Shopping mall.

Africa's largest online shopping mall.

This is Africa's largest online shopping mall. Nueras is a Nigerian company which specialises in bridging the gap between Africa and the UK and USA. It allows its African clients to shop from over 180 listed stores in the UK and USA, including Debenahms, Macys, Marks and Spencer, Wallis, Next etc, from the comfort of their home in Africa and have it delivered to their door.

They also have a personal shopping service for clients that need that need a little help navigating through the stores or are pressed for time.

Visit www.nuerasshoppingmall.com for all you shopping needs

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NIGERIAN STUDENTS DEVELOP HUMANE APP TO MAKE ANY PHONE ACCESSIBLE FOR BLIND

Four Nigerian engineering students have developed software that can turn any windows phone into a smartphone accessible to visually impaired. The application software (unavailable for public download) called Humane is brainchild of Victor Shoaga, Ayodele Obasegun, Oyatope Blessing and Otaru Babatunde – engineering students at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). The app uses a compatible manual controller to make a smartphone more accessible and easy to use for blind.

We have previously seen customizable phone for blind, touchscreen Braille Phone, 3D printed Braille smartphone and even a Braille smartwatch. But this is for the first time someone’s developed a software to help convert any phone (currently Humane works with Windows phones only) into a Braille phone, convenient for the visually impaired to use.

How does the software work?

The application is not available for public download; it is made available for download only on demand.

Once downloaded onto a visually impaired user’s phone, the user is provided with a manual controller (and a unique identification number). The person is required to enter provided unique ID into the app to set it working – one controller can only work with one handset. Humane features a voice assistant that notifies once the app’s successfully activated.

The controller

The controller is basically a device with two joysticks and a button in the center. While joysticks are used by the user to scroll, the button makes selection of a function easy.

Humane works with the controller via Bluetooth allowing the visually impaired user to carry out various functions on the phone including surfing the web, playing music or audio in videos and or setting and checking time.

Current limitations

Presently the app and controller are both in prototype stage. The controllers have been produced in a very limited quantity. Moreover, the controller despite being durable and easy to use, it’s slightly on the bulkier side.

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So when's the right time to throw out your makeup???

You may have already noticed that's your makeup tends to go a bit funky after sometime. The colour or texture or even smell tends to change after a few months and some after a few years. I have to admit I have never actually inspected my makeup in anyway. I just tend to use them until they finish or until I get bored with them. So when is it time to throw out your makeup?

1. Eyeliner: 6-12 months. If it's a pencil liner then it will last a year whilst gel/liquid eyeliners will last 6 months because there is a higher risk of contamination because you are constantly dipping a brush into the pot.

2. Mascara: 2-6months. To make sure you get the full 6months from your mascara, don't pump it, this just lets in air and bacteria .

3. Eyeshadow, powder blush and other powder cosmetics: 12-36 months. These last a long time because they contain no liquid which bacteria loves. But keep an eye on the colour and the smell though.

4. Liquid foundation: 6-12 months. They are cream based and again are liquid and can thus easily get contaminated with bacteria from your fingers, brush or sponge, depending on how you apply it. Also some brands can start to separate before the suggested expiry time so keep an eye on it.

5. Lipstick: 3 years. If it changes colour, smell or feel then bin it.

6.Lipgloss: 6-12 months. Once it starts to get extra sticky then it's time for the bin.

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Wedding trend: .camouflage wedding dresses

It seems more and and more people are opting for wedding dresses with a twist: camouflage wedding dresses or camo wedding dresses for short. It's a trend that is growing by the second with over 20,000 people search for it on google each month ( I guess I am part of that static now as I had to google it also).  So if you want a wedding dress with a twist then definitely give this a try.

If you would like to get your hands on one then visit www.camoformal.com. In Africa? Then order via www.nuerasshoppingmall.com

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Foods you really should cut from your diet

1.Fried food - I love my fried chicken and don't even get me started on fried plantain, but fried foods are not your friend. Grill bake or boil instead.

