nigerian education sector is complex and multifaceted. It is also a vicious cycle.

The poorer our education system, the more difficult it is to find solutions. Remember that the labour force we have today are products of the poor education system of twenty years ago. This situation is showing up in all sectors. Engineers who cannot build durable infrastructure, doctors who cannot diagnose diseases not to talk of administering treatment, teachers who cannot teach well and leaders who cannot think!

Also, I think that private public partnership is urgently needed because the gap between the public and private schools continue to widen. The private schools have the advantage of a parent body to provide constructive criticisms and intense competition from other schools to keep them on their toes. As a result, they are forced to think of ways to improve. On the other hand, the public schools are government-run and do not face any level of competition. They are over-populated and poorly managed.

There is no incentive to do well. I believe that if private educators are engaged as partners with government to run public schools and parents are given an education voucher to take to a school of their choice, there will be some improvement.

Where public schools are managed by private educators and monitored by parents and the government, the school management teams would be forced to leave if they fail to do a good job because parents will move their children to schools with good management teams. | 13 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

13. What can the government do to help entrepreneurs and small business owners like you?

Government should provide an enabling environment: electricity, water, good road network. I think that the greatest challenge is electricity. For most businesses, this wipes out the chunk of their profit.

14. We are aware of your connection with Joycity Empowerment Foundation. Can you tell us about this Foundation? What is the vision behind it and what do you do there?

Joycity Empowerment Foundation has a three-fold vision: to watch out for their neighbours through prayer and evangelism, to reach out with love to members of the community, and to develop an intimate relationship with God. We believe that by touching the lives of people through our fellowship, we will be able to change lives, homes and the entire community.

It started on 29 April 2000 under the name Lekki Christian Women Fellowship, when five women in the Lekki Area of Lagos State, Nigeria, decided to band together to pray, study the word of God and share the blessing of Christ with their neighbours.

15. What programmes do the FoundationEmbark on and what impact have they had on the society?

Our programs include weekly prayer and Bible study meetings, monthly banquets, that is, services where we offer free food to members of the public.

We also organize programmes during our annual anniversary, National Independence Day, Workers ’ Day and during festive periods. These programmes include business empowerment forums/workshops, health outreaches, and worship/music concerts. Our annual Christmas Outreaches wrap up the year and it is usually an occasion for us to give out clothing and food items to the elderly, widows and the needy.

16. It is often said that failure is inevitable in the journey of life. Do you agree and can you share a personal experience in that regard and how you overcame it?

I really do not have a specific or personal experience of failure that I can remember. For me, life is a journey, failure is simply feedback. It is just an expensive learning experience.

On the other hand, I fail every day because I am constantly looking to improve on my previous performance.

17. Looking back at your life so far, is there anything you would change about your past experiences even though they have made you who you are today?

Not really. I can’t think of anything for now.

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

18. What impact has your spirituality had on your career? What is the place of God in your life experience?

My life and business have been a series of amazing miracles. I have enjoyed divine guidance, provision, protection and direction and unusual favours. I am a living testimony that God answers prayers.

“Marry someone who loves and respects you, someone who wants to be married”

19. People marry for different reasons. What key attributes should intending couples look out for in their choice of a life partner? And can you give one valuable marital advice for young couples aspiring to be successful in their marriages and careers?

I think it is important to marry someone who has the fear of God. This is deeper than religious activities. Marry someone who loves and respects you, someone who wants to be married. Marriage is a covenant relationship between the husband, wife and God. Don’t focus on what your spouse can do for you. Focus on what you can do for your spouse.

Then everything your spouse does for you will be a pleasant surprise.

20. People who run their businesses have to work extra hard to ensure its success. How do you ensure you have a good work-life balance?

I must be honest with you that I have not been doing well here. My work is fulfilling and demanding, so there is a tendency for me to overwork.

However, as I grow older, I have learned to listen to my body, to take frequent breaks as needed.

21. Health is wealth. What are your key actions for keeping healthy and remaining fit?

I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. I exercise for about 15 minutes every day. I also try to keep a very positive mindset.

22. Thank you very much for your time. We wish you more success in your endeavours.

You are welcome.

Greater Scholars International School Address: Road 401, Greater Scholars Abraham Adesanya Estate, Aja, Lekki Phone: 0802 966 0967, 0810 021 0748 Email: greaterscholarsintschool@gmail.com Website: https://greaterscholars.com/ | 14 |

Drive,

students & staff

| 15 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

on becoming an entrepreneur managing partner/managing director marcforte business consulting

| 16 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

1. We would like to start by asking you about your background -- childhood, education, and family.

I grew up, a first child, in a very modest and close knit family. As the first born, I had leadership thrust on me early and I also developed a keen sense of responsibility right from a very young age.

Modupe is an Honours graduate of Human Anatomy from the University of Ilorin and also holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the same institution.

She is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, Nigeria (CIPMN) and holds a Professional Certificate in Strategic Management of Growth Companies from the prestigious Harvard Business School. She is a certified Trainer from Activia Training School, London. She is currently working on a Master’s degree in Managerial Psychology.

2. What values have kept you going as an individual and how have they advanced your becoming a successful business owner?

I don’t mince words when it comes to excellence on the job. I don’t joke with my deliverables and those who work with me know I pay attention to details and would not hold back when it comes to excellence in service delivery.

3. In life we all face challenges in different areas, can you share the challenges/setback you faced in building your consulting company? How were you able to overcome these? What lessons can our readers take away from these experiences – if any?

The first challenge I faced was getting myself to believe in me, that I could set up a firm and run it successfully. I had always seen myself as a builder, someone who would take someone else’s dream and help them build it but I never believed in my capability to stand alone. That was the first hurdle I had to jump. Luckily, with the tutelage of a few great mentors, I got the push and paradigm shift I needed to jump.

Secondly, I work in a field that is saturated, with ease of entry and exit. Making a mark in the industry proved difficult at first as the competition was stiff. However, our strategy to make an indelible mark on any alumnus or business partner of Marcforte helped with endorsement and referrals.

4. What are some of the major lessons you have learnt on your life journey so far?

You cannot walk on water if you do not step out of the boat. Secondly, I’ve internalized the serenity prayer and I recite it as often as I can. Lastly, I strive to keep all relationships as cordial as possible.

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

5. What motivated you to start your own consulting company?

The need to launch out and spread my wings.

“You cannot walk on water if you do not step out of the boat ”

6. How did you decide/ figure out your niche in the industry?

My niche is aligned to my natural inclination which is tutoring. It was not difficult to expand the frontiers of the business from there. The business started from the known – which is a natural gift and something I had developed professionally for over a decade (learning & development) – to the unknown, which are the other arms of human resource consulting, such as organizational culture, fit projects, business restructuring, employee engagements programmes and others.

7. What advice would you give to individuals out there who are looking to quit their 9-5 jobs and start their own businesses?

Fire your job! A lot of people wait for something major, such as getting fired, to happen to them before launching out. Many brilliant business men and women are unsuccessful in business today because their foray into entrepreneurship was based on impulse and whims. Unfortunately, the Nigerian business terrain is for the tough and resilient. To move from paid employment to entrepreneurship, my first advice is to fire your job before it fires you. Set a target for when you intend to leave, and in that period save, set up the frame of your business, test run it, etc.

8. How important would you say mentoring is in building a successful career in today's corporate world and what is your own experience in that regard?

I am a certified Executive Coach, so I know that coaching and mentoring are essential for success in business. We have student interns who are given contract jobs at Marcforte in a bid to expose them to the dynamics of the workplace as well as assist them financially.

These students are exposed to firsthand tutelage and coaching and given an opportunity to shape and hone their skills on the job. They are meant to develop a productivity-oriented mindset right from school.

Everyone needs a mentor and a coach, especially for accountability and growth purposes. | 17 |

9. As a consultant, your schedule must be busy. How do you maintain a good work-life balance? What should our readers do to achieve this?

Whoa. Work-life-balance is easier said than accomplished. For me, I make sure my staff and I get intermittent breaks, especially right after back breaking or elongated projects. It might be for a day or two, but we will ensure that everyone on such projects go on that break right after. I relax by sleeping… I know that sounds boring but that’s my number 1 de-stressor. I’ve never had an issue with insomnia; sleep is a friend that has always been there for me.

everywhere you go; it sort of prevents you from eating everything that comes your way.

For people like me who do not like water… I am not particularly a fan of water … you need to devise a way around water such as getting a real nice and fancy water bottle that you’d be proud of taking everywhere with you. Cut bits of lemon or oranges and throw them in the water bottle, that way you can drink a gallon without knowing.

Marcforte Business Consulting 10. There is an increase in knowledge especially on staying healthy and keeping fit. Do you have any tips you may want to share with busy executives on how to stay healthy and keep fit?

