LATEST EDITION OF WORKING MOMS AFRICA MAGAZINE IS OUT!

It's here! The latest edition of Working Moms Africa Magazine. Buy from the Hub Media Stores or any other outlets, Ask your vendor, or Call 08033142527 to Subscribe. Once you pick it up, It's so so hard to put down. It;s yours! Grab a copy @ N1000, $6 or 4 Pounds only.

A NEW EDITION OF THE WORKING MOMS MAGAZINE RELEASED!

Working Moms Magazine - an intellectual work piece and companion of today’s busy woman is out on the newsstand, this time with added features you dare not miss.

This edition features exclusive interviews on challenges and benefits of cross-cultural marriages as x-rayed by our cover page celebrity, Tanzanian ex-Big Brother Housemate, Elizabeth Gupta Chuwang Pam now Nigerian by marriage. Find the insightful, entertaining and educating interview on page 34.

Those still skeptical of motherhood should read our international model, Oluchi Onwuagba Orlandi’s take and experience on motherhood. As you flip through page 14, I bet you, your mindset MUST change towards motherhood.

Do you agree that time is money? Let’s see how well you’ve managed and made your money on page 18.

Do you know that truly, some men feel threatened by their wives’ success? Learn how to successfully handle and cope with this on page 28.

Join our in-house doctors on page 53 for your health needs even as Dr. Chin Akano lets us in on dangers of alcohol consumption in pregnancy.

What attitude do you tackle life’s challenges with? Hmmm……. Speechless is the word on Nelda’s page 44 true life inspirational story.

BB addiction is indeed everywhere. Page 49 features confessions of working moms members’ bb addiction experiences.

What have I just done? No way! You can’t have it all here, rush for your copy to read the amazing Relationship Corner, Fashion tips, Mom Fiction etc.

The magazine has bureaus in Lagos, Abuja and Ghana, as well as stringers across the country.  It is available on news stand, please ask your vendor for a copy, or call 0809-866-894 or 08033142527 to order, you can also subscribe by emailing workingmomsafrica@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation on www.facebook.com/workingmomsmagazine

Welcome on board!

Contacts:
Moms: 0803-314-2527
Chioma Nelda Efughi  0809-866-8894

Czech mother, 23, is pregnant with the country's first naturally conceived QUINTUPLETS

• Alexandra Kinova, 23, was initially told she was having twins
• But doctors in Prague only discovered she was carrying five babies in April
• Will give birth by Caesarean on Sunday and wants to breastfeed the babies
• Czech media say it will be the first set of quins to be born in the country 

A Czech woman has beaten staggering odds to become pregnant with quintuplets without using IVF.  Alexandra Kinova, 23, is due to give birth by Caesarean section on Sunday to the Czech Republic's first ever set of quins.  Ms Kinova, who already has one son, did not realise she was carrying five babies until last month

At first doctors said she was having twins but in March staff at the Prague Institute for the Care of Mother and Child said she was actually pregnant with four children. However, it was not until the following month that she finally discovered she was having quintuplets.
Ms Kinova, from Milovice, about 30 km east of Prague, told Czech news site denik.cz that she was in shock when she was told. She said: 'When we finally found a fifth head, I started to cry.'
According to local media, her children will be the country's first set of quins. The odds of conceiving quins naturally is one is several million, according to experts. The mother said both she and her partner have a family history of twins.

Ms Kinova said she plans to breastfeed her quintuplets

She said aside from four months of morning sickness, she has had few complications in the pregnancy. Ms Kinova said she has been able to sleep on her side and has not had any problems with her breathing.
And she said she plans to breastfeed all five, as she did with her first-born son.
She told denik: 'The first child I nursed for almost a year and a half and I want to breastfeed now. 'While I know that some will be on artificial nutrition.' Ms Kinova said despite the best efforts of the doctors they still do not know the sex of all the babies.
Two of the unborn babies are hidden underneath the other three - two boys and a girl, who she plans to call Daniel, Michael and Tereza.
She said: 'I very much look forward to seeing how they will look. It's a great charm, but we cannot see anything properly - only a head or legs.'
The hospital will double the number of doctors and midwives for her Caesarean.
They said they have administered drugs to help speed up the development of the babies' lungs but
they cannot be sure of their condition until they are born.
Dr Alena Měchurová, head of the hospital, said they hope that all five babies and the mother will be fine but said they cannot rule out complications.

 

Fmr. Works and Housing Minister and SURE-P Deputy Chairman Dies

Nigeria Has lost a good man!

Major-General Mamman Kontagora, Nigeria's fmr. Works Minister and SURE-P Deputy Chairman died this morning in the National Hospital Abuja. He has been ill in the last 5 months and has fought like a gallant soldier.

Major-General Mamman Tsoho Kontagora (rtd), a stellar soldier, a peoples General and a distinguished gentleman whose military career spanned over 35 years of service passed on.
Major-General Mamman Tsoho Kontagora was born on the 20th April 1944 in Kontagora, Kontagora Local Government in Niger State, Nigeria. He attended Central Primary School Kontagora between 1952 – 1958. Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna 1964 – 1967. Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from the Ahmedu Bello University, Zaria between 1967 - 1972.
He also attended the Naval Postgraduate School Monterry CA, USA and United State Army War College, Carlisle PA, USA. The brief period when Kontagora was in charge of the FCT saw a boom in construction of housing and infrastructure. He ceded a strategic plot next to the International Conference centre to the Abuja Horticultural Society to develop as a world standard park, now the Abuja International Peace Park, finally opened in 2003. He has received many awards and citations which are too numerous to mention but among which are;