2.Fat free salad dressing- so you decide to replace your daily swallow with salad so you can lose your spare tyre and you go to shop rite and buy fat free salad dressing, what could go wrong? Well you know that fat free salad dressing even though it has had all the fat removed, they have also added a lot of artificial sugars and additives to improve the taste. If you must use it just use a tiny bit.

3.Red meat - I am My father's daughter, my dad can eat a whole cow on his and I take after him as I really love my red meat, but WHO recently found red meat to be a potential carcinogen (I.e. cancer causing agent) linked to colorectal, prostate and pancreatic cancer. Go for fish, chicken or turkey instead.

4.Processed meat - eg bacon, sausages and hot dogs. This is another one linked to cancer. I was quite upset when I found this out because sausage and hot dogs are a working mum’s friend because they take 5 minutes to prepare. They are brilliant when pressed for time, which is pretty much every time for me, and you need to make a meal for the children. Ones that have been cured, salted, smoked or preserved can increase the risk of colon cancer. So I guess I have to find a healthy alternative that is just as quick to make. (I’m open to any suggestions)

Yoghurt

5.Yoghurt with fruit at the bottom. The syrup in the fruit contains loads of sugar. Go for yoghurt with the fruit on the side so you have better control of how much sugar you eat.

6.Soy sauce - This goes so well with basmati rice. I use it to make special fried rice, Chinese styl, and it brings my rice to life but it contains tons of sodium which is not friendly to your heart. Opt for the low sodium sauce and then just use a little bit.

7.Protein bars. They are great after a workout but not only do they make your poo and fart smell really really bad they contain lots of sugar, most of the ingredients in them are unrecognisable and they contain a lot more protein than the body actually needs. Opt for a chocolate milk drink which will contain just the right amount of protein that your body needs.

8.Sugary cereal. Eg Frosties and other sugar coated cereals. Opt for plain cornflakes rather than sugar coated one or better still oatmeal.

9.Fruit Juice – I always thought a glass of juice was a must for a healthy breakfast but if you take the juice alone, you take in the sugar and vitamins but none of the fibre which slows down the absorption of sugar. This means that the sugar is absorbed too quickly and within a short period you will start to feel hungry again. This explains the reason why by 10am my belly is rumbling and I start raiding our biscuit corner at work even though I had a supposedly “healthy breakfast” at 8:30am

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Something fishy is going on...

I don't know what else to do. I think I have thrush but I have tried all the thrush products from the vaginal tablet to the oral tablet to the cream but nothing seems to work. I still have smelly discharge and itchiness in my vagina. There is no pain but it stings when I go to wee but I think it's because I have wounded myself scratching, also the discharge has a terrible fishy smell. I am embarrassed to tell my husband so I have been making excuses but he's starting to suspect something is up. I wash myself regularly so I don't understand what is happening. M.O

Dear M.O,

It's is likely that you don't have thrush at all and that's why the medicines you used didn't work. For the symptoms you have described it sounds like you have a condition called bacterial vaginosis (BV). The symptoms are similar to that of thrush except for the fishy smell which is characteristic to BV. It is caused by rise in ph (I.e. a measure of how acidic or alkaline an environment is) which makes the environment in the vagina more alkaline and this creates the perfect environment for the bacteria, that naturally lives in the vagina to grow uncontrollably and cause the symptoms you are experiencing. It has nothing to do with cleanliness it's just many ladies don't realise how sensitive the vagina really is and it might just have been that you wore a new underwear or let some soap get in the vagina. Visit my earlier post for full details and how to get rid of it.

http://junesecrets.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/common-vagina-problems-explained.html

If you’ve got a question for June then email us at junessecrets@gmail.com

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Over-the-counter meds you really should use with caution!!!!

