‘Every woman is a mentor’
Ifeoma Theodore Jnr E. is a writer, arts and culture enthusiast. She has made it her life’s mission to ensure young people live in a better society. She is the founder of a not- for- profit outfit ‑ Knowledge Education Empowerment for All (KEE) Foundation. The author of Trapped in Oblivion, and My Daughters and I, among other books for young people believes every woman is a mentor. EVELYN OSAGIE writes.
Woman with a sunny smile
You can call her the woman with a sunny smile. Ifeoma Theodore Jnr. E is one woman whose smile lights up the room. She faces life squarely with warmth and loads of positivity. Ifeoma, as she is fondly called in the literary world, is a writer and sex education awareness advocate, who sees life as a gift that should be valued, and most importantly, enjoyed to the fullest.
Her thoughts on womanhood
Ifeoma believes women and the girl-child are already empowered by their nature. She says: “The greatest challenge of the girl-child is not knowing and understanding that she is already empowered from the day she was born, as against what the belief is, that you have to fight to be empowered. You can’t fight for what you were born with. As soon as they know it’s in them, they begin from the very outset to understand that every other thing they achieve in life, is to complement and add to what they have always had.
“She has to accept and understand who she is, not just by her gender, but by her name. As soon as she starts seeing people not as genders, or stereotypes attributed to genders, but their names as beings, she becomes limitless in the course of achieving her life’s purpose. That is the most important hurdle for any girl-child to cross; every other thing would simply fall in line.”
For the writer who is also a mother, women are born counselors. Hear her: “Every woman is a mentor. Stay-at-home mothers, who sacrifice a lot to organise the running of their homes, working mothers who have to go out there to earn a living, food peddlers in the market who have to stay under the scorching sun to put food on the table, teachers who we have to entrust our children with, domestic helps who help us reduce our already occupied workload. The list is endless. For me, every one of these women makes a great impact on how I see the world.”
Such thoughts have influenced her creative writings.
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Her advocacy for the young
Ifeoma takes pride in writing books that educate, as well as, entertain. “I am not just an author but also the voice of adolescents, teenagers and young adults. My mission is to ensure these young people live in a better society.”
She is the founder of Knowledge Education Empowerment for All (KEE) Foundation, a not- for- profit, targeted at educating, especially adolescents and young adults on well-being and self-empowerment. She advocates that parents and leaders in positions of authority sahould address the plight of young ones on time.
“I decided to take the bull by the horns and address issues, like sex education, teen pregnancy, molestation, cyber bullying, and STDS to enlighten everyone, especially the younger generation. It is unfortunate that the society as a whole has relegated the interest and well-being of adolescents, teens and young adults to the back burner, which is detrimental to the society and the lives of the young ones concerned.”
Her literary works
Ifeoma has created beautiful literary pieces that have defied age limitations, culture and traditions, and have gone as far as breaking down barriers put in place by the society. She has authored many works of fiction, English textbooks, poems and colouring and illustration for children.
Commendably, her books, Trapped in Oblivion and My Daughters and I have garnered recognition and endorsements from notable organisations, including UNFPA, UNICEF, DFID, NACA, NERDC and the Federal Ministry of Education. They have also been approved for use in schools,
Both works which are notable for addressing the well-being of adolescents and young adults have been recognised and endorsed both here at home and internationally. This speaks well of how impactful her works are.
Trapped in Oblivion, which is her first novel, set in Africa, Nigeria to be precise, reflects the negative impact some societal norms and traditions cause the young generation. Some of the traditions of old, which are today detrimental to the choices people make, are still being upheld. The book focuses on teenage characters on a quest to know more about their wellbeing. She brought out the uniqueness of teenagers and the different relationships some teenagers have with their parents. While some parents have discarded the age-old mantra, to educate their children better, others like the protagonist’s mother still held on to the mantra which brought about a sad but avoidable end in the story.
My Daughters and I, which is a self-help book, comes across as a need to know necessity. It introduces topics that every parent shies away from discussing with their daughters terming it “uncomfortable”.
Ifeoma seeks to bridge that gap between parents and their daughters through her work. Topics range from puberty, hygiene, to STDs, boys and much more.
Her writing comes from an understanding and non-judgemental point of view, of someone who can relate to what adolescents are going through when they experience puberty. She acknowledges that puberty comes with certain self-awareness and that young girls need guidance at this point in their lives.
The piece uses warm tones with jokes as interjections to relax the reader.
Ifeoma is not limited to a particular genre. She has also published Ginger and other stories, about the role of parents in the life of children. There is also a collection of poems, which come with illustrations.
Her creativity can also be seen in her colouring works, like The Nigerian Tribes Colouring Book, which have no words, but speaks “unity in a diverse country” to any child that picks it up.
Her colouring books are ideal for toddlers. She says: “Art is a language that breaks down barriers and unites the continent. The important thing is creating awareness in the society, in a way that can speak and bring comfort to everyone.”