Stephanie Linus Daily

Category: Make me fabulous

  • Photos From The Extended Hands Foundation Pool Effort at UCH Ibadan

    For many years, I have been passionate about helping women who sadly have a condition called Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF).

    This passion led me to form the Extended Hands Foundation, a charity organisation which has been dedicated to raising awareness about this condition and helping women already affected.

    In an effort to spread the word on the dangers of Vesico Vaginal Fistula and to repair as many women as possible who have the condition, the Extended Hands Foundation with support from SNEPCo/NNPC recently carried out repair surgeries on 20 women at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

    The pool effort was done to bring hope and restoration to the women who had been living with this condition for varying period of time. The women had the repair surgeries done at no cost to them and their families.

    Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) is a serious disability that can be experienced by women after childbirth. They are holes resulting from the breakdown in the tissue between the vaginal wall and the bladder or rectum caused by unrelieved obstructed labour. The consequence of such damage is a woman’s inability to control the flow of urine or faeces. It occurs more often in young women during childbirth, as their bodies are not yet mature for the process.

    The exercise which kicked off in June was a very successful one. The team of doctors carried out repair surgeries on 20 women whose lives had been adversely affected by this condition and it was so heart warming to restore hope and a chance at living normal lives to these women.

    Aside from the surgeries, the foundation also donated surgical equipment and electrical supplies which was presented to the hospital at an event which took place at the hospital. In attendance was the Chief Medical Director of UCH Ibadan, Professor Temitope Alonge; Head of Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Professor Ayo Arowojodu and the Chief Medical Consultant, Department of Genitourinary & Urogynaecology Professor O. A. Ojengbede.

    I am so grateful to our sponsors for the support, to all the kind and hardworking doctors and nurses at the hospital and to my entire team from Extended Hands Foundation. God bless you all!

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    Me and my wonderful Extended Hands Crew.
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    The equipment we donated to the hospital

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  • Be Prepared For Opportunities

    “Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity”

    This quote, attributed to Roman philosopher Seneca, reminds us that we make our own luck. Luck isn’t just about being at the right place at the right time, but also about being open to and ready for new opportunities.

    I like to rewrite mine and say: “Success Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity”

    Many of us like to sit down and lament about how things are not working for us.

    It’s easy for me to lament about how some of my plans and proposals were rejected. It’s easy for me to give up. It’s easy for me to blame others. But it’s hard for me to look inwards and find out what is it that I am doing wrong.

    Many people just want the ‘Opportunity’ but forget they have to be ‘Prepared’. They want jobs, but they are not qualified. They want money for business but have no idea about running a business. They want to be bosses, but find it very difficult to be subordinates.

    Lots of times, I get emails and messages from people who want to be actors and the few times I’ve tried to reach out and help some of them, I find it very disappointing that they lack the skills and are not even ready to do minor roles to help them develop.

    If you want a promotion, you’ve got to earn it. You’ve got to improve your skills or get that further education. If you want a business opportunity, you’ve got to show that you can manage that business when it comes your way. No one wants to give a plumber’s job to a carpenter. You’ve got to be prepared.

    I’m inspired by the story of Les Brown. He is not only an internationally recognized speaker and CEO of Les Brown Unlimited Inc.; he is also the author of highly acclaimed and successful book, Live Your Dreams.

    His life as a renowned public speaker, author and a successful person draws many admires. Many people wish that they had a life like him. However it wasn’t always that way. Les was born a twin in a low-income family in Miami, Florida. Les and his twin brother, Wes, were adopted when they were only six weeks old by Mrs. Mamie Brown, a single woman with very little education and financial means. As a child due to his inattention to school work, his restless energy and lack of focus caused his teachers to label him as a slow learner. After high school Les went on to work for the city as a sanitation worker. In spite of lack of education Les had a dream. He dreamt of becoming a popular Miami disc jockey. One day he decided that he would pursue and accomplish that dream. Les says, when I set out, I had no idea how I would do it but not pursuing his dream was not an option. Les first sought out his high school drama teacher. After his daily shift from sanitation department he would meet with the drama teacher and they would work on his voice and linguistics. In a short time Les was able to develop a unique, powerful and a dramatic speaking voice. Then at night he started going to popular Miami discos and listen to the different styles of some of the most popular disc jockeys. Every night he would come home and practiced on refining his own style. He followed this routine daily for few years. When Les became confident that he had something to offer he made a recording of his act and distributed it to various radio stations and discos.

