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author
Our new generation of girlpreneurs
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Kemi and Kiisha, founders of Kishem
Kemi and Kiisha Oguntayo love arts and crafts, baking, playing dress up and reading! They were 4 and 6 years old when they created the brand Kishem with the support of their parents in Summer 2016. They had the idea to create the Kishem colouring book after asking their mum and dad why there weren't colouring books with all types of children who look like them or their friends in school. Their Dad said "girls, problems are meant for solving" so they decided to try making their own.
"We wanted the book to have different types of children who are all talented and unique. It was also important to make it more than just a colouring book so after creating and naming each character, we added short stories about them, what they enjoy doing and what they aspire to be so that other children reading can get inspired too" say the girlpreneurs.
The characters in Kishem's storybooks are powerful, talented, creative, entrepreneurial girls.
- Zhen is a photographer and you get to see her editing in her studio
- Mya is good at cooking
- Kishem loves karate and sports
- Eve is a great swimmer
- Ruby makes jewellery
- Amor loves technology
..... and so on and so forth!!!
To date, Kishem is well on course. Kemi and Kiisha have been able to show their books in UK schools, shipped their books to America and had requests from Africa. Their multicultural characters offer representation for every girl and ethnic group represented in Western schools nowadays.
Click below to see their interview with Elsa, Afroculturekidz presenter, couple of years back.
Author and Self-Love Advocate Tene Edwards
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For 27-Year-Old Tene Edwards, it all started on Instagram. “I was broken, my heart was aching, and I completely lost myself. I always used to be the girl who smiled regardless of what was happening in my life but after that heartbreak, I just didn’t know how to smile anymore. I remember when I was on my way home from seeing the guy who was really hurting me and my face must have looked so distressed because a stranger said to me “smile. You are beautiful you know. You should smile.” I think this played on my mind during my train journey home and I knew from that moment that I needed to find a way to pick myself up and I can’t remember how long after, but sometime after I began to journal and I found healing in my writing as I faced my emotions.
Tene then decided to share her words with the world and created an account on Instagram called quotepotion which helped her discover that there were many other people experiencing the same emotions as she was. “I built my organic following online using my phone by engaging with people who followed and commented on the inspirational posts of accounts that had larger audiences than mine, this drew them to checking out my page and some following. I did this for hours on end to begin with and found that people were really able to resonate with my words. I then started to search via hashtags that were relevant to my writings and engaged with people there. I also asked the larger accounts to repost my words, some did this for free while other accounts charged”.
“I self-published Walk With Wings to begin with as I wanted to give my readers something that they could hold and make their own. I also saw this as an opportunity to monetise my passion of writing and was very keen to do this after reading a ton of self-help books that consistently screamed “do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life”. I wrote the content out on Word and searched for an illustrator, editor and book designer to help me with the layout of the inside of the book on the copyright pages of other books that I liked. I then uploaded the documents onto CreateSpace (now KDP).
Tene contacted The Good Quote to ask if they could share some of her words on their account and before you know it, she was having a meeting with them in Joe & The Juice about Walk With Wings and the rest is history. Walk With Wings has reached the hands of thousands and thousands of people worldwide and Tene’s words have been shared by household names and celebrities including, Kandi Burruss, Wesley Snipes, Dascha Polanco and Khloe Kardashian.
“Social media is a powerful place; I practically built my brand on there. Anybody can. I think a lot of people are underutilising it, including myself to be honest when we should really be making the most out of it, being a free platform to advertise. I don’t think advertising can get any easier and cheaper than this.”
Click below to watch one of Tene Edwards latest interview by Gin and Gist:
Our cultural mediator, Caro Sika, showcasing Walk with Wings by Tene Edwards:
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26 year old Tene Edwards monetised her passion of writing on Instagram
For 26-Year-Old Tene Edwards, it all started on Instagram. “I was broken, my heart was aching, and I completely lost myself. I always used to be the girl who smiled regardless of what was happening in my life but after that heartbreak, I just didn’t know how to smile anymore. I remember when I was on my way home from seeing the guy who was really hurting me and my face must have looked so distressed because a stranger said to me “smile. You are beautiful you know. You should smile.” I think this played on my mind during my train journey home and I knew from that moment that I needed to find a way to pick myself up and I can’t remember how long after, but sometime after I began to journal and I found healing in my writing as I faced my emotions.
Tene then decided to share her words with the world and created an account on Instagram called quotepotion which helped her discover that there were many other people experiencing the same emotions as she was. “I built my organic following online using my phone by engaging with people who followed and commented on the inspirational posts of accounts that had larger audiences than mine, this drew them to checking out my page and some following. I did this for hours on end to begin with and found that people were really able to resonate with my words. I then started to search via hashtags that were relevant to my writings and engaged with people there. I also asked the larger accounts to repost my words, some did this for free while other accounts charged”.
“I self-published Walk With Wings to begin with as I wanted to give my readers something that they could hold and make their own. I also saw this as an opportunity to monetise my passion of writing and was very keen to do this after reading a ton of self-help books that consistently screamed “do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life”. I wrote the content out on Word and searched for an illustrator, editor and book designer to help me with the layout of the inside of the book on the copyright pages of other books that I liked. I then uploaded the documents onto CreateSpace (now KDP).
Tene contacted The Good Quote to ask if they could share some of her words on their account and before you know it, she was having a meeting with them in Joe & The Juice about Walk With Wings and the rest is history. Walk With Wings has reached the hands of thousands and thousands of people worldwide and Tene’s words have been shared by household names and celebrities including, Kandi Burruss, Wesley Snipes, Dascha Polanco and Khloe Kardashian.
“Social media is a powerful place; I practically built my brand on there. Anybody can. I think a lot of people are underutilising it, including myself to be honest when we should really be making the most out of it, being a free platform to advertise. I don’t think advertising can get an easier and cheaper than this.”
Continue reading for Tene's 4 steps to get you started on Social Media.
Here are her 4 steps to get you started on social media AND share your craft
Step 1: Create an account on Instagram
Step 2: Write a bio (be clear, concise and descriptive)
- What is the purpose of your account? Where can your audience contact you? Include a call to action. Why should they click on your link?
Step 3: Build your audience and direct people to your work
- Research the Hashtags relevant to your brand and engage with the accounts that are using the hashtag through liking their posts and commenting your thought on them. For example some of the hashtags I use to find people to engage with are #knowyourworth #thegoodquote #selflove you can even search competitors hashtags
- Research accounts that have bigger followings than you who repost other people's posts that are similar to yours and align with your brand. Reach out and ask them to repost your posts.
Step 4: Engage with your audience through polls and questions to find out what type of content they enjoy seeing and post more of it.
If you would like to know more and see Tene in person, you can meet her at the event below.
You can also connect with Tene Edwards via Instagram and follow her @teneedwards
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Eventbrite - Intuitively Improvised presents Vision Board & Vegan Lunch - Saturday, 22 February 2020 at SpaceAT61, London, England. Find event and ticket information.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/vision-board-vegan-lunch-tickets-83470653973
Black History Activity Books - A huge success!!
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Home | Black History Activity Books
The Black History Activity Books are designed to educate children on role models and figures whilst stimulating their minds with puzzles and activities. Have fun and learn whilst getting to know ...
The Black History Activity Books have been designed to inspire and educate young people on some of the greatest figures in history. The books use a series of puzzles and activities to stimulate the minds of the reader whilst aiding them to learn in a fun and exciting way.
"We believe that it is our responsibility to inspire and educate our children about their history. There are many positive black role-models that are truly inspirational. No longer will they be kept away from us and hidden in the shadows and there contributions to be ignored! We highlight these role-models, giving young people a greater sense of self thus building confidence. We believe that educating young people about our achievements, contributions to society and this civilisation is of paramount importance".
Their Launch in 2018 was a major success!! Click on youtube link below for their latest video:
The preparation for their second Black History Month event in 2019 is already well under way and 900 tickets have already been booked in less than a week!! Make sure to register online as soon as possible!!
Read on to book your ticket today!!
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Black History Activity Book Launch 2.0
Due to the huge success of the first Black History Activity Book Launch on Sunday the 7th October 2018, we are back by popular demand! We entertained over 2000 visitors and over 100 stallholders. As
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-history-activity-book-launch-20-tickets-55127629223
The new book of the Pan African activist and Beninese author Kemi Seba
Saturday, June 30, 2018, Kemi Seba was holding his book signing, following the release of his new book "L'Afrique Libre ou la Mort - A Free Africa or death" at Moussa L'africain, a restaurant located in the heart of Paris, near les Halles. " During 3 hours, a constant parade of supporters came to buy their copy of the book, sometimes two or three, from a big brother and a world icon against the oppression of afro-descendants and campaigning for the sovereignty of Africa. In the greatest calm and respect, the session was punctuated by embraces and words of encouragement, in order to provide practical support to the activist and author Kemi Seba. In two hours, more than 500 books were sold.
Keep reading below for our review of Kemi Seba's book
Queue for booksigning of Kemi Seba on Saturday 30th June in Paris
The book
"L'Afrique Libre ou la Mort" awakens us to the resurgence of a pan-African movement in the 21st century embodied by Kemi Seba. This fight is part of the continuity of the mission of our ancestors who fought for the sovereignty of Africa in order to, as will tell the author, "regain our former nobility".
The resonance of the title to the slogan of Thomas Sankara, Pan-African resistance icon of the 1980s "La Patrie ou la Mort, nous vaincrons - the fatherland or death, we will overcome" and the choice of the cover of the book in front of the tomb of the latter in the cemetery of Dagnoen in Burkina Faso are full of symbolism and bearers of hope.
The Pan-African mission for the liberation and self-determination of our people is still to be written and its enemies since the pseudo-independances of Africa, especially in the francophone zone, have since sophisticated their systems of impoverishment of Africa and its people all over the world.
"A Free Africa or death", therefore, retraces the geopolitical struggle of Kemi Seba and his NGO "Urgences Panafricanistes" and their legitimacy and relevance in an era where neocolonialism has transferred to ultraliberal globalism. As a result, Kemi Seba has surrounded himself with many like-minded international figures who, like him, oppose predatory exogenous forces of the 21st century, including seven men that he carefully selected to preface his book, namely:
Biram Dah Abeid, the Mauritanian politician, anti-slavery leading figure in Mauritania and in the Arab world. Jailed several times, he received in 2013 the Human Rights Prize of the United Nations.
Alexandre Douguine, Russian geopolitician, philosopher, anti-imperialist, strategic advisor of the Duma (Russian Parliament) and the Military Academy in Moscow. He is considered the most influential Russian ideologue.
Elie Domota, Guadeloupean revolutionary, trade unionist, independence activist, spokesman for the LKP (Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon, meaning together against the Protifasion in French and general Secretary of the UGTG (General Union of the workers of Guadeloupe).
Pedro Biscay, Argentinian lawyer who specializes in economic crime. Peronist activist advocating the Tricontinental alliance, he was for many years the Director of the Central Bank of Argentina. He is the founder of the Centre for research and prevention of economic crime.
Djimon Hounsou, Hollywood Beninese actor, known for his roles, such as in Gladiator, Amistad, Blood Diamond. He is about to release a film about King Behanzin, and a documentary about Vodoun.
Ganiou Soglo, Minister of Culture in Benin from 2008 to 2011 and son of the former President of the Republic of Benin, Nicéphore Soglo. He is considered to be the pygmalion of Beninese cultural life.
Nicolas Anelka, non-conformist and icon in the French suburbs, international footballer and manager who played for PSG, Manchester City and Chelsea.
Continue to read the review of the book below and access the links to order your copy of the book online (your English copy will be available in the next coming months):
Some contributors to the preface of Kemi Seba's book
In this work, succeeding 3 essays on neocolonialism (Supra Négritude in 2013, Black Nihilism in 2014 and Obscure Epoque in 2016), Kemi Seba provides a framework and reading grid for young Africans and afro-descendants, as well as to future generations, in a plain language to allow them to decrypt the systemic oppression they face and to encourage them to active citizenship, true to his slogan "what African elites do not do for the people, the people will do it themselves".
Kemi Seba's experience on the ground as the president of the NGO Urgences Panafricanistes allowed him to theorize a struggle that is adapted to the realities of this century and which can serve as a guide to any Pan-African resistance movement. According to Kemi Seba, where the African intelligentsia has missed the boat in theorizing in the comfort of their office, formatted in the schools of colonists and failing to link the practice to the theory, " A free Africa or death is in no doubt, the most important book of their political journey and especially a reflective guide for the new generation of Pan-Africanists, far from the theorists who have never experienced the struggle they champion from their keyboards". "L'Afrique libre ou la mort" is published by New African Cultures Editions and for sale on Amazon, Price Minister and FIAT LUX EDITIONS.
See the links below to order your copy of the book and to follow Kemi Seba on social networks:
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Kemi Seba, Cotonou. 469K likes. ☥PAGE OFFICIELLE DE KEMI SEBA, RÉSISTANT AFRICAIN AU 21EME SIECLE,PRÉSIDENT DE L'O.N.G URGENCES PANAFRICANISTES, ESSAYISTE, CHRONIQUEUR GEOPOLITIQUE TV/RADIO
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L'Histoire se souviendra que l'année 2017 fut celle d'un début de contestation sans précédent depuis la période des indépendances dans les pays d'Afrique de la zone Franc. Le motif de ces ...
https://www.amazon.fr/LAfrique-libre-mort-Kemi-Seba/dp/2356827102
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L'Histoire se souviendra que l'année 2017 fut celle d'un début de contestation sans précédent depuis la période des indépendances dans les pays d'Afrique de la zone Franc. Le motif de ces ...
http://editionsfiatlux.com/catalogue/politique/l-afrique-libre-ou-la-mort
Photo sourced from the internet
