Women
Recovered Street Girls, The Journey So Far
The joy of every mother, family and society is to watch their children grow and acquire the potentials of becoming the future leaders. To this end, the future holds nothing for any society whose youths are lagging behind with little or no leadership values.
This was the situation that threw a challenge to Mother of Good Counsel Initiative (MOGCI), a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) led by Lady Doris Onyeneke, whose effort to recover and rehabilitate abandoned girls in the street has started paying off after one year experience with rejected girls.
MOGCI established Mater Dei Care Centre to recover and give the recovered street girls a reason to live again and to re-open a closed chapter of their lives. To Lady Doris Onyeneke Executive Director, a strong belief in the saying “give a man fish, you feed him for one day but teach a man how to fish with a net, you feed him for life”, is a driving force behind the whole move.
The thought of feeding for life which pushed MOGCI, to embark on skill acquisition for 60 girls at the Mater Dei Girls Centre an arm of MOGCI seemed to be paying off with the girls showing interest in their new found lives.
Girls who were before now abandoned by their parents and environment, now proudly show their talents in the entrepreneurial training taking place at the centre under nine programmes; Mentorship, Fashion and deigning, Hair dressing, Computer training, Catering, art/fascinator, Bead making, Wire works Agro-business and extra-mural classes.
A release by the centre said that “Mater Dei Girls Centre is not just a skill acquisition centre but also a place to holistically reform and enhance the status of girls and young women.
“MOGCI has also succeeded in sending some of our girls who dropped out of school back to school. Employment opportunities have already been provided for 30 girls in the catering department on graduation in one of the biggest eateries in Port Harcourt”.
Many of the girls have been united with their families who before now disowned them because of their misconducts and shameful activities in their environment.
A display of the girls products like the made cloths, beads and others, showcased a touch of quality and readiness on the side of the girls to become employers of labour in the state.
These are mothers of tomorrow, for a person to become a woman, she must first become a girl and getting her out of the street would save the children she must give birth to tomorrow.
The role of building the future leaders should be the duty of all. No wonder Lady Onyeneke decried the challenges faced in the running of the centre,” finance is a big challenge.
“Our safe space (hostel) can only accommodate six abused girls at a time and we also need computers, sewing machines and other equipment to empower those that would soon graduate to become full fledged entrepreneurs”.
She however commended the Board of Directors of MOGCI, corporate organizations and other philanthropists who have partnered with her to make things happen. Some of these girls who joined cult in the past now look forward to a brighter future with the skills they are acquiring from the centre.
In her contribution, the coordinator of Mother of Good Counsel Initiative, Obiageli Oraka-Oipoghe said the success story of the centre is “mind blowing as the centre is gaining momentum because of the many visible achievements in the lives of the girls.
“The best investment is the one made in human beings. We correct the wrong information that uneducated women cannot worth anything in the society”, Oraka-Oipoghe noted.
One of the girls, Idara, said she was abandoned by her mother to co-habit with a man for 12 years.
“I was left to take care of myself for these number of years without anybody but a hostile environment that only used me at will but thanks to this NGO that has restored my life and given me a future.
“I will soon graduate from the computer training and I am preparing for WAEC exam. In addition, I have been united with my mother and my six other siblings, a battle fought by the NGO even against will”.
Precious and Mary who are 15 and 16 years respectively, had dropped out of school because of teenage pregnancy. Today, thanks to MOGCI, they have been sent back to school to reconnect with their career and future.
From the foregoing, it is obvious that the effort on the recovery mission of MOGCI will not only reduce the social, vises in the society, it will also reduce unemployment that has battled the country to a stand still.
Lilian Peters
Women
Nigeria Deserves Stylish, Sophisticated Designs-Igiebor Daddy Lucky
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
Women
Women Can Curb Indecent Dressing
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.