    Finally one night, a deejay got sick and a disco manager who had listened to Les Brown’s tape gave him a call to fill in. Les Brown got his opportunity and never looked back.

    He rose from a hip talking morning DJ to a broadcast manager, from a community activist to a community leader. Later he became a 3 term legislator and premier key note speaker. He rose to national prominence by delivering a high energy message which tells people how to shake off mediocrity and live up to their god given potential. A potential every one of us has with in us.

    If he wasn’t prepared, he wouldn’t have been able to seize that opportunity which came along when the other deejay got sick.

    I’d like to end with yet another version of this quote by Denzel Washington:

    “Luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.”

    Work hard on your skill and be prepared.

  • Quote Of The Day!

    “Without dreams, we reach nothing. Without love, we feel nothing. And without God, we are nothing.”

    Dream BIG SL Fabz and have yourselves a great weekend!

  • 5 Ways To Stop Being Dependent On Others

    For most people, the act of being totally dependent on others for various reasons – emotional, physical, financial… is a situation they don’t like being in. It can be a very frustrating when you can’t make a decision or achieve some goals without needing someone’s support. Almost everyone, man or woman, should have some level of independence and today, I’d like to share some tips on how we can achieve that.

    1. DO THINGS BY YOURSELF

    One of the ways to stop being dependent on others is to start doing things by yourself. Don’t always accept help from others. If it’s something really hard or really serious, and you’ve tried to fix it yourself and can’t, get help. If it’s something easy and you know you can do it, do it. Don’t rely on others to do the tasks you can do. You don’t even have to start with the big things. You can start small and gradually build up to more risk things, getting out of your comfort zone.

    2. START AND FINISH YOUR TASKS

    If you’re constantly asking a friend or family member to start or finish something you did, you should do it yourself so you don’t become dependent on them to always do your personal tasks. It’s okay to ask for help sometimes, just not all the time. Plus, you get the glory and satisfaction of doing the task by yourself without any help!

    3. LIST YOUR POSITIVE PERSONALITY TRAITS

    Many times when a person is dependent upon others, it is because they don’t realize how great they actually are. They may ride on someone else’s confidence since they don’t have any of their own. If this is you, realize you have every right to be confident in who you are. List all of the great things about you. Looking at your positive personality traits written down in black and white can give you confidence.

    4. SPEND WISELY

    If the situation is about money, think more carefully about how you shop. This will give you the extra money for emergencies, activities, and keep you from asking people to borrow money. But if it’s something that affects your or another persons health, or another serious situation, it’s fine to ask for the money to help you out. Other than that, you should be able to do this with your own money.

    5. TAKE SMALL STEPS

    If you need to grow more independent a little at a time, that is okay. Take small steps if you need to. With time, you’d realize that you can actually achieve a lot of things on your own. These little steps will make you stronger and eventually you will be strong enough to take the big steps.

  • Giving Up Is Not An Option

    Life is a journey, if the journey landed you where you do not intend to be; giving up is not an option; keep moving till you end where you are destined to be.

    Sometimes staying strong feels impossible but giving up is not an option!!!

    Giving up is not an option you have to know you are not in this alone. God is your help.

    The beginning is always the hardest, but I PROMISE you it will get so much easier! Giving up is not an option for those who succeed.

    Giving up is not an option. Its either success or more success.

    I hope these words inspire you today. Have a great day SL Fabz!

  • Must Watch Video! Paralyzed Bride Surprises Wedding Guests By Walking Down The Aisle

    Inspiring Bride

    Walking down the aisle to meet your groom is simply normal for most brides, but not 27 year-old Gina Giaffoglone. When I watched this video, it made me realize that we take too many things for granted, too many things that others don’t have the privilege of enjoying. Her story is an inspiring one.

    After an unfortunate car accident six years back, Gina was tragically paralyzed from the waist down. She could not feel her legs, neither could she walk. Since her accident, Gina has had to use a wheelchair to move around.

    But when her fiance John Springhower proposed in 2012, she set her mind on a seemingly impossible goal – walking down that aisle, just like every normal bride does. She went through months of physical therapy at a Rehabilitation Center to make this wish come true, and managed to keep her progress a secret the entire time. Through faith and a large dose of determination, she learnt to straighten her body after a year and a half and surprised her wedding guests when she walked down the aisle on her wedding day. Almost everyone was in tears when she did that.

