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| Elsie |
Ms. Elsie Ijorogu-Reeds. Ijorogu-Reeds is
the founder of Deltawomen, a non-governmental organisation which caters for the
less privileged. The amiable entrepreneur, whose magazine, Drumbeat, will soon
hit newsstands, speaks in this interview with ADA DIKE, among other riveting
issues, on why she is passionate about empowering the less privileged.
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Over the years, the founder and chief
executive officer of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Deltawomen, Ms.
Elsie Ijorogu-Reeds, has devoted her time and talent to help the less
privileged through her empowerment programmes, radio programming, online
publishing, and so on.
She set
up Deltawomen in 2010 because helping people has always been her passion and
something she has always loved to do. So she decided to use her time and
talents to inspire people by providing for their needs, including offering
skills acquisition, free medical eye tests and free eyeglasses for women in
many places including Edo and Delta States.
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| Elsie |
Her weekly radio programmes, online
publishing and the soon–to–hit–newsstands magazine called Drumbeat are channels
through which she strives to ensure that people are empowered, informed, and
educated about societal issues, including business, health, relationships and
so on, and are able to make informed decisions or choices.
Providing free medical eye tests and
glasses for women in Delta and Edo states and other helps she renders to people
is a gigantic project. She reveals how she raises funds to finance them: “Deltawomen is 99% self–funded. I have
worked as a business intelligence consultant for many companies in countries
like the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), United Arab Emirates
(UAE) and Qatar. I use most of my income plus donations from kind–hearted
people to help the less privileged. Donations are highly welcome, “
Ijorogu-Reeds said.
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| Elsie |
Stating her next plan of action, Elsie
revealed that “For the short–term, Deltawomen
is engaged in proactive activities that have global reach—such as blogs,
magazines, podcasts and newsletters, each of which accent women and women’s
rights and ensure the inculcation of awareness—through articles, real–life
stories and experiences.
“For the long term, Deltawomen is
proactively engaged in educating women through online teaching and skills
inculcation. The inculcation of skills is done with the intention of making
women less vulnerable. Our studies have showed that because of poverty or lack
of skills, some women open the window of vulnerability which leaves them
exposed to harm. Women consequently go into prostitution, allow and accept
abuse or violence, and even opt for monetary settlement after rape because they
believe they have no choice.
“We also have eye health camps and
checkups, where we check people’s eyesight and give them glasses for free. We
are planning a free medical check-up, free eye tests, and eyeglasses giveaway
to the entire Okpe kingdom, Delta State in the mid–part of this year.
“Besides this, we will be offering
on-ground vocational training and micro financing at our centres. We have a
pay–it–forward empowerment and training scheme in Adeje and are also running
our own radio show called Deltawomen Drumbeat. In the coming days, we will be
working on these projects while also looking at newer and newer avenues to
benefit women and youth.“
Speaking on the challenges she has been facing since she began those projects, she
stressed that: “The resistance has
been attitudinal. People in Nigeria tend to believe that a woman’s place is to
be subservient, to be the kind of person that does a man’s bidding in entirety.
We often hear from men that a woman is raped because she deserves it or has
asked for it by her conduct.”
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| Elsie |
She explained how she overcame those
challenges and said it makes no
sense to avoid engaging with people because of this mentality, “so we go ahead
anyway, and do our work of spreading awareness. We want to change their
mentality. People sometimes challenge, insult and threaten us online and
through emails.”
In a couple of weeks, Nigerians will have
their first chance to see this resourceful and hard working woman’s quarterly
magazine, which is the first of its kind in Africa. She believes that “We are
bringing the best of both worlds (African and Western) to the magazine, Drumbeat,
so it will be empowering yet entertaining; it will include informative and
entertaining sections including interviews, a career guide and articles about
relationships, health and living, fashion and beauty, entertainment and
lifestyle and so on.
“Drumbeat will be conspicuously displayed
on newsstands across Nigeria. I hereby stress that it is not just a local magazine;
it will add a qualitative value to the lifestyle magazine market in Nigeria and
beyond. I want to use Drumbeat magazine
to celebrate the positive sides of Nigeria, its people and events. It will also
feature places within Nigeria and around the world.
“According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary, drumbeat is an English word meaning “A stroke on a drum or the
sound this makes”. In traditional Africa, drums were a means of communication
to the villages. Whenever a drum was being beaten, people would gather to hear
the message that prompted the beating of the drum. So, Drumbeat magazine is a
tool for communication to the world, with the aim of disseminating factual
information to our audience, which comprises both young and old.
“The 48-page magazine, which will cost
N700, will be sold in all states of Nigeria. This publication’s guiding
principle is to educate, inform and entertain our readers in a way that has
never been done before. So our unique selling point is: “Bringing out the best
in you.””
