Mary Osinibi, The Virtuosa Of Human Truths

Mary Osinibi is a multidisciplinary London-based artist who uses acrylic paints, photography, hand drawn sketches and digital art to inspire, educate and encourage people to speak up for justice and make an impact in the world they live in. She is influenced by African Art, Cubism and Fauvism Art; and her own self-exploration of faith – her own desires for change and transformation in herself. For Mary, art has the power to enrich lives and alter attitudes; it is capable of engaging and encouraging the human spirit”.

Mary’s impressive portfolio focuses on the feelings, thoughts and experience of real people. Each colour is significant and evokes the notion that not everything is at it appears. For example her ongoing project, The Aftermath passage tells a story of people who have been impacted by migration, war and conflict, through a series of contemporary portraits expressing the emotions and testimonies from each participant.

Featured in The Aftermath Passage is Emmanuel Jal, a child soldier, born in the war-torn region of the Southern Sudan on an unknown date in the early 1980s. Through unbelievable struggles, Jal managed to survive and become a recording artist, achieving worldwide acclaim for his unique style of hip hop with its message of peace and reconciliation born out of his personal experiences.

Jal appeared alongside Reese Witherspoon as one of the lead roles in the Warner Bros 2014 film release The Good Lie. Jal has since been awarded the Calgary Peace Prize, the Humanitarian Award and has been honoured by Ban Ki Moon at the United Nations for his peach efforts in South Sudan.

Like Emmanuel Jan, other inspiring stories have been encapsulated by Mary. Prior to the Aftermath project was ‘the Lazarus project’ which explored and restored life to old, mysteries ancient masks – reviving untold stories of great kingdoms, cultures and customs.

Mary spends a lot of time in solitude when creating artwork, so when she is not painting, she mostly travels with friends or reads historical books. Throughout 2017, Mary will be showcasing works from the Aftermath Passage in different locations in the United Kingdom. She is currently offering portrait services using her signature style of paintings which is inspired by the Fauvism style which began around the 1900s.

Mary Osinibi: an extraordinary talent that gifts us art imitating life so vividly and colourfully through a kaleidoscope of human truths. She is Yaaya.

Image Sources | Courtesy of Mary Osinibi's website: www.maryosinibi.com

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Maya Angelou, "Bringing The Gifts That My Ancestors Gave"

“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass.”

~ Maya Angelou

“Still I Rise”, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” and “Phenomenal Woman” are all works of Dr. Maya Angelou filled with words and images which have simultaneously humbled, enriched, humoured and taught many across the globe. At 86 years old, Maya Angelou’s life has “ended”, but her long lasting mark on literature, poetry, American history and most of all people’s hearts, has and will outlive her. The goodness of humanity, the diversity of human life and a tirelessly fighting spirit are wrapped up in this Arkansas Southern Belle.

Here at Yaaya we think of Dr. Angelou as a teacher, a healer and wisdom giver, due to her loving and resilient nature, which has been an undeniable force in the 20^th and 21^st century. Her words, stories and experiences carry a weight steeped in history, trauma and joy, which has been to both young and old and powerful and powerless, a guide and comforter through challenging and triumphant times.

The magnitude of her presence and words, has not only struck chords amongst her dearest literary admirers, but also those within the realm of politics, music and sport. Respect is what she demands, and respect is what she is given. Wisdom is what she exudes, and listening ears is what she receives. Grace is what she illuminates, and her light is what we absorb.

With all the attributes that Yaaya celebrates in women such as power, resilience, leadership, ambition and success, Dr. Angelou is all this and then some. Be it through her storytelling gifts, her poetic celebration of womanhood and African ancestry, her life as a singer, dancer, actor, cook, young single mother, civil rights activist, professor, film and television producer, playwright or traveller, these snapshots illustrate a colourful and richly lived existence.

Depending on the decade or decades in which she assumed many of these roles, she fought and overcame racial prejudice and sexism refusing to let these experiences define her reality or limit her aspirations. In her later life, the experience and wisdom she gained through living through over eight decades, befriending historical icons like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and acting as critical social commentator, earned her over 30 honorary degrees, the mentor of choice for the powerful and famous, and an unwavering, endearing respect across the world.

