Nelia Gyemfi – Being Phenomenal

Be your Selfie IV!!! (Final Post).

Nelia Gyemfi — Sun, 15 Jan 2017 19:07:39 +0000

In the previous post on the ” be your self” series, we made mention of the fact that there are two kinds of people who are somewhat content with themselves.
We said there were the black and white copies who are very appreciative of who there were but at the same time were mediocre in their thinking or way of life. They wouldn’t strive to be the very best of themselves yet they get envious of those who vow to make the best of their situation.
The second kind of persons were the coloured copy. The one who accepts who he or she is, but doesn’t settle for mediocrity nor anything less. These are the kind of persons we want to be. And in today’s post, we shall discuss how we can be the coloured versions of ourselves. Right before then, let’s talk a tiny winny bit about the PARABLE OF THE TALENTS.

I’m pretty sure we all are familiar with this story from our Sunday School days. However, let’s discuss it’s relevance and bearing on the topic. The ones who had 5 and 2 talents each made an extra 5 and 2 talents out of it. They harnessed what had been given to them to produce more such that even if the master came and said give me back what I gave unto you, they will still have some extra left to work with. But the one who had one, did nothing. In fact, he did worse. He hid it. At least he should have spent it or something. He buried it. This means not only did he not make the most of the talent given, he made what he had dormant.
That is our whole discussion personified.

Now how can you be the coloured versions of ourselves?

Right from the parable above, you must harness what is within you. A lot of times, people say they do not know what their talents or unique selling points are. But there are also a whole lot of people who know what it is, but like the servant with one talent, they give excuses as to why they can’t.
Identify your weakness. Accept them and be sure they do not come in your way of being your coloured self.
Take responsibility for your actions, inactions and mistakes. Be apologetic when you know you are wrong not defensive. Do not look for people to blame for what went wrong in your life.

Do not be scared to take initiatives, risks and push yourself to do more. Focus on what you love to do and you will still be outstanding even if there are a whole lot of persons doing the same thing. I always use @kafuipraise photography as a case study here. There will always be distractions and obstructions, but like Paul, fix your eyes on the prize and run that you may obtain.

Yours truly,
Nelia Gyemfi…xxx

Emmanuella Esinam Awunyo.

Nelia Gyemfi — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 15:58:05 +0000

So during the summer break I decided to intern at one of the most prestigious Business Law firms in Africa, little did I know I was going to meet a family, a family of young, intelligent and smart women, one of which is my guest today. She’s full of so much energy. She’s smart, articulate and she’s just herself. I remember our first day on the job, when we were ordering for lunch, she goes like me I want local dishes OK, rice rice is not my thing. I was like yaaaayy I have my match. It was amazing working with her, and today she decided to spend sometime with us…
Ladies and Gentlemen, she is Miss Tourism 2012, that’s all I will say for now.. want to find out more about this personality, just scroll down.

Nel: Who is Miss Tourism 2012?

Esi: Well that will be me. She is a lady who shares the same birthday with Ghana’s First President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, hence don’t be surprised if she becomes the first female president of Ghana. She is currently a final year student undertaking her postgraduate degree in law under the University of London International Programmes. She was crowned Miss Tourism Ghana 2012 and loves to cook, act, research and spend quality time with her family. Esinam is a lover of the entertainment industry and hopes to feature in a Hollywood blockbuster movie in the near future. Her philosophy of life revolves around the British Statesman, Sir Winston Churchill’s saying that “we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”.

Nel: You really do know you! Alright tell us about your journey in the world of beauty pageants and competitions.

Esi:Well, my journey in the world of pageantry started when i was a little girl growing up in Osu who was always glued to the television set watching Miss Ghana back in the late 90’s. I knew that whatever i wanted to achieve in my adult life was supposed to be a source of inspiration to both the young and the old.My debut in pageantry was during my high school days in Keta Senior Secondary School and during my undergraduate studies at the University of Ghana, I auditioned to be part of Face of Legon, and made it to the grand finale but didn’t make it to the top five finalists.

My next shot at a beauty pageant after series of grooming sessions was in 2011 when I was selected to be part of the sixteen girls who made it to the Miss Malaika Ghana house and during the grand finale, I was in the top five and went home with three awards, Miss Talent, Best Evening Gown and Miss Catwalk.

In 2012, I auditioned for Miss Tourism Ghana, which is by far one of the best pageants in Ghana because it deals with a vital area of the Ghanaian economy that helps generate revenue for the country. I was crowned Miss Tourism Ghana 2012 and ended up swooping more than half of the awards that were up for grabs on the night, which included, Miss Eloquence, Miss Talent, Miss Photogenic, and Best Specific Tourism segment. This has been my journey in the world of pageantry.

