Inspirations!: The CEO Who Dares 2 Dream

(Inspired to Act!)

I would like to share about Ms. Tamira Dunn and her magnificent brain child, Dream Girl's Mentoring Program, an outreach to teen moms.  But first I need to give some background.

You see, Ms Dunn is doing an awesome work. An advocate for youth in the city of Baltimore, while "Building the community one teen mom at a time", she truly struck a cord with me, as I once developed an outreach to teen girls in 2003 in response to all of the teen moms who surrounded me at the time.

Ladies for Signs and Wonders was a faith-based and grassroots self-image and confidence intervention for at-risk female youth, encouraging them to make positive choices particularly surrounding sex, and develop themselves spirit, mind and body. At that time I directed a team of 10 mentors and assistant coordinators in providing an enriching experience for each young lady. The program was implemented for 3 young ladies during the Spring of 2003 and 12 ladies during the Summer of 2003, but since I decided to begin professional school that Fall, all activities ended. Today, I can’t help but hear my dear late and great Pastor Arnita Antony advising me spiritually to continue with the good work back then. Unfortunately I didn't...and the professional school didn't work out either!!!

(Listen to your Pastors, ya'll!)

So you may understand my excitement when I first met Ms. Dunn at The Haus of Silhouette "Fashions Speak" affair at Towson University on Saturday May 5th 2012. This event was meant to raise awareness about domestic violence. Ms. Dunn had a table right next to mine. I got her card and the rest is history, as she has willingly accepted my support as someone excited about her initiative.

Ms Dunn is the CEO and Founder of Dream Girls Mentoring Program Inc. Since August 2008, she has provided one-on-one mentoring, provided resources and education, encouraged career and academic development, and provided several services that impact the lives of teenage mothers. She has done this through several community activities and has partnered with city and state agencies.

Essentially, Ms. Dunn is extremely connected to the community. I truly grasped this fact when I presented "The Education Station" at The Dream Girl’s Mentoring Program Community Baby Shower.  One-hundred pregnant and teen moms registered for this event! If you know me, you know that I had the time of my life educating all of those young women!!! She honestly left many health professionals throughout the city asking: “How did she do it?”

Oh, and then I found out that she is an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated.  My first thought was "A bajo!" as one would say in the Yoruba language, meaning "No wonder!!!!". Yes, both active in her chapter and accounted for, it is clear that she does what she does not for her own accolades but for the greater good of the community; and at the end of the day, for the glory of God.

When I think of the Five Pearls of Zeta, I believe that she too is a pioneer, a very special Pearl who has begun initiatives that I believe are also predicated on the precepts of Scholarship, Service, Sisterly Love and Finer Womanhood.

In Scholarship, as she propels young women forward toward success; women who have been told that they can not be successful due to past decisions and current responsibilities as mothers. Ms. Dunn is already seeing the impact of her interventions as the teen moms she reaches graduate from high school. Currently a graduate student herself, she applies her academic experience to practice.

In Service, because that is all she does! Serving God through her community; serving many, many people on an individual basis, and collaborating with others through Zeta and several more partnerships.

In Sisterly Love; not just for her sisters in Zeta, but for other Greeks and beyond throughout the community. And of course, sisterly love toward all of the young women she encounters every day, giving them hope and introducing a brighter future.

Photo Courtesy of Dani McCray Photography

In Finer Womanhood, because she reminds me of what womanhood is all about. Nurturing, caring, loving, giving, serving; this is the essence of all her work, and I believe, her ministry. 

Therefore, welcomed and inspired by Ms. Dunn [and also inspired by, in my opinion, the loveliest AKA on earth, my cousin Miss Opeyemi Elizabeth Fadoju (visit her at Floss and All)], I have decided to become active in Zeta again, serving in Baltimore, MD, finally, after about 7 years since my induction in May 2006. I am inspired to act, not necessarily for current gain but for a greater future, I proceed enthusiastically.

Who doesn't want to be a part of something good--and progressive?

So be inspired, friends, family and fans as you are Cordially Invited to ACT:

The Dream for Success School Supply Donation Drive

Begins THIS SATURDAY FROM 12:00-3:00 PM

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Look out for me!

The Grand Opening of The Dream Girls Mentoring Program New Offices 

Where you can meet the staff and learn how you too can get involved.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Look out for me!