I’ve never been able to stay faithful to any diet regimen, however, portion control works very well for me. I eat everything but in very limited measures. Secondly, carrots – take carrots with you

Address: 3/9 Olu Koleosho Street, Off Medical Road, Ikeja Phone: +2348068931415 Email: info@marcforte.com Website: https://marcforte.com/ | 18 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

how we do our amazing stuff ceo amazing fittings

| 19 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

1. We would like to start by asking you to tell us a bit about your educational background I started elementary education at George Taylor’s Nursery and Primary School, Itire, and proceeded to the prestigious Methodist Girls High School Yaba from (2002-2008) where I completed O’levels.

I got admitted to the University of Lagos for my tertiary education from (2009-2014) where I studied Economics and obtained B.Sc. (Hon.) in Economics. After deciding to become an entrepreneur, I applied for a diploma course in Business Management and obtained Diploma in Business Management from the London Academy Business School (LABS) in 2016.

2. How did you get started with Amazing Fittings?

Amazing Fittings and Designs started in 2016 with fittings by DeeDee as our pioneer brand, which was the result of my burning passion for fashion.

During my school days, I had a way of combining cloths and colours that attracted good comments and the admiration from my friends and colleagues.

This encouraged me to learn more about fashion and it has sustained my interest till now.

A friend told me about an opportunity to acquire some entrepreneurship skills outside school through an NGO and this was the beginning of my journey as an entrepreneur.

By the time I finished my NYSC I knew what I wanted for my career. After I had decided on my career, some months down the line I got a job offer from one of the big banks but I turned it down even though it came with a pretty good salary. I did so because I had found my path and was sure, having tested the waters.

3. How many years have you been in business? How big are you now and what are your plans for expansion?

I started the business in April 2016, and that makes us three years now. We marked our third year anniversary in April this year. We currently have six regular staff and four trainees and still expanding. I will say the business is a growing business as we started out in my bedroom in my parents’ house, moved the business out from my bedroom with increase demand.

We have continued to grow and have changed offices three times in three years! We started off in our first office in the Tejusosho shopping complex, Yaba, Lagos, but realized it was too small within seven months of operation. Currently, we are at the point of moving out again to an apartment that will be spacious enough to accommodate a factory and a showroom and, hopefully, in the nearest future, say in the next five years, we want to be in a big factory space where we will manufacture our ready-to-wear outfits on a large-scale. The vision is to become a THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

household name in Nigeria. So we want our pieces to be sold in major boutiques and stores all across the country and to be readily available and accessible just like the international brands such as Zara, H&M, “Ruff and tumble” and so on.

What challenges have you faced so far and how have you been able to move past them.

As a young business we have faced a number of challenges but I will mention only two. The first is staffing. The challenge here is finding people with the right mentality and the same vision as you have.

It is hard to find individuals who have visions and values, as the business is a challenge because in our line of business we deal more with artisans and not professionals. The main composition of the staff base is more artisans. The core value for me was quality and prompt service (not to disappoint) so it was a bit difficult getting individuals who understand this vision. The second, of course, is power.

This has been a big challenge and is still a challenge for us now. This is so because good electricity supply is an important tool for our type of business, as we need light almost at every stage in our production process (from sewing to ironing and what have you). So, inadequate power supply affects our productivity.

How do we overcome these challenges? We have been able to overcome them, first, in the area of staffing by doing a sensitization for anyone that is hired. So we made it a must that anyone hired will go through some form of training and some basic enlightenment on who we are, what we stand for and why we have to stand out and not be like others as a major challenge with tailors is disappointment.

Secondly, in the aspect of light, we were able to improvise and manage the situation. First, in addition to using industrial machines, which require power to work, we had to look for alternatives and one alternative is the manual machine that doesn’t require electricity. Although not as fast and effective as the industrial ones, the manual machines still serve us as we cannot stay idle and be giving excuses. We also found substitutes for other appliances that we use.

“The core value for me was quality and prompt service (not to disappoint) so it was a bit difficult getting individuals who understand this vision.”

| 20 |

4. Where do you expect Amazing Fittings to be in the next 10 years?

We see Amazing Fittings and Design as a parent company with many subsidiaries among which fittings by DeeDee will be the top fashion brand in Nigeria. Our vision is to become a household name and an item in every Nigerian woman’s wardrobe and we want to have achieved that in the next ten years.

5. What advice do you have for young individuals who are graduating and want to go directly into business?

My advice to them is, first, to learn and position themselves in their area of interest. I will give my own experience as an example. I started out on my own right after school. But this was only possible because I was opportune to have been exposed to the fashion industry during my service year. I was so passionate about fashion that during my youth service year, I decided to maximize the use of my time for training.

I was posted to a local government for my primary assignment, where I had nothing to do in the office.

So I approached my boss to ask him if I could do my PPA somewhere else related to my area of passion and he agreed. So that was how I went to work in a fashion house. This helped me to have background knowledge of what I was going to be doing and also served as a foundation for me as a business owner.

So, my advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is that they need to learn from practitioners and gain knowledge about the field of interest before ploughing into it. That planting stage is very important in our growth process so we mustn’t bypass it because we are eager to try something new, we need to be equipped before starting out.

Likewise mentorship is another care factor I will advise aspiring entrepreneurs to explore. I was also a product of good mentorship. At the initial stage, I realized the vision I had was greater than me and I was confused on where and how to start. I was afraid of a lot of things, like what if this didn’t work? Would I ever be able to measure up to my peers on the journey? Hope I wouldn’t be left behind and all sort? So, I enrolled for the WIMBIZ mentorship programme and it was a blessing. What mentorship does is that it helps you to look up to somebody that has gone ahead of you in a journey similar to yours. A mentor is someone that guides, encourages, pushes you and likewise scolds you in order to help you meet up with your commitments.

A mentor is someone who has made mistakes, learnt from them moved on past the obstacles and made an amazing story out of their experiences. So, mentorship is very important because one gets to

learn first-hand from the experiences of other people as a means of avoiding such in your own journey so as to make your own path easier. My mentorship relationship taught me a lot and one of the key things I learnt was how important social media is to any business. My mentor always gave me target for each month, which I must meet and she made sure the knowledge of how important social media is was instilled in me. And till today I don ’t hesitate to tell everyone that the social media is an important tool every entrepreneur should tap into and harness for their business.

Social media brings you into direct contact with everyone -- your target audience, your peers, friends, your suppliers and even your competitors.

In addition, mentorship also helps to improve your circle of network. The relationship I had with my mentor helped me in this aspect as she would invite me for programmes where I met a lot of people and increased my network.

My mentorship programme, in a nutshell, helped me to learn from my mentor’s unique journey, helped me to overcome my fear and tread on the scorpions of my anxiety. It likewise taught me a lot of principles which I still apply and will continue to teach others when I eventually become a mentor.

6. What are three success factors that you would consider key for an aspiring entrepreneur?

The three success factors I consider key to an aspiring entrepreneur and to myself are: The God factor, having an eye for details and ensuring prompt delivery. For instance, the God factor in my life cannot be overemphasized. I am a product of God’s grace and that is what has made all the difference. My most essential key to success is what I call this “God factor”. I owe him everything. Everything I own and will become is because of him. So for anyone aiming to become an entrepreneur, I will also say that irrespective of their religion, they should acknowledge the fact that the God factor is supreme. And just as the Bible says, it is God that gives us the power even to make wealth.

Next, we have an eye for details. As a brand that strives to succeed in the dynamic fashion industry, one must be very detailed. In doing this, I ensure that when taking orders, I note every single detail and information that is important about the client.

In particular, the ones the customer tells us about her personality and the features unique to her body shape. We often draw out diagrams and sketches for any order to clarify the customer’s imagination.

Keeping to these standards helps us never to put out cloths that we are not comfortable with and proud of as a brand. | 21 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

Finally, we ensure prompt delivery. Every time I get an order, the first thing I ask is when do you want it, to make sure I can deliver when it is expected. If I cannot deliver a client’s order within my work schedule, I don’t take the order. I avoid disappointing on my client’s order. Customer’s satisfaction is all that matters in building a strong brand.

7. Who are your clients? Do you target any category of people?

My clients started out from friends who are in the corporate world and who believed in me. My ideal client is a young vibrant woman who seeks to be beautiful, classy, elegant, fashionable, comfortable, decent and yet enjoys affordable luxury. Our ideal client is a woman in her prime who loves to explore and who loves timeless designs. Our target audience started out from friends in the corporate world who wear our pieces to work and in turn bring referrals.

These referrals have indeed been a wildfire and in no time our major clients became the middle age corporate woman. This has formed the bulk of our clientele and we have since maintained these young millennial women as our target audience.