Nel: How did the competition help groom you into who you are now.

Esi: Miss Tourism Ghana has moulded me into the confident, outspoken lady speaking to you today. It also gave me the platform to network with eminent personalities both locally and internationally which has afforded me with the needed exposure that has had a profound impact on my view of the world in which we live.

Nel: Growing up as a young lady, I have on several accounts heard people, both male and female dicuss the issue of pageantry and morality. Actually, my eldest sister was once Miss Obaasima (which will now be Miss CUC) during her days as student in Central University College. I know she would have loved to pursue that dream but for this unfavourable misconception that is gaining grounds about beauty Queens and morality. What’s your take on it?

Esi: I believe its all about perception. As human beings we come across various temptations especially when you are a beautiful young lady who either has the dream to be a beauty queen or has in fact won a pageant. You tend to receive a lot of favors and attention from men especially but at the end of the day it boils down to you the individual, your values, principles, and what they stand for in your life.

Nel: Principles. Thats one thing no person can shove it down your throat. You make them yourself and be sure not to compromise. Let the world say and do what the may. Stand for something else you fall for anything. Within my few months of knowing you I can tell are full of so much energy. What’s your secrert young lady besides God ofcourse.

Esi: My dad.He is my sole inspiration and the reason I keep striving to achieve my goals in life. He was my driving force when i was competing for the various pageants I found myself in and he still is as i aspire to be a lawyer in the near future.

Nel: Daddy Daddy. We the Akans will say Dada Ba. Moving on, any particular women , you look up to as mentors and role models in your chosen path of life and why?

Esi: Definitely. Her name is Etta Mensah and she was my Common Law Reasoning and Institutions lecturer during my first year on the University of London International Programme. She is a young industrious woman in her 30’s.I admire her sense of perseverance, commitment and dedication to achieving her goals. In a short space of time she has achieved so much in her life as a young woman and she never ceases to amaze me.

Nel: Yuhp I remember you mention her to me and the other ladies one time during our internship programme when we stole time to chat a while. Well done Ma’am.

Alright soo if you had the opportunity to be a young 10 year child again, with all the knowledge and expertise in life now, what would you change about your life as a young woman?

Esi: Mmm….now that’s a difficult one. To be honest i will change nothing about my life as a young woman. I love the woman I am now with all my perfections and imperfections. I have grown to embrace all aspects of my life for they have actually molded me into the woman I am today.

Nel: What is your advice to the young woman out there who is scared and afraid to go all out for herself because of society?

Esi: According to Stephanie Melish ‘Fear is an idea-crippling, experience-crushing, success-stalling inhibitor inflicted by yourself’. Sweetheart, if you are out there reading this don’t be scared to go all out for yourself for you owe it to yourself to be happy. Forget about what society thinks, and do what makes you happy and feel fulfilled because at the end of the day whether you go all out or not society will still be around. You are special and have a role to play and you must play it to the best of your ability.

Nel: What top 5 pieces of advice would you give to young girls and why?

Esi: Well here you go!!

Be yourself because everyone else is taken.

Humility is the key to your altitude in life.

Always lend a helping hand when you can because we all need help in one way or the other.

Do what you love because it won’t seem like work and you would do it with joy.

Never ever compromise on your values as an individual for that is what makes you who you really are.

Nel: Finally finally, What does the future hold for you in pageantry

Esi: Well, pageants have shaped me into the fine young woman i am today. I work with the Miss Tourism Ghana Organization every year to groom the contestants as well as help organize the main event.
However, In the near future i hope to run a pageant of my own to give other young ladies the opportunity I was given to better themselves and the lives of people around them.

Nel: Esinam thanks soo much for your time. I know I have had to be on you just a little for this piece but am very grateful dear. And I hope we get to work again with all the other ladies so we can continue our coffee treats every morning.

Esi: lol. Sure thing Nelia. Thank you for the opportunity as well to tell my story. I’m honoured.

Well there you have it. Very insightful and mind boggling lessons. Hope you enjoyed it and it was helpful. Let’s get talking. Be sure to leave a comment right here??.
Love, Nelia ??

BYS III. Work on yourself, not your selfie!

