Good Friday marks the slaying of our Jesus
The unblemished lamb, the perfect sacrifice
He took our guilt and blame upon Himself
So we could be with Him in paradise.
On This Holy Day
May His Light Guide Your Path
May His Love Grace Your Heart
And May His Sacrifice Strengthen Your Soul!
Thinking of You on Good Friday
and praying that the Lord keeps you
in his Loving care always
GOOD FRIDAY!
Hey lovelies,
It’s been an interesting week so far, however, the news of election violence and loss of lives in Rivers state has been very sad. We can’t continue to loose our promising youth every time there is an election in this country. Surely, we must continue to educate each other and create more awareness against election violence.
Nigerians and indeed the International Community must SPEAK to say NO to Election violence!!! We must insist on One Man One Vote and violence free elections!!!
Say no to hooliganism and election violence, don’t be a tool, you’ll be used and dumped. Also, say no to post election violence.
I choose to say no to election violence. I choose PEACE.
Let’s not only say no to physical election violence but oral violence as well. We can disagree without verbally assaulting each other.
There will be more elections across the country in the coming months and I can only hope we carry them out in peace and respect for one another.
Stay peaceful.
SL
Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.
I came across this quote over the weekend and I’ve been reflecting on it for a while.
The importance of doing what you like cannot be overemphasized. Each morning when you rise, you can do one of two things:
Hence the importance of loving what you do. If your job or business does not involve doing something that brings you joy it’s going to be a struggle getting out of bed.
You can and should find enjoyment in your work. Doing so is very valuable to your life in many ways, including greatly increasing your probability of financial success. A job that you love gives you extra motivation to meet your goals, and when you do, the sense of accomplishment is outstanding. And not only that, you can train yourself to become better at what you do so much that you will be recognized for your work.
Let me give you a personal example. I was lucky to begin my acting career as a teenager. This was before I got into the University. Over the years I discovered a passion for film making and so I went to the New York Film Academy to develop my skills. I also learnt a lot on the job and I’m still learning everyday. It wouldn’t have been easy to come this far if I didn’t have a passion for what I do. A mixture of passion, training and continuous practice will set you apart in whatever it is you do and I am a testimony to that.
If you are passionate about your job, you are likely to take an active interest in learning every aspect of the business.
But hey, I know sometimes you may find yourself doing something you really don’t have a passion for. Sadly, many people work just to get some money to meet their basic needs without truly enjoying what they are doing.
So if your boss doesn’t appreciate you, you’re underpaid, your company isn’t ideal… that can be OK, for now. They aren’t the key evaluators in your life. YOU are. Do your job well for YOU. Even if you don’t like your specific work, or the work environment you are in, you can love the way you do it.
Be able to pat yourself on the back at the end of every day. By doing so, you also set yourself up for finding a job you will enjoy more.
Not everyone started out by doing a job they are passionate about. But whatever it is you find yourself doing, do it well and you’d be better able to handle your own thing when it comes. Put in your very best and watch your dreams grow.
So, SL Fabz, its another Monday. Let’s talk about our work, passion and interests. What are you passionate about? Are you currently doing a job you are passionate about?
Let’s share…
SL
How did we get to the point where a pregnant woman with labour complications will be rushed to a hospital and will be left outside, unattended to, till the point that she dies? How did we get to the point where in that moment of grief and in a desperate attempt to save the unborn twins, her niece was forced to rip the dead woman’s belly open to bring out the babies who also sadly died?
I’m sure by now you must have heard of this very sad occurrence which took place some days ago in Douala, Cameroon. According to news reports, thirty-one year old, Monique Koumate was inflicted by labour complications and rushed to Laquintini Hospital by her partner on Saturday 12th March, 2016.
She was reportedly denied medical attention since she had no money and later died at the gates of the hospital. Some reports however claim that the woman was already dead on arrival at the hospital, but it doesn’t change the fact that the babies who were still kicking in her womb could have been saved with proper medical attention.
Her niece was then forced to rescue the babies through C- section in order to preserve life. She bought a blade in a shop close by, and in the midst of an amazed crowd cut the womb of the dead woman, in an attempt to save the babies.
One of the twins came out dead. The other was still breathing but some minutes later on died.
A continent as richly blessed as Africa should not have to witness such tragedy. There should be more value placed on the human life, regardless of how rich or poor the person is.