8. If you could change one thing about how business is carried out in your location, based on what you know, what would it be and why?

If I could change one thing about the location where I am now, it will be the management of my complex. The complex is run with a poor sense of professionalism. Any organization that will thrive must portray professionalism in its administration.

There must be no room for mediocre and amateur structures. In my current location, the management is a major challenge and this is the root of all other bottlenecks. The poor administration by the management trickles down to a lot of other things, which include the incessant power supply, poor property maintenance, and pure inefficiency.

9. How would you measure success as an entrepreneur?

I measure my success as an entrepreneur by the impact I make in the lives of the people who have been involved with me. Success, for me, is not just about the money made or luxuries I am able to afford. It is by the lives I am able to touch through my work and career. My career, for me, is a calling and I have been chosen for the assignment of reaching out to lives through my profession. I want to be known as a successful service provider by my clients through the satisfaction I am able to give them. I want to be known for phenomenal things in the world and in the fashion world at large. I will like to be remembered long after, by the people I have been opportune to positively impact. That for me is the measure of success and that’s my ultimate success story.

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

10. Tell us about the best clients that you’ve ever had. What did you like about them, and why?

My best clients are those who believe in me. They are those who see my capability even with my constraints. I have been a product of good clients who pushed me to do even beyond what I see possible.

I have been lucky to have people who believe in my potential and also keep referring me to other people until the referrals become a wildfire. They happen to be my free advert communication tool which has been the major growth factor in my business. To this set of clients, I am super grateful.

11. Do you use a lot of feedback in running your business?

Yes, I use a lot of feedback in my business. In fact, feedback has been a very essential tool in the growth we have experienced in this business. I make it a point of duty to follow up on clients about their perception of our service. I like to hear people’s comments about their outfits during occasions. Feedback helps us to measure our performance and to know if we were able to meet the needs of our clients, or if we met their expectation and this helps us to do things better.

12. Your business seems relatively young. How will you like to give back to society?

Yes, you are right, our business is still young as we are just three years old. However, we started giving back to society in our own little way already. Just recently we partnered with some schools to organize seminars for young girls in secondary schools. We gave a motivational talk on how they can make the best use of their talents. We have also teamed up with some NGOs in training young girls to believe in themselves. I am passionate about women empowerment and I have given free and sometimes subsidized training to disadvantaged women/girls. I am also a product of a giving back programme of an NGO. CSR for me is a lifelong project that won’t stop. I will keep the charge and keep renewing as I see the need until the vision is fulfilled.

13. What major lessons have you learnt on your life journey so far?

The major lessons I have learnt on my life journey are really unique and I will love to share a few of them. One is that I am the driver of my life and I will be accountable for what I make out of it. I realized this early and this has shaped the way I view things and take decisions concerning my life.

As much as I have an attachment to my parents, siblings and family, I ensure that I am the captain of my life and understand that my parents or siblings may make decisions for me, but I will be the one to bear the consequences of such decisions in my life. So, I take time to weigh consequences | 22 |

Then, finally, my husband has made this also very easy as he is always there to lend a helping hand even before I ask.

“My husband has made this also very easy as he is always there to lend a helping hand even before I ask”

first because, at the end of the day, it all boils down to me.

Secondly, I recognize that my life is not mine; it is God’s. So, I always put my life decisions, vision goals, challenges, expectation and what have you in the hands of God while doing my part. I have learnt that God is the one that blesses those that are diligent. My life, being in Gods' hand, doesn’t mean I won’t fulfil my end of the bargain. I do my part and God has been faithful in doing His part also. I must say that the most important factor in my journey is the God factor in me.

Lastly, I have learnt that opportunities are embedded in challenges and that opportunities don’t come shouting that they are opportunities.

We need to desire and have a burning passion for something before we can identify the opportunities that come our way. Another point to note is that opportunities don’t linger for long, opportunities are time-bound; so we must seize opportunities as soon as we see them. I am a product of an opportunity seized by learning fashion designing at the time I did.

14. We understand you recently got married. How do you manage running your business and running your home?

Yes, I just got married. Well, it’s still a learning process for me as I am still so new to this, but planning and placing priorities right has helped us so far. I make sure I schedule my days and plan my week ahead by allocating time to every activity so that none interferes with another. I have also learnt to draw a line between home and business and this has helped me a lot.

15. Does your husband support your being selfemployed? How does he do this?

Yes, my husband is my number one fan and a supporter of my journey as an entrepreneur. My husband’s support has been from back then before now. We actually started dating from the university days and he was there when my passion for fashion designing started. He located and enrolled me for my first training. I think God gave my husband a vision for me even before I had the vision, he has been and will always be an advocate for my being self-employed. He sees the potential in the business and identifies opportunities available to us as a company and is giving his full support to ensure that the business succeeds. To crown it, my husband is my greatest source of motivation and even when he doesn’t say anything, his support for the business is overwhelming and am so grateful for it.

16. On a final note, what are your hobbies and how do you keep healthy and fit?

I love to design, I love to go out on movie dates, I love to cook, I love a hanging out in the company of friends, I love to swim. My motto is that every hard work should be rewarded so it’s my joy to go out and have fun after work and be happy with friends and family.

I keep healthy first by being happy, happiness is a great key to a healthy life, then I ensure I eat good food and fruits.

Lastly, I love to exercise and my best form of exercise is swimming. My three short cuts to a healthy lifestyle is to be happy, eat right, and swim.

Thank you so much for having me, it was a pleasure sharing my story.

Amazing Fittings Address: Main Tejuosho Shopping Complex, Yaba Phase 1 Telephone: 08115053332, 08185250903 Instagram: fittings_by_dee_dee | 23 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

RDSF BACK-TO-SCHOOL PROJECT

RDSF

extended the “back-toschool” programme to Benue State in February 2019 with the aim of reducing the number of out-of -school children in Nigeria. This project aims to enrol primary and secondary school children who have dropped out of school because of financial incapability.

Three indigent children living in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria, were re-enrolled back to school. A family in which all ten children stopped schooling in 2018 due to their parents’ poor financial condition received our intervention with joy. Their father is a retired civil servant and their mother hawks beans pudding.

Two of the oldest children were sent to different cities to work as housemaids so that their family could survive. According to the parents, farming in Benue was not an option because of the farmer/ herdsmen crisis prevailing in the village. When RDS Foundation learnt about them, we swung into action by contacting the family and then worked through a volunteer to get the children back to school. This has brought great joy to the family.

We are also happy to report that seven of our beneficiaries completed their NYSC scheme in March 2019 and 31 students received support for a new academic session. Efforts are underway to advance similar support to more students within the next few months.

RDSF Regional Scholarship Award and Capacity Development Programme The RDSF Regional Scholarship Award and Capacity Development Training was introduced in 2015 to take our programmes closer to the less privileged. The content of this programme covers all three areas of our core values: education support, skills acquisition and mentoring aimed at empowering beneficiaries economically.

This programme gives indigent young people an

opportunity to receive financial support and develop their human capacity through ICT and soft skills training relevant to career and entrepreneurial development.

In May 2019, we held a session at the University of Benin. Two training companies (Excel Jet Consult and Wistraledge Consulting) were engaged to train participants in Microsoft Excel, Developing Creativity and Personal Development. The programme had 86 participants from the University of Benin, Delta State University, and Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, among others.

The participants were fully engaged by the facilitators throughout the sessions and willingly shared their personal experiences with the class.

This made every session of the training interactive thereby enriching their learning experience.

Certificates were awarded at the end of the programme and RDSF is optimistic that the participants will apply knowledge gained in various aspects of their lives.

The programme also created a platform for stranded students to apply for financial support and be awarded further scholarships to continue their studies.

Comments From Participants OLAOLUWA TUNMISE name is Tunmise Olaoluwa, I am a student of University of Benin, Department of Banking and Finance.

I’m in 200Level. I heard about Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation in 2017 and I longed to participate in their training programmes. Fortunately for me, they came to UNIBEN in May 2019 and I was a full participant. I am really very happy because I learnt a lot from the Excel training and soft skills.

It was really a good course and I will be glad to support RDSF as a volunteer and ambassador.

“My

| 24 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

JEPHTHAH ONAKEMU name is Jephthah Onakemu. I am a student of University of Benin, Crop Science Department, 500L. I first got to know about Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation last year 2018. This year, I saw the billboard outside and came for the programme. I was taught Excel and Time Management. I had an issue with time management and was very happy that this was addressed in the programme. I gained a lot from the training and I would love to be a proud ambassador of RDSF. If I had done this outside, I know how much I would have paid. RDSF has really helped me a lot and I am very grateful.