Nelia Gyemfi — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 20:04:27 +0000

Soo two weeks ago we came to a consensus, and an understanding, that we cannot add all those pretty, sensational and breathtaking filters and edits to our real life. That is a fantasy and that would be to also live a lie. I made mention of a part where sometimes in life, these embellishments are necessary additives on our way to becoming who we truly are. Yes but here’s the thing, the filters, edits and effects ( I prefer to call them embellishments ) can only and will only be evident on the outside of ourselves when and only when they are imbibed in our inner man.
Okay let me break it down. Do we all remember the grade school ICT slang GIGO? Garbage In Garbage Out!! You feed the computer rubbish raw data, you get no less as a processed information.
Oh la la! Micaela said “Distinctiveness as an individual is what makes you great”. But guess what sweethearts, distinctiveness is a default setting accessible to all; which will on the contrary, not be activated if we decide not to harness it and put it to a commendable use.
I’m pretty sure it’s very well understood by us all that we were;

Each created in the image of God, and He’s the only person to look to if you want to find yourself.
Regardless of the fact that we were all, created in the image and likeness of God, we are individually distinct and unique from one another.

However, there are some mechanisms and protocols of life that make us better ourselves as we are. Remember we said not to be the photocopy of another person, but rather to be the original, unadulterated, unique copy of you. And in doing that, you can decide to either be the “black and white copy or the coloured copy”.
Now, the black and white copy kind of people are those that:

Accept who they are, obviously with no struggle at all.
They are also the kind of persons who in accepting who they really are, do not do much about their situations, in short, they do not seek to better themselves in any way.
They are almost always content with mediocrity.

But this is not the kind of copies we seek to be. We seek to be the most colourful, most productive, most attractive, and the best copy of ourselves. The coloured copy kind of persons also;

Accept who they are, with no struggle as well, but here’s the difference, they seek to be the best kind of them. They know that I can either be a black and white me or a coloured me; and they choose the latter.
In accepting that they want to be the coloured version of themselves, do not sit idle, looking pretty all day and night, in season and out of season.They put effort in themselves, they strive to be who they want to be. They build themselves up in every kind of way possible. ( Now this is where the black and white copy people get worried, jealous and envious. But I went to the same high school with her, why was she well composed than I? Or I have the same qualifications as her, why was she accepted at the interview not I? Sister, because she did some more work to be the coloured copy. Nothing prevents you from doing same.)
This kind of persons have nothing in common with mediocre perceptions or ways of doing things.

Which one would you rather be, it’s your cup of tea served to you, whether you drink it hot, or cold, or better still whether you spill it or decide to drink it and savor every moment, still entirely up to you.
But I would rather you decide today, to not just be the you and accept how things are. Be the you that strives for the greater and better part of you.
As a teenager, some few years back, I read an article; probably a myth about how the human mind has a very great capacity, such that even the very renowned scientists and academia used very very very minute part of their mind and brain. As a young girl, I asked myself, what then am I using this for? If the human brain is that powerful, then I can’t even fathom and imagine what I can do and become. I bet you some teenagers my age, were also privy to this information, but probably just said really so Albert Einstein used just about 11% of his brain? Oh it’s a lie.
But even if it is a lie and a well known founded myth that humans do not use up to 20% of their brain in their entire lifetime, I suppose it’s just for humans to acknowledge that whatever they put their minds and efforts to, can be greatly achieved because you haven’t harnessed a greater portion of your brain.

A wise friend once told me in a conversation we were having about fulfilling purpose and living a life of vision, and he said ” Nelia, some people die full, few others die half empty, and very little die empty and I will not leave this side of eternity until am empty”. I was lost in thoughts. I pretended to have made some sense out of what he said. But then I eventually asked, what do you mean? He said ” those who die full are those that fulfilled nothing with regards to their purpose. Everything God gave them is buried with them. Those who die half-empty did some work with regards to purpose and it’s fulfillment. Those that die empty, leave everything here, having attained the fulfillment of their purpose and vision”.

As Samuella rightly puts it, we have a choice. Always and always. On that note, in our next post on this series, we shall discuss how we can be the coloured versions of us.
Catch you all next week as we continue this talk…
In the mean time, thanks for reading but be a darling by sharing and also leave a comment ?.
Lots of love♡♡♡
Nelia.

Be your selfie (II) I Am What You Cannot See.

Nelia Gyemfi — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 20:20:14 +0000

Heya…well well well…remember Micaela? Anyways so I came across a poem she wrote, sometime back. Probably way before our paths crossed but then I was like wow…she’s got to do a piece on the #BE YOUR SELFIE SERIES. I kind of just dropped the bombshell on her a few days ago. I text her and am like “CAELA YOU ARE DOING THE NEXT POST” She says Nelia what?! Are you sure? And I say Absolutely! !
And she stuns me when I receive the piece! And I know this piece will wow you from here to the moon and back. She addresses the issues at stake from a whole different point of view which I whole heartedly believe will relate well with some of us. It’s true what the Phenomenal Maya Angelo said.. that in diversity, there is beauty and there is strength.
In the diversity Micaela inputs in this work, there is indeed beauty and strength.
Ladies and (gentlemen),
Micaela presents I AM WHAT YOU CANNOT SEE.