Stay tuned HERE for details on more outreach events including The Back to School Block Party, August 24, 2013. Vendor opportunities are also available.

A Quote from Ms Tamira Dunn:

My passion and vision to promote resources and implement programs for the youth of Baltimore City is what keeps me going. 

-June 25, 2013.

The CEO

A job well done, Ms. Dunn, and congratulations on a bright future of impact and exciting positive outcomes ahead!

-Sincerely,
Lyrics by tia
07/2013

The Secret to Time Travel

Image courtesy of DrAjao @www.DrAjao.com

I sat in my mother’s room, contemplating life as I knew it. There was no money to pay my school fees but as a young girl, I had a burning desire to go to school. My parents were farmers and I played my part by helping to sell the goods. But I knew I wanted to do more. Even though I was a young, poor girl, I knew there was more to me. With time, my parents recognized my longings and against all odds, they found a way to send me to school. God even raised up some very key people to invest in me and make this a reality. With the bare minimum, I stayed focused and determined, and I did complete secondary school. And when my sister died as a teenager due to a preventable illness, I knew I had to make sure such senseless losses were eliminated in my town. So with trust and dependence on God who rose up people of destiny to support, I went on to complete medical school, and further, to build a hospital in that very same town…

The school bell rang as I returned to the present. Deciding what to do with ones life is a challenge and having highly successful parents doesn’t make it easier. Recounting a series of stories my mother shared with me about her childhood put me into her shoes; into her experience. I have so much more than she had, so many more opportunities; how will I choose to make a difference and impact my community? Even now, this blast to the past; so present and real, yet so ancient; stands to inspires me.

The secret to time travel became more real to me presently one afternoon as I was enjoying a refreshing afternoon nap. Making it through that last stretch before I had to get up and approach my evening, my toddler son climbed up onto the bed and commenced to tap me while calling ‘Mommy’ to get me up. In that instant—that space between reality and a dream—my mind whisked back to a similar afternoon many years ago. My mother had just heard the sad news of a loved ones passing and as she lay in her bed mourning tearfully, my 2 siblings and I, no more than 4 and 5 years old, climbed onto the bed and began to speak to Mommy in consoling words. “Mommy? Mommy? Don’t cry, Mommy…” In that instant almost 25 years later, though odd and surreal, I zipped through the past and I am dumbfounded that I am “Mommy” now.

Thus, in essence, the secret to time travel is investment into family relationships. Whether it’s dodging sharp stones as you walk shoeless for that “1-mile” to school or observing your “twin son” become as intrigued by the same classic superheros as you were as a child; and even as you roll that special family heirloom around your finger for another few moments…I urge you: invest in the family that makes these things special. Spend quality time with your little ones: children and god children; nieces and nephews and especially those grand kids. Our prayer is that they will outlive us in years and magnitudes of success. But also keep in mind that our predecessors may not always be around. Take time now to cherish our parents, our grand parents and the wise elderly. Their life and experience is invaluable and will teach us important lessons that will guide us through life and give us the ability to travel through time.

-Lyrics by tia 2011

Little Voices of Reason

My husband and I were chatting about what does and does not call for punishment for the kids as we imagined them innocently getting into mischief. So we figured that kids often have logical reasoning for what they do that makes complete sense to them, and maybe if we take a moment to hear them out, we would understand, or at least, get a good laugh.

He recalled the time he took his Dad’s Rubik’s cube and removed the colored tiles in order to put them in the correct order. It made sense to him but of course, he faced consequences. Thinking about it now, it does make sense. What difference would it make if parents listened to those little voices of reason?

A trip down memory lane reveals similar stories from my childhood.

Like the time I just wanted to feed the ants outside the window. I positioned a new bottle of syrup through the window, meaning to provide the ants with a drizzle of sweetness when the top popped off, half the contents gushed out, and I dropped the new bottle, cracking the plastic.

I’m sure my mom would have understood if she had allowed me to explain.

And the time when I graciously assisted my parents in bringing in the laundry and by even making their bed. When I couldn’t figure out how to make the edges of the comforter lie neatly, I lined the edges of the bed with push pins in hopes that it would hold the comforter down and keep it from being so puffy. ‘Mom would be so proud of me’, I thought. Well, not quite, as when she took her normal position beside the bed to make calls, she was greeted by a painful, edgy surprise. Let's just say I didn't get the hug I expected.