Just because you have access to it doesn't mean you should take it. All medicines have side effects and have the potential to interact with other meds when taken together.  Here are some common meds that you should use with caution:

1.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs aka NSAIDs they include drugs like diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin to name a few. From headaches to back pain and even rheumatoid arthritis, they are amazing at getting rid of pain and inflammation. But if taken over a long period of time can cause serious gastrointestinal problems such as stomach ulcers and even kidney failure. They can also increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. You don't have to stop using NSAIDs altogether just make sure you use them for short periods of time, no longer than 5-7 days and only take one type at a time. If the issue you are treating isn't improving after the recommended  time then you need to get further tests done to rule out anything sinister going on.

2.Combo meds or multi-symptom cold and flu meds such as lemsip and the day and night nurse product range. These meds are safe if you pay attention to the ingredients but if you don't you could easily overdose. For instance many people are not aware that Lemsip contains paracetamol so they might just take paracetamol on top of taking the lemsip for body ache or a headache, this paracetamol overdose could seriously damage your liver which could be fatal.

3.Antacids- e.g. gaviscon, rennies, pepto bismol, omeprazole etc. Taken occasionally say after you eating rice with aye mashe or peppersoup is fine but if you need to take antacids for weeks or months on end then you need to get checked out properly to make sure nothing on toward is going on such as cancer or an infestation by a bacteria called  helico pylori, which causes ulcers.

4.Antihistamines- these are great for allergies whether it's a rash or constant sneezing or runny nose and watery eyes. The newer antihistamines like loratidine and fexofenadine are non drowsy but the older ones such as chlorphenamine (piriton) and diphenhydramine found in night time cough remedies) can cause drowsiness which can go into the next day and dry mouth and eyes. They can also interact with other meds such as muscle relaxants, antidepressants and sleep aid meds. Speak to your pharmacist and read  the product leaflet before you start popping them.

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Recipe of the week: Vegan Yoghurt

Prep time: 5 mins

Makes: 1 cup

Ingredients

150g cashews

160g whole almonds

250ml water

Steps

1.Place the cashews and almonds in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Leave covered for a minimum of 4 hours better overnight if you can.

2.Drain out the water and then rinse the nuts with cold water.

3.Put the nuts in food processor until it forms a yoghurt-like consistency.

Tips

You can experiment with different nuts to create this yoghurt, bearing in mind the flavour each nut will create.

You can store your yoghurt in the fridge for up to 1 week.

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One of the most bizarre trends ever invented: Pajama Dressing.

This has got to be the most bizarre trend ever invented. Dolce & Gabbana and Olivia Von Halle (some top shot British designer) invented Pyjamas that you can wear out and about. I mean seriously what’s next wearing your underpants on the outside????? But if i'm honest they don't look too bad, they kind of work.

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Why can't I lose the last 5 kilos????

So I’m a bit of a fitness freak.  I mean I have done the Shaun T insanity exercise program twice then done the hip hop abs and now I am doing the T25 exercise program for the second time. I watch what  I eat  and drink but for some reason I cant seem to be able to shed the last 5 kilos. So as I researched, looking for what I was doing wrong I found out something interesting.

Many women don’t realise they have a body weight that is right for them and that their body will always fight to stay at that weight. Many of us tend to set unrealistic expectations for our weight. Note:This is not an excuse for people who are over weight to stay overweight. I mean, girl if you’re fat you know you’re fat and you need to try harder to lose weight. I am talking about people who are a healthy weight but are struggling to get just a little smaller and it seems no matter how much they workout or cut from their diet they remain more or less the same weight. You know your body has found its ideal weight when:

1.Your weight doesn’t fluctuate that much. You remain the same weight regardless of how much water you take in or loose. For some ladies at certain times of the month feel like sponges, especially when its closer to their periods, they tend to feel bloated like they are carrying excess water. The feeling tends to disappear when the period starts or a few days into it, as if the excess water has been squeezed out.

2. You are very energetic. When you are at your ideal weight your body is in its happy place and functioning at its optimum processing and utilising nutrients efficiently.

3.And last but not least you are healthy. Your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels are all where they should be.

If all three apply to you then keep working out but focus more on staying healthy and less on weight loss because you body has found its happy place.