1. Award of Distinction: Nigerian Society of Engineers
2. International Fellow, United State Army War College (USAWC)
3. Outstanding Public Service Award: Success Digest Forum 1988
4. First Niger State College of Education Academic State Union Award for the most outstanding Governing Council Chairman in Niger State 6th December 1995
5. Commander of the Order of Niger (CON)

A one time Commanding Officer 11 Field Engineer Regiment Kaduna, Commander Nigeria Army Engineer Brigade (Ibadan), Commander Nigeria Army Engineer Brigade (Jos), Commander Nigeria Army School of Military Engineering (New Bussa). Major-General Kontagora was once a Minister, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Minister, Ministry of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Director of Quartering and Engineering Services (Army), Chairman Implementation Committee on Army Projects (ICAP), Chairman Kontagora Emirate Development Association (KEDA), Chairman Presidential Monitoring Committee (PMC) on the Development of Stadia towards the Hosting of World Youth Football Championships: Nigeria 95, Chairman Governing Council Niger State Polytechnic Zungeru, Niger State, Chairman Administrative Audit Panel on Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Sole Administrator, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Chairman Implementation of White Paper – Niger State Government.
Until his death he was the Chairman Implementation Sub-Committee: Kontagora Emirate Education Development Committee (KEEDEC). Chairman Government College Kaduna Management Board and also the appointed Deputy Chairman of the Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) Committee which was inaugurated on the 14th February 2012 by the incumbent President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR. He is married with children and his hobbies are Working, Reading, Horse Riding and Gardening.

Maj. General Kontangora Inspecting ongoing Abuja- Abaji Rd project by SURE-P

 

Kim Kardashian’s Pregnant World Travels — Is It OK to Be Flying in Her Third Trimester?

I am not a fan of Kim Kardashian  and will not allow my children watch the Kardashian's reality TV show. One will ask why I decided to blog about her. I do this out of curiosity and concern because of her status as a pregnant young girl. I recall that during all my pregnancies, there were certain rules that applied each time I had to travel especially international travels. Each of the time, I was asked to produce a 'fit to fly' certificate from my Doctor. I am worried because if am not mistaken, Kim should be in her third trimester. She has also been seen doing a lot international and local  travels, that I am wondering if she is going to stop soon and take time to prepare for the birth of her child. Please read on below Burning question;

Burning Question:
 Kim Kardashian's been doing an awful lot of international traveling of late. Don't doctors tell expectant moms to cut out the flying, especially this late in a pregnancy? —D. Pike
Kardashian has indeed been jet-setting for two; in a little over a month, the pregnant reality star has boated in Greece, traversed bridges in France with baby-daddy Kanye West, and rocked out to a Beyonce concert in London before heading back to American soil.
[Related: See Photos of the Kardashian Family's Grecian Vacation]
According to our rather rocky math, Kardashian is due sometime in June or July. Conclusion: Kardashian has been logging some serious third-trimester mileage.

Before we could even get an obstetrician on the blower to answer your questions, their female publicists began to sound off. One had delivered a premature baby, and she'd wished that her doctor had restricted her travel to the first five months of her pregnancy. Another rep told me she's currently six months along and had been instructed by her obstetrician not to fly after seven.
So could Kardashian be enjoying some sort of super-pregnancy?
Nope. Turns out, Kim's travel plans were all vetted by her doctor.
Kim K. is very pregnant! (Splash News)See, not every OB/GYN makes the same recommendation when it comes to traveling while pregnant.
"That's OK," Dr. Adeeti Gupta (who, like the other doctors we spoke to, doesn't treat Kardashian) told us after we described Kim's recent travels and due-date window, "as long as the pregnancy has been normal and risk-free, if you're only flying in short stretches — five to six hours — keeping yourself hydrated and keeping the legs moving occasionally during flight."
Why is that?
Because "pregnancy is a hypercoagulative state," says Shannon Hardy, an OB/GYN at the Methodist Hospital in Houston. "You can get clots a whole lot more easily when you're pregnant, so if the flight is a smooth one, we do want you to get up to keep the blood flowing in your legs."
And drink plenty of water, of course.
"There is nothing inherently harmful about air travel" during late pregnancy, notes Dr. Keith Eddleman, director of obstetrics in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. But many doctors frown on traveling in a third trimester simply because "it separates you from your care provider."

HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY TO ALL OUR CHILDREN!!!!

What Better way to say it than this! It's May 27th and in a child's language, Working Moms Nigeria Wishes all Nigerian Kids, a very Happy Children's Day!!.

SUFFER-HEAD: IS THAT THE FRAGRANCE OF AN AFRICAN WOMAN?

I remember tagging along behind my mum as we went shopping every last Saturday of the month. I drew one heavy step after another because this was my least favourite chore – grocery shopping. The market was always messy and when we passed the butchers’, oh, that stench! And I always wondered if it was the same piece of meat exposed on wooden tables, which also had flies hovering over it that we were going to put into our pot of stew!

Sometimes we would buy so much and have to carry so many bags. When we had to stop to buy another item, I would drop the bags to rest my hands and sometimes, forget that I kept the nylon with the pack of Maggi cubes on the okro seller’s table! We would get home and begin to look for Maggi and I would remember the okro seller’s stand, miles away. My ears would then remain sore for days from pulling and twitching.

As much as I hated going to the market, I still went with mum on every trip. I had to help. It was the least I could do considering that she was going to 
grind the pepper with a grinding stone (yes, grinding stone! My dad claims the taste of blender-stew is different!) and “wash” beans for moi-moi with a protruding belly.

It became more difficult when I first left for boarding school. Mum was in her third trimester and she had to do the market trips alone. She was always easily exhausted as she dragged the heavy bags home. She couldn’t bargain as well as she used to. She had to sit to rest at every stall she bought an item. When asked why she did all of that, she’d say ‘such is the fragrance of motherhood, the pact of every African woman’.