When I wrote this poem, I was in a very bad place. A place I have never been before emotionally, spiritually and mentally. I was trying to understand what I wanted out of life, I was scared of the future and I wanted as much as possible to please everybody and do what everybody says. I was confused, yet enlightened. I was yearning for something, yet I felt a pseudo-feeling of fulfilment. I was always in mixed emotions. Whether it was to do with love, work, academia and friends. All in all, I was in a pit left to fight a battle against myself, with myself and everybody else. So when our girl Cornelia came to me one evening and said (mind you not in so many words, but in many emoji’s haha), ‘Micaela you have to write about this!’ I immediately thought, wow really? Is she sure? There is so much history in between those lines and within the words – it’s simply bringing up the difficult side of the past. But then, after I looked at it again closely, after a year, I realised, this is indeed an empowering piece. How did I miss this? After acknowledging this, I thought, ok, yes, now, I need to look for some awesome, cool, Bible scriptures that extremely reiterate the morals of this poem, something that will relate to us as women and also, most importantly be able to blow our minds with excitement! Whilst frantically flying through bible quotes, I just stopped and for some reason, I went on ahead and started writing.
Therefore my African Queens, what you are about to read, is simply a brief snippet of unfiltered, raw thought processes – some of which you may agree with and have experienced. Some of which you may not agree with. And that is ok Life is a learning process and we are all entitled to our own opinions! Now, (assuming that I haven’t lost you just yet – hold on!) let us embark on thinking about what it means to be your extra-ordinary self!
There is something that I have always admired about us African women. Besides the fact that we are strong, independently and collectively, we are aware of who we are, what we can do and what we want. We shouldn’t see our nubian, melanin skin as a setback. It is where we draw our strength… (after we have sought to find ourselves from the image from which we were made- CHRIST). It seems that this is an instinct, it feels like it is common knowledge. Perhaps it is a common language. It is beautiful and inspiring that we speak in these secret codes. We may not explicitly use words at times to augment this, but there seems to be some form of awareness. For me, whenever I find myself looking my skin (probably when my mind is wandering off), I don’t just see my flesh and veins. I see beyond that. I see history. I see a lineage of many kingdoms and empires ingrained in my DNA. I see a woman who has found herself, not per the standards of society, nor by the expectations of family, neither is it by the pressures from comrades and mates. (What do you see in yours? Comment below!).
We all know that we come from one or more than one nation in Africa. For instance, I am Ghanaian. However, if we think back to roughly the 12th Century, the ‘Ghana Empire’ itself consisted of many smaller regions and kingdoms going beyond the current territorial borders. It spanned across what we now know today as Mauritania and Mali. This shows that maybe I have a little Mauritanian and Malian in me! Queen, what I would like you to draw from here in my case is that as I am a melting pot of different centuries’ old ethnic kinships, and perhaps maybe due to this I may have inherited certain characteristics in personality or appearance, I AM STILL UNIQUE; AND SO ARE YOU. You have your own unique talents, strengths and weaknesses, vision, passion, thus, your own great personality. You have been purposefully fashioned to not be a copy of someone else. Yes, you may look like your brother or sister or your mum, but within, there is certainly no one like you. If we think back to the concept of sisterhood, we can see that it is based on a community of women coming together for a good cause. Mostly for the purpose of empowerment. The key thing to note here, is that as we do come together, we are bringing all of our talents to the table. We are walking into this community with our uncommon differences. DISTINCTIVENESS AS AN ININDIVIDUAL IS WHAT MAKES YOU GREAT.
Once again, going into why I wrote this poem, I think I wrote it in retaliation. In retaliation to what was said and thought about me. I have always known that there is something special inside of me, something that no one else can see or envision. You have that special thing inside of you too. Only you can feel it and see what it looks like. Sometimes it is pretty hazy to see, I admit. The beauty of this is going on another journey to see it and understand it again. It is what motivates you and encourages you to aspire to various heights.
Queen, let this week be a reflection of what that thing is to you. Please understand that this makes you extra-ordinary. This makes you what you are that others cannot see.
Peace, love and blessings,
Micaela x.
Thanks for reading, sharing and liking the post. Much love, from Nelia??
I am what you cannot see

Be Your Selfie!!