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Foods that can stop you getting a goodnights sleep.

Not getting a goodnight’s sleep? Some people will blame it on something spiritual and say it’s the devil or their  mother’s sister’s brother’s daughter’s son somewhere calling out their name somewhere. But in actual fact it could just be their dinner. these are some foods that can affect your sleep:

1.Spice – Mainly chilli pepper aka ata rodo aka scotch bonnet aka aye mashe. This is because it contains something called capsaicin which can affect your sleep as it can increase your body temperature and disturb your sleep. It can also give you crazy dreams (not crazy good) and give you indigestion. So stir clear of hot spicy food at dinner.

2.Fruit juice – I find that when I have a glass of juice, especially orange juice before bed it really messes up my sleep. I find this more so when I am pregnant. This is because fruit juices are acidic and can cause heartburn. They also contain a lot of simple sugars with little or no fibre, this will cause a spike in sugar in your system and then a sugar crash which will disturb your sleep.

3.Red meat – Protein takes a lot of energy to digest and breakdown. So if you eat lots of meat before bed, chances are you will lie in bed awake because your body will go into extensive digestion mode to breakdown the protein. So again limit your meat consumption to lunchtime.

4. Chocolate – you might not know it but chocolate contains caffeine, the same thing in coffee that keeps you awake. Milk chocolate and dark chocolate also contain other stimulants including tyrosine and theobromine which will cause an increase in heart rate (not enough to cause you health problems but enough to stop you having a good nights sleep) if you have to eat chocolate before bed then go for white chocolate as it doesn’t contain any stimulants.

5.Tomato – as Nigerians we are very partial to our tomato stew but the tomato might just be the cause of your unfulfilling sleep.This is because tomato is very acidic which can cause indigestion, especially the way we cook it with spices. Also the tomato can cause the body to release tyramine which can cause an increase in brain activity and interrupt your sleep. Try not eating tomato stew for a while and see how you feel.

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Recipe of the week: White Chocolate Coconut Balls (what to do with coconut after corn season)

One thing you could do with coconut after corn season is over.

Prep time: 15 mins

Makes: 9

Ingredients

95g shredded coconut

80ml coconut cream

3 tsp caster sugar

300 g white chocolate melts like bar

1/3 cup toasted shredded coconut

1/3 cup moist coconut flakes (you can make this buy grating the coconut to huge slices)

1/3 cup desiccated coconut (you can purchase this)

Steps

1.Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2.Combine coconut, coconut cream, and sugar in a medium bowl. Divide mixture into 9 portions. Shape each portion into a ball. Place balls on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Freeze for 1 hour or until firm.

3.Boil some water then place chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl  and put the bowl on top of the water until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Then cool to room temperature.

4.Place the coconut varieties into 3 separate bowls. Dip balls into melted white chocolate and roll into the dry shredded coconut, moist coconut flakes, or desiccated coconut; allow excess to drain. Return to oven tray. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

Courtesy Foodtolove.com

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Better to start them young!!!

The Zuckerbergs read quantum physics book to baby Max. I think this picture is so cute, I couldn't not post it. Congratulations again guys. She's one lucky baby girl.

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Travel Hack - How to pack wine safely in your suitcase.

Have you ever packed a bottle of wine in your suitcase and gone to unpack and bam the bottle breaks? Well I have. My dad once gave me a bottle of wine to give to my tutor as a thank you. I wrapped the bottle in my towel and it was safe until I went to unpack and as I took my towel out the bottle went flying across the room and shattered needless to say I was quite peed off because I now had to go and buy a replacement which wasn’t cheap. So when I came across this neat little trick I thought I’d it give a try and it worked.

Basically you get a pair of socks, I used my daughter’s knee high socks but you can use any thick long socks, put the bottle in it. Put each sock from each end of the bottle to give it a double layer of protection and then you can put in between your towel.