I feel so sad for the niece. What she did was so scary, but so brave. I don’t know what I would have done in her situation. The pictures and video of the emergency surgery is so heartbreaking to watch.
It’s really such a shame that we had to loose three precious lives to a situation that could have been avoided. Their death is a reminder that we cannot keep silent, that we need to do more as a people, as a nation and as a continent. Africa continues to stay at the bottom of the rank with regards to maternal health and access to affordable health care.
But I refuse to believe hope is lost. We must continue to speak out, continue to demand better systems in healthcare, in politics, in education, in governance, in development and much more.
Their deaths are a reminder of how much it hurts. Their deaths must not be in vain.
I feel so humbled right now.
In honor of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, NPR.org put together a list of some amazing global women in an article titled: Names We’d Like To See When We Google ‘Women Changing The World’.
It really humbled me to find out I made the list, and I’m so grateful to the organisation and many others who appreciate our work. Through the movie, DRY, and the Extended Hands Foundation, we have been working to raise awareness about the negative effect of poor maternal health and early marriage such as Vesico Vaginal Fistula. Also, through the support of donor organisations, we have repaired some women in different communities who have been living with this condition. We are not relenting in our work, and recognitions like this go a long way in encouraging us.
According to NPR, the list is comprised of “some of the unsung women making strides in the developing world. Maybe in a few years they’ll top Google’s lists of women changing the world in ways large and small.”
Here’s what they had to say about me:
Stephanie Linus, filmmaker
Linus, 33, a Nigerian filmmaker and actor, created a Nollywood movie called DRY about obstetric fistula — a hole between the vagina and bladder (or rectum in some cases) that can result from prolonged obstructed labor in childbirth, leaving a woman unable to control her bodily waste. Some 2 million women are affected worldwide. Surgery can help but is not always an option, since many of the women affected are poor. She hopes her film educates the world about the problem, and she’s raising money for the Extended Hands Foundation, which she set up to support surgical help.
Other women who were profiled on the list include: Dr. Odontuya Davaasuren, a doctor and professor; Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a documentary filmmaker who won the Oscar for best documentary, short subject, for A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness and Garmai Sumo, a nurse in Liberia who works with children orphaned by the deadly virus.
CLICK HERE to see the full list and read the stories of these amazing women.
After carting away the most coveted award at the AMVCA 2016 over the weekend, DRY will be showing this Thursday 10th March at the Genesis Deluxe Cinema in Lekki, Lagos.
The highly acclaimed movie, DRY, won three awards at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards 2016 on Saturday 5th March. The movie carted away the award for Best Costume Design, Best Sound and Best Overall movie in Africa.
This special screening is a great opportunity for those who haven’t watched the award winning movie to do so. It will be screened at a discounted ticket price on Nolly Thursday, which is a showcase for the best of Nigerian films.
The event kicks off at 6pm with pictures and mingling and then the first screening will start at about 7pm. There will be a Q&A session after the screening where guests will have an opportunity to meet with me and ask interesting questions.
Falz D Bahd Guy will be the anchor of the special hangout. There will be music, cocktails, autographs and of course lots of fun.
So, make it a date! Come along with your friends and family members.
I look forward to seeing you!!!
I’ve been keenly following Ese Oruru‘s story on the news for some time now and the turn of events is really shocking, I must say!
Different versions of her story keep creeping up in the news. It’s hard to know what to believe anymore.
What I find most appalling is some people are blaming her for her predicament. Blaming a 14 year-old girl! For what! She is still a child!!
It’s even more sad that there are still lots of girls taken from their parents care across the country and sexually abused everyday!
Kudos to PUNCH for bringing Ese’s story to the fore. There are many more Ese’s out there who have been turned to sex slaves as young girls.
If we must learn anything from Ese’s story, it is that we must put more efforts into protecting the girl child.
Ese is just a child. The conditions under which she was abducted or left her parent’s home is not the issue. She is a minor who was abused.
Now she is bearing a child and her life has taken on a whole new path.
She needs counselling and our prayers. But most of all, we all have a collective responsibility to ensure this doesn’t repeat itself again.
My prayers go out to Ese and her family I pray they find the strength to recover from this shocking experience
I also pray for the young girls who were kidnapped from a secondary school in Lagos. May they be found safely and reunited with their families.