“My

ADEWOLE ABDULRASHEED OPEYEMI am Adewole Abdulrasheed Opeyemi. I got to know about this programme from a friend that sent me a message on WhatsApp. He told me a programme is ongoing at a particular place so I rushed to attend. I have no regrets for attending the programme. I am a financial analyst and I have been doing this manually. With the knowledge of Excel I gained in this programme, my life has been made simple. I ’ve learnt Excel to do my financial modelling and it has opened opportunities for me immediately. I really appreciate RDSF for this kind of opportunity.

“I

ODEMWINGIE ESTHER am Odemwingie Esther, a 400L student of Integrated Science Education at the University of Benin. I heard about this training from a friend on WhatsApp and I decided to come. I do not regret my attendance as I have learnt a lot. The session on time management was very relevant to me. I want to thank Rehoboth DSF for the training.

commend and applaud. I am participated in the workshop.

happy

to

have

VICTOR PATRICK THEOPHILUS …Thank you Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation for the wonderful training and opportunity programme mounted for us at the University of Benin. I benefitted from yesterday's Excel training and I am already on set for today's sessions. Thank you for this! God bless the team!

“Wow

ECHENDU GLORIA OLUOMA is one of a kind. I had not heard about them till they visited my school, University of Benin. Edo State, Nigeria. The programme was mind-blowing and very rich. We had panellist sessions, Excel training, mentoring sessions and interviews for scholarships. I could go on and on. This is one thing students always look out for. RDSF is a foundation ready to boost your morale. #God Bless RDSF!!! #LONG LIVE RDSF!!

“RDSF

Upcoming Q3 Events

“I

COMFORT ABOLAJI am a 300 Level student of Banking and Finance at the University of Benin. I heard about this RDSF programme from a friend and decided to come. I am glad I came as I learnt a lot. I loved the session on goal setting, as it is very critical for this stage of my life. What we learnt in the training is useful to us now and will be useful in the future. It will, therefore, go a long way with us. Thank you, Rehoboth, for bringing this kind of opportunity to UNIBEN. I will continue to talk about it on the social media and recommend it too.

“I

2019 Annual Lecture Theme: “Eradicating the Menace of Drug Abuse among Youths in Nigeria: The Role of Educators” Date: August 15th, 2019 Further details will be available on: http://rehobothdreamsolidfoundation.org/

CHIKA BENJAMIN OKPALUGBO am a first-year student of Pharmacy in UNIBEN. RDSF is a great organization from what I have observed. I attended the programme and learnt a lot about career development, which will be very useful to me.

Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation is a foundation I

“I

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

| 25 |

PERSONAL INFORMATION: Title:_______________ First Name:__________________________________________________________________ Last Name:________________________________________________________________________________________ Occupation:________________________________________________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Email Address:____________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone number:_______________________________________________________________________________

Please tick your preferred option and notify RDSF using the contact details below: ADOPT A STUDENT SCHEME: Under this scheme, the prospective sponsor will work with the Foundation to identify an indigent student who will be adopted and sponsored for the full academic program. The sponsor can choose to be anonymous or decide to meet the beneficiary. Under this scheme, the sponsor will be provided with periodic updates of the beneficiary’s academic performance.

DONATE BY CHEQUE: Please complete this form, and include a signed cheque payable to “Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation”.

STANDING ORDER / PERIODIC DONATION: You can make periodic donations by instructing your bank to make regular transfers using the bank details below. Please add the transfer reference ‘RDSFTA2018’.

ONE-OFF DONATION: You can make a one-off donation by direct bank transfer using the bank details below.

Please add the transfer reference ‘RDSFTA2018’.

Account name: Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation Bank: First Bank Nigeria Account Number: 2015884815 Sort Code: 011152442

CONTACT US: Please contact us for any assistance or additional information to aid your sponsorship or donation.

Phone: Call RDSF on +2348079407057 Email: Scan and send the completed form to rehobothdream@gmail.com Post: Return the completed form to P O Box 51843, Falomo-Lagos, Nigeria.

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

| 26 |

| 27 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

the rehoboth dream solid foundation board of trustees Rear Admiral Oladeinde (‘Deinde) Olusoga Joseph was born at Ara-Moko, Ekiti State into the humble family of late Mr. Joseph Owolabi and late Mrs. Ajibabi Owolabi on the 9th of May 1948.

He enlisted into the Nigerian Navy in July 1967 and later graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna and was commissioned as a Sub -Lieutenant in July 1971 in India. He received professional training as a naval officer in India, United Kingdom and the United States of America. Rear Admiral Joseph is a graduate of the Nigeria Command and Staff College Jaji and the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Kuru.

As a professional naval officer, he went through all the ranks in the Navy until he was promoted to the full Rear Admiral rank in 1998. While in the Navy, he had 4 sea commands, which included that of NNS Aradu (the Navy’s flag ship), 2 Training bases and 2 Operational bases. He had 2 tours at Jaji Staff College as Chief Instructor and Director of the Naval Faculty. He was also the Military Governor of Ogun State between 1990 and 1992. His last job was Chief of Navy Personnel at Naval Headquarters until he retired in June 1999.

Married to Mrs. Katherine Lolade Joseph since April 1975, Rear Admiral ‘Deinde Joseph is blessed with 3 children; Toyin (now Mrs. Borisade), and the boys Seyi and Jide, all University graduates. His hobbies are photography, reading and he is a handicap 9 golfer. A practicing Christian of Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu since 1967, he has a passion to help the less privileged in the society.

Rear Admiral Joseph is a recipient of the National Honour of the Commander of the Order Of the Niger (CON), and brings his experience and goodwill to the Foundation as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation.

Ms. Ketumi Alasa was born on 12th February 1956 and hails from the Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State. She had her tertiary education (HND Computer Science) from the Sheffield City Polytechnic, England. Her work life commenced with her NYSC, during which she served with The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd. in Lagos between 1979 and 1980.

Thereafter, she worked for Royal Exchange Assurance as a Computer Programmer from 1980 to 1981. She was also employed by Delta Steel Company Aladja as a Computer Programmer/ Analyst developing and maintaining computer applications from 1981-1984.

In 1984, she was employed by The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd as a Computer Programmer Analyst in the Information Technology department. She worked with Shell until 2008 when she retired after a successful and rewarding career.

Since retirement, with her strong entrepreneurial skills, she has been running a business of furniture, household and home decorative items. She has 5 kids, 4 of whom have successfully completed their university education. In her leisure time, she enjoys gospel music and playing golf, for which she has won numerous awards.

She is a devoted Christian with a deep passion for missionaries and their families. She loves to extend help and support to the less privileged. Ms. Ketumi Alasa is a Trustee of the Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation.

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

| 28 |

Deacon Samson Madu Igbokwe is a 1983 B.Pharm Graduate of Pharmacy from the former University of Ife (Unife), now known as Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). In addition, he gained a Masters in Business Administration Degree (MBA) from the University of Lagos (Unilag) in 2000. He also acquired a Certificate of Proficiency in Information Systems Management (CPISM).

Shortly after his Youth Service Corp at Military Hospital Lagos, he set up his own pharmacy business at S.W. Ikoyi, Lagos in 1985 which he has been running as Chairman/Managing Director till date. This is a company that supplies and distributes pharmaceuticals to its community and hospitals in Lagos State.

A devout and practicing Christian, he gave his life to Christ on March 31, 1991 in The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Akoka. Since then, he has served in various capacities in TREM as House Fellowship Centre Leader, Zonal Leader, Assistant Area Co -coordinator and Financial Secretary/ Treasurer of Caleb Group of the Christian Men Fellowship.

He is currently serving as the Chairman Hospital Visitation Ministry in TREM. He is a member of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and a Treasurer at Ikoyi Pharmacy Community Zone. He has passion for contributing to his community, and often assists in reaching out to orphans, the fatherless and widows in the community.

Periodically, he visits in a group and prays for the sick in hospitals in Lagos, ministering to their spiritual, physical and material needs. He is happily married to his amiable wife Mrs. Roseline Igbokwe and they have 5 children. Deacon Samson Igbokwe is a Trustee of the Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation.

Deaconess Roseline Igbokwe was born on November 2, 1965 in Ikoyi, Lagos, and is married to Pharmacist Samson M. Igbokwe.

She is an alumna of Sikkim Manipal University (SMU), Gangtok, India and the University of Lagos (UNILAG); Bsc. in Applied Information Technology, Business Administration and Masters in Business Administration(MBA) from the same institution.

She holds a Certificate of Proficiency in Information Systems Management (CPISM), Advanced Diploma in Systems Engineering (ADSE), Certificate in Strategies for Managing and Collecting Data (LBS) and Certificate in Core Sales Skills (LCT). She worked with Texaco Nigeria Plc as well as Chevron Oil Nigeria Plc as Food Mart Supervisor, Senior Retail Business Consultant, South, and then MRS Oil Nigeria Plc as District Sales Manager, Southwest Nigeria, Credit Control Manager for Nigeria, Aviation Commercial, Retail Sales Manager for Southeast/Southwest Nigeria and Head, Sales & Marketing. Nigeria.