Nelia Gyemfi — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 07:21:28 +0000

So it’s the night before her 1st birthday party. Her mum, myself and her other aunt( oh and by her other aunt I mean my own very sensational sister Adepa) soo excited and thankful to God for this bundle of joy. Lots of errands to run that evening, picking up cakes, party favours, chairs and party decor. Finally got back home, still with a lot of work to do, we had to prepare our little cupid Ashley for bed. I made her milk while her mum bathed her and changed her into this lovely sleepwear. I couldn’t help but take pictures of her cute self. Bored as I was one day, going through all the pictures that I had hoarded like most of us like to do, I chanced upon this one again.
I was like wait what? Be your selfie? Oh my did that inscription just inspire me to write something. And whoever put that there probably thought oh it’s just a kids sleepwear so anything cute goes so you have a pretty little kitten in there with her phone who says ” BE YOUR SELFIE”
Selfies have become a trend in our everyday lives. I mean it’s made taking pictures of yourself easier. Instead of going the traditional and outdated way of turning the back of the phone, where you have the camera to take just a snap of yourself. Even that required a special kind of skill and technique which some of us never mastered. You take the picture and it’s half your face, or just your upper lip or worse off, just your nose.
All credit to technology, the picture taking life has been made easier. Phones are made with the front camera with no hustle and bustle of turning your phone to take a snap of yourself. But then again, even with the advent of “selfie” taking, do we really accept what we see? We use filters here and there… to get that effect and look we want. Don’t get me wrong, I love to edit pictures myself. When the awesome @KP edits a picture, oh lala you will want to live in that moment. But then it ends there!!
The sad , honest, and truth pill that has to be gulped down our throat is that we attempt to relive the facade of that technology of editing pictures and adding filters to our real lives!!
It doesn’t work like that, not ever. Be your selfie. Be that person you see when you take the first shot of that picture without any embellishments( there are times when those “Embellishments” are useful to real life…fingers crossed for next post).

As human as we are, we are tempted to compare ourselves to this or that person. We look in the mirror and expect to see the image of another person. We get that test results and we hoped that our index number would change to be that of the smartest person in the course. We even sometimes wished, in the deepest of our hearts, that our parents weren’t ours. (Correct me if am wrong).
We are busy giraffing and snooping on other persons’ lives, we relegate to the almost inaccessible part of our minds, the fact that life presents each and everyone of us a different test paper. Worse off, we live a lie.
Answer your test paper, of course with the aid of God.
There’s no such thing as past questions in life! Even WAEC, in their own wisdom, seldom repeats questions with the exact same facts. There’s always a twist, an addition or a deduction.
BE YOUR SELFIE MY DEAR LADY! The world looses something the moment you decide to giraffe…or live a lie… your uniqueness is adulterated and worse of, the world looses..but you loose you first; which is unbargainable. God made you in only one image…His. You want to find yourself? Go to Him. He made you fearfully, so that you can confront the purtable situations of life. He made you wonderfully, for you to bring something valuable and exclusive to you to the table of humanity.

In the subsequent weeks ahead of us till the end of 2016; I ask a favour of us all, be the ‘realest you’ you can be. Forget people, turn deaf ears to talk, and ignore the looks…the world will surely be a better place if everyone will quit pretending, giraffing or living a lie….
To be continued…..??

Sincerely Samuella!

Nelia Gyemfi — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 16:52:04 +0000

Heya! So today we have Samuella Takyi Buachie with the brand name @Sincerely Samuella. She is a Ghanaian Us based young lady who has got the strength and tenacity like that of Michelle Obama or Hilary Clinton. She studies at Drexel University and was an intern at Google in recent times. She describes herself as a part-time blogger and a full time food lover (love the sound of that). She makes food come alive trust me. Well, I will leave her to do all the talking while we take some notes.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the ever glamorous, sensational, lovely Samuella.

Nelia: In a few words, who is Samuella?

SS: I was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa and moved to the US for more educational opportunities. I am now a Junior at Drexel University studying Finance and Marketing with minors in International Economics and International Area Studies.

NELIA: What drives you as a young Christian woman?

SS: One trait that I developed and I think has really shaped me into who I am today is the fact that I am selfmotivated. Due to my personal background and interests, I am extremely selfmotivated and I am always thinking about what else I can get involved in. I cannot sit idle, at all.

NELIA: She can’t sit idle. Its not enough to just sit around and look pretty as a woman. Remember the proverbs 31 woman?
Anyway so what’s your opinion on the purpose of womanhood?