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Food Expiration Date Labels Explained

Everything is becoming modernised in Nigeria including the way we shop. With the introduction of Shoprite and online food shopping we are gradually moving away from the traditional markets. But do we understand the labeling on the food that we buy from the supermarket regarding expiration???? Some labels have a sell-by date, others a use by and others a best before date. What do they all mean?

• Sell-by date- This is for the store, letting the shop owners know how long a certain product can be displayed on the shelf. You should buy the food item before this date passes to make sure it’s fresh.
• Best Before/By date - This date helps specify when a product is at its peak freshness. Buy and use the item before this date for best quality. However even if it has passed this date you can still use the item but the quality will be reduced. I think at this point I should add that I have eaten many products that have gone past their best before date and they taste just fine to me. I even feed my family with it sometimes, I just don’t tell them and they don’t even notice a difference in taste.
•  Use-By date – Like the best before, these dates tell you when a product will start deteriorating in quality and flavor. Again, it’s best to buy and use products before this date for best quality, but consuming the product a few days late won’t kill you.
• Closed or coded dates. These are packing codes that track the product when it is being shipped. These codes are typically a series of numbers and letters that indicate dates and times the container was filled, and places of manufacture. (They look something like this: 045B97 04112008.) They should not be interpreted as use-by dates.

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Present for future mother-inlaw

What can I get for my soon to be mother inlaw for her 71st birthday. She had a party last year for her 70th and whilst we are kinda alright now things were a bit strained between us for sometime a few years ago as she didn't think I was good enough for her son and tried everything to break us up. So I want a thoughtful but not personal gift that would involve me spending time with her. SB

Hello SB,

I commend you for burying the hatchet and trying to do something thoughtful for your soon to be mother inlaw. Since you said things are still a little awkward between you and 'mum' I guess taking her out for a meal is out of the question. I would suggest a bouquet of flowers. If you live in London then use Interflora. I have used them a few times and they have not disappointed me, yet anyway. You tell them what you want written in the card and they will deliver it with the flowers and with balloons if you like.  If you're in Lagos then try Pretty Fabulous flowers (+234 8186424648) or Gethsemane flowers (+234 8033042760). I haven’t tried any of these.

Also you give her a spa day where she can be pampered all by herself. If you are in Lagos check out Biyou spa, Justice GBA Coker Estate,off CIPM Avenue,Alausa. I also haven't tried it myself so I am in no way endorsing it I just know of their existence.  If you are in London then visit www.wahanda.com for the latest deals on spa days.

If you’ve got a question for June then email us at junessecrets@gmail.com

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How to get a perfect manicure every time.

I love have my nails painted, my cuticles not so much. I work 50 hours a week, have 3 kids and a husband so a regular trip to the nail salon is out of the question. Like most mums I DIY my manicure because it not only saves time it also saves money. I am right handed so painting my left hand is not too bad but then painting my right hand now that’s a different story. I seem to get as much nail polish on my cuticles and the skin around my nail as I do my nails.  So I was very pleased when I came across this neat little trick online and decided to share it.

Apply Vaseline

Use a cotton bud to rub Vaseline around your surrounding skin and cuticles. This will protect those areas so even if you get nail polish on them it won't stick and can be washed right off. Hint: don’t get any Vaseline on your nail or the nail polish won’t stick there either. If you  do just wipe it off with another dry cotton bud. When you are done painting your nails and they are dry, you can then wipe off the Vaseline or even wash it off and ta da….. Perfect manicure every time.

You’re welcome!!!

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Kai ....... Why do my people like to long things out.

I was going to come at this is story from a totally different angle but after recent events highlighted a much more interesting issue I decided to do this write up as I was reminded of the complexity if dealing with my people.

Early this year in the UK Alan Barnes, a disabled man was mugged on his door as he took out the trash and badly hurt. He said how he was scared to return to his home as he felt unsafe. A local beautician, Katie cutler heard the story and was moved. She decided to set up a go fund me account in his name and his story (which can be opened anywhere in the world) to raise £500 to redecorate his home and perhaps help make him feel safer. The appeal went viral and Within 4 days people had donated close to £300,000. Alan took £150,000 of that money and bought a house and the rest of the money he gave to Katie to start a foundation help others like Alan. Short and sweet and most importantly very straightforward.

Now come over here to my people. I was sent a post recently by one of my readers about the barrow-man, Bashir, who despite doing a menial job took pride in his job and showed that that did not define him. He came to work smartly dressed and was diligent in his duties. After reading the post I expected to see some sort of appeal to help this obviously incredible person but found none. So I contacted the author to ask for permission to publish her story (which let’s face it I didn’t have to) and also for the guy’s business contact details so I could include in my ‘where to get what section’. I am not going to bore you with the details of the conversation but it wasn’t pretty. I will say this though, the author said that they were still working out ways to help as there was such a huge interest in the story but they haven’t finished yet. I don’t about you but found this very strange because I understand what the delay was about.

Bottom-line is this, due to the way our people long things out I feel a very unique opportunity has been lost. She, the author, boasted about her post achieving 100million post reach but that is like boasting about having 100 million in monopoly money, it’s nice to look at but it’s not worth a darn thing. That 100 million post reach could easily have been turned into $100million dollars which could have helped lots of Bashir’s. Social media is very fickle and there’s a new story, a bigger story a sadder story than yours every 5 minutes. So it’s best to strike when the iron is hot and take advantage of it because the moment only lasts a moment and then it’s gone.

Anyway good luck Bashir. I hope it all works out for you and lady (you know who you are) you really need to lighten up and take the hostility down 10 notches life is too short besides I thought this was all about Bashir. Kudos to you though for highlighting Bashir's plight he's probably better off now than before he met you.

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Terrorist attack in London tube station.

Three people have been stabbed in a London tube station. The incident occurred on Saturday evening in Leytonstone tube station east London. No one was fatally injured but one man was stabbed in neck and his condition has been described as serious but not life threatening. The attacker was allegedly heard shouting ‘this is for Syria’ as he stabbed his victims.

Unarmed police tasered him and arrested him. The incident has been labelled a terrorist attack and I am afraid this might not be the last of these sorts of attacks. God help us all who use the underground regularly.

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Tony Elumelu set to empower Africa's next 100 entrepreneurs

The second annual round of the $100m Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP) for emerging African entrepreneurs is set to take off on 1^st January 2016.

Serial entrepreneur, Tony Elumelu, personally committed $100 million to empower African entrepreneurs through the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme.The vision of this project is to identify and help grow 10,000 start-ups and young businesses from across Africa over the next 10 years, targeting the creation of 1,000,000 new jobs and $10 billion in annual revenues.

“I set out to institutionalise luck with the Foundation and give back to the Continent that made me”, said Tony O. Elumelu, the serial entrepreneur investor and philanthropist, who established the Tony Elumelu Foundation in 2010.  “Entrepreneurship can chart a new course of development for Africa, with Africans taking responsibility for wealth creation, creating value adding businesses here in Africa and this is why I encourage applications from across the Continent, regardless of age, gender, religion or color.” TEEP is driven by Elumelu’s philosophy of Africapitalism, which calls for the African private sector to focus on long term investments that create social and economic prosperity in Africa, and take the lead role in Africa’s transformation.

In 2015, TEEP empowered 1,000 African entrepreneurs, selected from over 20,000 applicants, with start-up investment, active mentoring, business training, an entrepreneurship boot camp and regional networking across Africa. The Tony Elumelu Foundation invested a total of $4,860,000, including $1,405,000 in agriculture; $410,000 in education and training; and $365,000 in manufacturing.  The sector-agnostic programme funded start-ups across a further 20 industries, all based in Africa.

Entrepreneurs, with an average age range of 21-40, from 51 African countries completed the programme and received $5,000 in seed capital for their start-up businesses. Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur, Stella Nakatudde, founder of ICT company, Ella Solutions Ltd, based in Uganda, said of her experience: “Since being selected for TEEP 2015, I have learned invaluable life and business lessons, expanded and enriched my business network, opened our first office, hired two staff and closed two web development deals.  TEEP is not just a means to start or propel your business, it is the torch that will light your entrepreneurship journey for life and the pen that will script your story in the new African Narrative.”

In addition to directly supporting African entrepreneurs with “Empowerment Capital”, the Tony Elumelu Foundation uses data gathered to conduct research and advocate for policy improvements to the enabling environment. Earlier this year, the Foundation released a report titled “Unleashing Africa’s Entrepreneurs: Improving the Enabling Environment for Start-ups”, which includes insights based on the most comprehensive and diverse data set on African entrepreneurs ever compiled.

Tony Elumelu Foundation CEO Parminder Vir OBE stated “Africa does not need aid alone, it needs investment and it needs entrepreneurs.  TEEP brings both and our ability to bring capital and the necessary support, for those who will help Africa harness its enormous potential is creating extraordinary opportunities across the Continent.”

The Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme is open to citizens and legal residents of all 54 African countries. Applications for 2016 open on 1^st January and can be made by any for-profit business based in Africa in existence for less than three years, including new business ideas.

Author

Felicia Omari Ochelle

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Buhari to enter into high speed railway agreement with chinese Xi Jingping

CHINA may be commissioned to build a high speed rail link across Nigeria over the coming week as President Muhammadu Buhari plans to finalise agreements with Chinese premier Xi Jinping at an economic summit in South Africa next week.

Today, President Buhari leaves for the Forum on China/Africa Cooperation (Focac) taking place in Johannesburg where he will discuss a coastal railway project stretching for 1,402km linking Lagos with Calabar. It is expected to be financed with a $12bn Chinese loan and which will create about 200,000 jobs. 

Last month, President Buhari discussed the matter with Premier Jinping on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly Summit in New York. At the meeting, President Buhari indicated that he wanted China to resume stalled rail projects under new terms that would see the Asian country providing nearly all the financing required.

Another rail project that will be up for renegotiation is the $8.3bn Lagos-Kano standard gauge modernisation project, of which only a segment, the Kaduna-Abuja route, has reached completion stage. President Buhari is also expected to discuss ways of removing all obstacles in the way of the 3,050 megawatts Mambilla Power Station, considered a strategic project which was conceived in 1982 but yet to taken off. 

Premier Jinping had informed President Buhari of his country’s willingness to finance the whole project through a special loan agreement. In President Buhari’s entourage to help negotiate the deal will be foreign minister Geoffrey Onyema, transport minister Rotimi Amaechi and the minister of industry, trade and investment Okechukwu Enelamah.

– See more at: http://www.nigerianwatch.com/news/8316-buhari-to-enter-into-high-speed-railway-agreement-with-chinese-premier-xi-jinping-this-week#sthash.VSbz8kne.dpuf

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Second Largest Diamond In World Found In Botswana

The second-largest diamond (pictured) in the world was recently discovered in the South African country of Botswana, reports BBC.

Located in the Karowe mine in northern Gaborone, which is mined by Canadian diamond producer Lucara Diomond, the stone is 1,111 carats.

Of the find, Lucara Diamond CEO William Lamb said, “The significance of the recovery of a gem quality stone larger than 1,000 carats, the largest for more than a century…cannot be overstated.”

An 813-carat stone and a 374-carat stone were also found at the mine, with Lucara calling those diamonds “exceptional.”

Lamb added, “I am truly at a loss for words. This has been an amazing week for Lucara with the recovery of the second largest and also the sixth largest gem quality diamonds ever mined.”

The largest diamond ever found was in South Africa in 1905. The diamond was 3,106 carats and was cut into nine stones that are now a part of the British Crown jewels.

With Botswana being the largest producer of diamonds, it is now ranked as a middle-income nation

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Blade Runner- Oscar Pistorius charge changed to murder

A South African appeal court changed Oscar Pistorious’s charge from the lesser charge of culpable homicide to the higher charge of murder which carries a minimum charge of 15 years.

Oscar shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine ’s Day 2013, killing her. He said he thought she was an intruder but after reading the whole story I found it difficult to believe his version of events. He claims he was woken up by a noise in the middle of the night by someone in the toilet and he shot through the door after yelling to Reeva, who had come over for valentine’s day, to call the police. My issue with it is this, if I’m in the house with someone, sleeping in the same bed and then get woken up at night by a noise my first instinct will be to see if it’s the person in the house with me that’s making that sound not to shoot through the toilet door repeatedly.

He is currently under house arrest after serving one year of his original 5 year sentence in jail. He will be sentenced in the New Year and is expected to return to jail as South African does not make provision for someone to be placed under house arrest for more than 5 years.

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10 Things I bet you didnt know your vagina can do

I bet you didn’t know your vagina can

1.Expand during sex.

Ever wondered how it can seem pretty shallow when you're putting in a tampon but can also accommodate even a well-endowed guy? It's called vaginal tenting. When you are turned on a lot of blood flows to your vagina and the blood vessels become dilated causing the vagina to become larger in length and width. The more turned on you are the larger it gets.

2.Have four (yes four) different types of orgasm.

Another reason I’m glad I’m a woman. We can have vaginal, clitoral, blended and multiple orgams.

• Clitoral: when you orgasm via clitoral stimulation alone without penetration
• Vaginal: when you orgasm via vaginal penetration.
• Blended: when you have clitoral and vaginal orgasm
• Multiple: or like I like to call it the Big O, when you slightly relax after one orgasm and then get aroused again resulting in multiple experiences of orgasmic pleasure in rapid succession. I have experienced this and it is ….. wow (that’s the only way I can describe it).

3.Clean itself.

That’s what vaginal discharge is for. The discharge flushes out bacteria and old cells to protect the womb. So just leave you hoo-ha to do its thing because many intravaginal products and washes can increase your risk of bacterial and yeast infections by throwing your pH levels out of whack. Just stick to regular soap and water, and let your lady parts do their own thing. And for goodness sake do not douche, its sounds like a good idea but you will regret it.

4.Get stronger

With Pelvic floor exercises to help with bladder control. See my post of the pelvic floor exercises and stronger vaginal muscles http://junesecrets.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/junes-secrets-tio-balls-best-kept-open.html

5. Talk to you

It tells you when it's baby-making time, period time or even when there's a serious health risk like cancer potentially going on. Your vagina has a lot to tell you, you just have to make sure you’re listening.

6.Protect itself

Contrary to what some people believe, the vagina is not and endless tunnel that things can get lost in, not tampons, condoms or menstrual cups. The vagina connects to the womb but the cervix acts like a barrier between the two. It would be very difficult for anything to get through the tiny cervical opening that’s anything larger than sperm.

7.Trap a penis

I’m just as shocked as you. I have seen this before but only in African movies and it’s usually as a result of some African voodoo when a man or woman is trying to teach their cheating partner a lesson. But apparently it’s a phenomenon aptly named penis captivus. It’s rare but it’s real. Basically, what happens is that during sex the vaginal muscles clamp down firmly on the penis making it difficult or impossible to remove the penis from the vagina. If this happens you need a doctor not sure how you will get yourself to the hospital though.

8.Change colour.

It doesn’t stay the same colour it started with. During sex and pregnancy more blood flow to the vagina will cause a colour change to a darker shade than before. Then after menopause when oestrogen is lost the colour changes again to a lighter or duller shade than before.

9. Push out a baby

The vagina can allow a 10-plus-pound baby to come through it and still come back to a normal size. The healing process generally takes about six months post-baby, but that's still pretty impressive considering what the body part went through. (Nodding my head in amazement now)

10 Have two of them

Its rare but it is possible to be born with two wombs. The vagina essentially splits into two separate cavities. Two wombs means two cervixes but a normal amount of fallopian tubes and eggs and so  sadly two periods each month but not necessarily twins.

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