Thirteen years later, when asked about my mum’s household care pattern, I say that method is called ‘suffer-head theory’. Yes, I do not believe the fragrance of motherhood is to overwork oneself. Grind pepper with stones? If you don’t like the taste of blender-stew, please add more curry!

My life is much easier. I do not do market trips anymore. My family eats very healthy too. The secret? I buy my groceries online! I draw up a list of the items I need and log on to any one of the grocery sites. My favourite being: www.jaramall.com. I buy all I need and have them delivered to my home. When no one is available to receive the groceries at home, I request for them to be brought to my office and I take them home. And my groceries are always fresh and well-packaged – no flies or stench!

I am a 21^st century woman and even at that, my family stays healthy! So, whose household care pattern do you dig? Mine or my mum’s?

 

Chimamanda Adichie – “I laughed a lot writing Americanah” – CNN profiles the celebrated Nigerian author

 CNN’s ‘African Voices’ Profiles Nigerian Prolific Writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

CNN is set to profile celebrated Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on its latest edition of its weekly show, African voices.
African Voices, a weekly show that examines the diversity, dynamism and global influence of Africa’s people and culture; and highlights Africa’s most engaging personalities within and in the Diaspora will be spotlighting the Nigerian literary star.
Cheerfully pioneering the way for a new wave of Nigerian writers, renowned Nigerian Author, Adichie, narrates her award winning novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, as it tells a human story of a brutal and controversial civil war which took place in her homeland, Nigeria, in the late 60’s.

Highly influenced by her Mother, Ifeoma Adichie, who became the first female Registrar of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Adichie is bold, vivacious, candid; a story teller living her truth. And that fulfilment translates into Award winning novels.
Describing her development as a writer, between her books Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun and Americana, Adichie says ‘they are such different books, and I think I wrote them from very different places in my life, emotionally.’
According to her ‘For Purple Hibiscus, I was very homesick, I was in the US. Suddenly I was romantisizing the hibiscus flowers in our front yard and I wrote this book, about missing home, nostalgia. Half of a Yellow Sun was so different. I knew I was writing about this very intense, contested history and I did so much research, and I cried a lot when I was writing it. My grandfathers died in Biafra, and here I was kind of mining the pain of my family.’
‘Then Americana, I laughed a lot writing it. It’s just very different, I don’t so much see it as a kind of linear progression – the books. It’s sort of more just like occupying different parallel spaces,’ Adichie concluded.
From uncovering historical atrocities to playing a role in shaping her country, Nigeria’s future, Adichie has also considered a career in politics.
Watch out for Chimamanda’s CNN interview on Saturday at 03:30pm; Sunday at 09:00am and 06:30pm; Monday 10:30am and 05:30pm; and Tuesday 05:30am.
Spread the word.

Making Madam Scream with Joy

 

Being a stud in bed means having the ability to give your wife sexual satisfaction. When a wife does not experience sexual satisfaction, she becomes disillusioned about sex. For the desperate ones, they may result to seeking sexual fulfilment outside marriage. That is why I believe many men need to become better with their sexual performance in order to ensure sexual satisfaction for their wives. And this is only achieved when a man is able to give his wife orgasm

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Okay Alu literally lifted this up for your reading and action pleasure! Enjoy the rest #takingoff.

 For a woman, orgasm is the height of sexual experience. When it is absent or lacking in a sexual act, the woman feels used and unfulfilled. It is no longer a secret that in the middle of sexual act, while the woman is climaxing, if the man loses erection as a result of ejaculation, most women at that point, beg the man to do all to sustain the erection. Every man’s goal must be to satisfy his wife’s sexual desire and this will require him improving his bedroom performance, because to get a better result in every life endeavour, including sex, one has to do things differently. Below are some things that can boost your sexual performance:

Good heart condition
As a man, your penis works based on your blood pressure. When the penis receives signals from the brain, it becomes engorged with blood causing it to erect. That blood is pumped by your heart. So, it is important you keep your heart in good shape for your circulatory system to function at top shape.  A problem with the circulatory system can cause the penis to go prematurely limp because the vessels cannot sustain the pressure for as long as you’d like. So, whatever is good for your heart is good for your sexual performance. One of the best ways to improve your health is through cardiovascular exercise i.e. exercises that involve the large muscles and help make your heart and lungs stronger. While sex might get your heart rate up, regular exercise can help your sexual performance by keeping your heart in shape. Thirty minutes a day of sweat-breaking exercise—running, swimming, brisk walking e.t.c- will not only help a man to keep fit, but will also help to boost his erection.

Right diet
Some foods have been discovered to increase blood flow to the penis. Some of them include:
•Onions and garlic: Though many avoid them because of their pungent odour, these two foods help your blood circulation.

•Bananas: Because of its richness in potassium, bananas can help to lower your blood pressure, which can benefit your important sexual parts and boost sexual performance.

•Chillies and peppers: All-natural spicy foods help your blood flow by reducing hypertension and inflammation.

The following are some more foods that can help you achieve stronger erections:
•Omega-3 acids: Found in fish like salmon and tuna, as well as avocados and olive oil, this type of fat increases blood flow.

•Vitamin B1: This vitamin helps signals in your nervous system move quicker, including signals from your brain to your penis. It’s found in pork, peanuts, and kidney beans.

•Eggs: High in other B vitamins, eggs help balance hormone levels, which can decrease stress that often inhibits an erection.

