Stephanie Linus Daily

Author: stephanielinusdaily

  • Together We Can! NNPC/SNEPCo Sponsors Extended Hands Foundation For VVF Repairs Of 35 Women In Kebbi State

    Hi SL Fabz!

    The past week was a very busy one for me and members of the Extended Hands Foundation Team. I was in Kebbi state for a medical pool effort for the repair of 35 women who were victims of Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF). This project which was sponsored by NNPC/SNEPCo and supported by the Kebbi State Government took place at the Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Development VVF Center in Gesse, Birin-Kebbi

    I cannot express how grateful I am to be able to do something for these vulnerable women. Every time I see the extent of work that still needs to be done, I almost cringe with fear. However, I am always reminded of the fact that it’s not just about how I feel, it’s about taking conscious steps with the resources I have at my disposal. I may not be able to do everything, but I can do something significant that would set off a chain of events that could change the tides little by little.

    Here are highlights of my visit to Kebbi state:

    Our arrival in Kebbi State

    Meeting the women + The surgeries

    The project was supported by the Governor of Kebbi State Dr Abubakar Bagudu who also paid a visit to the VVF Center during our stay there

    During our visit, we were interviewed by Kebbi TV and also visited the Government House

    Visit to the women at the VVF Center with the First Lady of Kebbi state, Dr. Zainab Bagudu

    I got handmade beads from one of the beneficiaries of the free VVF Surgery. She’s such a young and beautiful girl

    The Ministry of Women Affairs Kebbi State supported VVF patients with donation of items to empower them economically

    I must thank the amazing medical team led by Dr Sa’ad Idris and Dr Abubakar Bawa for their dedication and hardwork. They are the real heroes of this project

    To round off the project, the Office of the First Lady of Kebbi State organised a closing ceremony

    Bye Kebbi! Thank you for your warm hospitality. I had a lovely time

    Many thanks to our sponsors NNPC/SNEPCo, the Kebbi State Government, Odio Mimonet and the entire Extended Hands Foundation team for making this project a reality. This is just the first step in reintegrating these women back into living healthy, normal and fulfilled lives.

  • Turban/Headwrap Styles That Can Glam Up Your Look

    One of my favourite hair accessories is the Turban or Headwrap. It is a versatile, easy, stylish way to glam up your look especially on days when you have hair emergencies. It also allows you to protect the ends of your hair while still looking gorgeous.

    The weekend is here again and it’s another opportunity for you to get your style game on. I hope you can find some “Stylespiration” from instances when I have rocked turbans or headwraps below:

    Add a brooch with some glitter to turn your look from simple to glam!
    I didn’t use any brooch on this turban, but I made sure I had some glitter in my accessories to make the look pop.
    A small brooch can do the magic.
    Let your hair down while using your turban for that casual and fun look that stands out!
    For this photo shoot, the stylist used the same fabric from the dress for the turban. I love it!
    Throwback to my preggy look…. Lol! I rocked this turban for the premiere of my movie ‘DRY’ in Abuja in 2015 with an evening dress.

    Do you love using a Turban? How do you rock yours?

  • Smart Ways to Include Egg Whites into your Beauty Routine

    There are many health benefits of using natural products rather than chemical products. I am always careful about what I use because the skin is the largest organ and absorbs almost everything you put on it! Besides the fact that natural or homemade products are healthier, they are also cheaper and more accessible.

    Today I would be sharing 5 useful tips on how to use one ingredient that everyone can find in their kitchen – Egg Whites. Egg whites are rich in protein and albumin that have skin toning properties and promote wrinkle free skin. They are especially good for oily skin and hair since they help tighten large pores and hair follicles that secrete too much sebum.

    Here are 5 beauty benefits of Egg Whites over chemical products:

    1. Tightens and shrinks large pores: Egg whites have astringent properties that help can help close up the skin pores by tightening the skin. To get the best results, mix 1 teaspoon of egg white and 1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Apply this onto your whole face or large pore affected areas. Wait for 15 minutes before rinsing off with tepid water. Pat dry with a soft towel and continue this treatment at least twice a week.