And who can forget The Great Permanent Black Paint Spill of ’89. I would love to tell the whole story but to summarize: a can of black paint falls and spills; 4 kids attempt to clean…I end up playing Slip and Slide and decorating the walls with hand and butt prints, and the upstairs carpet with permanent foot prints.

Need I say more?

Actually, in this case, I had no other reasoning except that it was mighty fun! And I figured, if I was going to get in trouble anyway, I might as well go all out!

So, I think we ought to hear our kids out, get a laugh and be selective when it comes to punishment. Who knows, the story may cool your temper and give you a greater appreciation for your child’s fascinating nature.

Lyrics by tia 2011

Birthing Stories

So Suzie was 8.9 months pregnant and of course she had her overnight bag packed, her stop watch on her vanity counter, and ice in the freezer. She had one last appointment with the Ob/Gyn before the big day. When she entered the waiting room, there were three other women waiting. She smiled cordially, sat down and picked up a magazine. “How far are you?” said a lady with a rough voice. Suzie looked up: “Um, almost 9 months”. Strangely the lady looked like Rosie the Riveter with a bandana and rippling muscles. She flexed. “I had all 3 of mine natural” then spat in a cup. “It was the worst pain of my life…you should do it too!” Then the second lady with a soft timid voice chimed in: “I had an epidural. They insert a super long needle—I mean that thing was really lengthy! It goes up through your spine and then you don’t feel a thing…until two hours later when your legs get numb and you can’t walk. And I can’t forget the shivers, the nausea, the difficulty peeing, the…

Suzie darted her eyes over to the 3rd lady to hear what horrifying contribution she had to share. Though lost in her own thoughts, the 3rd lady raised her eyes to Suzie’s and stated: “My baby was stillborn…”

Suddenly all of the other forms of pain faded in comparison to the distress that this woman had experienced. Suzie could only imagine how difficult it could be for this woman to be exposed to the joyful plight of others who had at least experienced victory in childbirth. Imagine going through a whole nine months and the extreme effort to deliver, only to welcome silence and incredulity. Suzie went over to her and embrace her tightly, as tears flowed.

As Suzie anxiously awaited the birth of her child, she determined that she would reach out to women who have lost their children either through a miscarriage, a still birth or as a sudden unexpected/unexplained infant death.

-Lyrics by tia 2011


For more information on similar topics, PubMed Ajao TI

Recommendations: Toddler Tunes

Sometimes I wish we hadn’t introduced our kids to the TV. I remember growing up and my father deciding to ban TV watching in the house. It worked wonders. But here I am in front of the TV with Johnny. As other young moms can attest to, the TV is constantly on kiddie channels and some how the programming grows on you. Scenario…

Your toddler’s favorite show comes on. “Lily, Jumping Jugs of Juice is on!” You hurry her away from her toys, eager not to miss the opening song. You bop together up and down to the song as you sing animatedly along. “Yaaaaay!” You and Lily clap along. As the show commences, you’re relieved that this is a new episode! You get comfortable on the sofa. You don’t even notice when Lily wanders back off to her toys. You don’t noticed, however, until she has made her way to the front of the tube, blocking your view. “Lily? Lily. Honey…don’t stand so close to the TV (code: move!). Then she dares to change the channel and presses the off button! You snatch her up and frantically try to figure out what she pressed. You’ve only missed a minute; you both continue the show.

There’s a knock on the door. The delivery guy. Now since you have DVR, you must have paused the program. Well, I don’t have DVR! What do you expect me to do?!?

Well, although The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 2 years old be not exposed to a lot of television, the recommendations do not include me. Maybe they should; the extra time and attention I could devote to my child otherwise will be worthwhile

-Lyrics by tia

April 25, 2011

Fast Girl

“Get in here”, your mom fumes as she drags you into the house.

“Sit down.” She paces the kitchen floor then faces you.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Her intensity leaves you scared and at full attention. (Imagine that your mom is Rochelle Rock from Everybody Hates Chris)

“Sex, my dear, is nothing to play with. Don’t you know that as African Americans we are at a disadvantage? Best know that in 2006, 13.35 out of 1000 of our live babies died before the age of 1; that’s twice as high as the national average! We actually have poor birth outcomes regardless of our income or social status. How do you explain that? Some base it on the whole life course theory. That means that what you do to your body today will affect your generations to come. Talk about the sins of our fathers! And with your hot self,” flicking your hair “you are at higher risk of having a low birth weight or premature child. Can you handle that?