Living a stress-free life
Stress can wreak havoc on all areas of your health, including the penis. Stress increases your heart rate (in the bad way) and increases blood pressure, which are both damaging to a person’s sexual desire and performance. So, reducing stress is imminent. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and improve your health. Talking to your partner about your stress can also calm you down and strengthen your relationship. Try to make yourself free from tension and stress. Never attempt any coitus when the mind is disturbed. Stress can also trigger bad habits, such as smoking or alcohol consumption, which can have adverse effects on your sexual performance by making your penis to be too relaxed. Studies suggest that a little red wine can improve blood circulation, but too much alcohol can have adverse effects on sexual performance.

Conducive bedroom atmosphere
Intercourse should always be done in an airy, neat, clean, fully ventilated room, free from any encroachment and disturbance. If both partners agree, let there be zero-watt red bulb whose red light will flare up passions and provide added enjoyment to your sex fervour.

Personal hygiene
Apart from the state of your bedroom, your personal hygiene must also be given priority.  Use deodorants and scents to ward off foul-smelling body odours. Before sex, have a bath or at least, sponge your whole body, particularly your ears, nose, armpits, inner thighs and sex organ. Spray some pleasing scent on the whole body to enjoy an added erotic feeling.

Go at her pace
Men especially need to know that in the process of lovemaking, any act done in a hurry will take away the charm of lovemaking. If, for any reason whatsoever, your wife is not ready for sex, respect that. You can lie down together and discuss some subject of common interest or do some other things together. The chances are that during the course of interaction, she may get ready and herself invite you for sex act. But never force your way with her. If you do, you will send the signal that it is about you and that you are only using her for your satisfaction, and I bet you, you will not enjoy your time with her.

Also in the process of lovemaking, if your wife resists and forbids you to touch any one or more of her sex organs, abide by her wishes and never force your way to compel her to mental withdrawal and physical inertia.

Adequate foreplay
Before the act, a man should take time to excite his wife gently, carefully, slowly and tenderly.  Never plunge yourself at once into intercourse.
Foreplay is a reliable method of preparing you and your spouse for the coming event. The time spent in foreplay must never be seen as being wasted. Quality time spent in foreplay is what culminates into great sex. Fondle, caress, cuddle, kiss, and pamper each erogenous zone-but very slowly. During the course of foreplay the man should allow his wife to guide him as to which sex organ she wishes, rather prefers, to be touched.
This will go a long way in sparking fire in her for the act of lovemaking.

Mastering orgasm
The more you master your orgasm, the better for your wife’s satisfaction. Your ability to delay ejaculation till your wife is ready will make a lot of difference, but if you are about to reach climax and you can no longer hold back, you should let your partner know a bit earlier so that she could help you to further delay it, by adopting squeeze-the-tempo method. Moreover, she will also get mentally prepared to face the problem of your early ejaculation. And after you have reached your climaxed orgasm, you should never leave her in between. Wait till she also reaches her orgasm. You should not prove to be a selfish sex performer, as her sentiments deserve to be respected.

 

Culled from Boundless people.com

MOMA AN ANSWER TO WORKING MOTHER / Win a stylish maternity wear from Moma!

Every mother at some point had problems fitting into their regular clothes while pregnant. As soon as the bumps gets bigger, what to wear becomes a serious challenge. But hey, our problems have been solved, whether it is a business meeting, chic clothing, dinner wears, an outfit to see the queen, Jane Egerton's Moma is a prayer answered to lots of mothers. Not only are these outfits trendy, they are equally classy and affordable. Guess What! Something even more fun is here, They are up for grab!!!!!!! Read on to find out!!

 

 

 

 Here's your chance to win a beautiful Moma Dress to show off your awesome baby bump. The days of shapeless and unflattering maternity dresses are over! With the advent of fashion and style in the ordinary things of life, and its importance on the outlook and general perception of the world, one can't relegate dressing well to the background or ignore it as something of no value.

We are constantly bombarded with the news of a pregnant celebrity or their style even in that delicate state of motherhood and we can not fail to admit that this has made an impression on us all.

 

 

 

Kate Middleton is constantly harassed by paparazzi day by day, put under scrutiny, most attention being paid to her clothes. Reality TV star and celebrity Kim Kardashian has also shown that nothing changes, especially her love for fashionable pieces even in pregnancy. Oscar Winner, the beautiful Halle Berry showed the world once how flattering pregnancy can be if you know how to work your style and we bet she will not disappoint this time, following the announcement of her second pregnancy. 

Next up is your beautiful bump and you. So make like Kate, Kim and Halle and  dazzle in flattering pieces, be the talk of the town, even if its the little town in your home or office. Add some flattering pieces to your wardrobe from Moma's wide range of trendy pieces from work wear to occasion gear  for that special 9 months of your life.

 

Win a unique piece of your choice from the beautiful four seen above.

The black and white dress and black can be the work dress with a twist for the company anniversary. 

The green dress is the one for the Bosses' 50th birthday party everyone's been looking forward to. 

The third is the office shirt you can layer beads upon beads on to rock on with your colleagues at the TGIF hang out after work. 

And the black dress oh! la la! I'm in for dinner party, ready for church and wherever it's happening.

Who says a pregnant woman can't have some fun?

 

To win, please answer these questions correctly.

1. When was Moma launched?

2. Where is the Moma flagship store situated?

3. What week is pregnancy considered full term?

It's your call. Three questions, Three options to pick from! 

With Consolation discounts for runners up.

Please send answers to sales@momasonline.com with your full name, phone number and a reference to this blog.

 

 

 

 

A Working Mother Benefits from the SURE-P Graduate Internship Scheme: Speaks about her Experience.

The SURE-P has come under serious media attack in the media by both the opposition and other unsuspecting Nigerians. The truth is that, a lot of the Safety Net Components of the SURE-P are truly delivering service and life line to a good number of members of the society. This particular case is of interest to us because JOY is not only an unemployed Nigerian Graduate but she is also a mother and a wife and her story touched us. Read on...

