Womenlines takes pleasure to welcome Ms Ketki Vinayachandra as an ‘Influencer of Health’ at Womenlines panel. Ketki will be sharing articles and videos related to excellence in health through Naturopathy at Womenlines on first and last Wednesdays of every month. The first series ‘Flab to Fab’ is a must watch as Ketki is going to share incredible tips about reducing weight. Ketki is a trained Naturopath and she is quite passionate about creating awareness about Naturopathy across the world. Listen to Ketki in this episode 1 of ‘FLAB TO FAB’-

Lose Jean Size

1. Obesity statistics
2.Digestive system & Immunity
3. Why is it important to have good gut bacteria
4.Good bacteria & belly fat-the missing link
5. 4 weight reducing tips

To know more about Ketki visit www.askketki.com!

Ketki Vinayachandra, Naturopath, Nutritionist and Herbalist
BscM(Hons), ND, ADN, Dip Nut (Aust)

As a Naturopathic health practitioner, I strongly believe that we need to invest wisely in our health. The everyday choices we make in terms of our lifestyle and how we treat our body can either create healing or disease. And the time starts NOW!

While ageing is inevitable, diseases are not. Talk to me to customize a treatment plan for you today!

Womenlines takes pleasure to welcome Ms Ketki Vinayachandra as an ‘Influencer of Health’ at Womenlines panel. Ketki will be sharing articles and videos related to excellence in health through Naturopathy at Womenlines on first and last Wednesdays of every month. The first series ‘Flab to Fab’ is a must watch as Ketki is going to share incredible tips about reducing weight. Ketki is a trained Naturopath and she is quite passionate about creating awareness about Naturopathy across the world-

Ms Ketki Vinayachandra, BscM (Hons), ND, AND, Dip Nut, ( Aust)

NHAA Member Naturopath, Herbalist, Nutritionist, Iridologist

Since a teenager, I had asthma and other health conditions. My entire teenage and adult life was filled with visits to doctors, inhalers, painkillers and surgery. The last straw was being rushed in an ambulance to A&E for asthma.

I was driven by circumstances to find a natural and holistic solution for my health challenges and out of sheer desperation I decided to go to Sydney to study to be a Naturopath; so that I could heal myself and pursue my passion in helping to heal others through natural medicine.

I trained in Australia as a Naturopath, Nutritionist Herbalist and Iridologist. Since returning to Singapore in 2006, I’ve been treating clients’ health challenges and supporting them on their path of healing.

I am trained in Functional Medicine, Diagnostics and Drug and Nutrient/Herb Interactions. This enables me to have the expertise to advise you on herbs or nutritional supplements you can or cannot take when you are taking certain drugs or medications from your doctor.

If you are currently receiving treatment elsewhere, I can work with your GP or other holistic health practitioners to help you on your path to healing.

Empowering Communities & Corporates

I love to share my knowledge and have been frequently asked to speak on local TV, Radio and on print media. Local Hospitals, Schools, Polytechnics, Banks and MNCs have also approached me to deliver talks and workshops on health issues.

In 2011, I was voted one of 100 most inspiring real women in Singapore

As a Naturopathic health practitioner, I strongly believe that we need to invest wisely in our health. The everyday choices we make in terms of our lifestyle and how we treat our body can either create healing or disease. And the time starts NOW!

While ageing is inevitable, diseases are not. Talk to me to customize a treatment plan for you today!

Please visit www.askketki.com!

Womenlines, as a Digital Media Partner, takes pleasure to share about a very innovative event for kids in Singapore Project Vogue Jr!

If your child age is between 8-15 years, and he/she has a liking for dress designing, do register for the event Project Vogue Jr. Season 2. Golden opportunity for kids to not only learn skills from experts to create items related to sustainable fashion such as clothing and tote bags from recycled materials in  3 days workshop but also get awareness on sustainability. The designs, designed by the kids will go into production. Later these products will be showcased on the RUNWAY at the GALA FASHION SHOW-

Womenlines, as a Digital Media Partner takes pleasure to share about a very innovative event for kids Project Vogue Jr!

Project Vogue Jr is about kid’s journey into the fashion world, experiencing and creating their expression of imagination where they will explore their designing talents. Cultivating young kids through three-day workshops using recycled materials is aimed to promote and spread the sustainable message and involvement in enriching the education of children. This programme offers hands-on experience to the participants while supporting their individuality and creativity. The objective of the workshop is to raise awareness on sustainability and to develop the creative skills of the young learners’ age 8-15 years.