Currently, she is using Crown FM for her
radio programme, and this covers Warri, Delta state, and neighbouring villages.
“We are planning to move to DBS, which covers entire Delta State. The reception
has been awesome and the responses from our listeners are quite encouraging, actually,
more than we anticipated, since this was a new concept.
“I would like to use this opportunity to
extend my heartfelt gratitude to God, Deltawomen
Drumbeat presenter and production staff and volunteers at Deltawomen—all of
whom worked tirelessly to make this possible. For those who missed our
broadcasts, don't fret! Continue to tune into the conversation every week when
we will be interviewing experts on topics such as good nutrition for pregnant
women and diabetic people, waste management, sexual disease, teenage pregnancy
and so on. Crown FM or http://www.faebook.com/deltawomendrumbeat.”
On how she would be able to manage her
magazine since she is not fully based in Nigeria, Elsie said it shouldn’t be an issue, explaining
that she had managed Deltawomen from outside Nigeria for four years. “We have a
global and a local team that work together very cooperatively. We have more
than 145 volunteers and staff members worldwide.”
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| Elsie |
She bares her perception of the
media industry in Nigeria and states that: “I believe that the media is largely
all about the aesthetic, and emphasises certain elements like body image,
sensationalism, and even inaccurate reporting. I think these issues need
addressing.”
On how the media industry in Nigeria can be
moved to a higher level, she advised that the Nigerian media industry would be
better if the media organisations are objective, factual and fair in their
reportage. “Individuals have a role to play.”
To her, it is difficult to predict what
will happen in the media industry in the next five years. “We all know that the
emergence of social media has expanded the horizon through which people can
access information. But print and electronic media will continue to serve as
the major channels for dissemination of information in the world. I did all the
necessary research before I decided to set up Drumbeat magazine and create the
radio programmes. I am confident that people will continue to seek information
through the above-mentioned media.
“In the next five years, I would have done
at least 10,000 free eye tests within and outside Delta State. Secondly, I
would like to see Drumbeat magazine categorized as one of the most informative
and educative magazines, with a reach beyond Africa.”
Commenting on her greatest disappointment,
she says “I have no expectations, so
no disappointments. It may be difficult for me to mention a specific feat as my
greatest achievement, but I am glad that I have been able to help people with
the available resources at my disposal.
“If my 20-year-old self could see me now,
she would be glad because I am taking life’s challenges one at a time. With
perseverance, I have been successful in many, with a few disappointments along
the line, which most people would not find strange,” she said.
If she had to rate her satisfaction with
life so far, on a scale of 1 to 10, she scored herself: “10! I am contented with life and thank God for his many blessings
that I am not worthy of.”
In what place are you happiest? She
was asked: “With God and my daughter
Gabrielle.”
She answered whether ambition or talent
matters more to success and has this to say: “Both are important, but I believe
having talents means nothing if you don’t have the ambition to work hard or go
an extra mile. “Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.”~
Salvador Dalí. Also, according to Ron Kurtus, the founder of the School for
Champions, “Ambition is the strong drive for success. It is a positive personal
character trait. A person without ambition is said to be shiftless”
Oprah Winfrey is her role model because, “I
admire her strength, how she has moved past abuse to where she is today, and
how she uses her wealth and talents to help the poor and needy.”
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| Elsie |
Reeds, a native of Oku-ijorogu village
in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State was born in London, United
Kingdom. Her dad is an electrical engineer and her late mum had her hands in
many things, like fashion designing, the food industry and business.
She holds a degree in Banking and Finance
and an MBA in Information System Management as well as several IT
certifications: MCP, MCSE, MCDBA, and IBM Expert and so on.
Growing up, according to her, was like any child who grew up in
Nigeria between the 60s and 90s.
“I spent part of my childhood with my
parents and part in boarding schools, with relatives, and abroad.”
Reeds does not miss anything she enjoyed as
a child. In fact, she is contented
with life and does not worry about tomorrow.
She is not a fashion freak.
When it comes to style; she is simple, elegant and looks good in anything she
wears. “My definition of style is: Wear things that are
simple and comfortable. I like both formal and traditional attires and I also
like casual clothes.”
One of the fashion accessories she likes
most are shoes. “I love shoes so I have many pairs of beautiful shoes.”
Seeing smiles on faces of people she has
helped drives her on because “it is both a service to God and humanity. That is
the most important part of our call here on earth. As someone said, “Once you
have stared poverty in the face, your life never remains the same,” I would
love to say my life experiences and pains as well as having witnessed the
suffering of many people have been my motivation and passion, and also keeping
my vow to God that if He blessed me, I would be a blessing to others. So I am doing
what I am passionate about always, and I am doing God’s work.
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| Elsie |
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