SS: I have had a lot of time to think about the purpose of womanhood and I always go back to this quote as it sums it up perfectly: “It’s definitely difficult being a woman and growing up a girl. When you’re graceful, people say you lack personality; when you’re serene, people say you’re boring; when you’re confident, people say you’re arrogant; when you’re feminine, people say you’re too girly; and when you climb trees, people say you’re too much of a tomboy! As a woman, you really need to develop a very strong sense of self and the earlier you can do that,the better! You have to be all the things that you are, without allowing other people’s ignorance change you! I realized that they don’t know what grace is, they can’t identify serenity, they have inferiority complexes, they are incapable of being feminine, and they don’t know how to climb trees!” ― C. JoyBell C.

NELIA: Too much to take in from that quote. Thank you.
On that note, Would you think of Womanhood as a Vulnerability?

SS: No, I do not. A lot of people think that women are vulnerable creatures just walking around but I actually think otherwise. Anyone can be vulnerable at the end of the day it is solely up to the person if they would like to be vulnerable. We always have a choice. Always.

NELIA: We always have a choice! Is there any woman who in your opinion has got it right and whom you look up to?

SS: I have a few women I look up to in no particular order, of course: Rachel Maddow, Michelle Obama, Shirley Frimpong Manso, Lucy Quist, Priscilla Chan, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche. To me, all of these women have one thing in common: Grit.

NELIA: And now to the question of the century, who is a phenomenal woman in your opinion?

SS: All of the women I listed above are phenomenal women and they are doing great work in their respective communities, irrespective of obstacles.

NELIA: Any advise to the young christian woman out there?

SS: I have a couple of Bible verses that really speak to me and I believe every young Christian woman should be aware of these verses:
James 1:27 (NIV):
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking
anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given to you.
6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a
wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV):
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
Psalm 37:311 (NIV):
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.

NELIA : Wow. It’s a long read but it’s worth it. Thank you soo much Samuella. We sure look forward to having you here again.

SS: My Pleasure.

You may follow her on her website
@ www.sincerelysamuella.com
Or
Instagram: @ Sincerely Samuella.
As always and forever, with love from Nelia!

The Cry That Birthed Nelia Gyemfi!

Nelia Gyemfi — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 05:59:32 +0000

Isaiah 66:8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

It’s very okay not to be okay sometimes, it does not mean you are a weakling, it only ascertains the fact that you are human, and this is life! It acceptable to let it all out, even if it means you have to wail, than bottle it all up, in the name of being strong. The person of strength is not the one who intentionally and deliberately ignores the hurt, failure, disappointment or rejection. It is that person who accepts what has gone wrong and is not defined by it but is rather redefined.
There is always success in failure, it’s up to you to be vigilant and discerning. Every disappointment is an appointment in disguise; uncover the puzzle and mystery.
On that fateful evening of 21st May, 2016…Having done everything humanly possible and fulfilling all other spiritual obligations, I was nothing short of confident that I will be the next Women’s Commissioner of my uni. The words my mum spoke to me a few minutes before the results were announced suggested to me that God says this is not for you. She said in her sweet calming voice,”Nana Nyarko, we have done everything we have to do. You campaigned as much as you could, and we have also been praying for you. If God says No, this is not for you, let it go!”
I was like ahhh why will this woman tell me this kind of thing at this hour. I mean you said it yourself, everything had been done, what reason did God have to say no then.
But then, it so happened that God said no. No matter how hard I tried to keep it in, like the woman in labour, I had to let it out, right there on the school car park. Yes, on the school car park. I was in labour and I had to deliver. I had been pregnant with a whole lot of vision and work, and I had to birth them. I travailed and wailed like the woman carrying triplets in the maternity ward who has refused an operation so is pushing all three babies out.
People looked at me and were like Cornelia stop this please, you are embarrassing yourself. You are making your enemies happy with this attitude. But then my dear, can you stop a woman in labour from giving birth? Will you tell her she’s embarrassing herself so she should not push? I and only I knew and could understand what was happening in me, in my spirit and soul. I couldn’t keep calm. Something in me needed to be come forth, something needed to manifest. The question then is, if so, God then why did you say no?

I looked at this poster, and I didn’t see failure. I saw a woman of strength, small in physique but mighty in Christ and I said to her, that one day, just one very fateful day, you will proudly stand in front of thousands of people, and tell of the tale behind this. And people will know, and understand, and accept, that sometimes, when God says No, it is not because you are not qualified for that. But because He’s called you for a greater purpose and vision, and He needs to rid you of every form of distraction and interruption.
Is it not amazing that the very first post on this blog was just a day after the famous cry and I say this with all happiness and pride. I started knowing but also not knowing how this will work. But I did it anyway and i have not an iota of doubt that God is in my mist.I sometimes wonder, what would I be doing now if I didn’t weep like I did? Would I be most definitely looking back with regret and looking at God like why?
That cry birthed confidence, it rekindled passion and set ablaze zeal. That cry birthed NELIA GYEMFI and brought forth the PHENOMENAL WOMEN’S BLOG (which by the way is just the beginning of greater exploits)!!!