My name is Kesiena Joy Olaitan, a graduate of Chemical Engineering from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso. I am a beneficiary of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (SURE-P) attached to Zenith Medical Centre Lagos state.

When the Federal Government promised last year to encourage wealth creation and mitigate the spate of youth unemployment in the country through the reinvestment of the petroleum subsidy funds, little did I know that I was going to be a beneficiary.

Every parent and the society at large look up to the day their wards would graduate from the university and start working in order to support the family financially. But mine was the opposite, rather than graduating and securing a job to be able to assist the family financially, I became a financial burden to my parents. In order not to contribute to my parents’ financial burden, I was advised by relatives to go and marry which I oblige them and got married.  Was that the solution to my unemployment? No it wasn't, though it was a relief to my parents because I was no longer their responsibility. Rather, I became a financial liability to my husband whose meager salary as a teacher could hardly put a two square meal on our table. I remember vividly the pain and agony I saw in my husband eyes the day I came back from a job hunt and told him the job hunt wasn't successful. Within the years of my unemployment, I suffered hunger, shame, and intimidation from friends and relatives because the Nigerian mentality is to identify with people who are successful while poverty is an orphan.

Knowing that I am unique and that no one has my combination of temperaments, with the same sets of values, the same potentials, the same abilities even though we read the same set of  books in the university, I became more determined to continue my search for a job and I got the opportunity through SURE-P.

On the 16th October 2012, to be precise, while I was browsing on the internet searching for job opportunities, I came across the SURE-P website and decided to apply for an opportunity as an intern on the scheme having searched for job for the past five years after my National Youth Service (NYSC) without success. I applied with mixed feelings because I thought the selection process would be based on connections i.e. knowing someone in Federal Ministry of Finance or within the political class. Contrary to my assumption, on the 8th November 2012, I received an email from SURE-P (Graduate Internship Scheme) that I had been successfully selected.
A Pre - Deployment Employability Skills Workshop was organized for the interns by the Federal Ministry of Finance and we were taught 'Why organizations exist, critical components of organizational DNA, How to develop good work habits, Work ethics and Etiquette among other topics.
Consequently, I was deployed to Zenith Medical Centre in Lagos state.

In my place of assignment as an intern, I am assigned the duties of a Quality Assurance Officer. As the Quality Assurance Officer, I have acquired several employability skills such as good communication and excellent report writing skills, Analytical skills, Interpersonal skills, Ability to identify measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve performance relative to the goals of the system, to mention but a few. These skills have definitely made me a valuable asset to my immediate and future employer. I have been exposed to principles and processes in the work place.

I hereby use this opportunity to express my unflinching and unreserved appreciation to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Finance and other personalities who conceived this idea and made it possible like Dr. Okonjo Iweala for given the project team all the necessary support and direction for implementation of GIS. I also want to thank Dr. Christopher Kolade whose leadership in SURE-P made it possible for the project to be transparent so that people like me who have no connection in the corridor of power could benefit from this project, Finally, my Sincere appreciation goes to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for appointing Dr. Christopher Kolade to oversee the scheme and for thinking about the Nigerian graduates.

I want to make a passionate appeal to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Minister of Finance and other stakeholders to ensure that this program continues so that other unemployed Nigerian graduates can continually benefit from this program.

Long Live The Federal Republic of Nigeria
Long Live SURE-P.
Thank you very much and God bless you all.

 

                     

DEALING WITH A BEDWETTING CHILD, READ THESE FIRST!

Despite bed wetting being very common for young children, some parents still find it embarrassing when their child wets the bed. But it’s important to understand why your child is wetting the bed and help him or her to overcome this problem.

Getting your toddler out of nappies can be tough, but it’s something you have to do in order for your little one to learn how to stay dry through the night. It can be tempting to leave nappies on for longer than necessary, but it’s better to be brave and take them off. During this time, be prepared for bed wetting.

Bed wetting is a natural part of development - approximately one in 12 children in the UK regularly wet the bed. But the condition can be embarrassing for your child, so as a parent the best thing to do is be supportive.

Very few children under the age of three will be dry every night. Most children will naturally grow out of this condition by the age of six. Here are some simple top tips in order to keep your child’s self-esteem on top form during this age of development:

•    Reassure your child that bed wetting is normal – remind her that you once had the same issue and eventually outgrew it. Help her to understand that she is the one responsible for staying dry at night.
•    Encourage your child often – praise her when she doesn’t wet the bed, but don’t make it a big issue each time your child wets the bed, instead be patient and supportive.
•    Avoid blaming or punishing your child as they cannot control bed wetting – blaming and punishing will only make the problem worse.
•    Make sure that no one else in your family, including those outside the immediate family, teases your child. There’s no need to discuss the issue in front of other family members, this will just make your child more upset.
•    Increase comfort by making clean-up easy, through the use of washable absorbent sheets, waterproof bed covers and air fresheners for the room.

Are there any ways to prevent bed wetting?

One of the most common bits of advice for a parent is to reduce your child’s fluid intake two hours before bedtime. However, some experts say that this will just mean your child will wet the bed with less fluid, not stop bed wetting altogether. Instead, make sure the route to the toilet is easy for your little one to navigate at night – perhaps through the use of a nightlight in the room, and a potty next to her bed.

Don’t forget to make the toilet the last stop before you take your child to bed. You could also set an alarm for set times during the night so you can take her to the toilet. Getting used to this routine will enable your child to control her bladder more easily.