A hard worker with enthusiasm for excellence, in 2006 she won the ‘African Pakistan Global Downstream 2006 Cultural Award, of Customer Facing and Market Focused ’ in Chevron, having executed superior and consistent execution and sales implementation of all programs, processes and systems.

She had focused the department’s organization around achieving the best business financial targets through an agreed set of Profit & Loss control measures in all MRS Oil Nigeria Plc service stations in Nigeria.

She is an ordained minister with The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM): and at various times has held the following positions: Assistant Secretary, Young Women Fellowship; Assistant Secretary, Christian Women Fellowship and Chairman Disciplinary Committee of the Evangel Voices Choir and Team Lead with the Christian Women Fellowship. Deaconess Roseline Igbokwe is also a Trustee of the Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation.

She is blessed with (5) five children.

| 29 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

Pastor (Dr.) Joshua Gbadebo Opadiya is the Senior Pastor of Every Nation Church Sydney, Australia, a worldwide family of churches and ministries.

He is currently serving as the Hub Leader of the Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, Papa New Guinea and Fiji) overseeing the ‘Every Nation churches and ministries in the Oceania region.

Pastor (Dr.) Opadiya previously lectured in the Lagos State University, Nigeria for 6 years, before moving with his family to Innsbruck in Austria where he lived for almost 6 years. Thereafter, the family moved to Sydney Australia in 1999 where together with his wife, Dr. Mrs. Opadiya started the ‘Every Nation Church.

He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the reputable University of Ibadan in Nigeria and holds a doctorate degree in Ecotoxicology from the Technical University, Innsbruck, Austria. Pastor (Dr.) Opadiya has a burden to raise godly leaders and see the nations return to Jesus Christ. He has travelled and ministered in several nations worldwide.

Pastor (Dr.) Opadiya's passion is to connect with young adults and adults alike who are leaders, peacemakers and bridge builders in their colleges, universities and in their communities. His life has been dedicated to this cause, reaching out, equipping, counseling and mentoring. He is also the dean of Every Nation Leadership Institute, a part-time program that is purposefully designed to provide discipleship training and biblical teaching for people from all walks of life. Pastor (Dr.) Opadiya and his wife have been married for 31 years. They are blessed with children. He is a Trustee of the Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation.

Dr. (Mrs.) Yinka Opadiya is a senior pastor with Every Nation Churches and Ministries. Alongside her husband Pastor (Dr) Joshua Opadiya, she oversees the multi-congregational Church organization in Sydney, Australia – a church with members from diverse cultures, age groups and professions.

She is a teacher and motivational speaker with a passion for teaching about God's love and His purpose for humanity. She is also passionate about women and youth ministry; and is committed to mentoring women and young girls.

Her heart-cry is to see ‘the Church’ respond to the Great Commission of ‘making disciples’ and transforming nations. A graduate of the prestigious Universities of Ife and Ibadan in Nigeria, she also holds a Doctorate degree in French (Women Literature) from the University of Innsbruck in Austria. She had worked as a French Lecturer in the Lagos State University and in various schools in Sydney Australia. Dr. (Mrs.) Yinka Opadiya been married for 31 years. They are blessed with children. She is a Trustee of the Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation.

Mrs. Ronke Osikoya holds a law degree (LLB) from the University of Lagos and an MBA (1988) from the same University.

She is a Certified Trainer for the Commonwealth Association on Corporate Governance and has facilitated on the Directors course on Corporate Governance.

She is a Management Consultant that co-runs a management consulting firm, Pedion Partnership Limited.

Her values are strongly shaped by her Christian faith and she believes very passionately in supporting the under-privileged, particularly children, which accounts for her involvement with the Foundation.

Mrs. Osikoya is a Trustee of the Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation and lives with her husband and 2 sons in Lagos, Nigeria.

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

| 30 |

Mrs. Abimbola Komolafe is a devout Christian who was ordained as a Deaconess of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in the year 2000 and as an Assistant Pastor in August 2013. She served as a Coordinator in the Teens ministry of the Resurrection Parish of the RCCG in Lagos where her passion for supporting the education of the less privileged was birthed .

She is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Banker and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.

Mrs. Bimbo Komolafe has taken various management, Leadership and professional courses, within and outside Nigeria and is an Alumna of the Lagos Business School. She worked for 9 years in a reputable Merchant Bank in Nigeria and thereafter worked for 20 years with one of the leading Oil and Gas companies in Nigeria. She currently works as a Principal Consultant for Threshold of Trust Nigeria Limited.

Married to Rear Admiral Kehinde Komolafe (Rtd) who is also an Ordained Pastor of the RCCG Nigeria, they are blessed with 3 children. Together with her husband, they are committed to providing financial support to as many less privileged students as they can accommodate. Mrs Bimbo Komolafe is the founder and Executive Secretary of the Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation.

Rear Admiral Kehinde Komolafe (Rtd), is a highly revered and distinguished military officer who served meritoriously with impeccable records in the Nigerian Navy. He graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1980 and was commissioned as a Naval Officer a year after. Due to his quest for knowledge and passion for competence, he proceeded to study at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he graduated in 1985 with a B.Sc. Degree in Accountancy. He attended several courses nationally and overseas and witnessed consistent career growth during his active years in the military.

Rear Admiral Komolafe is a change agent with a commitment to providing transformational leadership and ensuring realignment of processes, operations, resource and people on various integrated fronts for optimum value creation. He held various sensitive positions in the Navy before his voluntarily retirement from the Service after 35 years of meritorious service. He presently sits on the Board of many prestigious organizations. Beyond his Military career, Rear Admiral Kehinde Komolafe (Rtd.) is a lover of God and a Pastor. He is married to Mrs. Abimbola Komolafe and they are blessed with 3 children.

Charity to the less priviledged

Skills Acquisition programmes

Raise funds for the needy

| 31 |

Supporting the poor

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

My name is Makanjuola Ogunleye. I am, first, a beneficiary of Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation, an ambassador of the same foundation and a PhD student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

I had my Master’s degree in Computer Science (Predictive Analytics Major) in May 2019 from Austin back to school in the second term my position Peay State University, Tennessee, US. dropped to the fourteenth. It took two terms for me to get back to the second position and then to the Owing to my Master’s programme, I had an opportunity first position. I had many tough experiences while I to fly to New Jersey, US, for an all-expense paid was growing up and I’m able to tell this story leadership retreat. During the, trip I paused to reflect on because I have in one way or the other scaled some things and on the power of education. through them.

Looking at my life and the life of others around me, It occurred to me that education has the power to there are a few things that I have learnt that comes transform people and the potential to take them to places to mind. they never imagine they could get to. It has the power to reshape one’s life and bring beauty out of ashes. I said to The Beginning of Hope – Our Decisions myself what if I never went to primary school, or what if I was never a serious student in my secondary school or I agree with the saying, “Our decisions determine higher institution, could I ever have had this privilege our destiny”. From choosing the clothes we wear to that I am having? I concluded that an investment in choosing either to walk or drive to work and education is a worthwhile investment. choosing to eat at this restaurant or the other, we make daily decisions that shape our directions in Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation has invested in my life life. It would be to our utmost advantage if we seek and education and, for this, I am eternally grateful. I out time to conscientiously identify the best received RDSF scholarship twice, first in my second year decisions for us at each moment of life and to follow at the University of Lagos and the second time in my final that decision diligently. year. This scholarship with financial assistance came at crucial points in my life. For the first time, It was to I was looking for a way to best illustrate this idea support my career aspirations. I desired to pursue a and I couldn’t find a better example than an career in Information Technology, I wanted to register experience I had as a Freshman at the University of for a Cisco Networking Academy Certification Exam Lagos. When I first got into Unilag, I was naïve and with the hope that this could be added to my had little understanding of what to do to become a professional portfolio and could be a stepping stone successful student. I was carried away by every wind to further my education in the United States, but I that blew – I walked about cluelessly with dozens of friends to visit every location on campus and to was financially incapacitated to achieve this dream. attend every sightseeing event (relevant and At that point I got in contact with a friend who irrelevant) at the expense of my academics. Then introduced me to Rehoboth Dream Solid Founda- one evening, I paused, and I asked myself real-life tion. I wrote to them about my career goals and how questions. “If you keep doing what you are doing,” I I was financially limited to achieve them. They said to myself, “what would your life become”? That believed in my dream and they sponsored me. I am was how I decided to stop every unimportant activity beginning to see the fruit of this kind gesture and that I was involved in and cut away from friends that investment in my life. tended to pull me away from more than they push me towards success. This was a defining point in my I grew up in a family of five children – the second life. From then on, everything changed. I had a child in the family. At 8, I was in Basic 3. I occupied renewed focus and a single passion or purpose – to the second position in Academics in a class of about succeed! And I was ready to commit everything I had 50 students. At 9, in Basic 4, I stayed at home for to make it happen. At the end of that semester, I was the whole first term of the academic year due to lack one of the two students that had a First-Class grade of money to pay my school fees. When I finally got in my class. I think when we carefully make a THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

| 32 |

decision that impacts us positively and we tenaciously follow it – that alone is the beginning of hope and the stepping stone towards a brighter future.