Project Vogue Jr Season 1 held in 2018, is the brainchild of  Zenikoworld Pte Ltd founded by Aparna Chatterjee who has over 15 years of Fashion Industry experience. She worked with various brands like Bata, Crocs, Inditex group to name a few. Hashtag Enterprise Pte Ltd, Papia Choudhury, Creative Strategist, with experience in PR & Advertising, and with the zest to excel in experimenting with events that bring people, values and cultures in sync.

In season 1, 40 participants participated in a 6 weeks workshop. They created their mood boards based on the Spring-Summer -2019 trends. These were in turn made into Bag collection, which was presented for the gala night. During the workshops, they also designed on the shoes supported by sponsors Crocs.
The theme for Project Vogue Jr Season 2, is “Sustainable Fashion” where the participants will create and design their own T-shirt and tote bag with recycled materials. They will re-purpose their old clothes into creating something new. This will help them re-think what they throw away and channel their creativity to create something new from old resources and consume responsibly.

For season 2, International Partner, Eko buddy, founder, Mark Phippen from Australia will be flying down to Singapore, who advocates no use of plastic and his brand EKO is one of THE WORLD’S BEST BRAND IN SUSTAINABLE BAGS. In EKO, Fashion Meets Sustainability, a stylish, convenient & compact reusable bag for life on-the-go.

The workshops will be held on July 14, 21 and 28 to provide those aged between 8 to 15 years old an opportunity to experience the fashion environment and enhance their creativity at MDIS, School of Fashion and Design. Experts from the industry alongside with fashion design students of MDIS will guide and work closely with the kids to create sustainable fashionable items such as clothing and tote bags from recycled materials.

Season 2 Mentors lists include esteemed professionals, designers and entrepreneurs-
Aileen Yuan, seasoned Brand Manager for fashion products in South East Asia including brands such as Samsonite and Bata Footwear.
Deepthy is a Singapore-based designer with a cross-disciplinary background, specializing in designing footwear, lifestyle products, Jewelry, Apparels and Graphics.
Rashmi Sharan, Singapore based designer from NIFT, specializing in Apparel and visual designing. Designers will mentor participants in stages to conceptualize their ideas/ imagination into real products
Ritu Sahay, a Visual Merchandiser of Naiise Singapore, accomplished retail, design and visual merchandising professional with 10+ years of experience with leading international brands such as Nike, US Polo Assn., Energie, Allen Solly & Flying Machine.
Sheeba Porwal, Retail Consultant from India with strong experience in e-commerce and has her own clothing brand “ “SHEEBEE KIDS”, a perfect fusion blend between traditional and Western silhouette..

Participants will be taught to take the creative decision for any aspect of the project, such as; colour, texture, composition, typography, style, shapes, any images that inspire an idea, material board and various elements of designing put into the real product. The designs, designed by the kids will go into production. Later these products will be showcased on the RUNWAY at the GALA FASHION SHOW. Project Vogue Jr. is not just a fashion show to showcase the designs but is a show to showcase a child’s confidence within him/herself

Kids are encouraged to bring their pre-loved clothing for the workshop as they will be redesigning and creating something fresh from it. Tote bags are also provided as a canvas along with paintbrushes, fabric paints and even nail polish for kids to unleash their creativity as they are using something different apart from their everyday life.

Participant: Age 8 yrs. – 15yrs

Participation Fees- $250

Workshop Date : 14, 21, 28 July
4 August 2019 Gala Fashion Show

Group Discount : 3 sign ups – 15 % discount
5 sign ups – 20 % discount

Register at- https://forms.gle/kZW8UUXkSNu5RS479

Call us at – + 65 81987974 / +65 8218 5964

 ‘Entrepreneur/Professional of the Month’ for June is an incredible woman who is an amazing multitasker working as an editor of Marketing in Asia Magazine for Singapore and also an Image Branding Consultant. Womenlines takes pleasure to welcome lovely  Zu Anjalika. Listen and read about her interesting professional journey in her own words-

1) Please share with our reader’s little bit about yourself.

An avid traveller, writer and reader, I was born in the beautiful, cosmopolitan city of Singapore. Currently, I am the Editor (Singapore) for Marketing In Asia, a digital magazine which brings to our readers the tips and treats of the industry. As someone who is very passionate about feeling and looking good holistically, I am also an Image Branding and Lifestyle Consultant. I combine both my knowledge (and passion) in the personal image as well as yoga and wellness to create tailor-made courses and workshops for individuals and corporates.

I also own columns in various online and traditional magazines.