    Her story is so inspiring and makes me believe that there is nothing you can’t do if you believe.

    YOU BECOME WHAT YOU BELIEVE.

  • Monday Morning Inspiration: 5 Inspiring Messages to Guide You Through the Week

    Hi Sweets!

    It’s another beautiful Monday Morning again. I hope you had a fab weekend and are ready to get your week started on a bright note.

    Here are 5 inspiring messages to guide you through the week.

    Be inspired!
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  • International Day Of The Girl Child: The Essence of a Girl Child

    Today October 11th is the International Day Of The Girl Child. Since 2012, the United Nations marks 11 October as the ‘International Day of the Girl Child’. The day promotes girls’ human rights, highlights gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys and addresses the various forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by girls around the world.

    As we mark this day across the world, I’d like us to take some time to reflect on the true essence of a girl child.

    A girl child is not a weaker sex, neither is she a commodity to be traded

    She is neither subject to a man, nor a second fiddle to the male gender

    She is a being that must be respected and a royalty that must be adored

    She is a jewel that must be treasured, and a bride that must be groomed

    She is a genius that must be nurtured and a global bird that must be freed from the cultural cage and given the wings to fly

    She is a girl child and her peace lies in the peace of the world.

    Let’s also take this day to reflect on the missing Chibok girls. I still believe in my heart that these girls would be found and returned to their families. We must not relent in our prayers for them.

    Happy International Day of the Girl Child.

     

    Photo Credit: UNICEF

  • I’m So Proud Of Malala Yousafzai – Nobel Peace Prize Winner

    I feel especially happy today!

    Just found out that 17 year-old Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize or her efforts in the education of girls and women.

    Her story is very exceptional. Her’s has been a heroic struggle.

    Exactly two years and a day ago, Taliban gunmen shot her in the head for daring to speak up for the rights of a girl to get an education. She fought for her life and thankfully, she was fully recovered from the gun shot. She received global attention after she was shot in the head by the Taliban and had to relocate from her home country Pakistan to the UK. Since then, after recovering from surgery, she has taken her campaign to the world stage, notably with a speech last year at the United Nations.

    The threat on her life is an experience that would have pushed most people to give up on their struggles, but instead, she intensified her voice and has touched the lives of girls and women around the world. And she is just 17! This makes her the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Prize and also the first Pakistani to win the prize.

    She shares the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize with 60 year-old Indian child rights campaigner Kailash Satyarthi.

    I am so proud of her and say a big congratulations!

  • Apply Or Nominate Someone Today for the Queens Young Leaders Awards

    Hi SL Fabz,

    I sincerely hope your day is going great!

    As you know, I’ve always been an avid supporter of young people who are doing great things to affect people’s lives in their communities, which is why I’m so glad to join the campaign to search and celebrate young people across the Commonwealth nations under the QUEEN’S YOUNG LEADERS CAMPAIGN.

    The Campaign invites Young Nigerian leaders to be recognized for their brilliance and community engagement. In July 2014, Prince William and Prince Harry helped launch The Queen’s Young Leaders Awards, a prestigious new programme established by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust in partnership with Comic Relief and The Royal Commonwealth Society.

    The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme will identify, celebrate and nurture inspirational young people across the Commonwealth nations who are making a difference in their communities.

    So guys, THE SEARCH IS ON right now in Nigeria to find the next Queens Young Leader! It’s a really exciting opportunity. I am very sure our young Nigerian rising leaders will step up to the plate and make us proud.

    Are you doing something to positively affect the lives of people in your community or do you know anyone you think deserves this award? You can apply or nominate someone today! The deadline to apply is October 10th; you must be between the ages of 18-29 to participate. Log on to www.queensyoungleaders.com to get full details. The social media hashtag for this campaign is #TheSearchIsOn.

    About The Campaign

    In honour of Her Majesty The Queen’s 60-year contribution to the Commonwealth, each year from 2014 – 2018, 60 exceptional people aged 18-29 will be selected to receive an award for leading the way where they live and become a ‘Queen’s Young Leader’. Winners will receive their award from Her Majesty the Queen and will be rewarded with a bespoke package of mentoring, training and networking, which will help them, realise their full potential. With this they can go on to inspire other young people to help shape the future of the Commonwealth. This Programme will support them to do more life-changing work, to take up leadership roles and to inspire future leaders.