The Steadfastness of Hope – Persevering Many times, whenever we are working towards a goal, difficulties, distractions and challenges come our way with one purpose to limit us from achieving our goal. During such periods we really need to do is to persevere and keep our eyes fixed on the goal.

I remember when I was preparing to come to the United States for my Masters. I encountered different challenges that could have limited my chance of coming.

But I persevered and I kept overcoming, one challenge at a time. For instance, after receiving a scholarship that waived my tuition, the total amount needed to make necessary preparation (visa processing and flight ticket) was a little above half a million. I didn’t have anything close to this amount at that time. The situation was so tough that I almost began to have other thoughts about the travel process (maybe it’s not God’s will, if it’s God’s will then money shouldn’t be a problem, etc.).

Then I thought to myself I would be foolish to think like that and to make such kind of conclusions. God has over time shown himself to always take preeminence, superiority and glory over seemingly difficult situations. I then put my absolute trust in God. Gradually, as the days flew by, the money needed started to surface and I had more than enough to embark on my academic pursuit.

When we dream and decide to be successful in any of our endeavours, what we are actually doing is extending an open invitation to challenges that would fight against that dream. Given the nature of the world, it is a place where our lives and achievements depend on our fight. If there is anything that works whenever we are facing difficulties or adversity, it is not to give up and start thinking of retreating. It is to continue fighting and to climb on the shoulders of adversity.

The Power of Hope – In the Midst of Difficulties Let me just shed light on the situations surrounding international students in the United States so that at least those who have the intent of continuing their studies in America would benefit from the experience.

As an International student in the US, you are given a Visa Status (called F1 visa) that limits your flexibility of work outside of school. When you graduate, you can work only for a maximum of

three years (for those in a STEM field) unless you receive a change in status. This means you must get a job or move into another programme in other to extend your stay in the US, otherwise you would have to go back to your home country.

This puts a lot of International Students on a race – race to be settled with a job or perhaps a higher programme, especially when they are in their final year of study. I was in this same situation in the second year of my Master’s programme. I applied to several internship and jobs that I even lost count of them and to a few desirable PhD positions. I went through recruitment stages with top companies like Google, Amazon and Visa. I even reached the last stage with Google, but I did not pull through. I got rejections from lots of other companies too.

I had a similar experience with my PhD applications. One after the other, I was getting denials from the programmes I applied to. However, I kept on to the power of hope despite difficulties. One day, I reached out to the Chair of one of the schools I applied to, which is a highly desired and competitive school. She told me all my application documents were great and competitive and that scholarships were not currently available but that I should get back to her later on to know if further scholarships would be available. Time went on and I was about a month away from graduating; yet I hadn’t heard anything on my applications. But I kept on hoping.

Amazingly, towards the end of my Master’s programme, the chair of the school emailed to ask if I was still interested in the PhD programme. I said YES! And that was the beginning of a new story full of joy and gladness. I got a fully funded PhD scholarship to advance my studies in Statistics.

I believe that when we have done our very best and things are not forthcoming, if we put our absolute trust on God, we would soon see him working and when he starts to work he is void of limitations!

Influence – Someone is Watching You! Another thing I have learnt in life is the power of influence. We never can tell how much influence we exert in the life of others. We never can tell the possibilities of a little seed of joy and happiness we sow in the life of others. I have seen people watch me and replicate some of the things I do in life. The moment I noticed this I made up my mind to live my life in such a way so that I can always exert a positive influence in the life of others.

God – The Designer of Our Lives Finally, God is the author of our lives. He has the blueprint of our lives with him. It would be a wise and worthwhile decision for everyone to draw near to God and learn to trust in Him for guidance. | 33 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

health & fitness When people eventually develop symptoms, it includes: •

Pain in the right upper part of the abdomen

•

Dark colouration of the urine

•

Yellowness of the eyes

Outcome:

Hello

Readers, we welcome you to the health segment of this edition. We will continue our last discussion on viral hepatitis. In our last edition, we discussed the Hepatitis A and B virus. In this article, we will be discussing Hepatitis C, D and E. INTRODUCTION Acute viral hepatitis can be defined as inflammation of the liver cells caused by a virus. It is acute in this case when it resolves within 6 months.

Hepatitis C Cause: Hepatitis C virus.

Transmission: Unlike hepatitis A, which spreads from hand to mouth, Hepatitis C spreads through:

•

Silent chronic infection (about 85% of cases),

•

Shrinkage of the liver (liver cirrhosis) in 25% of cases over a 20-year period

•

Liver failure

•

Liver cancer (about 4% of cases)

Prevention Safety precautions such as: •

Avoid sharing of sharp objects

•

Protected sex i.e. use of condoms which offer some reduction of risk of sexual transmission

•

High level of health precautions among health care workers

•

Proper management of exposure (needle stick injuries, etc.)

•

Proper screening transfusion.

of

blood

products

before

Treatment If you have any of the symptoms listed above then you need to see your doctor for further investigation and treatment.

The treatment option is dependent on the

•

Blood transfusion

•

Quantity of the hepatitis virus in the blood

•

Body fluids

•

Severity of the symptoms

•

Drug abuse

•

Overall well-being of infected persons

•

Sexual contact Treatment options include:

The incubation period for hepatitis C virus is 20 to 120 days in infected persons.

•

Using antiviral drugs

•

Making lifestyle changes to prevent further damage to the liver

People at risk of developing hepatitis C include:

•

Eating a balanced diet

•

Intravenous drug users and their sexual partners,

•

Avoiding alcohol

•

Health care workers

•

•

Sexually promiscuous individuals

Avoiding the use of drugs or herbs that can damage the liver

•

Avoiding over-the-counter medications

Symptoms

•

Most infected individuals might not have any symptoms at first, so usually, it is an accidental finding. Until a larger percentage (about 60%) of the liver cells are affected there might not be any complaints of any sort.

Seeing your doctor for any complaints whether related to your condition or not

Hepatitis D

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

Cause: Hepatitis D virus.

Hepatitis D virus is a defective virus that requires the | 34 |

presence of Hepatitis B virus to cause infection. It requires the assistance of the Hepatitis B virus to also replicate.

•

Eating a balanced diet

•

Avoiding alcohol

•

Avoiding the use of drugs or herbs that can damage the liver

Transmission

•

Avoiding over-the-counter medications

Just like Hepatitis B, it spreads through blood and body fluids, sexual contacts and among drug abusers.

•

Seeing your doctor for any complaints either related or not to your condition

The Hepatitis D virus incubates with the help of Hepatitis B virus for about 1 to 6 months in the infected persons.

Hepatitis E Cause: It is caused by the Hepatitis E virus.

Symptoms Most infected individuals might not have any symptoms at first, so usually, it is an accidental finding. Until a larger percentage (60%) of the liver cells are affected there might not be any complaints of any sort.

Transmission: It can be transmitted through oral intake of food or water contaminated by the virus.

The virus takes about two weeks to two months to incubate in the body of infected persons.

When people come down it is as a result of Hepatitis A infection. In addition, there can be

Hepatitis E infection is common in Indochina (commoner in older men and also commoner than Hepatitis A in UK); fatality is high in pregnancy.

•

Pain in the right upper part of the abdomen

It is associated with pigs.

•

Dark colouration of the urine

•

Yellowness of the eyes

Symptoms: •

Fever

Outcome:

•

Loss of appetite

Hepatitis D infection can become chronic, it can lead to the development of shrinkage of the liver (liver cirrhosis). Also, liver failure as well as liver cancer can ensue.

•

Nausea

•

Vomiting

•

Joint pain

•

Physical discomfort

•

Yellowness of the eyes (jaundice)

•

Enlargement of the liver and spleen

Prevention Safety precautions such as: •

Avoid sharing of sharp objects

•

Avoid unprotected sex by using condoms which offer some reduction of risk of sexual transmission

•

Take high level of health precautions among health care workers

•

Manage exposure to needle stick injuries, etc. properly

•

Be properly immunized against Hepatitis B virus (Only in non-infected persons)

•

Ensure proper screening of blood products before transfusion

•

Manage babies of Hepatitis B positive mothers properly

•

Ensure personal hygiene

Treatment •

Using antiviral drugs

•

Making lifestyle changes to prevent further damage to the liver

Outcome: It does not progress into a chronic state.

It can, however, be very serious and cause death in pregnant women.

It rarely results in liver cancer.

Prevention: Avoid intake of contaminated food/drinks.

Dr Adebanke Adenola is a practicing Medical Doctor in Nigeria. She graduated from the Lagos State University, where she was awarded the MBBS degree and emerged as the overall best graduating student of the 10th set of medical graduates. Dr Banke is a devout Christian who likes to read, cook, play volleyball and sing during her leisure hours.

| 35 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

this quarter, I'll share two enemies and two friends to help us choose right like Daniel.

ENEMIES - Run Away!!!

•

Refined sugar is the number 1 enemy, so learn say NO. Refined sugar, AKA “added sugar” simple terms is anything we add to food/drink enhance the sweetness, it includes granulated cube sugars, sweeteners, honey, syrup, etc.

•

The natural sugars in the food is sufficient for us.

Refined sugars create a craving that keeps you going back for more, like a drug, and with each intake, calories. Be like Daniel, say No to sugar, no to fizzy drinks and packaged juice. Drink more water.

•

I was a Milo junkie, starting my day with a drum (And I kid you not, my cup was huge) of hot chocolate and having two to three more during the course of the day. When I purposed to cut loose, I switched to tea, starting with honey to help me adjust and gradually reducing the honey to zero over a few months. Today, I enjoy my green tea and other flavoured tea without any milk or sugar replacements.

•

Processed foods/drinks are the second enemy.

Anything in a can or box or processed in a factory for long term storage is full of “stuff” that can be harmful to the body's metabolism. Key ingredients of most processed foods are preservatives (chemicals to preserve), artificial flavour (more chemicals), colourants (even more chemicals) and sometimes texturants (extra dose of chemicals).

Inspired by Daniel 1:1-20

An

excuse, according to the Cambridge English Dictionary, is "a false reason that you give to explain why you do something". It is also an obstacle to a healthier lifestyle. From "I am tired", to "I'm too busy", to "I'm too stressed", "I love bread too much", trust me they can all be overcome by one word – determination.

The Bible tells us of Daniel in Daniel 1:8, "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself".

Different versions of the scripture use synonyms to drive home this point; purposed (KJV), made up his mind (AMP), resolved (NIV), was determined (NLT) to mention a few.

If you've ever been to a sumptuous banquet with everything on display, this is it: a full menu of items, delicacies you know will not fuel your body right.

While all the other youths dived in without a thought, Daniel and his friends held back. The steward must have been alarmed, and I paraphrase his response.

"What! Only veggies and lentils, no wine?” You'll stand out malnourished from the bunch and the King will have my head" Reading on, we see Daniel negotiating a test run.

Verses 15 & 16 say, "And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies.

Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables." The ultimate is found in verse 20, the steward was right that they would stand out, he just didn't fathom how brightly.

Let's bring it home. I get asked a lot, do you eat at all?

Or what do you eat?, my response is that I eat, but wisely. Again, I emphasize that yours truly is no expert, but only sharing what has worked for me, so THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

to in to or

We can minimize the extra calories (and toxins) we eat by choosing meals as close to the farm as possible. The market is full of healthy, fresher alternatives, plan ahead to stock up on the right foods to reduce the temptation. Be like Daniel and say no to processed food.

FRIENDS – Hold Close •

Fibre, otherwise known as roughage, is your best friend. It includes fruits, legumes, nuts, grain.

Fibre has amazing health benefits, positive impact on cholesterol and blood pressure, improvement of the digestive system (reduced constipation), provides good long-term energy and fuel for body and brain. Fruits are well known for their antioxidant features. Be like Daniel, embrace fibre.

•

Portion control is king. If you need to be constructive, you will agree that a huge serving of food will be counterproductive and will only lead to sleep or severe lethargy, especially if your plate is carb heavy. I do not advocate starving ourselves | 36 |

or avoiding certain food groups but rather I would say switch your plate from “carbs with a side of veggies”, to “veggies with a side of carbs”. Many of our meals fail completely on this with little or no veggies on our plates. Always start with the veggies, pile your plate up unashamedly with at least 50% of your favourite fibre — Efo, Afang, spinach, kale, Okro, salad, stir fry, beans as the main ration and then add a humble side of carbs and protein. A tip, whatever carb portion you eat today, reduce it by half – Instead of two wraps of pounded yam or similar okele have just one with extra veggies to fill any spaces. Instead of one wrap, have half. This goes for your rice, dodo (my kryptonite), bread etc. Another tip, get a carb measurer, one standard cooking/baking cup (you can find measuring cups in the baking section of many supermarkets), if you don't own measuring cups, a British sized teacup (Not my old tea drum) is recommended. This is also equivalent to a tin of evaporated milk or a metal moi moi (bean cake) cup – this is your carb ration per meal. Treat carbs as a garnish and fill the void with vegetables.

I hear someone saying "It's easier said than done" and I agree that's why we need to be like Daniel and purpose from the heart to "just do it". When things are done with purpose from the heart, God will back you up. Let's be like Daniel, purposeful and deliberate with what goes into our bodies, demonstrating an alert and brilliant disposition when compared with our contemporaries.

It all starts from the heart, so be like Daniel.

Mrs. Elozino Olaniyan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Benin-City, Nigeria and has 25+ years of industry experience as a Petroleum Engineer.

She is married to Engineer Olafemi Olaniyan and together they have three children.

She lives in Lagos Nigeria where she serves as a minister in her local church.

In her spare time, she writes an inspirational blog www.Elozino.wordpress.com. She is passionate about her fitness regime and shares some tips with TA readers.

| 37 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

How do you manage to stay fit and look great despite giving birth?

I would say I have the “slim genes” and, luckily, haven’t had to do much... however I am quite a small eater so I guess that has also helped my weight to remain the same.

Any other tips you want to share with our readers on how to stay healthy and fit?

Work out is important for everyone. Find a routine you enjoy and be consistent. It could be a sport, outdoor fitness, running, gym, dance. But consistency is key.

How do you motivate yourself when you don't feel like working out or eating healthy?

I remember that bones and muscles go stiff in old age “laughs” and my body is no longer as young as it was, so extra effort needs to be done to stay healthy.

How important is health screening and what is your advise to our readers on this?

Health screening is a matter of life and death. I call it knowledge is power.

Everyone must know their body and what it requires so it can be properly taken care of. Everybody is different and unique therefore require different requirements (dietary, physical) E.g. if you are hypertensive and do not know because you haven’t done a screening, you may be fuelling the problem with the wrong diet.

What is your specific workout regimen and how often do you exercise?

I do a one-hour intense dance session three times a week. This dance is focused on cardio, flexibility, body movements, step and floor exercises.

When did you start your regime and what was the deciding factor in making your choices?

I started a few months ago when I turned 40!

I just knew it was time to start something. I couldn’t ride on my “slim genes” forever. For me, fitness is a health concern, not necessarily for weight loss. We all need to exercise, sweat and get our blood circulating.

So I decided I wanted to live an active and healthy retirement and the only was to start pushing my body more than the sedentary life it was used to.

How do you balance eating healthy and working out?

For me, healthy eating includes drinking a fruit-andvegetable smoothie daily, eating salads 3/4 times a week. I also just started trying to cut down and eventually totally eliminate fizzy drinks from my diet.

Do you have any diet weaknesses and how do you overcome your cravings?

I am a chronic sweet tooth. I binge on candy. This is still a major area I have not overcome... it’s in view to stop (laughs).

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

Early detection of any irregularity in the body is lifesaving. Many suffer chronic illness and diseases because of ignorance. Many have prevented incurable diseases because of early detection.

It is a must for everyone to undergo periodic health screening and subsequently respect their body requirements in order to live a healthy life.

Mrs Lola Idudu is an ex-banker turned-businesswoman. She runs a men’s speciality fashion store called Fab Fabrics which specializes in all types of men’s fabrics, located within the Victoria Island hub of Lagos.

She also runs a jewellery line called Jon William which deals in manufacturing and retailing of men’s complimentary accessories, such as buttons and cufflinks, bracelets, jewellery boxes for men.... etc She is happily married with two children.

| 38 |

voices & other titles

10 QUESTIONS FOR DUPE OLORUNJO (Author VOICES and other books) 1) Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Dupe Olorunjo. I write inspirational fiction and I love to create stories to challenge my readers to consider life-changing possibilities sometimes outside their normal reach. I have written and published four novels and two short stories. I am engaged in training young people for personal development while I am also a pastor’s wife.

2) How did you start writing books?

I started writing very early in life even before I was published. I think it all began as I discovered my love for reading. During holidays, I could finish a storybook or a novel in a day. And I could re-read the books I find interesting two or three times. That was how I discovered my passion for story-telling and writing because stories started forming in my head. I wrote a couple of novels in the early days but I wasn’t so confident in them and set them aside. Until I wrote Tailed (my first novel) and I thought YES, this is worth publishing.

3) What inspires your stories?

Possibilities in life. My belief and observation that we can all reach our full potential in life, in our careers, in our relationships with one another and with God. Sometimes there are limitations in our lives that we are not even aware of. I hope that my books will be a mirror that could highlight a few of these limitations and give direction for my readers to groom their overall beauty and perfection.

4) What challenges have you overcome on this journey to becoming the author that you are today?

The challenges were in stages and some are yet to be overcome. First was to be able to write strong quality fiction. I had to work hard here and I spent many years on perfecting my craft. I had to pay attention to creating strong and realistic characters; building each story around the standard three-act structure of conflict, crisis and climax; ensuring that my settings

are realistic and to be disciplined with my point of view. I didn’t want my readers to ever be distracted by low-quality writing, so I worked very hard here. I bought and read books on writing. I continuously review my books in the writing stage until I am satisfied and then I get some of my reader friends to go through the drafts for feedback.

The second challenge was getting a good publisher to ensure quality production. In Nigeria, I now have a very good printer who can deliver a book with an international quality standard while I use Amazon and other online book publishers to ensure my books are available all over the world in both paperback and ecopies.

The third challenge is increasing book sales and this is an ongoing process of marketing and creating awareness.

4b) As a senior bank executive, how do you create time for writing your books?

I recently took a break from banking and therefore have a little bit more time now. However, one thing I realize is that no matter how busy you are, you will always find time for the things you love. I have always focused on writing even if I had to take advantage of vacations, public holidays and weekends. Being busy has not been a hindrance to my writing.

5) Any words of encouragement for aspiring authors out there?

You want to be a writer, and then tell yourself to start writing. Start with a page and start with a word. But don’t just start putting several books out there for the sake of being an author. Anyone can write a quality bestseller if you take out time to develop your skills; strive to be the best. Write what you believe in and what you are passionate about.

6) When you are not writing books, how do you occupy yourself?

Training, blogging and being active in my local church.

7) Which of your books is your favourite and why?

My Favourite is Voices. With this book, I had to extend the boundaries of my imagination to the extent of writing about imaginary worlds. It was quite challenging to write. I also focused on the fact that we hear so many voices every day; of friends, enemies, celebrities, and even our own voice. Our decisions and our life as a whole are very much dependent on who we listen to. The final decision of the voice we listen to is ours and we need to take that responsibility very seriously. Lastly, my characters suffer and I feel their pain.

8) Who are your favourite Authors?

Most of my favourite authors are foreign and maybe because I grew up reading them. Examples are Lynn Austin, Francine Rivers, Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti | 39 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

health & fitness and Karen Kingsbury among others. These all write life-changing inspirational fiction.

9) With the advent of social media and the consequences, how can we sustain the reading habits of our youths?

Parents, teachers, authors and all book lovers need to lead this charge for change. We all need to consciously let them see the benefits of reading. Social media is rewiring our youths away from reading to visual forms of entertainment. But we can help them see that they can prioritize their time and have both. We need to let them see that reading adds value in the development of the mind and the thought process.

As leaders, we need to make reading more interesting and engaging through, for example, book clubs in schools and churches. We can introduce them to relevant contemporary literature instead of focusing on the classics alone. And then, lastly, why not create reading opportunities through social media like WhatsApp book chats, Facebook group book reviews.

These would select a paperback book for them to read and then meet at a particular time to review the books online.

10) Where can our readers access your books?

My Books are Tailed, The Aireginan Dream, A

Beautiful Wilderness, Voices, A Dangerous Glance and A Dangerous Plan . They are all available on Amazon and in bookshops in Lagos. There is also the option of direct delivery.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOKS

Tailed It’s 1966 and lovely Ada, the toast of her village and pride of her family, looks ahead to a bright future, especially when she falls in love with Alaba, the man of her dreams. Her only dilemma is that her parents, proud custodians of their Igbo heritage, are disappointed with her choice and strictly forbid her to marry a Yoruba man. But Alaba has captured her heart for good, and Ada adamantly refuses to give him up; even when her mother threatens her with a deadly curse.

The couple ultimately have their way and quickly relocate to Lagos, to build their new home together.

But, as the years progress, Ada’s life takes an unexpected turn. The fabric of her marriage begins to wear thin; and each of her three children bring her frightful emotional agony.

Ada struggles to understand why a future that had so much promise suddenly becomes so bleak.

Could a mother’s curse in any way hold so much power?

The tribulations and aspirations of this family of five driven by the strange power of a curse will keep you turning the pages of this novel until the very end.

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

The Aireginan Dream Airegin is a nation with great potentials and abundant resources in West Africa. But the elite P-class rule the people in corruption and arrogance bleeding them dry.

Two hundred million people endure hunger in the midst of plenty and poverty in the midst of riches.

Strangely the people accept the status quo and suffer daily. Everyone, except a daring man called Dare…

A Beautiful Wilderness Keanu Omira is a wealthy Nigerian private equity investor whose ruthless backroom dealings have brought him to the top of the corporate ladder. Driven by a passion to escape memories of his childhood poverty, he would do anything, hurt anyone to keep his fortune growing; leaving him with little thought for his family.

Cathy Omira, a beautiful and successful events manager, loves her husband still and hates the towering invisible wall growing between them. Her distress mounts daily as she tries to understand why Keanu cheats on her and doesn’t seem to care enough for their two adorable children.

One bright morning, Keanu is on his way to seal a hostile takeover of a fledgeling company owned by his childhood friend Bisi Sanders, when he is involved in a ghastly car accident. From that point, his life takes an unusual downward spiral. He is helpless as subsequent events trap him in a remote place he never knew existed. As the hand of the clock cycles on and Keanu’s ambitions no longer mean much to him, all he craves for is a chance to unearth what is fast becoming an elusive key to aid his return back home.

Voices Four days before her 14th birthday party, fun-loving Tasha is devastated with the unexplained loss of her doting mother, Nektar. Devin, her Dad, now has complete control over her life and begins to reveal his darker side. He demands her total obedience, with the promise of future power and domination. Tasha wants to please him but suspects that there is more to Devin’s bizarre commands than meets the eye.

And then one day on her way to school, Tasha meets Josh, an intriguing master of words. He offers her friendship, but also conditioned on her unflinching submission; this time with a promise of freedom.

Josh and Devin, two compelling voices, demanding her allegiance. The pressure of having to choose becomes unbearable, and now Tasha just wishes she could be her mummy’s baby again.

Tasha goes through loss, pain, isolation, torture; and a journey into unimaginable worlds, before she finally finds the answers her soul truly craves. | 40 |

A Dangerous Glance An engaging short story about Dele Benjamin who learns the hard way that just one glance, one action, one decision is enough to turn a man's life upside down. How unusual it is to truly love his wife Stacy so much that he can't live without her and yet crave the pleasure of Omowunmi, his ebony beauty so much that he can barely think? His actions carry the risk of deep repercussions. But not if he can bury them deep enough...

A Dangerous Plan The sequel to A Dangerous Glance. It's been twenty years and Dele Benjamin now understands that nothing stays buried forever. Will his family and several others that he holds dear ever recover from the trauma that his indiscretions have created?

Dupe Olorunjo Author, Voices & Other Titles

| 41 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

the chronicles of man Then, life was a must So, breath came upon the dust The dust stood up so soft For he was called the First Gifted with wills and thought Abounded with powers of all sorts Sadly, he became a man of lust Tempted with lies and want Steadily, he lapses and flaunts He looses all he got And his life was cut short Who then should be fought?

The first man is lost!

So our gift slipped off and was lost!

Man became not an iron that could rust But a frail being who’ll perish and rot He's now an icon of splash and burst!

Life, the greatest commodity of want But sadly, the dust must give in to dust Dust for dust!

Man is dust!

Good news!

New life has been bought!

It has freely been caught!

For the dust that was lost!

But the Lord must be sought! Š2017, Poetess Da Grace

Eunice Opeyemi Olatunji, aka Poetess Da Grace, is a graduate of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (B.Tech, Geology). She is currently serving on the NYSC scheme in Lagos State where she is dong her primary assignment at Rehoboth Dream Solid Foundation.

Her passion for writing started at 16. Today, she has written more than 20 poems, three playlets and several articles.

Her themes include values, culture, religion and comedy. She presents poems in churches and social gatherings with the goal of reaching and influencing the world positively with her pen.

THINKING ALOUD | APR - JUN 2019

| 42 |

| 43 |

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE