A happy 2016 Easter to all AfroCosmopolitans. Celebrate this Easter with a heart filled with love and peace. May this Easter season bring you fun, may this Easter season bring you happiness, may this Easter bring you God’s endless blessings, may this Easter bring you love and the freshness of spring.
May this Easter season gives us all yet another reason to be thankful to God. And May this Easter Sunday inspire you to new hope, happiness, prosperity and abundance. Once again, happy Easter to you and your family! Have a blessed and wonderful Easter 2016!
Ventures Africa caught up with Ose Okpamen, the Creative Director of Hollerose, a contemporary fashion brand based in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub. She highlights the challenges facing startups in Nigeria’s budding fashion industry and the potential opportunities it offers as regards economic diversification and growth:
On what defines Hollerose…
Hollerose is a high end ready-to-wear fashion brand in Lagos Nigeria and it was launched in June 2012. So far we have launched two collections. The first one was launched late 2012 and was inspired by the classic European fashion era while, the second one was launched in April of 2013 and was inspired by a punk theme. Our aim is to be a global luxury brand of choice from Africa.
On decision to establish a fashion label…
Growing up…I always wanted to do something for a living that I enjoyed, I remember making statements like ‘I don’t understand what algebra had to do with making money, why can’t I just do what I love?’ and after critically analysing myself, I realised fashion was the one thing that gave me joy. I was lucky though, my mum had a fashion house at the time and I would go there after school and learn a lot about fabrics, measuring, cutting, different types of machines and their functions etc.
On ideal Hollerose customer…
The ideal Hollerose customer is an upper class woman, who has an effortless sense of style and is not willing to be overwhelmed by trends but still seeks to have a unique touch to her wardrobe.
On differentiating the Hollerose brand…
Technically, I love the classic European era of fashion, the 30’s through to the 70’s. There is a lot of rich fashion in these eras that have been reworked over time; however, I prefer to re-interpret these designs using my unique love for lines, angles, geometric shapes, odd prints and a subtle sense of an African touch like local embroideries etc.
When it comes to the business proper, our aim is to get the brand into major chain stores in the US and Europe, because this would improve the perception of the brand both locally and internationally and create more revenue for the brand as well.
In terms of publicity, based on limited budget as is common with a lot of start-ups, we have decided to the less-is-more approach, ensuring that only PR campaigns worth spending on are implemented by the brand. Social media has really helped in this regard as we are able to reach a lot more people without having to spend any money. It also helps us to get feedback from our target audience on what they like and if we are doing the right thing.
On market response…
It’s been good but it could be better, there are challenges in the Nigerian fashion industry especially with customer trust but the market is gradually opening up.
On perception of Nigerian customers to local brands…
There are several reasons why customers seem to prefer foreign brands to local brands; one is a high price resistance on the part of the consumer. Most buyers have a perception that the Nigerian designer is out to make ridiculous profit which in most cases just isn’t true. To make good clothes a lot goes into it. The cost of production including fabric, tailors, diesel for generator etc. is there, as well as promotional costs such as photography sessions, advertising etc. these numbers all add up to the cost of the garment including profit.
Secondly, the average Nigerian is very brand conscious for reasons best attributed to snob appeal. They would rather buy a well-established or foreign brand than a start-up brand even if the quality is good, therefore as a newbie in the industry, your brand has to be welcomed and accepted by those the public generally accept as cool before you can win them over.
There is also the issue of perception; the average Nigerian still can’t imagine you (the designer) as a budding Stella McCartney or H&M if that’s your preferred direction with fashion. You are still viewed as a ‘glorified tailor’ or at best an asoebi designer. Also, the retail aspect of fashion in Nigeria is still quite poor, there are not many who are willing to stock local brands and those that do stock, charge high floor spaces and commissions.
It is tough but little by little, people start recognising your work and it gets easier.
On expectations before starting up…
I entered the industry with my passion to be a designer and very little information (laughing), all those challenges I talked about before where new to me. At first I didn’t understand, I had a ‘school’ mentality, you know if you don’t do well in school you failed.
Reading stories of successful entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, Jean Paul Gaultier etc. who say they failed but never gave up, encouraged me to keep trying. Hollerose is by far not where I want it to be but it certainly is not where it used to be. We have recorded progress especially in the quality of our products and general outlook of the brand and as a designer I have matured in a lot of ways. This growth has also been reflected in an increase in customer response.
On highlights of Hollerose’s journey…
We are launching a bridal line very soon and I’m very excited for that. I have really enjoyed the process so far; learning about couture techniques, appliques, embellishing etc. and it’s odd because I never thought I would do bridal. I made my friend’s wedding dress last year and realised it was a lot of fun; so hopefully, we would get some positive reviews from the public.
On challenges the industry posses for young designers…
I didn’t go to fashion school because though my parents have been incredibly supportive, they were not willing to pay for fashion school after I had obtained an M.Sc. in Oil and Gas Management. I learnt everything I know today about fashion (sketching, building a collection, knowledge of fabric and various designs they can be used for, colours etc.) on my own and I am still learning. I read a lot of fashion books both for the technical and for the business of fashion, Harvard business review, people’s thesis from fashion school, YouTube etc. the internet is so helpful it gives me a lot of opportunities to learn from those who have achieved international success in this business.
DW reporters, Jan-Philipp Scholz and Adrian Kriesch, follow the dangerous journey of human traffickers from Nigeria to Italy. They discover how young Nigerian women end up on Italian streets as sex slaves.
Fleeing poverty
Our investigation began in Benin City, capital of Edo State. Almost everyone we spoke to has at least a friend or a family member in Europe. More than three-quarters of illegal prostitutes in Italy are from this region. Due to high unemployment among the youths in Edo state, many young women see fewer prospects here. They seek for a better life in Europe instead, not fully aware of the dangers.
False promises
Catholic Sister, Bibiana Emenaha, has tried for years to warn young Nigerian women before they ended up in Europe. “Many are lured with false promises,” she told us. The traffickers promise jobs such as babysitting or hair dressing, but that quickly turn out to be a lie. Once the young women are in Europe, they end up on the streets.
“The people are greedy”
After long negotiations, a trafficker agreed to an interview with us. He called himself Steve and claimed he has already transported more than 100 Nigerians all the way to Libya. He wouldn’t speak about the people behind his business. He said he was simply a service provider. “The people here in Edo State are greedy. They are willing to do anything for a better life,” Steve said.
Dangerous Sahara journey
For 600 euros ($666) per person, Steve organizes the journey from Nigeria to Libya. “Most people know how dangerous the journey is through the Sahara,” the human smuggler told us. Many people die very often along the way. “That is the risk,” Steve said, who brings the migrants personally to Agadez in Niger. A colleague then takes over from there.
Agadez: A hub for human traffickers
The desert town of Agadez was the most dangerous part of our research trip. The town thrives on human and drug trafficking and foreigners are often kidnapped for ransom. We could only move around with armed guards and had to wear traditional head cover to be less visible.
Solving the migration crisis
Like many others in the desert town, Omar Ibrahim Omar, the Sultan of Agadez, sees human trafficking as a problem that cannot be solved in Agadez. He is asking for more money from the international community. His argument: If Europe does not want more migrants to keep coming through the Mediterranean Sea, Europe should give more support to Niger.
The “Monday Caravan” to Libya
For months now, several trucks with migrants from Agadez set out every Monday shortly before sunset towards the north. The crisis in Libya has contributed to human traffickers being able to reach the Mediterranean Sea without the usual controls. And we soon learned that the authorities here in Niger have little interests in their activities.
“The girls are getting younger”
Many of the migrants from Nigeria land on the streets in Italy. Social worker Lisa Bertini works with foreign prostitutes. “They are coming more and more,” she told us. According to official figures, about 1,000 Nigerians went to Italy across the Mediterranean in 2014. In 2015, the figure climbed to 4,000. “And the girls are getting younger,” the social worker said.
Looking for a “Madam”
With help from a Nigerian colleague, we discovered an alleged “Madam” in northern Italy. A Nigerian host in Italy is referred to as “Madam,” she is at the top of a smaller trafficking network. The madam we found lived in a suburb of Florence and one victim made serious accusations against the her: “She has been beating us and forced us into prostitution,” the victim said.
‘Madam’ and her girls
As we confronted the supposed “Madam” about the accusations, she admited accommodating six young Nigerian women in her house, but denied forcing them into prostitution: “It’s just something young Nigerians here do.” After our interview, we handed our research to the Italian public prosecutor’s office.
Cheap sexual satisfaction
Sister Monika Uchikwe has long been criticizing the inactiveness of the Italian authorities. For eight years, she has cared for victims of human trafficking. She explained in rage as we asked about the customers. The men always want cheap satisfaction – sex with a Nigerian woman on the streets costs only 10 euro. “Without this possibility, this problem would not exist,” she said.
This article was culled from the DW website where it was originally published.
Yesterday, the Belgian capital city of Brussels was faced by multiple terror attacks that ere coordinated by ISIS terror group. The attack took place at Brussels international airport and at a metro station in the European quarter where a lot of EU institutions are based. The attack resulted to over 30 deaths with about 200 people with several degrees of injuries. See photos from the deadly attack.
When the terrorist attack on Brussels airport and subway took place, many suspected it was organised and coordinated by ISIS. Now the group have come out to claim responsibility for the attack on Brussels that killed over 30 people and injured about 200 people. A news agency affiliated with the group confirmed it.
“Islamic State fighters carried out a series of bombings with explosive belts and devices on Tuesday, targeting an airport and a central metro station in the centre of the Belgian capital Brussels,” AMAQ
The terror group has also released a formal statement claiming responsibility for the attack.
On Tuesday 9 February, two Nigerian girls entered a camp for displaced people in the country’s north-east. Minutes later they detonated their explosive vests, killing 58 people. A third girl refused to take part in the suicide mission for Islamist militant group Boko Haram. This is her story.
Hauwa, not her real name, doesn’t know her age, but she looks 17 or 18.
She had been held by Boko Haram for more than a year when her captors suggested the plan to attack the Dikwa camp.
In return for carrying out their mission, the three girls were told they would go to paradise.
But Hauwa knew that she had to defy them.
‘Spiritual problems’
“I said ‘No’, since my mum is residing in Dikwa, I won’t go and kill people there. I would rather go and stay with my family, even if I die there,” she tells me through a translator.
Both her parents and her siblings, except for one brother who had been captured with her, were staying in the camp at Dikwa in Borno state, along with about 50,000 others forced from their homes.
Hauwa explains how she ended up being lured into joining the group.
“I had spiritual problems and so the Boko Haram told me they could help get rid of them,” she says.
We do not know exactly what Hauwa was suffering from, but these so-called “evil spirits” had caused her to soil herself and even put her hand into a fire.
Whatever the reason, she saw Boko Haram as the answer to her problems, and they took her in.
She remembers a typical day living with the militants.
“We were living in grass-thatched houses. When my husband was around, I cooked three times a day… the men would steal meat and bring it for us to cook.”
After a while, Hauwa separated from her husband and then got remarried.
Her second husband then ran away and when she refused to take a third husband, the group suggested their plan: “They said since I refused to re-marry, I should take the bomb,” she says.
The Dikwa camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) was 85km (50 miles) north-east of Maiduguri, the state capital of Borno and the birthplace of Boko Haram.
Hauwa knew it well and it was not far from the place she was being held by the militants, so the night before the attack was due to take place, she sneaked out very early in the morning.
Her plan was to alert her family and others staying at Dikwa of the impending attack.
But she was too late.
By the time she reached Dikwa camp, the two suicide bombers had already struck.
An army officer showed the BBC team the scene of the attack.
“This is the spot where the first explosion went off,” he said pointing to brown patches on the tarmac, where blood stains had been darkened by a layer of dust.
The camp stretches across both sides of the road and so residents still have to pass the scene of the attack every day to get water and food.
There are 15,000 people still living here and they are scared.
But they have nowhere safe to go, so they are staying here.
Now, they say they cannot trust anyone, not even children.
An elderly woman, Falmata Mohammed, remembers the minutes before the attack.
“A soldier was trying to arrange our queues… There was this woman wearing a red veil and she had long hair.”
This article was culled from the BBC’s website. You can read the full piece there.
Brussels was attacked today two days after IS fugitive, Salah Abdelsalam was captured and under interrogation by the police. The attacks took place in Brussels airport, Zaventem while one took place in a metro station (Maalbeek) in the European quarters in Brussels. About 23 people are reported dead as a result of the two separate attacks on the airport and metro station in the European capital. About 10 people are reportedly injured. Citizens and residents have citizens been advised to stay indoors and avoid crowded areas for now.
According to reports, one terrorist blew himself up at the airport. All flights to and from the airport have been cancelled. Videos and photos images showed people running for their dear lives after the two attack in the airport that left the departure area damaged.
All metro stations in the city have been closed due to the attacks. The three biggest train stations in the city have also been closed.
“I am shocked and concerned by the events in Brussels,” British Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted. “We will do everything we can to help.”
Kristalina Georgieva, the vice president of the EU Commission, said that all the organization’s institutions are at “alert level orange” and that all meetings on its premises and outside have been canceled.
Instagram user, Chemere Armstrong used henna hair dye because she found out it was all natural. But the reaction she got from using the product was not what she expected. She had a severe allergic reaction that left her face and eyes swollen and made her unrecognisable. Armstrong, who is also a health and fitness vlogger posted a photo collage showing the before and after the use of henna hair dye on her Instagram page.
The photos about her henna hair dye ordeal were accompanied by the post below.
“If you been following me for a while you know that I tried to be as transparent as possible. You will also know that my 100 days of just juice and smoothies has been very important to me. Today is day 100!!! The past couple of days has been extremely rough. I mention before that I die my hair with Henna because of my research and what I was told that it was supposed to be completely natural and chemical free but it wasn’t and I had a severe allergic reaction as you can see from the pictures. I’m not posting this for any advice or any negative comments.
I’m fully aware of what these pictures look like. I had to endure this nightmare. If you do not have anything nice to say please keep strolling. I want to let everyone that pray for me or send me well-wishes know what was going on. I was in severe pain from my scalp burning and itching with my face completely’s swollen to the point I was unrecognisable. The most scary part about this whole thing is that my eyes was completely swollen shut where I couldn’t see for 2 days.
My doctor was afraid that it was going to start affecting my breathing which that didn’t happen and as of today my eyes are open and I can see again but my face is still very swollen (I don’t look like myself). I’m not in any more pain and I feel things are heading in the right direction. I hate that this had to happen but now I’m even more focus on making sure that my health is number one priority. Once I get back to looking like myself again I will make a more detailed video on my YouTube channel. Thanks again for all the love, support, and well wishes.”
Have you used, or still using henna hair dye? Share your experience with us and visitors to our site by leaving a comment below.
Salah Abdeslam, one of the terrorists who planned the Paris attack that took place in November 2015 and took the lives of over 100 people has been captured.
Abdeslam, who has been in hiding since the attack was captured today in Brussels after a police search that led to a shootout. The runaway terrorist was wounded during the operation and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
According to the Belgian federal prosecutors, Salah Abdeslam’s fingerprints were found in a Brussels apartment that was searched on Tuesday. At that apartment, one of the terrorist was shot dead while four of the police officers that partook in the raid were injured.
Abdeslam was one of five suspects, including three that helped hide him from the police, to be arrested today. Abdeslam, who is one of the most wanted men in Europe – managed to evade capture for 126 days before he was finally arrested today in Brussels (Molenbeek).
Abdeslam is currently being interrogated by the police. There has also been a joint press by the Belgian Prime Minister Michel and the France President.
“We have to go on with our efforts because we are aware there are still connections that lead us to Syria, where the Daesh [ISIS] group wanted these attacks to be organised,” President Hollande.
A HARARE man whipped his wife for claiming that she was a virgin before he married her after he discovered that she was not during their honeymoon, the Civil Court has heard.
The court heard that after Shepherd Musekiwa discovered that his wife, Patricia, was not a virgin during their honeymoon and he lashed her as punishment with a whip he bought in Mbare.
Patricia was seeking a protection order against Shepherd. She also told magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko that Shepherd had also resorted to “manufacturing” allegations against her in a bid to divorce her and bring in his girlfriend.
“I am suffering in my marriage,” Patricia said. “My husband bought a whip which he uses to assault me and I have scars on my back as proof of his abuse. He is chasing me out of our matrimonial house.
“Each time he wants to bring home his girlfriends, he manufactures allegations against me and lashes me with his whip so that I run out of the house, creating space for him and his girlfriend.
“He calls me all sorts of derogatory names and he labels me a prostitute.”
Shepherd denied the allegations.
He told the court that he has never abused his wife despite “a few marital disputes that occurred”.
“The main problem is that she lied to me that she was a virgin before I married her, only to find out that she was not after the wedding,” Shepherd said.
“She used to deny me sex before I married her saying she was saving herself for marriage but she was lying. I have never abused her in any way except that we only have marital disputes just like any other family.”
Mrs Mateko ordered Shepherd to stop abusing his wife in any way and to keep peace with her at all times.