Ever true to her Southern and African American roots, she is seen by many as being one of the prominent voices of Black America in modern times which is easily visible in her writings. To borrow some of her own words to celebrate her life and her longevity despite it's end, it is fitting to say: “We the descendants of the enslaved, children of the South, we never say that someone has died. You never die. You “pass over.” Maya, you have passed over. But your legacy will live with us forever. You. Are. Yaaya.

Image Source | Image does not belong to Yaaya. Image courtesy of Dr. Maya Angelou, The Official Website.

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Mosunmola Abudu, Woman of Many Talents

Whoever said mo' money, mo' problems, clearly had not met ‘Mo’ Abudu. She is a woman who has defied the odds, conquered obstacles and ventured beyond boundaries that only a few dare dream of.

Meet Mosunmola ‘Mo’ Abudu: Talk show hostess, TV Producer, Media entrepreneur, Human Resource Management Consultant, Venture Capitalist, Mother… clearly a woman of many talents. Although born in the UK in 1964, she spent her early years in Ondo, Nigeria where she imbibed traditional culture and values. At the age of 12, she returned to the UK to further her education and later attained a Masters’ Degree in "Human Resource Management" from the University of Westminster, London.

Mo began her career as a Recruitment Consultant in 1987. 3 years later, she became Branch Manager before moving on to work for Starform Group in 1990, where her role included managing the Corporate Credit Management Exhibition from 1990 to 1992. In 1993, Mo became Head of ExxonMobil’s Human Resources and Training unit and tread this path, till she took a leap of faith in 2000 and founded her own specialist Human Resource company, Vic Lawrence & Associates Limited (VLA).

Where most men and women would have considered this the pinnacle of their success, for Mo, this was just the beginning. The ultimate accomplishment lay further ahead. She went on to develop an executive training centre at the Protea Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria and in 2006, characteristically took another leap of faith and delved into hosting her own talk show 'Moments with Mo', the first syndicated daily talk show on Africa regional television. With over 300 episodes and counting, ‘Moments with Mo’ focuses on numerous topics ranging from issues of lifestyle, health to culture, politics and inter-racial marriages. Guests on the show have included dignitaries, Presidents, Noble Laureates and most notably, US Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton. In addition, Mo is also the creator and executive producer of 'The Debaters', a TV reality show which focuses on ‘giving Africa a voice.’

Recently, Mo launched her own continent-wide TV network Ebony Life, cementing her status as 'Africa’s Oprah,' which she says is flattering, as the billionaire media icon is one of her 'heroes'. She also serves on a board with fellow board members, including the Managing Directors of Chevron, Texaco, Coca-cola International, ExxonMobil, the Dangote group and others.

Known for quotes such as "inspiration propels vision" and "great vision propels action", Mo is undoubtedly a visionary, and an unstoppable force. Her next goal is to break into Hollywood and shoot "large-budget movies about Africa". She is also looking forward to interviewing US President Barack Obama and receiving an invitation to the White House.

"Not every African woman has a pile of wood on her head and a baby strapped to her back!", she once famously said. If any African woman knows this well, it is Mosunmola Abudu. She is a strong, articulate woman, whose vision and legendary aims have inspired millions of others around the world. Few words can be used to accurately describe Mo Abudu, but we will sum it up in one: she is Yaaya!

Image Source | Wikipedia : 'Mosunmola Abudu'

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Freda Ruth Murray-Bruce, Where Passion Meets Intelligence

To quote the woman herself, "sometimes in life, your achievements are not based on passion or motivation". Yet passion and motivation have been behind her every step towards admirable success.

Meet Ms Freda Ruth Murray-Bruce. Driven, compassionate and God-fearing, Freda is Director General of the Bayelsa State Investment Promotion Agency [BIPA], an outfit that provides assistance with investor activity in Bayelsa State, home to Nigeria’s largest crude oil and natural gas deposits.

A conqueror of challenges in her own right, Freda started life as a Language student at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. On completion, she travelled to the UK, and worked in web development for British Telecoms and desktop publishing for Morgan Stanley. She left the UK to Canada, where she worked for Hewlett-Packard and Bell Canada, whilst completing a Masters in Computer Science.