Praise your child for staying dry through the night. A good way to do this is by using a rewards chart, with a sticker for each night of remaining dry. After a certain number of stickers, your child knows she will earn a reward, encouraging her to make an active effort to stay dry.

Are there any other issues that can cause bed wetting?

Yes. Sometimes, bed wetting is due to other issues, such as stress, an infection or constipation.

Check the frequency, ease of passing and consistency of your child’s poo to make sure constipation isn’t the issue. You can prevent constipation through a high-fibre diet of fruits, vegetables and grains, as well as by drinking plenty of water.

If your child has a fever, belly ache or pain when she urinates, she may have an infection – take your child to the doctor if you think this may be the case.

Stress may be caused by your child thinking she is the only one with this problem, so make sure she understands how common the issue is. After not-so dry nights, bathe your child before she goes to school as the smell of urine can linger and your child may be stressed because of teasing going on in the playground.

When should you consult expert help?

As mentioned earlier, bed wetting is very common and most children will naturally grow out of it before they reach the age of six. However, as your child gets older you may be concerned that bed wetting is still an issue. If so, go to your doctors to discuss this further. Your doctor may be able to tell without doing any tests as to whether your child has a medical issue or not. 

There are some forms of medication that your doctor can prescribe for bed wetting, but these are usually short-term solutions, for situations such as sleepovers or holidays.

It can take a little while, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with your child wetting the bed when growing up. Support your child as best you can, by making sure you stay positive and non-judgemental and she’ll soon be able to attend sleepovers without keeping either of you up all night worrying.

Culled from Boundless people.com

11 FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT SURE-P GRADUATE INERNSHIP SHEME

The following provides eleven points interested graduates should note about the scheme.
1. The Graduate Internship Scheme, GIS, was launched in October, 2012 as a social safety net component of the Federal Government Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE –P, scheme, to create opportunity for Nigerian graduates to be attached to reputable public/private firms /organisations to be trained and mentored for one year on a monthly Federal Government stipend of N18, 000.
2. The scheme implemented by the Federal Ministry of Finance provides fresh graduates short term employment opportunity to sharpen their skills and gain some working experience and enhance their employability, with a target to employ about 50,000 unemployed youth in the 36 states of the Federation and Abuja in the first phase before the end of 2013. About 1,000 beneficiaries would come from each of the states, with the number of participants to be raised to 100,000 in the next phase.
3. Out of about 84,772 applications so far received since the inception of the scheme, 59, 872 are males, while 24,900 are females, and 329 physically challenged individuals. About 1,371 firms, out of about 1,937 that registered, were verified, out of which 1,078 applications were rejected, and only 293 approved.
4. To be eligible to be selected to participate in the GIS scheme, interested firms must be legal entities registered with Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, with evidence of value added tax (VAT) registration and tax clearance certificates, in addition to the provision of a mentoring plan for each intern.
5. Prospective interns must be Nigerian graduates aged between 18 and 40 years, who must have either completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, or collected the exemption certificate from the relevant authorities.
6. Organisations interested in taking interns are expected to set selection criteria for each position, while the electronic system would automatically send them a pool of qualified graduates from where the organisations would choose their preferred candidate. Interns’ field of study and state of residence are matched to firms/organisations on a first-come first-served basis. Selected candidate would be notified and invited to report at the organisation for documentation.
7. Interns are provided with an orientation training to prepare them for the challenges of the workplace. Interns that demonstrate virtues of industry, exemplary conduct and commitment to diligent service during their internship period stand a chance to be hired on a permanent basis.
8. To register to participate in the scheme, organisations and young unemployed graduates must register on the GIS website, http://www.wyesurep.gov.ng. Interns must fill in all their personal and official details, including their bio-data, field of study and state of residence, while the firms/organisations fill in their details, including their core competence, years of business experience and office address.
9. Verification of all interns, firms/organisations would be conducted to confirm that information provided, particularly about their mentoring capabilities and the numbers of interns they are capable of catering for, are correct.
10. Interns would be deployed to firms/organisations for the commencement of their internship after signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) and Internship Agreement.
11. While the interns would benefit from the opportunity to enhance their skills and professional expertise on the job, in addition to the monthly upkeep stipend, registered firms/organisations under the scheme would enjoy free labour at government expense, apart from the additional incentives in the form of tax rebates and cost-free opportunity to render their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the community in which they are operating.

SURE-P Graduate Internship Scheme Launched

These are faces you would be seeing in  the media
They are faces of hope.
They are young and they are Nigerian Graduates.
They have been unemployed but hope has come their way.
The SURE-P Graduate Internship Scheme has been launched to provide Unemployed Nigerian Graduates with work experience through Internship placement. There are training opportunities for young Nigerians who are unemployed.
What ever your skill or area of specialization, you would work with the different organizations and be paid by SURE-P.
 Subsidy Re-investment and empowerment project is a Federal Government way of adding value to Nigerians. It is a one year Internship Placement to enhance the employability skills of the Nigerian Graduates. The Graduate Interns are posted to companies and organisations in the Private and public sectors. While they work in these organization, the Federal Government will  pays the Interns!
The GIS Scheme will will employ at least 50,000 graduates this year so hurry while you can, make it to their website and apply to be one of the 50,000 Nigerian Graduates. Apply to acquire yourself some experience for self improvement or employment.

Companies are also to apply to be given these interns.

  www.wyesure-p.gov.ng

The Essential Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Articles | THISDAY LIVE

The Essential Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Articles | THISDAY LIVE

Study:60 Percent of Working Mothers Manage Their Household Expenses Alone

Currencies of different countries. Courtesy:Google images

Hey there!

Long time no see abi? The working mom has been working tirelessly in the last one plus year to assist our government in the SURE-P programme particularly in their Communication effort. Is the job a fantastic one? Well my job has been both exciting and challenging but so long as it is communication, I love to work. Again my take home pay does take me home. My family has been extremely supportive and I give all thanks to God. 