    2. Reduces oily skin: Egg whites are especially great for those with overly oily skin. Before applying, rinse your face gently with warm water and pat dry with a soft towel. Coat your face with a thin layer of egg white and let it dry up. Once it has dried, remove the mask by rinsing with cold water.

    3. Treats puffy eyes: Lack of sleep, long hours behind a computer screen, and too much stress can cause puffy eyes. Nobody likes to have puffy eyes and egg whites offer the easiest solution for this! Simply apply a thin layer of whisked egg white under your eyes and allow it to dry for ten minutes. Rinse it off with a cotton ball soaked in warm water and apply coconut oil. Follow this routine every other day to achieve the best results.

    4. Treats acne: Acne is a very common and sometimes difficult skin problem that can be prevented with egg white. The protein in the egg whites has the ability to absorb excessive oil from the skin and also has a deep cleansing effect. Take one egg white, whisk it and then add one teaspoon of honey to it. Apply this mixture on the affected skin area, allow it to dry on its own and then rinse off with lukewarm water. Follow this simple treatment once daily until the acne has vanished completely.

    5. Treats wrinkles and fine lines: Egg whites are very useful in delaying premature aging caused by fine lines and wrinkles. Simply apply white egg face mask on your face in upward motion. Leave it to dry and rinse off after 15 minutes. Do this twice a week to achieve the best results.

    So get into your kitchen and start making magic with egg whites!

  • Here or There? 4 tips on How to Make Tough Decisions

    Life is an endless stream of decisions: what to wear, what to eat, who to marry, where to live. We are always making a decision whether we realize it or not, and the decision-making process could be quite stressful.

    Have you noticed that Facebook Founder, Mark Zuckerberg wears the same shirt almost everyday? This is the reason he gave for wearing the same grey shirt “I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community.” The Tech CEO  is of the opinion that even the little decisions such as choosing what to wear or eat could be time and energy consuming.

    It is also interesting to note that other influential people like Apple founder, Steve Jobs and Former US President, Barack Obama share the same theory on choosing outfits.

    Now, I am not saying wearing multiple clothes is bad. If anything, I believe that variety makes life fun and interesting. But sometimes making tough decisions that influence and affect other people can be so burdensome. Thankfully, there are a few tips that can make this process easier.

    1. Identify your Goals and Motives: Decisions are usually influenced by how we feel, and feelings could becloud our judgment. Remove yourself from the situation and take an outsider’s point of view. You could pretend you were talking to a friend or an imaginary person. Ask yourself the real intentions behind the decision you want to make; do you want to get a new job because the pay is better or because it would give you room to grow?

    2. Get enough information about the situation: Before making any decision, make sure you are well informed on all the possible outcomes of that situation. Never be in a hurry to make a decision, gathering information helps you buy time and explore all your options so as to make the best possible decision.

    3. Come up with a list of alternatives: As you dig deeper into the problem, generate a number of alternatives that you can choose from. this may seem complex at first, but it helps you analyse the situation from different angles and help you come up with very innovative solutions.

    4. Select the Best Option and do a Post-decision Analysis: After weighing all your options, it is now time to select that which you feel is the best option. I would like to suggest here that you should not underestimate the place of the supernatural. Prayerfully consider all your options, and then take a post-decision analysis. Ask yourself how you felt after making the decision. Did you feel peace about it after considering all your alternatives? What have you learnt from this decision that you can apply in the future?

    I believe that deep down, everyone has a moral compass that guides them. Most times we know deep down in our hearts whenever we are making a wrong or right decision. We just have to clear the clutter and make sure that we are not being beclouded by our feelings or short-term emotions.

    SL Fabz, I hope you found this helpful. Feel free to share tips that have also helped you in making decisions. I would love to hear from you.

  • Why I Stand for Her!