#EseOruru, #ChildNotBride, #GirlChildEducation
‘DRY’ has again recorded another feat!!!
The movie has won the Programmers’ Award for Narrative Feature at the recently concluded Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, USA.
This award was given alongside other prestigious awards to film makers from across the world whose movies were screened at the largest and most prestigious black film festival in America.
It would be recalled that DRY has also won a host of local and international awards including the ‘Best Protagonist’ Award at the Bentonville Film Festival in Arkansas, USA.
DRY is nominated in 9 categories at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards 2016 (AMVCA) which comes up this March, and has also won at the BON Awards and Zafaa Global Awards in categories such as: Movie with the best social message, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Child Actress and Best Producer.
Produced, directed, and starring my humble self, the film is an inspired true story that depicts the life of two young girls living as child brides in West Africa. The critically acclaimed movie focuses on child marriage and Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF), journeying into the heart-wrenching details of a culture not too many films dare to explore.
DRY is currently available on online platforms such as iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Sony PlayStation and VUDU for viewers throughout the U.S.
Do you often feel less than inspired? I do. Well, perhaps not too often. But sometimes I just feel really lazy and unmotivated.
Whether it is motivating to exercise, to live, or study, you can do it!
Inspiration is a powerful force, and inspired action is one of the most powerful ways to motivate yourself. Instead, if you inspire yourself, you light your fire from the inside out.
Here are seven ways to light the fire and inspire yourself to take action:
1. Go Back to “Why”: Focusing on a dull task doesn’t make it any more attractive. Zooming out and asking yourself why you are bothering in the first place will make it more appealing. If you can’t figure out why, then there’s a good chance you shouldn’t bother with it in the first place.
2. Clean Up: Tidy up and de-clutter your surroundings. Environment has a huge influence, and the less distracting and dirty it is, the better you’ll feel.
3. Listen To Music: Most of the time when I’m working I’ll listen to music. Certain songs that I listen to give me ideas or energy. I’ve found that listening to some positive songs gives me a boost while I write or work. Some people prefer to listen to music without lyrics so it doesn’t distract them, but others find a singer’s voice to be inspirational and energizing. Find what works for you and stick with it.
4. Draw from inspirational words of wisdom. Quotes are your friend. Whenever you need to summon your inner-strength, it helps if you have little one-liner reminders that keep you going. One of my favorites is by Zoey Sayward, “Don’t wait for the perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect.”
5. Don’t bore yourself: Free your head of all of the things that you have been thinking about lately. Get up and do something, like cooking or taking a shower. It’s very important to stay active.
6. Keep it to just one. If you have a ton of things on your to-do list, sometimes it becomes daunting and you end up putting the list away and “tackling it later.” But if you have one thing on that list of yours, that’s it. That’s doable. It’s doable and you can focus on it — spreading yourself thin over a dozen won’t do you or your goals justice.
I am so glad that DRY has been selected to screen at the 24th Pan African Film Festival. One of the dreams I had while making this movie is that it would be seen on several platforms across the world and that dream is coming to life.
After screening around the world, drawing attention while shining light on controversy and receiving acknowledgement from world leaders, ‘DRY’ has been selected to screen at the largest and most prestigious black film festival in America – the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF). Also called the quintessential Black festival, PAFF is the largest event during Black History Month, celebrated in the U.S. every February and is scheduled to take place from February 4th –15th in Los Angeles.
‘DRY’ will be screened on Sunday, February 7th, Saturday, February 13th and Monday, February 15th. For more information on times and location, please visit www.PAFF.org
‘DRY’ is critically acclaimed inspired true story that depicts the life of two young girls living as child brides in West Africa. The movie focuses on child marriage and Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF), journeying into the heart-wrenching details of a culture not too many films dare to explore. The film stars my humble self as Dr Zara, Darwin Shaw as Dr. Alex, the legendary Liz Benson Ameye as the Matron, Bill McNamara as Dr. Brown, and introducing Zubaida Ibrahim Fagge as Halima the teenager who had to endure a life not designed for a child.
For more on the movie, please follow:
www.facebook.com/themoviedry
www.twitter.com/themoviedry
www.instagram.com/themoviedry
Watch the trailer below: