The Nation Newspaper

Category: New Woman

  • Exotic hairpieces and tiaras

    Exotic hairpieces and tiaras

    Every bride wants to carve a niche for herself as she walks down the aisle with her sweetheart. Yetunde Oladeinde takes a look at the tiara and other hair pieces that the bride can make use of to achieve that memorable effect.

    IT’S not unheard of for either the bride or groom to get cold feet before the wedding. Of course, we all know that some pre-wedding anxiety is perfectly normal and natural, as virtually everyone experiences such anxiety to one degree or another. However, you can reduce the anxiety by making adequate preparations before this special day.

    To look colourful and glamorous the bride must be creative when it comes to putting every piece together. Once the details are properly assembled, then you can be sure that this sophisticated bride would be the cynosure of all eyes.

    One great way to look different and unique is to go for accessories that are classics. Here the hairpieces, veil and tiara which are the first points of attention can really make a difference. In the collections, you would find designs made with precious stones like Swarovski which would bring about the unique effect required.

    Sometimes, they may not be totally new and may just have historical attachments depicting continuity with the bride’s family and the past. It could just be a ring or a piece of jewellery that has been passed down through the family from generation to generation.

    These days there is so much emphasis on the quality and the aesthetics of the design when it comes to making a choice. . A number of these accessories are richly designed and they all make it a wonderful day to remember.

  • Uyiosa weds Joseph

    Uyiosa weds Joseph

    Uyiosa Ehigie and Joseph Aduku Gabriel recently got engaged at a traditional ceremony in Benin Edo, State.

  • ‘Women need to reach out for help’

    ‘Women need to reach out for help’

    Toki Mabogunje is the CEO of Toki Mabogunje and CO (TMC). She is a lawyer and also the vice president of the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce. The graduate of the then University of Ife went on to do a Masters in International Business Law at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about the challenges for small and medium scale enterprises, potentials for entrepreneurs, unemployment and more.

    WHAT are your duties as vice president of the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce?

    Every vice president has a portfolio and my portfolio is business services and training. So we have what is called BEST (Business Education Services and Training) unit. I am the chairman of the board and this current year, what we are doing is business training programs. We have about 33 training programs running this year. And every week, there would be a training program at the chamber. We also have a mentoring program for young entrepreneurs (male and female).

    Last year, we collaborated with KIND (Kudirat Initiative for Democracy), FATE Foundation and LEAP. So we put together a group of 21 that went through the program and we showcased them at the Lagos International Trade Fair. And that was a huge success, and they have gone ahead to do marvelous things. We are also going to repeat that this year.

    We are also beginning to do the offshore programs for directors of board and executive managers. This year, we are going to run a program in Pennyslylavia University in the United States and another in Dubai. In between all of that, we have trade fairs and other specialised trainings.

    We also run a unit in the Victoria Island office. It is a business information center and we run a digital inclusion program for older Nigerians (above 50). Here they learn to use their computers, Ipad and phones very well. It is a place where we give business information and up-to-date training.

    What are some of the achievements recorded?

    With the unit, I would say that it is the fact that we have trained a lot of people. Last year, the board took a look at the list and saw that 172 companies who bought into our training. We then asked what we could do and we agreed that this year we want to give them free counseling. The programs would be handled by professionals who are members of the chamber of commerce. In terms of impact the SME’s have benefitted. It shows in growth, it shows in impact and increase in capital. The Lagos chamber is very good in advocacy. Whenever Lagos State or the Federal Government is doing something that is impacting negatively on the productivity of business, we take it up from there.

    Do you think the SME’s are where they should be today?

    No, they are not. There are several things I would like to happen. The first is infrastructure, power, road and communication. If we get the power right, the cost of production would go down. Your hairdresser, who made this lovely hairdo is running at a loss because she would be using the I better pass my neighbor generator, Imagine if she does not have to use that , then her cost would go down and she would make more profit , grow and prosper .

    The other angle is access to finance. The banks are shy when it comes to lending to small businesses; they see us as risky. Small businesses are risky all over the world and that is why we have guarantee schemes. You could have as much as two or three in every five companies failing over five years if you are SME. The third important thing is for entrepreneurs to get the right training to manage their companies and place the business on the right track.

    Could this also be linked to youth unemployment in the country?

    I think something is wrong with our curriculum at the moment. People are being trained to get jobs but a number of them would make great entrepreneurs. There is need to redesign the curriculum so that those who are business or ideas would become great entrepreneurs and set up their own enterprises and not look for jobs. This way they would be employers of labour themselves. Unfortunately, the problem of youth unemployment is a big deal all over the world. Last week, I was with some Germans from the German Vocational Institute. They said that Germany is the only country in Europe that does not have those kinds of problems. They are training their young people in vocations and they are not keen on university degree.

    What are the other things that occupy your time?

    I am a business development consultant. Since year 2000, for the last 14 years, I have been working with SMEs as a business consultant. I work to grow and improve their business and that is why you see me getting involved with the things I do now.

    Can you talk about one or two memorable cases handled?

    There are some interesting ones but because you are in the media, I would use an example in the arts. Isaac and Nneka Moses of Goje Africa. In 2004 or 2005, they came to us essentially for a marketing problem. We went in and did a diagnostic on the business and realised that it was more than marketing; they needed to be more strategic.

    We went in there and had a strategic engagement with them, which included some of their stakeholders. We had a number of corporate sessions like the kind of thing Coca-cola and Cadbury would do. Do you know that they just took off to the stars? That year they won their first awards and I think they won two or three. That day when the ceremony got to awards, Nneka said to Isaac, ‘now we can go, the event is over.’

    It was the BON Awards and they were at the door when their names were called, and they emerged as the best independent producers that year. They got it and were leaving the second time when their names were called again. They are great and we use them to talk about our services. There was a time we did something for the World Bank and they put them on video. Now Nneka says TMC opened my eyes, Toki opened my eye. Frankly, for most companies that we have engaged they have shown tremendous progress and this strengthens my belief in what I am doing.

    Let’s talk about your antecedents?

    I studied law at the University of Ife. I worked first with the Federal Government. I was a state counsel with the Federal Ministry of Justice, assistant legal adviser in the Ministry of Defense and Mercantile and Industry Department. I got interested in Commodity Law and litigation. At a point, I decided to improve myself and I did a Masters in International Business Law at the University of Exeter, United Kingdom. I came in when Nigerians decided to privatise broadcasting and joined MINAJ as one of the founding team with Senator Ajagu.

    We started from nothing, grew it to something. Here I spent about seven and half years of my life. While I was in MINAJ I was company secretary, legal adviser and I became the managing Director of the American entity, we got all our licenses and only two of us got the satellite license, MINAJ and AIT. That was when I went to the United States for about two and half years. It was my time in the US that was a deciding factor. In Nigeria we employed over 200 but in the US we were an SME, a very small player. But we got all the support from banks and the equivalent of our NCC.

    I realised that Nigerian businesses did not get one tenth of this kind of support. After this I decided to leave MINAJ and become a business consultant. That was how I came with the SME focus.

    Are women more than men in the sector?

    Funny enough, I realise that my clientele is more male than female. A lot of women do not reach out for professional help. Sometimes, it could be ignorance or lack of required funds. There might be several factors responsible for this. The reason I got engaged was to get involved with organisations that engaged women like NNEW.

  • Star without the emotional medal

    Star without the emotional medal

    OSCAR Leonard Carl Pistorius had the world in his pocket. He struggled against the odds even though both legs were amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old.First he competed in events for single below-knee amputees and for able-bodied athletes. He became a Paralympics champion and made moves to enter able-bodied international competition. It was not so easy and he got persistent objections and charges that his artificial limbs gave an unfair advantage.

    Determined our star ruled his world and eventually prevailed in the legal dispute. At the2011 World Championships in Athletics, Pistorius became the first amputee to win an able-bodied world track medal. At the Olympics, the following year Pistorius became the first double leg amputee to participate in the Olympics when he entered the men’s 400 metres and 4 × 400 metres relay races. That same year at the paralympics, Pistorius won gold medals in the men’s 400-metre race and in the 4 × 100 metres relay, setting world records in both events.

    For his fans, this man was destined for more exploits and they were waiting to see him set other records. But 14 February last year all the feats and medals were put on the reverse gear . Instead attention now shifted to an emotional error committed on Valentine’s day. Pistorius was arrested and charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

    It has therefore been tales of trials and tears for friends and family. Even Reeva would be shedding tears in her graves. Tears of a shattered emotional dream, tears for the heart she loved so much, tears also that she is not alive to tell her own version of this love tragedy. At the center of the tragedy are claims of an intruder, the person (s) who distracted the love process and replaced cupids arrow with a fatal bullet (s).Clinging to claims that he was after an intruder Pistorius appears to be heartbroken.

    What we also need to verify whether the intruder was physical or an emotional intruder. Sometimes, the emotional intruder can more vicious and you just cannot track them down. The more you search for the emotional intruder , the more elusive the become slipping away like the shadow. Any when you are hunting a shadow in a romantic adventure , you are likely to shoot yourself down and ultimately become the victim.

    During the week Oscar Pistorius’s defence received a new blow when its own expert witness contradicted the athlete’s version of events in cross-examination from chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

    This case can be compared with Shakespeare’s Othello. It is the story of a brave and competent soldier of advanced years and Moorish background in the service of the Venetian Republic. He elopes with Desdemona, the beautiful daughter of a respected Venetian senator. After being deployed to Cyprus, Othello is manipulated by his Ancient Iago, into believing Desdemona is an adultress. Othello murders her and, upon discovering Iago’s deceit, kills himself.

    The script takes off after a storm destroyed the Turkish fleet. Othello orders a general celebration and leaves to spend private time with Desdemona. In his absence, Iago schemes to get Cassio drunk after Cassio’s own admission that he cannot hold his wine. He then persuades Roderigo to draw Cassio into a fight. The resulting brawl alarms the citizenry, and Othello is forced to quell the disturbance. Othello blames Cassio for the disturbance and strips him of his rank. Cassio is distraught, but, as part of his plan to convince Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair, Iago persuades Cassio to importune Desdemona to act as an intermediary between himself and Othello, in order to convince her husband to reinstate him.

    Iago now persuades Othello to be suspicious of Cassio and Desdemona. Othello drops a handkerchief (with which Desdemona was trying to bind his headache) that was Othello’s first gift to Desdemona and which he has stated holds great significance to him in the context of their relationship.

    Despite the supposed importance of the handkerchief neither seem to notice the handkerchief had been dropped. Emilia finds it, and gives it to Iago, at his request, but she is unaware of what he plans to do with the handkerchief. Iago plants it in Cassio’s lodgings as evidence of Cassio and Desdemona’s affair. After he has planted the handkerchief, Iago tells Othello to stand apart and watch Cassio’s reactions while Iago questions him about the handkerchief.

    Then Iago goads Cassio on to talk about his affair with Bianca, a local courtesan with whom Cassio has been spending time, but speaks her name so quietly that Othello believes the two other men are talking about Desdemona when Cassio is really speaking of Bianca.Feeling betrayed, Othello resolves to kill his wife and asks Iago to kill Cassio. In the night, Othello confronts Desdemona, and then smothers her to death in their bed.

  • Life Nuggets- FEAR

    FEAR is defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Fear is nothing more than anticipated pain. In other words, fear is a self-imposed imagination of pain you believe you will experience. Fear can be real or imaginary, and you experience it because of your misperception or misjudgments of a situation. When you lose a parent or fail a promotion exam, your entire world seems to collapse and it is normal for you to entertain fear because you don’t know what’s going to happen next, and you cannot control upcoming events. Next week, you’ll find out why you should stop entertaining it.

  • Your mentality and your destiny

    Your mentality and your destiny

    YOUR mentality is your characteristic way of thinking, your frame of mind, your mindset. It could be developed right from childhood and it could also develop later in life as a result of your circumstances. Where you see yourself today, determines where you’ll find yourself tomorrow. Your mentality is what defines your destiny. The pig is in the mud because that is where its mind is, so is the eagle in the sky. A lot of people are born into scarcity and lack and because of this, they subconsciously limit themselves by wallowing in the pitiful state of their circumstance and embrace impossibility. What you embrace sticks with you. It’s sad that people around them only make things worse because they have the same mindset and find it very hard to see above their circumstances. As far as I am concerned, a lot of people who wanted to be educated but could not be are responsible for their inability. After all, there are millions of people who were in worse situations but were much too engrossed in pursuing their dreams than be submerged in their unfortunate circumstances. This is Africa where a lot of us believe in the enemy impeding our progress but I tell you, we all are 75% responsible for what happens to us, what we become or achieve in life. In fact, I dare say the worse your situation, the higher your chances of having the life of your dreams and your greatest wishes come true.

    The pain you feel when you lack the resources to fuel your dream naturally creates a gnawing pain and this pain should only make your desire stronger by the day and not weaken you and make you back out. As your desire grows, your soul sees it more, it becomes a part of you and with the intensity of the fire burning in your heart, and your mind attracts it. And it just comes your way. True, life is not a bed of roses and is not ready to give us what we want but it also recognizes perseverance, determination and resilience which all come with some hard work and rewards these. Also, life has given us a very powerful tool which knows no bounds or circumstance, it could go any distance you send it, farther than you can ever imagine and deliver wonders to you; that tool is your mind. As defined above, the state of your mind is what makes up your mentality. Your mentality especially from a young age when you should have a vivid imagination imprints on your soul and once it registers, it carries you through life. I am sure that you also have a certain mentality that may be slowing down an aspect of your life, but as usual, I’ll be concentrating on the female folk.

    It’s appaling that in today’s society, a regular girl, whether silver-spoon or less-privileged or in-between, has this mentality that the female folk have to “give out their bodies” to men to achieve anything that is worthwhile. Did I say today’s society? Well, I remember about13 years ago, when an epoch-making and the most colorful Nigerian magazine which transcends our borders interviewed me on my book thereby presenting me to the world, to my dismay, a friend told me everyone believes the publisher must have been my boy-friend. What shocked me was their level of thinking and cheap mentality and not even the assertion because they all knew my late dad could afford to get me anything I wanted but that just came my way-even without asking and without being loose. And in fact, I had to take permission from my dad before granting the interview because he shunned publicity. Life saw my hard work and felt I needed to be rewarded with some damn good publicity which worked wonders-simple!

    That was 13 years ago. Now can you imagine the latest mindset of girls, ladies, women? Most young ladies don’t think they can get anything on merit, no thanks to some lecherous university lecturers and randy bosses who also complain that ladies throw themselves at them and so they feel every female practice same-married or unmarried; even grandmas. Many don’t even think they can enjoy the good things of life or amount to anything without having an “uncle” or “god-father” they’ll be sleeping with. It is a very ridiculous, despicable and unfortunate mentality which mothers are passing down to their daughters, which have been allowed to linger and eat deep into the fabric of the society. How can you possess virtues that can make you rule the world, be a super-star, and then debase yourself by not even knowing your capabilities and harnessing them?

    •To be concluded next week.

  • Increasing access to credit

    Increasing access to credit

    Over the years, a number of policies and programs aimed at alleviating the plight of the Nigerian women in business were put into place. Yetunde Oladeinde spoke with stakeholders on the challenges and the way forward.

    A lot of women in business who should benefit from policies and funds ear-marked for them but do not usually have access. The result is that a number of our female entrepreneurs contend with an unfavorable business environment characterised by critical barriers such as a lack of access to finance, and discriminatory cultural and social norms, which curb their potential engagement and contribution to society.

    What can be done to make a difference? Representatives of about 3000 female entrepreneurs from across the country have been working out modalities on the best way to make lack of access to credit a thing of the past. They opine that enhancing Nigeria’s democratic consolidation begins with strengthening the voice of Nigerian business women in public policy reforms.

    So, how can these business women leverage their dominant role in the country’s economy for more active participation?

    “The most effective way to do this is by enhancing the capacity of Nigerian business women’s organisations to advocate for policy reforms”, informs Titilola Adisa coordinator of the Association of Nigerian Women Business Network, a coalition of 17 women business associations across the country.

    She goes on to say that: “the group is currently, implementing a project entitled ‘Increasing Access to Credit among Micro and Small Women Entrepreneurs’ for the development of women businesses. A survey is being conducted to assess the needs of women in micro and small businesses in the area of access to business credit”.

    Would this really make the difference? “It is important to make access to credit to improve and encourage sustainable development. First, we need to create a friendly and conducive environment. Interestingly, the micro and small business make up the economy of the country but they are usually short of funds. So we need to do a number of field surveys to better understand the nature and barriers to accessing credit. Implementation of the project began with the conduct of a survey amongst 112 enterprises located in Abuja, Benin, Enugu, Lagos, Uyo and Warri.”

    The next step would therefore be to share the findings of the survey, review the draft policy position as well as solicit for inputs on policy reforms and recommendations.”

    For Fayo Williams of NEWW, it is important to reach out to women business owners, especially those in the micro and small business category and other stakeholders such as financial institutions, related government MDAs who are responsible for policy formulation and implementation regarding the female gender and commerce, and the media in order to create awareness and seek their support for the success of the Project.

    “The mission of the Coalition is to improve and encourage sustainable entrepreneurship development among women through advocacy in the six geo-political zones of the country.”

    She adds that: “Our objectives include enhancing the capacity of members to achieve optimum entrepreneurship development. We shall advocate for women in business, create an effective voice for business and professional women in Nigeria as well as create proper methods of information dissemination in business”. We would also create partnership with members of primary associations to link women-owned businesses to sources of business funding.

    On her part, Toki Mabogunje, vice president of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry informed that due to some challenges women entrepreneurs are limited in their capacity to borrow and have therefore become completely excluded from the credit market.

    The bespectacled woman goes on to talk that “the women surveyed recently were all educated and aged between 20 and 60 while their business spanned a variety of business sectors. The challenges faced in loan application process include unreasonable criteria for eligibility, unwholesome bureaucracy, inability to provide collateral as well as very high interest rates.”

    Mabogunje adds that: “Negative mindset of banks in lending to small businesses, length of time required to run an account to be eligible for a loan, hidden charges and unreasonable payment terms all make things difficult for women in business”.

    Omowunmi Gbadamosi, the country Director of The Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), states that “Democratic consolidation is not achieved through simply holding elections, establishing a free press, and recognising human rights (although these remain necessary components). Functioning democracies require opportunities between election cycles for the public to participate in the policy process. Functioning democracies also require a private sector that is capable and willing to provide an outside voice in the democratic policy process”.

    She explained that: “countries need to build market-oriented and democratic institutions simultaneously, as they are essentially two sides of the same coin. Without a functioning market system, democracies will remain weak. Likewise, without a democratic process, economic reforms are unlikely to succeed.

    To support the private sector as a leading advocate for market-oriented reform and democratic governance, CIPE works through a partner network to support grassroots networks in developing countries, capacity building programs, and technical assistance through field offices.

    “Our work is unique in that it employs transparency, accountability, fairness, and responsibility in institutional reform, laying the foundation for democracy at all levels of society. This institutional approach to development recognizes that changes will not occur overnight and a long-term commitment is needed for reforms to succeed.

    Long after a country or a region disappears from the headlines, important work remains to prevent reforms from being overturned at the first sign of difficulty.”

    We recognise that successes in one region may provide a model approach for another. That is why CIPE and its partners continue to apply lessons learned across regions, creating new approaches in countries at various stages of democratic reform .CIPE brings a wealth of knowledge from 30 years of experience conducting over 1,300 reform programs in more than 100 countries around the world.

    Democracy in Nigeria is still to deliver democratic dividends to Nigerian women. Nigerian women are marginalised in all aspects of the Nigerian society. At the national, regional, and local levels of government, their participation in policymaking is minimal and does not reflect their contribution to the Nigerian economy. A lack of fair democratic representation is the reason that Nigerian women’s basic rights are not enshrined in the country’s constitution.

    Paradoxically, Nigerian women dominate the small and medium-sized enterprise sector (SME), which accounts for approximately 80% of commercial activities in the country. However, Nigerian women account for 65% of the Nigerian population that lives below the poverty line. Additionally, Nigerian business women contend with an unfavorable business environment characterised by critical barriers such as a lack of access to finance, and discriminatory cultural and social norms, which curb their potential engagement and contributions to society.

  • Boy with strange eye growth

    Boy with strange eye growth

    ROBERT Fapetu and his wife Nofisat had so many dreams for the year and they started off on a very happy and enthusiastic note.

    But a few weeks into the year, February to be precise all their dreams collapse; a strange ailment affected their second son Emmanuel.

    Sadly, 48 year old Robert Fapetu talks about the problem and how it was first noticed “My son is in JSS one and he went to school on that fateful day at Igbo Owu Community School. During the school hours I got a call from the headmistress saying that his eyeballs suddenly gorged out in the class.”

    Fapetu went to the school immediately to see what was happening to his son. “When I set my eyes on the boy I was shocked and very confused. We went to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and he was asked to do the CT scan which cost about N45, 000. After this, we carried out some other tests like blood and ECG. A surgery was then carried out by the ENT department in Ikeja on his nose to get a sample and understand what caused the growth that pushed out the boys eyeballs ‘.

    Just when Fapetu and his family were hoping things would get better the doctors went on strike and they had to wait a little longer. “That caused us some physical and psychological setback. After the strike, we went back and we got the result and Dr N.A Awolola, consultant pathologist, diagnosed Ethesi Oneeuroblastoma . We were referred to Eko Hospital for Radiotherapy which would cost about N145, 000 on 1st April, 2014. At that point, I became helpless because I don’t even have money for the radiotherapy. I had spent all my savings and just do not know what to do anymore”.

    “His mother, Nofisat Timson is a nurse but she is unemployed. She qualified from the Nursing school on Awolowo Road and worked last with a private hospital in ilasa, Lagos. We have three kids and they are all boys. Emmanuel is the second born and he is a very bright child.

  • Lead to leave a legacy

    Lead to leave a legacy

    MOBILISING women into leadership positions is mandatory for sustainable economic growth, global competitiveness and innovation across all industries.

    To do this effectively, women must actively deploy their unique ability to see with wide-angle vision and sow opportunities with a passionate pursuit.

    Women wired to naturally promote the spirit of giving and lead to leave a legacy will cultivate continuous impact and influence in the industries they serve. This is what the African Women Foundation for Nation building hopes to achieve working with female achievers to bring about a change on the political scene.

    The group which is working towards its annual conference tagged ACOWINB 2014 which would take place at the from June 4-6 2014 at the Ladi Kwali Hall Sheraton Hotel, Abuja Nigeria, with the theme: The Role of Women in Nation building.

    Dignitaries expected at the event include Her Excellency, President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, the first African female president and president of Liberia who is the guest speaker.

    According to the initiator of the project, Bukola Bello Jaiyesimi,”This is simply a vehicle for WINB to honour and put the spotlight on remarkable women doing remarkable and extraordinary things in Africa. Bello Jaiyesimi, is an entrepreneur, a Pan Africanist and a multi international Award recipient with the passion for encouraging, evaluating, advancing and projecting women activities with respect to Nation Building . The targets according to the Amazon includes: “woman in business or the workplace who is the founder or co founder of a new project, product, service or concept. The award is also for any woman who has been a part of building her nation in the economic sector, the political sector, human capital development and the business sector”.

    She adds that :” It must be original, have the potential or capability of having an impact in the society and the nation at large such as providing a better quality of life or creating jobs or wealth. Jaiyesimi adds that: Women’s participation in nation-building is an important ingredient in achieving an equitable, peaceful and more prosperous society. A society that shows greater concern for the rights of the weaker strata (women and children) is less likely to initiate violence.”

    It has been proven that economic and social developments are strongly elevated when women enter the marketplace and participate actively in nation building. Gender equity and women’s inclusion are vital in shaping a more democratically stabilized and developed society.

    Incorporating women in the nation-building process as much as possible will help facilitate these.

    African Women Foundation for Nation Building (WINB) is the Pan African Women Foundation that will provide a balanced scorecard on political leaders, Corporate Executives and all other Leaders involved in Nation building. The organisation is present in Ghana, South Africa, the Gambia and Ethiopia as well as Nigeria and it is set to transform African women for effective nation building. This is meant to be done through fora that address women issues: not influenced by political or religious interests, but with a passion for positive change.

  • Tips on motherhood (For mothers)

    Tips on motherhood (For mothers)

    WHEN your child begins to ask questions you consider funny and too young for her to understand, there’s more harm in ignoring her than answering her. Children get a lot of misinformation from their peers in school and the media. They are very confused so parents have to come to their elementary level and not only answer their questions but explain to them in a way their will understand.