But it was not enough. Something was missing. "I seemingly had it all", she recalls "my house overlooked a golf course worth $50,000 in annual membership, yet I felt very empty. I was not impacting people."

Freda hearkened to this hunger from within, and decided to pursue a Master's degree in Development, with a view to working with the UN and exercising her passion as a human rights and development activist. Fast forward 2 years, and armed with an LLM from the University of Westminster, the development world was her oyster. Where better to start than in her country, Nigeria? After all, charity begins at home.

She returned home after a 15 year hiatus, and worked for UNIDO and UNDP. Her foray into politics came with the then Vice President Goodluck’s invitation to join his think tank. She did, and has not looked back since. About her job at BIPA, Freda says "when I heard about the job, which was about bringing investment into Bayelsa to change the fortunes of a deprived community, I could not pass up on it."

When she is not working to change the fortunes of deprived communities in Bayelsa, or impacting the lives of orphans and young children, Freda loves to dabble in interior design, read, write, and direct theatre pieces. This self-confessed introvert is "passionate about life, but not outgoing." "I am happiest when I am indoors," she says with candid confidence. She is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Leicester.

Asked why she felt it was important to share her story with 'Yaaya', she replied "I have a desire to impact lives. I have a great passion for people, so will contribute to platforms [such as Yaaya] that allow me to encourage people with my own challenges and strife. The second reason is a national due. Nigeria is a collection of every one of us. We owe it to ourselves."

Her advice to ambitious black women? "Never give up. Life will [give] you many opportunities to doubt yourself. Always see a tomorrow better than today. People are tired of beggars. Don't go asking for help. Proffer solutions. Be encouraged. You will make it."

By any yardstick an accomplished woman, Ms Murray-Bruce possesses a disquiet characteristic of determined people. To her, the future is bright, but yet to begin. "I have not started what God called me on earth for. I believe I am destined to represent Nigeria nationally and internationally, advocating for changes that will further the destiny of millions. Don't just watch this space," [laughs] "pray for this space!"

We will watch, wait, and pray. But first, we will say this: that few women genuinely embody the 'Yaayan' attributes: strong and supportive, passionate and purposeful, courageous and caring. Yet in one lifetime, Freda has demonstrated all these, and then some. We salute Ms Murray-Bruce. She. Is. Yaaya!

Image Source | Image is copyright of Yaaya

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Pauline Long, Media Mogul Extraordinaire

“Make no apologies for living your dream. You are human, you were born to live it. It is your gift, it is your rightful right. PL.” These words were tweeted by Pauline Long on 25.06.2013, a woman who has unapologetically lived by this mantra, as seen through her stellar achievements to date. TV presenter, BEFFTA founder, philanthropist, owner of East End Studios, and creator of Mr and Miss East Africa U.K, Pauline Long’s CV illustrates a woman with enviable self-belief, fierce ambition and a strong entrepreneurial appetite.

She is a fixture on Britain's awards ceremony stage, as the founder of the BEFFTA (Black Entertainment Film Fashion Television and Arts) Awards that celebrates and honours talented black personalities in entertainment, film, fashion, TV and the arts, whose successes are relatively unknown or overlooked. This October marks its 5th year, and the year of its expansion, as BEFFTA was launched in Jamaica early this year, and there are plans for it to make its indelible mark in Canada, Australia and Africa.

If this isn't enough, Pauline recently launched a TV show on Sky channel BEN (182), which focuses on global issues, and showcases exciting and inspirational individuals. In addition to this, the show also explores topics that specifically address issues within the black community like sickle cell, Africa, and the Continent’s consumption of aid. Pauline’s concern for the world and others around her, has fed into her other business ventures such as Mr and Miss East Africa which encourages entrepreneurship amongst East Africans in the U.K. This pageant works closely with East African children’s charities, most notably those that seek to address child homelessness through The Shout campaign she created. The campaign feeds street children in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, and aims to eventually take children off the streets.

Time management is clearly one of Pauline’s biggest assets, as she also finds time to run East End Studios, one of London’s biggest independently owned film and TV studios. The studio produces commercials, films, TV programmes and music videos for both signed and unsigned artists. Her client list includes well-known names such as Professor Green, Chipmunk and Starboy Nathan.

