Women
Paddling To Make A Living – Rolly Ibigoni
A seventeen year old girl, student of Senior Secondary Two (SS.2), Government Girls Secondary School, Finima, Bonny in the Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State (OLGA), Miss Rolly Ibigoni, rvealed to this writer that she meets up her requirements selling pure water. I met Miss Rolly Ibigoni at the Bonny beach in Bonny Town boarding a small canoe she loaded with bags of Iced pure water.
I became inquisitive and I asked her what she was doing with twenty bags of Iced pure water.
She quickly told me a brief history of her family.
Hear her, “we are six from my parents and I am the third child. My father worked with the Nigerian Ports Authority, now retired. My mum sells garri to make ends meet, nothing comes out of it. My elder brother is a welder, my direct sister, immediate senior makes phone calls, a business that yields no fruit in Bonny
Truly my parents are poor. They find it very difficult to feed us and also cloth us. It has not been easy. I sell pure water to buy my books and meet up with my other requirements.
I contribute to the house keeping, that is I feed the family (my parents, brothers and sisters) with the gains I make from pure water.
I am very grateful to God, Miss Rolly Ibigoni said, I bought a deep freezer fridge with proceeds from the pure water money.
My pure water selling is unique because, I sell more of my pure water in the fishing port.
I load my hired canoe with more than twenty bags of Iced pure water and paddle to the fishing ports.
Each bag of pure water costs three hundred naira and they are happy to buy because drinking water is difficult to come by in the fishing port. No fridge to cool their water.
There is no electricity in the fishing port. Some of the pure water come out blocked, that is why they are happy to buy.
I sell up to ten thousand naira (10,000) in a day.
She reiterated the need for youths to be wise.
My parents are proud of me, she revealed, but my elder sister is jealous of me surprised of my success.
Almost in tears, Rolly Ibigoni lamented that canoe paddling is very stressful and strenuous. I do it because I want to forge ahead in life and there is dignity in labour. I deprived myself of so many good things of life because I know what I want.
I have started saving for my university education.
The Lord will see me through because I have never seen the Lord disappointing. My trust, hope and faith is on him. I thank the Lord for his mercies towards me, she concluded.
Miss Rolly Ibigoni is a rare gem, humble in nature, soft spoken and very respectful.
I wish her the best in her life’s struggles. May her endeavours materialise in Jesus Name, Amen.
Julie Jumbo
IVY-K Fashion by Igiebor Daddy Lucky, a Nigerian-born designer now based in the UK, has launched the latest menswear line, Dapper Man.
One of the collection’s strengths is its classic, clean aesthetic. Dapper Man delivers sharp, structured suits in a timeless black and white color scheme that exudes a sense of luxury and professionalism. The use of high-quality fabrics like wool and silk ensures that the suits not only look high-end but also feel luxurious to the wearer. The designer’s focus on detail is evident in the meticulous tailoring, with fitted blazers and crisp trousers forming the foundation of the collection.
Where IVY-K Fashion shines is in the subtle yet elegant touches. The inclusion of beads as embellishments on lapels and cuffs adds a unique flair, blending traditional craft with modern tailoring. This nod to African heritage gives the collection a distinct identity, offering something more personal and culturally significant than your standard menswear line.
However, despite the elegance of the Dapper Man collection, there is a lingering sense of missed opportunity. The black-and-white color palette, while classic, feels overly safe. In a fashion landscape where bold colors and daring patterns often make the strongest impact, the collection could benefit from incorporating more vibrant hues or experimenting with unconventional fabrics. Pushing the envelope with color or texture could elevate these designs from simply elegant to truly memorable.
In addition, while the tailoring of the blazers and trousers is immaculate, the collection lacks a sense of playfulness or modern edge that many contemporary menswear lines are embracing. The suits are undoubtedly stylish, but the collection as a whole leans heavily on tradition. Experimenting with asymmetrical cuts, bold patterns, or even layering could add an exciting dimension to Dapper Man. The challenge is to maintain the sleek sophistication of the collection while infusing it with a fresh, innovative spirit.
Another area that could use improvement is the overall cohesion of the collection. While the suits are well-crafted, there is a feeling of repetition across the pieces. More variation in design, such as different lapel styles, pocket configurations, or even bolder accessories, would give the collection greater diversity and visual interest.
In conclusion, Dapper Man by Igiebor Daddy Lucky showcases the designer’s strong grasp of classic tailoring and elegant design, but to truly capture the attention of a broader audience, IVY-K Fashion would benefit from more daring choices. By infusing the collection with bold colors, unexpected textures, and a more modern edge, Dapper Man could move from a well-crafted line to a trendsetting force in men’s fashion. With such a solid foundation, there’s no doubt that Igiebor Daddy Lucky has the potential to lead his brand toward greater heights
The trend of indecent dressing all in the name of fashion is fast becoming a norm in our generation and society at large. Most married women embrace this fashion as competition with single ladies.
Different scholars have given an in depth insight about dressing as a tool of communication. Non-verbal communication has been asserted as the communication between people by the means of signs or symbols. It conveys what we wish to disseminate to the public as either intentionally or not.
According to Paul Ekman and Michael Argyle, communication is carried out through what has been classified as “Presentational Code”. He listed nine codes of non-verbal communication, as body contact, facial expression, gestures, postures, eye movement, proximity, orientation, head nods and appearance.
This, being stated, married and single ladies should understand that their mode of dressing is communicative be it directly or indirectly as such body parts we call “private” are now being made public because of the trends or wearing of transparent dresses and this in turn calls on the attention of men who are weak and prone to illicit thoughts thus, resulting to most rape cases in our society.
This indecent dressing by most ladies has denied many their future husbands. The truth is that a man is attracted to his kind; his desires in marriage. It is often asserted that decency and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder, yet, in trending times of this 21st century, dress code and fashion in nudity form is gaining popularity.
This has become complicated as most men tend to toggle between their emotions (lust) and sanity (rationality) in terms of marriage, thereby setting a wrong foundation upon which most marriages are consummated.
On the other hand, most married women have embraced the trend of indecent dressing nipping it on the state of it being the choice dressing, approved by their spouses, leaving society with the question of what “responsible” man would prefer that the secrecy of the benefit of his marital vow has become the centre of attraction and viewership by the general public.
Hence, communicating with their dressing gas given licence to every male gender who is interested or attracted to what they see to make unsolicited sexual passes at them, which might be considered embarrassing.
At this juncture, it is important to state that ladies should dress decently knowing that they are the epitome of nation-building, they are nation-builders, character moulders and pacesetters not just in the lives of their families but to the society at large.
In most occasions, there are no clear border lines between the married women and the single ladies because of the rate of scanty dressing which has close the gap of differences.
Women and girls should embrace this call awakening to decent mode of dressing. Dresses that are meant to be worn indoors should remain indoors.
It is worrisome to see ladies wear shorts that are supposed to be worn in the living room on the streets without shame. This is an awakening call to our ladies, married and singles that the opposite sex do not expose their private body parts for the public. Sometimes, the ladies go about in the streets without wearing brazziers as to showcase their nipples.
The society should be sanitised of the menace of indecent dressing that is lurking and taking over the entire nooks and crannies of the society and the nation at large.
Let it be known that he or she is addressed in the manner he or she is dressed. There may be no room for a second impression. To the single ladies, your dressing decently will not stop you from meeting your Mr Right rather, it will increase your stake and place you on the list of most valued women in the society.
Dressing speaks louder than words.
Kate Chisom Isiocha
Isiocha is an OND final year student of Temple Gate Polytechnic.