I'm on a short vacation and thought it wise to talk about working moms role as the Chief Financial Officers at their various homes. This new study is quite interesting but I am going to take it further to my fellow Nigerian Working Moms to ascertain if this is also true about Nigerian Working Moms.

The study revealed that Nearly 60 percent of working mothers manage and control their household expenses alone, with 30 percent sharing the responsibility with their spouses, this is a new research from Chase Card Services and Working Mother Magazine. Just 11 percent of women relinquish total control of their family's finances to their husbands, the study found.

"The dynamic structure of household duties is constantly in flux, especially as the number of dual-income families has risen," said Jennifer Owens, editorial director for Working Mother Media. "It's not surprising, then, to see more and more career-oriented working mothers taking the lead on their family's finances."

The surveyed said their top financial objectives for their families this year are to save enough to live on for more than a year, make more money and put more money into their kids' college education funds.

The study also discovered that working moms are extremely committed to their careers. More than 60 percent of the moms surveyed would prefer to get a 20 percent raise and continue working than take a year off from their jobs, compared to just one quarter who wish they didn’t have to work as much as they do.

The research suggests that working moms are determined to improve both their financial and career prospects in 2013, with 23 percent aiming to get a raise and 16 percent hoping to get a job with better pay and more responsibility. In addition, 13 percent are intent on getting promotion this year.

"The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to reflect on budget priorities, learn lessons from last year and put in place a plan that will enable working mothers to reach their financial goals," said Rachana Bhatt, director of Chase slate

Overall, working moms said balancing work and family is the top challenge they face this year, with just 14 percent saying they are good at being both a mom and a good employee. That's serving as a strong motivator, with 55 percent intent on being both better mothers and better employees this year.

The research was based on surveys of more than 800 working moms who read Working Mother magazine

Girl 3 Year old Raped In Adeniji Adele Lagos

I do not know what our society is turning into. When did we loose it?. How can a man this old rape this baby? I call her baby because she is pretty much one. I just cant understand how this can be. How much of bad spirit that resides in some men. The time is really bad! 

This incident happened yesterday afternoon at Adeniji Adele, Dolphin Estate, Phase 2. A little girl ran into a woman’s shop crying. The woman asked her why she was crying, but the little girl couldn’t really express herself. She just kept pointing at a particular direction, and crying. Then a few minutes later, the shop owner saw a man approaching her shop and calling on the girl to follow him. The woman asked the man who he was and why he was after the girl. The man probably realized the women wasn’t going to release the girl to him, so he tried to run. The woman raised an alarm immediately shouting ole ole, thinking he was a kidnapper, not knowing he had done something much worse.

Youths in the area thinking the man was a thief descended on him. The man kept saying he wasn’t a thief that the little girl was known to him. They turned to the girl and pressured her to tell them what the guy had done to her; the 3 year old told them that the man had taken her to the last floor of a 3 story building and hurt her. They checked the girl’s panties and saw blood all over her private area. The blood had even dropped to her legs but nobody noticed on time.

On hearing this, the youths descended on him once again, this time more brutal. They stripped him naked, and beat him with stick, stones, bottles, etc until someone called the police who then took the man away.

Teaching Values to Your Kids

I know you will be wondering where I have been. my blog has been screaming, blog some more! Well in the last 3 months I have been shuttling between Abuja Nigeria's Capital city and Lagos Nigeria's economic city. Does this have an impact on my family? Yes! it sure does.   But my husband has been great with the boys, in fact he has exceeded my expectation; My family is in good hands and they understand that mom is making some sacrifices as well as building on her career as a communicator. 

In this consumer-driven society of ours that broadcasts values that don’t reflect what we believe, how can dads teach values to their kids? Here are ten ideas to help you as suggested by Mark Brandenburg;

1. Tell them your life stories and teach through your stories 
   Kids love to hear stories about your childhood. Weave in some moral dilemmas and you’ve got great opportunities to teach values to them. It certainly beats lecturing your kids! 
2. Live your own life according to your values—walk the talk.
   Kids learn by imitating, especially at a young age. They are very adept at seeing if what you say and what you do are matching up. Don’t give them confusing signals; follow your own values every moment. 
3. Expose them to your religion or faith
   It seems especially important today to let them know that they’re not alone. Providing your kids with a community of faith will strengthen their values and provide parents some “leverage”
4. Pay attention to who else might be teaching values to your kids
   Get to know your child’s teachers, coaches, relatives, etc. Anyone who spends time with your kids may be influencing them. Know their values and beliefs as well.
5. Ask your kids questions that will stimulate dialogue about values
   Telling them what values they should have won’t always be effective, especially when your kids get older. Asking them “curious” questions will allow discussions that will eventually lead to values. “What did you think about that fight,” may be more effective than, “He shouldn’t have started that fight!”
6. Talk to them about values in a relaxed and easy way
   Nothing will turn your kids off more than preaching values to them after they’ve screwed up! Talk to them when everyone’s relaxed, and do it in a light, conversational manner. They’ll be much more likely to be listening rather than tuning you out.
7. Read them fairy tales when they’re younger
   Fairy tales capture the imagination of kids and can easily lead to a discussion of values. Kids will learn the most concerning values when they’re excited about the topic.
8. Involve your kids in art, activities, or helping others while limiting TV and video games
   Kids learn values when they experience them. Allow them to experience helping others and involve them in activities that will expand their creativity.
9. Have frequent conversations about values in your household
   This lets your kids know that it’s important and it’s not just something you talk about when they do something wrong.
10. Have high expectations for your kids’ value systems
    Kids will tend to rise to the level of expectation you have for them. Their value system will often reflect yours if the expectations are high.

A New Baby Is Born!!! I know you must be wondering why I have not been very active on this Blog, I have been busy trying to give birth to this child of mine, Now your child, I present to you, Working Moms magazine!!! It is a must-read source for new ideas, advice and strategies for moms to balance their personal, professional and family lives. It would also help to educate married couple on how best to cope with the pressure of working and running a home, without one suffering unduly. The magazine will help mothers learn from their smart solutions for balancing work and family.  

WORKING MOMS AFRICA MAGAZINE: A REVIEW

Working Moms Africa, The Access Media, Lagos: 2012, 84pp
At last, here is a gender-specific magazine for a gender-specific class! Most newsstands in Nigerian cities and towns have their own sheaf of all-women magazines for readers to choose from. For instance, there is Genevieve, Today’s Woman, Everywoman, Woman’s World and dozens more. But none of them is devoted entirely to celebrating working mothers as Working Moms Africa hopes to do. Judging by the content of this maiden edition, it is a welcome addition to the more popular publications on and about women.
Genevieve and Today’s Woman belong to a class of their own. Both of them are published by famous Nigerian women, Mrs Irabor and Adesuwa Oyenukwe. Mary Ikoku, publisher of WMA, is no less famous. A public relations consultant who was once media aide to former Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili, she has since nursed an ambition to publish not just an all-female magazine but one that will take a holistic view of a certain class of women. This is what she has done with WMA. It is commendable.
In case you were ever in doubt as to the aim of this specialized publication, the publisher clears your doubt from the onset. “Are you in the habit of rushing to work and equally rushing home because there is so much to do both at home and at the office?” she pointedly observes in the editor’s page. “Do you sometimes wish that you could be in two or three places all at once?” Most married working mothers in Lagos and elsewhere in Nigeria where traffic is perennially choked will answer a definite yes to those questions.
But beyond that is the content of the magazine itself. Three quarters of the stories and articles are about working mothers: their day-to-day activities, how they balance their professional and private lives, their hopes and dreams. More important, the women cut across all classes. Thus, there is a cover story on Funmi Gbemudu, a renowned architect and first among equal of the known female architects and builders in Nigeria. Contrasting that is a piece on an otherwise unremarkable roadside bean-cake seller. In-between are snappy sketches of middle-class women, all of them working mothers.
How do working mothers really juggle between their careers and spousal duties without as much failing in either? That question is answered by a number of women interviewed by the publisher herself in “Walking the tight rope.” They are quite revealing.
Take, for instance, Nina Archi’s counsel to working mothers. An employee of an oil and engineering company in Lagos, she insists that working moms should “do as much preparation the night before so in the morning you just need to dress up and take off.” For Amaka Victor Nwosisi, who works with a leading telecommunications company, she says that “the fact that my children (four boys) can look up to me and learn from my experiences motivates me to work.”  There are many more of such mother talk to engage readers.
Like most women mags, WMA has sections on women-related topics such as health, fitness, style and fashion,  even nutrition.
Grace Eessen’s sisterly advise to working mothers to consider themselves first is not as selfish as you might think. First love, so it goes, is self love. With that in mind, readers can better appreciate Eessen’s take on motherhood. “Moms being what we are, want to give it all, making sure the  home is functioning properly; kids are ok and daddy too,” she writes in her Mom 2 Mom page. “Meals are planned, cooked at the right time, laundry is done and ironed properly. We eat after everyone has, go to bed after everyone does and wake up first…But if you truly love your kids and am sure you do, do them a favour and put yourself first. It is only when you give attention to you that you can give more to your kids and husband too.”
Another plus for this first edition is the array of columnists, experts, if you like, readers will come across. Dr. Akinyemi Olaleye is a consultant obstretician and gynaecologist. Expectedly, he writes on abnormal uterine bleeding. Funmi Adeniran, a fitness counsellor, focusses on fitness, a growing concern among African women especially while the problem of indecision is decisively tackled by Nelda Chioma Efughi.
Even male spouses get their say as well, as they recount their experiences of coping with working partners. And then, there is the kiddy corner, this time funny things youngsters do. In a way, it brings to mind the one time popular programme, Kids Say, anchored by African American comedian Bill Cosby.
WMA is not just about the lighter things that concern women or children. There is serious stuff, too. Dr. Goomsu Afiong Obasi is sure to have a lot of working mothers thinking in her contribution entitled “The Remake of the Post-modern Woman.” What is the role of women – married or not – in a post-modern, global village?
If you think WMA is all about women, you’ll be wrong. A male contributor tells readers of his experiences as a single father, taking care of his only child at home and doing school run. And talking about kids, several pages are devoted to them. There is a useful article on child depression, a rare topic for discussion in a Nigerian publication.
For a magazine that boasts coverage of issueson African women, coming out four times a year is somewhat insufficient, considering the enormity of challenges/ problems womenfolk in Africa face daily. Also, there are no interviews on women from the rest of the continent. Where is stuff on women in the horn of Africa? What about their counterparts in other parts of the continent – east, west and south Africa? There is a gnawing feeling that Working Moms Africa should really have been Working Moms Nigeria. 

Even so, WMA will have a shelf-assured life on any coffee table in most homes. Besides, this first edition is sure to hold readers attention for long, far longer than existing magazines of similar genre. For one, there are several publications on and about women as there are different shades of mascara. While a few hold and rivet your attention as an elegantly dressed beautiful woman walking down the street, some are as forgettable as a dowdy dowager since past her prime. With this edition, WMA will not lose its readership anytime soon. 

Reviewed By Mustapha Jimoh Michaelz