Ambitious, tenacious, conscientious, and successful are fitting adjectives that can be used to describe Pauline; however they almost don’t seem to do her justice. With more achievements to come, challenges to conquer and plans to execute, Pauline Long is yet to reach the height of her potential and success, as she builds a global media empire. To us, she is an undeniable ambassador of the potential of women worldwide, and those that are seeking to live out their dreams. Without a shadow of doubt, she is Yaaya.

Image Source| BEFFTA Awards Website: BEFFTA

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Nonyem Odili, Writing For Change

"Slavery has been abolished. Communism contained ... and yet, an evil persists". With these opening lines in a provocative piece on how and why governments should encourage women’s leadership, Nonyem Odili beat national contestants from 54 countries to win the Commonwealth Women in Leadership Essay Competition 2013

She attended the 10th Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers Meeting in Bangladesh, where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma presented her with the winning trophy. Miss Odili, a Nigerian based in the UK, impressed the judges with her avid writing prowess, calling on nations and nationalities to promote gender equality and end cultural discrimination against women.

Her winning entry x-rayed the fault lines in humanity's perceptions of women's roles, our pressing need for gender equity, and surmised with an emotive call for "a change of consciousness ".

The grand-daughter of Barrister G.C. Nonyelu (QC), Nigeria's first Director of Public Prosecutions, Nonyem followed in the family footsteps, gaining an LLB (Hons) degree from the University of Cardiff.

When she is not working as a Finance Treasurer for a global commodities giant, Nonyem devotes her spare time to developing projects that tackle socio-political issues in her local community, such as unemployment, crime, and social injustice. She believes in being 'part of the solution, not the problem' and loves to collaborate with like-minded people who share her passion for gender equality and women's empowerment.

Her current project 'Eliminating poverty in Nigeria ' focuses on the state of unemployment among Nigerian youths. Nonyem believes strongly that the responsibility to tackle this epidemic does not lie solely with government, but that strategic partnerships and commitments from local corporations and international organisations are also required. She is exploring initiatives to improve the employability of young Nigerians.

Nonyem is a talented and intelligent young woman who believes she has a responsibility to help those around her as much as possible. Her philosophy in life is 'to whom much is given, much is expected'. She intends to leave her world in a better state than she met it.

In an emotive conclusion to her essay, she writes "I am the woman ... whose voice has not been heard ". We beg to differ. To us, Nonyem Odili is many things - a writer with a cause, defender of the voiceless, and a woman of the future. Unequivocally, she is Yaaya.

Image Source | Image is copyright of Yaaya.

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Obiocha Ikezogwo, Achievement Personified

On May 5th 2013, three young, committed, and passionate women joined forces to launch Yaaya - a platform to showcase the achievements and ambitions of black women in Europe, and raise their aspirations through inspirational stories. Obiocha Ikezogwo forms one third of this trio, and defines herself as an "engineer of social justice", and a "future leader."

Fiercely driven, yet compassionate, Obiocha possesses the courage and foresight of transformational leaders. With such ambition, confidence and an unerring sense of social responsibility, it was no surprise that she beat over 2000 applicants to win the coveted place as a 2013 MILEAD Fellow on May 29th 2013. Recognised as an emerging African female leader, Obiocha will undergo 12 months of leadership development, starting with an intensive 3 week training programme at the Institute of African Studies in Accra, Ghana. As a MILEAD Fellow, Obiocha will also be tasked with establishing an initiative to address the issues faced by black women in her community.

Obiocha feels strongly about investing in people; a passion which has led her to assume numerous mentoring positions including her current role on the University of Manchester’s Gold Mentoring Programme. In addition to this, she has mentored over 50 young women, and is currently a School Governor at the Harris Academy South Norwood in London.

Her nomination as the national representative for the UK, ties in well with her vision for African womanhood, in which "we are empowered at home, and respected abroad." This vision speaks to her decision to co-found Yaaya, an initiative which she believes will highlight the intersectionality between ‘race’ and gender, and tackle the social invisibility which black women and girls in Europe face.

A Petroleum Economist by day, Obiocha’s academic and professional credentials also illustrate why she was selected as a future African leader. With a First Class degree in Finance from the prestigious University of Manchester, Obiocha began her profession on the Graduate Leadership Programme at Centrica Plc, working in different countries such as Norway, and developing a global and pragmatic view in her approach to solving problems.