If you think that you’re going to bring some little boy to my house talking about he’s your baby’s daddy, then you’ve got something else coming. Baby, sex is not the greatest feeling in the world: love and respect is! So the next time you feel the urge to chase boys all over the place, tell me!”

Unable to hold back the emotion any longer, she says “I love you baby. You’re all I’ve got and I want the best for you. Okay?”

Still wide eyed and terrified you nod as she heads out of the room. Before she leaves she picks up a bottle and tosses it through the air. You catch it. “And don’t forget your folic acid. It’s important for fetal neural development”.
She leaves the room.

You stand there stunned beyond imagination. I mean you were just playing girls chase boys with your 4th grade buddies from around the way. But you leave the kitchen with thoughts to ponder upon; thoughts that you carry on throughout your adolescence and young adulthood.

Recommendations: The Wonder of Reading

So experts say that reading is great for kids, and that we should start reading to them starting from the belly. So you decide to take your little boy, Johnny, to the library for some time in the books. You walk hand in hand to the kiddie section and flip through books. Through your right ear you hear another mommy gleefully sharing an exciting story with her child.

“The rat took the bat and told the snake to scat!...See the rat? It’s grey. And look at the snake: what color is it? The child answers “turquoise” Mom says that’s right honey. Good job…”

Some weird competitive feeling comes over you. You say ‘Honey, let’s go pick a book. As the imaginary envious parents watch you, you squat to your kid’s level and ask him affectionately,

“Honey, what do you want to read? Want to read about cars,” Picking up a book on the subject. “Or, or what about horses?!

Johnny takes the horse book from you…then reaches up to the shelf above him and knocks several books down. You say ‘Oh Johnny, you want to read all these books? Okay let’s read some and take some books out.”

Clever.

So you take him to a little table and you sit down placing him on your lap. You start to read the horse book together. It was quite nice actually. He would touch the pages and help you turn. Then all of a sudden he starts struggling and manages to get out of your grasp. You take off after him and once you catch him you say

‘Honey, you should have told me you needed to go to the bathroom. Let’s go.”

Ah, the potty trained trick. Good one.

So you go to the bathroom, check if he needs to be changed and head back out.

Johnny spots the play section where there are a bunch of blocks to play with. You go over and he’s fascinated with the blocks. You sit down and watch him.

‘He’s so cute and he’s learning so much’, you think as he knocks two blocks together. ‘And it’s so good to see him playing with other kids.’ You’ve almost got tears in your eyes.

Then Johnny throws a block. You say “Now, now honey, don’t throw”. You smile at the other parents around you. Then he runs his hands along the table scattering towers and arrangements. Clinched tear “Honey, play nice…” You look at another mom: “Kids these days.” The kids continue to play civilly for a while when Johnny grabs a block from another kid. When the kid tries to get it back, he pushes the kid down and mistakenly smacks another. “Okay honey, it’s time to go.” You pull him away as calmly as you can.

Don’t worry, keep it up. Johnny is going to be an avid reader and civil member of society—just not at 13 months!

Based on a true story :p

2011

Recommendations: Baby Talk

So experts say that you should talk to your baby all the time and that no age is too early. This is important in order to develop your child's social and communication skills. So like they say, you hold full conversations with your child.

Scenario.

You get home from work and Suzy crawls up to you. You’re so touched; you grab her up and lift her in the air as she laughs. “I’m so happy to see you too, Suzy. How was your day?”; you ask enthusiastically. You pause. “Really? Well, let me tell you about my day.” You place her in your lap. “So I went to the 7-11 this morning and the most amazing thing happened. I got the last smoked turkey, tomato and swiss cheese ready-made sandwich!” Suzy giggles through her teeth. “I know, honey, isn’t that exciting? I mean it made my whole day! But then on my way home, I got stuck in traffic.” Suzy gets distracted and starts to pull at your hair. You pull it out of her grasp. “Yeah, honey, I did feel like pulling out my hair; especially since the radio station kept repeating a bunch of dumb songs.” Tired of sitting, she struggles to get down, through your arms. You lift her up, back on your knee “That’s right, dear; I weaved my way through those cars down the emergency lane…But then the police saw me and pulled me over.” Agitated, Suzy starts to cry. “Honey, you are so in tune with my emotions!” You place your head in your palm as you pull out a $75 ticket. :/