    Many people do not understand why I am so passionate about Child Marriage and Gender related issues. I have been asked several times why I chose to do a film with a strong social message like ‘DRY’. We live in a society that tells women to keep quiet and accept whatever fate is meted to them. We shame women who speak out and even more pathetic is the fact that majority of such lash back comes from other women.

    Nothing can change if we refuse to question written and unwritten norms that continually put women at a disadvantage. Having realized from an early age, the power of the media inspiring social change and political change, I have resolved to lend my voice all for ‘her’. It is beyond joining the next hashtag bandwagon which mostly ridicule the real issues.

    “Her” is a girl like Halima, who is given out in marriage at an early age and deprived of her rights to education, and freedom. She is the lady who is denied a seat at the table because there is not room enough for women. She is the daughter who is denied rights to her father’s properties because well, she is a woman. She is vulnerable and often times unheard.

    These are the real issues, and it is high time we understood that standing for her is standing for all. 

    My greatest desire is to live in a world that is fairer, safer and more conducive for “her” to live out her dreams.

     

  • I’ve Been Appointed The UNFPA Regional Ambassador for Maternal Health in West and Central Africa

    Hey lovelies,

    I trust your week has been great!

    It’s been a very busy week for me and I thank God for His mercies.

    I’m sure by now, you must have heard the news. But I just had to share it again with you my loyal blog readers.

    On Wednesday 8th March, I was appointed the UNFPA Regional Ambassador for Maternal Health in West and Central Africa. I’m so grateful for this appointment and a bigger platform to speak out on issues I’m passionate about.

    It is my aspiration that access to reproductive health care for women and girls, especially family planning, will be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for. Fought for, not just because of equality, but because we are tired of women dying while giving birth, tired of teenage girls dropping out of school because they got pregnant too early, tired of women not having a choice to decide if, when and how many children they wish to have. I know I am tired of this. This is why I feel honoured to partner with UNFPA and to use my network to make these issues widely known.

    As Regional Ambassador, I will help advocate and raise awareness on these issues, whilst encouraging policies and laws that protect the rights and dignity of the girl child, and the critical investments needed for young people to fulfill their potential and for Africa to reap its demographic dividend.

    Once again, I’m very grateful for this appointment and I urge us all to use whatever platform and resources we have within our disposal to advocate for those who need our support.

    Here are some photos from the event which took place at Eko Hotel, Lagos.

  • AMVCAs and the Untold Story of Hard Work

    “The elevator to success is not running; you must climb the stairs.” – Zig Ziglar

    The AMVCAs took place last weekend and it was all glitz and glamour.  It was a celebration of creativity, storytelling and more importantly, a celebration of Work. Yes, work! That unattractive four letter word that many in our generation do not want to hear. For many of us, if it does not happen in five minutes, then we no longer want it. Everything has to happen fast and now!

    What we see when we come to such Award Shows are women all dolled up and men looking all dapper. But behind all that fancy display are days, months and even years of sheer hard work. I am a filmmaker, I know how much work goes into creating something of value. I know how much mental, emotional, physical, and financial resources need to be invested into any creative work. There were days I was tempted to throw in the towel, there were nights I asked myself what I was doing. But I have learned that if you want to get things done, you have to work hard.

    Have you ever tried something and put it off because it seemed too hard?

    What are you currently avoiding because it seems totally impossible?

    This is a fact: For as long as you do nothing, it would remain impossible. Quitting is easy, anybody can quit. That small middle where success and failure collide is where our true character is put to the test. Nothing extraordinary happens when things come too easily.

    Hard work helps you build capacity; it helps you learn to manage your time and resources, it helps you learn discipline. Without hard work, you would not acquire the necessary training needed to manage success when it comes.

    You think opportunities are scarce? I’ve got news for you; Work harder! It was Thomas Edison that once said: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Hard Work opens new doors, provides greater insights and results in deeper understanding.