In the near future, Obiocha hopes to complete an MBA at a prestigious European business school and continue serving her local community. She has ambitious plans for Yaaya’s development, which she hopes to concretise with the support and resources provided by the Moremi Initiative, to ensure that the phrase "iamyaaya" is embedded in the lexicon of young women worldwide.

Through her works and deeds, Obiocha is a positive example to young black women, and a proud ambassador of her country, Nigeria. To us, quite simply, she is Yaaya.

Image Source | Image is copyright of Yaaya.

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Are you a GoWoman?

With a title reminiscent of Beyoncé's hit song "Run The World (Girls)", GoWoman, a newly launched magazine featuring motivational stories of successful African women, takes a direct and assertive approach to female empowerment. Described by founder Vickie Remoe as the magazine "for African women who find a way when there isn’t one ", it is a testament to women from all walks of life who are bucking the trend, and challenging the sexist stereotypes of patriarchal African society.

In the latest addition to the urban dictionary, a GoWoman (n.) is defined as "a self-starter, pioneer and go-getter ". Angelique Kidjo (Grammy Award winning Béninoise singer), and Leymah Gbowee (2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner) are just a few of the inspirational women for whom the term has been coined.

The magazine, which officially launched on April 13th 2013, highlights prominent women such as Saran Kaba Jones. Jones is the founder of FACE Africa, a non-profit organisation that provides access to safe drinking water for rural communities in post-conflict Liberia. Upcoming issues promise profiles on prominent women such as Miatta Kargbo, Sierra Leonean Minister of Health and Sanitation.

Packed full of feel-good feistiness and girl-power, GoWoman dares to be different. Editor Pamilerin Beckley warns that "this is not your typical women’s magazine ". We couldn’t agree more. Yaaya shares GoWoman’s passion for empowering women of African descent with thought-provoking stories, and voicing real-life examples of women who have defied challenging odds to succeed in their respective fields.

We need more mouthpieces and platforms like GoWoman, Yaaya and MsAfropolitan, who are using their media platforms to shed light on pressing social issues such as identity and integration, that affect black women.

The premier edition has gotten off to a fantastic start, and we look forward to more inspiring stories in upcoming issues. By her definition, Vickie Remoe is a GoWoman. By ours, she is Yaaya.

Image Source | These images do not belong to Yaaya. Images courtesy of the GoWoman Facebook page .

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Cecile Kyenge, Asserting Her Right To Be

Recently, news on European politics has diverged briefly from the towel dry narrative that is the crisis of the Eurozone, to an unassuming woman, newly appointed to ministerial office in Italy.

If one Googles “Italian Minister of Integration”, the image of Cecile Kyenge will appear on your screen - a 48 year old, Congolese born eye surgeon, now Italy’s first black minister, and one of seven women in the new Italian cabinet.

In a nation that lacks the racial diversity exhibited in other European countries, and possesses an uncomfortable history of fascism, public and political reactions to Ms Kyenge’s appointment did much to perpetuate the unprogressive and “racist” image of Italy. Her new role received a horrific wave of racist, sexist and violent opposition from political parties such as the Northern League and the Italian public alike.

Kyenge’s response to this opposition, however, has been to assert an unapologetic confidence in her identity, stating “I am not coloured, I am black and I say it with pride.” A woman of action as well as words, she is already confronting a culture of casual racism in Italy by proposing a law to enable children born in Italy to immigrant parents (i.e parents who do not have Italian nationality), to gain Italian nationality; dealing a hefty blow to the current concept of nationality derived solely from Italian ancestry.

It is not easy for anyone to work in a hostile environment, or implement changes around sensitive and explosive issues. Anyone who has ever experienced bullying, or occupies a leadership position will tell you this. This is why to us, Cecile Kyenge is a woman to be celebrated. Long before her role as Minister of Integration will have run its course, Kyenge would have left behind her legacy: as a woman confronting racism in a nation that has been her home for the past 30 years, while also asserting her right to be an equal and valued member of Italian society. For us, she is Yaaya.

Image Source | Huffington Post : Cecile Kyenge, First Black Italian Cabinet Member, Defiant In Face Of Racist Remarks.

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