“There’s nothing in the world more powerful than a good story.” – Tyrion Lannister of Game of Thrones.
Storytelling has been used over the years to express oneself, preserve history, inspire, influence and form bonds where and when necessary. What makes a story more powerful is when it comes from the person who is sharing his/her experience. The truth is people go through similar things that have been experienced by someonelse before and they need to hear the other person’s story to know how to get out of the situation unscathed.
So, IBIENE all through 2021 made it a point of duty to share the experiences of others through its platform so someone who reads it would know that they’re not alone.
Here’s a recap of all the Creators whose minds IBIENE has probed this year.
In January, a leader among leaders and top golfer, Adokiye I. Ikpoki talked about his love for the game, life principles to be learnt and surprisingly makes us understand why the impression that golf is for the rich only is a misconception. Click here to read more.
In February, IBIENE caught up with Kemi Balogun, a woman whose ministry runs a vibrant outreach arm where they work with the prisons, the homeless, orphanages, the blind, destitute, old people’s homes, abused and women at risk and widows across the world. Read more here.
IBIENE’s personality focus for the month of March is on a woman Kate Stanley, who dared to walk where mostly men thrived. She not only walked but also soared and reigned in the business of bar ownership, a business where women would shy away from, especially in most parts of Africa. Find out more here.
April had IBIENE looking into the life of an exotic fabrics and fashion business mogul in Nigeria, Ibiba Omotosho who was ready to tell the world that life after 50 is a time to count your pennies and save them for retirement. Read more about Ibiba here.
By May, the focus shifted to one woman making strides in the public sector, Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam, who long before women empowerment and gender parity became buzzwords, has been making history. How did she climb the shatter that glass ceiling? Find out here.
June came with a slice of entertainment as the daughter of one of Nigeria’s well-known entertainers, Keke Bongos-Ikwue speaks of her journey from having a famous dad to finding her own feet in the entertainment and becoming an award-winning filmmaker and healthy skin advocate. Read more about Keke here.
In July, IBIENE’s focus was on the world’s premium liquid and one lady who markets it – Tamunodiepiriye Salome Sekibo. This chat made it very clear that if only people can realize and accept that they cannot please everyone, life could get so much easier. The best person you can learn this from is someone who is in the business of satisfying people’s delicate taste- a Vitner! Here’s more on Piriye and the art of making fine wine.
August, came with a lesson that life takes you places that you never planned to go sometimes. That’s the story of Igoni Archibong, a graduate of anatomy but turned out to be an actor in love with martial arts who creates beautiful pieces with leather. Igoni tells his story here.
September came with a twist and an introduction to “The Warrior series”. This is about the story of Annah Arrah, a Cameroonian Corporate Lawyer who has been through hell and back not defeated but victorious. The doctor’s announcement of her diagnosis changed her world but for the warrior that she is, she fought her way through it all. IBIENE sits for an exclusive with her.
How can a woman wait to have a child for almost five years only to have her prayers answered yet the same child she waited for was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at 21 months? This devastating experience did not make Hilda Manyo Dickson, the woman at the centre of this story a bitter woman. She instead is helping others through their sad tales. That’s what October had for IBIENE’s readers. Read more on her here.
May you find hope to carry on in one or more of these stories.
Do you have any question or comments? Do share with us in the comment section.