Psalm 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

Thank you for reading and I hope that you cry that cry that will birth the new you and the inner you.
Love, Nelia Gyemfi.

Kafui Praise

Nelia Gyemfi — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 20:00:26 +0000

I met her at the ACCRA YOUTH SUMMIT. She made a statement that has stuck with me all this time. That when she intended to pursue her passion for photography, her mum was not very amused with her decision but then she said, I will not be a photographer who rides a bicycle. One very big lesson I picked into my memory is to do whatever you love to do. For then you will do it very well and attain the success and height you anticipate. In other words, do what you love, love what you do, do it with all the love you can amass and you will love the success and height you reach.

She’s been named one of the best female Photographers in Ghana. She also won the Arts, Culture and Tourism Startup of the year award at the Ghana Startup Awards 2016.
There’s no doubt that this is a woman of God, who understands what it is to find yourself in God, and walk the path He’s designed for you. When I started this work, I knew I had to get her on board.
Ladies and Gentlemen, KAFUI PRAISE!

Nelia: Hello KP, and thank you sooo much for making time for this.

KP: Thank you too for having me dear.

Nelia : Alright then, Let’s get started.In a few words, who is KP besides the awesomeness of photography abilities?

KP: Well, my actual name is Matilda Dogbatsey oh and Kafui Praise is my brand name.I am 27 years old and my parents are Mabel Adjorlolo and the late Michael Dogbatsey.

Nelia : How did Photography begin with you?

KP :Photography for me started by wanting to be a model, but then again I didn’t want to compromise to be one. l remember quite well that I was turned down by a photographer because I refused to wear a bikini for a shoot, this is not to say I have anything against those who do it but for me as a worship minister and a Sunday School Teacher then , l know people looked up to me and needed to live what I preached. So I decided to be my own model , l would go to fotostore take pictures of myself dressed how I’m comfortable with and use those pics for absolutely nothing . Pictures boasted my self confidence. I just loved being infront of the camera and I guess the camera loved me too. So that went on for a while till I started taking pictures with my phone in 2014. The phone pics caught people’s attention and I got my first wedding booking from Norway through that so I had to quickly get a professional camera and learn my way around it quickly because I did not want to disappoint the client who soo much believed in me.

Nelia : You sure have not disappointed any of your clients by God’s grace. On that note, what drives your purpose as a young Christian woman?

KP : God! To live each second knowing that He’s got it all worked out is just fulfilling and awesome.

Nelia : In your opinion, what is the purpose for which the woman was created?

KP : First God created the woman from Adam to be a help meet to him. That generally tells us that as women we’ve been created to be help meets to our generation. We’ve been created to impact our world and anyone that comes around us.

Nelia : Capturing moments with passion in deed. How does it feel to work in an industry dominated predominantly by men and how have you achieved and maintained the height you have reached?

KP :In the industry I find myself women have to work extra hard to rub shoulders with men. In Africa or Ghana to be specific for a woman to earn respect or to be recognised in her field of work, life or passion she will have to prove herself and let her works speak for itself. It’s a challenge but Grace is Sufficient.

Nelia : Your works have indeed spoken for you. But then, besides God, what or who else spurs you on?

KP: My Mentor, Pastor, Coach, Spiritual Father and friend is Rev.Tom Bright-Davies.It was through his counsel, Prayers, guidance and teachings that I’m here today. Since 2013 to date.

Nelia : Who will you describe as a phenomenal woman?

KP: A phenomenal woman is a woman who knows and understands her worth and has discovered her purpose and is living it not forgetting her creator and aligning herself with Him. A woman who even through her hurt and brokenness will wake up, dress up and show up giving everything she does her very best.

Nelia : Wow! Wake up, dress up and show up! We sure can’t have enough of you. Any advise to the young woman out

KP: My Advice to Young women out there, please discover or let God reveal your purpose to you and live it only then can you impact your world. And to know your purpose, you have to know God, your knowledge of Him will reveal yourself and purpose to you. You can only see yourself clearly in Him not in any human. Love yourself enough to walk away from anything that’s not adding value to your life. Don’t just Exist, LIVE!

Nelia : Don’t just Exist, LIVE! Thank you sooo much KP for these life filled words. I hope to model for you soon. Lol.

KP: Hahaha sure. Thank you too for having me.

You may follow her on the following social media accounts to get more of her amazing works.
-Kafui Praise Photography on Facebook
Instagram
-Kafui Praise Photography
-Kpphotography_weddings
-Kpphotography_documentaries
Love, Nelia Gyemfi.

HI THERE, I'M MICAELA!

Nelia Gyemfi — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 16:58:26 +0000

Micaela Opoku -Mensah is a lovely young intelligent Christian Ghanaian lady based in the UK. She studied Politics and International Relations, a field dominated predominantly by men at the Oxford Brookes University. She has currently gained admission to the University of Edinburgh to read Msc Africa and International Development. She’s a strong Pan-Africanist, loves food like myself oh and she enjoys cooking the food though. I could write a whole month’s post on this phenomenal young enthusiastic lady but I will leave her to do the talking now.

Ladies (and the gentlemen who have found their way here) meet Micaela!
Me: Hiii Micaela. Hope you are good and your day has been splendid.
Mic: Hello Nelia. My day has been been good. A few grocery shopping here and there. Trust yours was good too.
Me: oh yes it was. So tell us dear, who is Micaela?
Mic: Wow! That’s a pretty good one. Well I’m still figuring myself out…I keep learning about me almost every step of the way but that notwithstanding Micaela is a strong independent black woman, very friendly and the outgoing type but also shy at the same time.
Me: Outgoing and shy? How does that play out Miss independent?
Mic: Hahaha well yuh. I’m more like the conversation starter and I hate awkward silent moments so I will rather keep my calm than to start something awkward.
Me: Okay. Cool. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Mic: Well I intend to go back to Australia and to other countries, do a little more work with international NGO’S focusing on African and International Development and make documentaries about African Politics at some point in time when I’m back home.
Me: Very insightful. To you Micaela, what is the point of womanhood?
Mic: Hmmmph! Women are the main focal point of society. I say this without intending any disrespect whatsoever. But there are so much that we do and can do and the beauty of it is that when we put our minds to it, it flourishes and blossoms like the daffodil flower in spring.

Me: Like the daffodil flower. Having said that, women, and I will say African women are somewhat scared of success and pursing very big ambitions. We settle for the very obvious and this is a big issue because we underutilise our potentials to suit what society deems fit. Why do you think there’s this problem and how do we address it?
Mic: Nelia you’ve mentioned the very core of the problem already. SOCIETY. The main drawback is because of what society says we can and cannot do simply because of our gender. I agree, gender makes a lot of difference, especially biologically, but hey, it doesn’t in anyway downplay the abilities and capacities of the woman. I mean it’s not breaking news that this world is regarded patriarchal. In my own personal experience reading Politics and International Relations, being one of the very few females to take up that course, had to endure a lot of distasteful and unpleasant remarks from male coursemates just because why will a woman want to be a Politician? If we will just have an open mind about what the woman can and cannot do, should and should not do, I think this world will be a better place for us all. Let’s be mindful of what we tell our girls, what we feed their minds with.
Me: Ever wished you were born a man?
Mic : Hahaha well yes. Sometimes what is expected of you as woman just makes you go like oh my why am I a woman again? Lol but having said that I am proud I am a Woman, and a Phenomenal woman at that.
Me: Haha a phenomenal woman she says. Well then tell us, in your opinion who is a phenomenal woman?
Mic : oh that’s easy. Me. Lol just kidding. A phenomenal woman, mmm there’s a lot in there, but she’s a woman who knows who she is and is proud to be what she is no matter how meagre society makes it appear to be. The Phenomenal Woman is definitely extraordinary. Doesn’t do what society will anticipate.
Me: Finally Micaela, if you had the opportunity to just change one perception about being a woman, what would it be?
Mic: oh that the woman cannot be angry or mad or pissed. Any time a woman is frustrated or down or sad oh it’s that time of the month. Okay so how about the teenagers and adolescents who are not on thier periods yet? What makes them sad or angry? That perception and stereotype really bothers me. Anything could affect a woman’s mood. Not just her periods!
Me: hahahah that was a funny truth right there. Well thank you so much Micaela. We can’t wait to have more of you.
Mic: Thank you Nelia. I’m very pleased to have done this too.

I enjoyed every bit of this conversation and I learned a lot as well. I know you did too. Well guess what, Micaela and myself will be collaborating to bring you the very last part of #the power of Influence. I know it’s going to be great. I can’t wait.
Well before I take leave of you finally this week, please do find time and read the article in the link below?.
https://face2faceafrica.com/article/meet-five-worlds-powerful-african-women/5

Wear your crown this week, like the Phenomenal Woman you are.
Love, Nelia.