I Am African by Verastic

This pandemic needs to just go away. Am I right? Or am I right? A lot of things have changed permanently, thanks to the pandemic. For example, remote work, when possible, will probably always be the norm. Another thing is money: how much of it we wake, how much of it we have saved for a rainy day, etc.

In today's episode, we have Ronke Adewumi, a finance expert, teaching us creative ways to save money and stop wasting it. Yes, even when you think you don't even have money or don't have enough of it.

Let me tell you a bit about Ronke: Ronke is a Personal Finance expert and the creator of The Bulletproof Life program. She has helped many people turn their lives around positively, simply by teaching them to adopt the Bulletproof Life which is about taking continuous actionable steps to achieve financial freedom, career progression, and business growth while living an intentional life. Ronke shares her Bulletproof Life knowledge through her Youtube channel and social media accounts. A Chartered Accountant (ACMA, CGMA) and Management Consultant with about 16 years of experience, Ronke, in her day job, has led and delivered finance and program management solutions for blue-chip companies in Europe, Africa, and Asia. She is a published author, serial entrepreneur, mum of two girls, married to an amazing man.

At the time of this recording, Ronke was about to have a class. That class has since expired, but Ronke always has new classes scheduled, so don't fret. Connect with Ronke to find out more. Check her out on her website, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. And you can email her too [email protected].
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• Vera Ezimora on Instagram
• Vera Ezimora on Twitter
• Vera Ezimora on Facebook
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• Web: www.verastic.com
• Email: [email protected]

Recently, a Nigerian woman, Dr Ikea Bello, went viral for doing what we (Nigerians/Africans) would consider the unimaginable. Not only did she file for divorce, but she also dared to celebrate it --- and she did it publicly. On social media. With pictures. And videos. So, naturally, the African internet streets are offended. And also naturally, I was there to remind everyone that the divorce and the party are both hers. Read my post here.

A lot of brands and publications have been reaching out to Dr. Bello since the party, but she chose to talk to us first, and I am deeply honored. You need to listen to Dr. Bello speak about being married to a narcissist, being in a toxic marriage, literally escaping her marriage, and the work she has done to bring her the peace that she now enjoys.

So, who is Dr. Ikea Bello exactly? Dr. Ikea Bello is a mom (five kids!), a doctor of nurse practitioner, life coach, and so much more. She has spent part of her life inspiring people at seminars, through online classes, and through small gatherings. She uses a range of physical and verbal techniques to captivate thousands of people attending her seminars. She uses her personal, past life struggles and present winning to motivate her audience. She is also a domestic violence survivor, a professional life coach, a mentor, and soon to be a publishing author. She believes in work–life balance as a state of equilibrium in which demands of personal life, professional life, and family life are equal.

You can connect with Dr. Ikea Bello on her website and on social media: Instagram and Facebook.

You can also listen at any and all of the following places: online, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Sticher, Google Play Music, Tunein, Spreaker, Blubrry, Digital Podcast, Deezer, Podchaser, Afrotivity, and the Sono App (no link). If there’s a podcast player you prefer that isn’t listed here, let me know and I’ll see if I can submit my podcast there. But that’s not all! You can also find updates about the I Am African Podcast right here on Verastic. See for yourself.
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Conversations are important, especially with people who are different from you. As a Christian girl, it was important for me to have this conversation with Ruth Marimo, an African Atheist - because at the end of the day, no matter who we serve (or don't serve), we are still humans with blood running through our veins.

Today's guest, Ruth Marimo, isn't new to the podcast. She first came on the podcast in episode 18 where she talked about emotional resilience. It. Was. So. Powerful! Check that episode out here. I promise you that you will feel inspired, motivated, and empathetic. Go listen to it when you are busy making children up and down.

Ruth Marimo is a 40-year-old single mom. She has authored two books: (1) a memoir titled ‘Outsider: Crossing Borders, Breaking Rules, Gaining pride’, which chronicles her immigration journey from her country of origin, Zimbabwe, as well as the complexities of being a multiple minority, and (2) a work of fiction titled ‘Indelicate Things.’ She has a residential and commercial cleaning business called Ruth’s Cleaning Service that has been growing for 6 years. When she is not busy raising her two kids, she speaks and fights for many causes including racial inequality, immigration reform, and LGBTQ equality.

Connect with Ruth Marimo on her personal Facebook page, on Instagram, on Twitter, and on Facebook. Also, please watch her TEDx talk.

BEFORE YOU GO, PLEASE RATE AND LEAVE A WRITTEN REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS. THANK YOU!
Let's connect:

• I Am African on Instagram
• I Am African on Twitter
• I Am African on Facebook
• Vera Ezimora on Instagram
• Vera Ezimora on Twitter
• Vera Ezimora on Facebook
• Monthly love notes in your email
• Web: www.verastic.com
• Email: [email protected]

"Vera, you're so strong!"

I've practically heard this for as long as I can remember. I heard it most when I left my marriage. People congratulated me for being so strong, for having the audacity to walk out of a marriage that was trampling me and robbing me of my peace. I did not understand why I was being congratulated. Should one not always leave a situation that is bad for them? But that's by the way.

To be strong, one has to be emotionally resilient. Some people are strong because they've learned from other people who have coached them to be strong - through their words and/or their actions. And then there are people who are strong and emotionally resilient because life kicked them in the gut, and they had no other choice but to be strong.

Emotional resilience: one's ability to be kicked in the gut and fall down, but not stay down. One's ability to function in spite of everything else. One's ability to roll with the punches. One's ability to make lemonade out of lemons.

Today's guest, Ruth Marimo, is a perfect example. She did not know her father, and she lost her mother at age 4 to suicide. She eventually married an abusive man whom she had to divorce and file a restraining order against. But wait, that's not all! She came out as a lesbian and she's also now an atheist. And this isn't even everything! You'd have to listen to the episode to find out more.

Tell me, how do you think life has been for her as an African woman? You think friends and family were happy that she was getting divorced? You think they patted her on her back for coming out? You think they shook her hand for becoming an atheist? Or do you think she stopped being included?

Today, Ruth Marimo is a 40-year-old single mom. She has authored two books: (1) a memoir titled ‘Outsider: Crossing Borders, Breaking Rules, Gaining pride’, which chronicles her immigration journey from her country of origin, Zimbabwe, as well as the complexities of being a multiple minority, and (2) a work of fiction titled ‘Indelicate Things.' She has a residential and commercial cleaning business called Ruth’s Cleaning Service that has been growing for 6 years. When she is not busy raising her two kids, she speaks and fights for many causes including racial inequality, immigration reform, and LGBTQ equality.

Connect with Ruth Marimo on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Also, please watch her TEDx talk.
BEFORE YOU GO, PLEASE RATE AND LEAVE A WRITTEN REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS. THANK YOU!
Let's connect:

• I Am African on Instagram
• I Am African on Twitter
• I Am African on Facebook
• Vera Ezimora on Instagram
• Vera Ezimora on Twitter
• Vera Ezimora on Facebook
• Monthly love notes in your email
• Web: www.verastic.com
• Email: [email protected]

"I believe in asking the difficult questions, starting the uncomfortable conversations, proposing outside-the-box solutions, and of course, shaking tables. No, breaking tables." Verbatim, these words are in the intro of the I Am African Podcast because they are exactly why I started this podcast.
And today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Edafe Okporo about his life as an openly-gay Nigerian man. Make no mistake, Edafe is not a gay rights activist, although he is understandably outspoken on the issue. However, he wants you to know more about him than the person he shares a bed with. For example, Edafe is 6'1" and 205 pounds, and he describes himself simply as a speaker, an author, and a diversity expert.

Before Edafe moved to New York, he was a Pastor in a Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria where he struggled with his sexuality. Eventually, he came out to the church, and while life was difficult then, it became unbearable when Nigeria passed the law against homosexuality. That was when Edafe found himself being attacked several times and had to flee to the United States for refuge.

Here's the thing: As Africans, we know ourselves. We know the "sin" that we like and the one we don't. An article I read stated that 94% of Africans do not approve of homosexuality. There are hindrances in the way of "approving" homosexuality, I get it - like culture, religion, personal preference, etc. This episode is not to convince you to suddenly love homosexuality. This is simply a conversation between two human beings, appealing to your human ears, to treat everybody as a body - a human body - because whether you agree with Edafe or not, he's still a human being, worthy and deserving of every good thing humans can have.

Here's the other thing: As Christians, we miss the mark too many times. Yes, I know not all who listen to this podcast are Christians, but this paragraph is specifically for the Christians. My Pastor always says it best, that our duties as Christians are to, "Love God, and love people." Please listen, and be guided.

You can connect with Edafe Okporo on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. You can also find out more about him on his website where you can also pre-order his new book coming out in October, called Compassion Is Worth More.

BEFORE YOU GO, PLEASE RATE AND LEAVE A WRITTEN REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS. THANK YOU!
Let's connect:

• I Am African on Instagram
• I Am African on Twitter
• I Am African on Facebook
• Vera Ezimora on Instagram
• Vera Ezimora on Twitter
• Vera Ezimora on Facebook
• Monthly love notes in your email
• Web: www.verastic.com
• Email: [email protected]