    Finally, I would say, be patient. You are not in a competition with anybody but yourself. When you put yourself in a place where you compete with others, you limit your potential for growth – because someone else has become the standard. There is no shortcut to success, I know it sounds cliche, but you have to climb the dusty and sometimes creaky stairs.

    There is really no shortcut to success, I know it sounds cliche, but you have to climb the dusty and sometimes creaky stairs to success.

    I wish you a fruitful and super productive week. Let’s do this!

    ***

    I was unable to attend the Awards last weekend but I followed it and it was a lovely one. Big congratulations to all the winners!!!

  • Two Actors Will Win Cars From GAC Motor at the AMVCA Tonight! Who Will They Be?

    The Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award is just around the corner! Very soon, we will find out who the high flyers in the African Movie Industry are.

    But the question on everyone’s lips now is: who is going to cart away the two luxury cars up for grabs?

    Last year, leading Chinese automaker GAC Motor surprised everyone when they gave away two luxury cars to my humble self and Kemi Lala Akindoju, winners in the Best Overall Movie in Africa Award and the Trail Blazer Award respectively.

    This time around, GAC Motor is stepping up to support the creative industry again as they are giving out two cars to two winners. The two cars up for grabs are the new GS4 and the GA3. Who will win those cars?

    Take a guess!

  • Happy New Month! Making The Best Out Of March

    Welcome to a New Month… It seemed like February just flew by!

    It’s the third month of the year, and another opportunity for us to have a fresh start.

    For me, I see March as a month of new beginnings, a month of new hope, a month of great joy, and a Month of great additions. It shall be this and more for you.

    Always look forward towards your future
    Fill your eyes and heart with motivation
    Push yourself and boost your capabilities to achieve what you want
    May you gain confidence and believe in what you do

    I wish you a Happy New Month.

  • ‘DRY’ isn’t just a movie, it’s a revelation – Kolawole Adeyalo

    ‘Dry’ isn’t just a movie, it’s a revelation, and as a man, I feel touched in a way I haven’t felt before. I feel everything Halima went through even though I am not a female. I appreciate your effort, and I believe someone out there is smiling because of you.

    This poem is my own way of feeling your movie, I hope more people can be ‘Dry’

    I Used To Have A Dream

    I used to think about what could have been
    whenever I gaze upon the rising sun.
    there is a broken pot in me,
    and I’m just another carrier of shards,
    forever wet with the shame of unknown fistula.
    I used to have dreams about the white collar
    I believed in a life of stethoscope
    Because I felt that was why my parents sent me to elementary.
    I never wondered why I look like a younger sister to my mother,
    I never understood why my father looks so old
    I wasn’t wise enough to realize the cycle
    I am just a little girl trying to find my feet.
    I wasn’t even two dozens old
    they told me I had to get married
    what seemed weird to me
    was perfectly fine with everyone else.
    Do not remind me of the moon please
    didn’t it shine on my shame when I lost my pride ?
    his white beards scratched me
    while heaven looked on and smiled with the moon.
    I used to have a dream of impending happiness,
    kids I would call my own
    I am not even earth enough
    but they want me to grow a seed!
    why force a stone inside a small calabash?
    I used to dream of life,
    now the sun is setting,
    and I’m still not dry.
    I am still a broken piece,
    another of numerous naive victims.
    I am a voice so tiny
    my ears hurt from jeers!
    I am a walking puppet
    tuned to the dance of men,
    men who parade me and others in a show of shame.
    I used to believe in being alive
    which is why ask,
    why should I die bringing life?
    Who is listening?
    We don’t stop what we watch.

    ****

    Thank you so much Kolawole for this touching poem. 

    Have you watched DRY? What did you learn from it? Please email info@stephaniedaily.com and share your story on DRY to join the Movie Club.

    Want to see it? Order now from Jumia or Konga or check your nearest stores. To buy DRY on Jumia, CLICK HERE. To buy DRY on Konga, CLICK HERE.

    SL