Women
NGO Educates Children At Christmas
As the society heads for all the odds in recent times, a Non-Governmental Organization, the Lifeboat Care and Empowerment Initiative, has traced cause of the increasing social vices to a denial of the rights attention to the child.
In a children – focused programme titled “Children: Arrows In God’s Quiver”, organised by the above organization last Wednesday, at Rumuewhor, Odegu, in Emohua Local Government Area, the President of the Lifeboat Care And Empowerment Initiative, Barrister (Mrs) Okogbule Vivian, who announced that the programme was informed by the need to catch the children young, said the younger generation has begun to toe the wrong path hence the need to redirect them as quickly as possible.
Addressing participants at the programme, Barrister Vivian called for a redirection and re-orientation of the Nigerian children with a view to making them realize that they are arrows in God’s hands and so must be sharpened to be able to hit the Lord’s target.
She made parents realize that they are the available tools with which the children could be sharpened and be made useful to their generation.
On the part of the children, the learned gentle lady said they must be voices to their generation, not to be echoes.
Meanwhile, the President of Flourishing Generation Youth Foundation, a Non Governmental Organization that sensitizes and rehabilitates drug addicts and cultists, Deaconess Harvestba Ibibo, has called on the children to shun drug addiction and cultism.
Using the platform provided by the Lifeboat Care and Empowerment Initiative, Deaconess Ibibo highlighted the disadvantages of drug addiction and involvement in cultism prevalent among the teenagers and youths.
She said it is only a conscious effort and determination which ofcourse must commence from their age as children that could make their case different.
She insists that the society would be a better place for all if the children could determine or be taught to resist any form of addiction and involvement in cultism.
She stressed that drugs do not only destabilize our body system, they kill it outrightly. “Take your life off drugs, else drugs will take your life from you” she added. She therefore enjoined mothers to train their children early enough so as to stop them from early drugging because it renders them useless.
On the need for the children to be guided against sexual abuse, Dr (Mrs) Ebi Akosubo, one of the resource persons at the occasion, took the children through incidences that could lure them to be sexually abused. Narrating the dangers of sexual abuse, she charged them to resist every form of molestation.
On hand also to educate the children on the dangers of violence was the Rivers State Youth Leader Girls Guildes, Bukky Blessing Abokirisika, who not only enumerated types of violence, but charged the children to always report cases of sexual abuse irrespective of who is involved.
It will be recalled that Lifeboat Care and Empowerment Initiative was birthed out of a vision received four years ago, precisely on December 26, 2015. According to the visioner, Barrister Okogbule Vivian, the outreach is being observed for the fourth time since inception.
The first an second year witnessed a religious crusade that gathered audience across all ages and sexes. The climax of the activities of the two years included a material ministration to widows.
The third year featured an empowerment programme tagged “Empowered to be productive in times like this”. Women and youths from Rumuewhor Community were trained on some skills capable of boosting their livelihood.
This year, the president explained, “our boat sailed to the children’s shore and I think for some time, our boat will remain with the children because we have come to realize that every misbehaviour begins from this age”.
Even though Barrister Vivian believes she made a huge success in her children outreach, like every other burden bearer, she also had some challenges to contend with.
“We saw lapses in the way they conduct themselves, lack of concentration, even though that is a known feature of children, it shows that we have more works to do”. She recounted.
Financially, the visioner does not have any donor agency to depend on but she is confident that the one who had commissioned her, will also empower her so her boat will neither sink nor capsize.
She therefore encourages as many as have had the call of God to serve humanity in any form not to fret, insisting that underneath the answer to calls, lies the peace of the missionary.
Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi
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.