In 2017, I was crowned Mrs Singapore Globe. I then represented Singapore in China that same year and was presented with the Children’s Advocate award for the work I had done and will continue to pursue.

 Besides travelling, writing and reading, family-time and throwing parties are my favourite ways to unwind. I am a longtime dancer and sometime golfer.

Having lived in various exciting cities of the world, I am now dividing my time between Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Singapore.

2. So when did you start working as an Image Branding Consultant and what inspired or motivated you to take a plunge into this venture?

Image branding work is something that I have always been drawn to. I have been doing this for more than a decade, however, I got myself properly certified in 2016 and never looked back since.

My calling has always been about looking good, not only on the surface but also from the inside. Feeling good is the fuel that drives us an individual and should not be neglected and looking good is the by-product of the former.

I have lived in various places across the globe and always felt there is some void in terms of personal image and feeling good holistically, everywhere. Majority of the people go about their day not bothering about what they wear, how they look and this, in turn, makes their day blah and lacklustre.

Studies everywhere have noted that there is a deep correlation between feeling and looking good and hey, the expression ‘when you look good, you feel good’ says it all.

3) Can you share with us some of the challenges you faced during your initial days?

This is a challenge I still face; people have the perception that image branding is about being something or someone they are not. On the contrary, image branding is all about tapping into one’s unique traits and enhancing them.

Also, there is such a misconception that image branding workshops or sessions are expensive and only made for those with money; that is completely incorrect. Buzz me to know more; you will be pleasantly surprised.

 4) So how do you balance your personal and professional life?

 I am a wife and mom of two boys (aged seven and eight) and love the space I am in right now. I am so grateful to be living in an era where women are applauded to have both family and career. On top of that, jobs that allow me to revolve my time around my family’s schedule. We do not have a full-time helper, however, our part-time help comes around twice a week and a babysitter that comes in whenever we need her; I call them my lifelines.

To me, however, my biggest gratitude is my hands-on husband who is very supportive in everything that I do. Despite having very busy work and travelling schedules himself, Paal (Gunnulfsen) will take over the kids or running of the household at the drop of a hat anytime I need him to and that includes my very-often shuttles to Singapore.

In short, time management is crucial and spousal support, imperative!

5) What would you suggest to other aspiring women who want to venture out on

their own?

 Just do it already! I made the mistake of overthinking everything that I do at the start; from launching the business to publishing my website. Truth is, nothing is ever going to be perfect; you can tweak as you go along. The most important thing is embarking on that very first step.

6)Is there any person who has mentored/supported/inspired you?

I draw inspirations from various people and places that I go to. The kind of people I follow on my social media are the types of people I aspire to be; self-made, street-smart, loyal, fun and have a sense of humour that get them through the darker times in this super noisy world we live in right now.

7)What do you have in the pipeline for your venture’s future development?

 I plan to continue reaching out to far away from individuals through my online image branding sessions. We live in an amazing time where I can be seated in a hotel room in Singapore but literally go on a shopping trip with a client in Hong Kong, who is picking up the ensemble for his corporate dinner that very night. Technology is often said to be either a friend or a foe; in this instance, it is an absolute friend and this type of possibility gives me so much positive energy.

There are plans to do some image branding work in the region; in pretty much-untapped places and I am absolutely excited for this to come through.

Website: www.zuanjalika.com

Linked-In: www.linkedin.com/in/zuanjalika

Instagram: anjalika_mrssingaporeglobe2017

Womenlines wishes all the best to Zu Anjalika for all her future initiatives!

Charu Mehrotra

Let Excellence be Your Brand!

Founder Womenlines

Womenlines presents ‘Digital Wonders Campaign’  reporting about exclusive brands which can help people to achieve excellence in life.

It is pleasure to share about Yafot Wellness from Singapore which stands out in the field of wellness centres through its holistic offerings based on cutting edge latest technologies along with expert health, nutrition and homoeopathic consultancy to enhance one’s wellness.

Yafot Wellness is organising a complimentary talk on the topic  ‘Ladies Harness your Anger’. This talk is being conducted by the Homeopathic Health Consultant Dr Charuta Deshpande, who is having 6 years experience in her field. She brings her experience in psychological well being to shed light on how to harness one’s anger for better health in life-

‘Anger’ in women, is one emotion that is addressed very rarely. Knowingly or unknowingly being a woman we have learnt to control, hide or gulp down our anger in daily lives, whether it is just irritation, frustration, anger or rage. From my clinical experience, the constant dialogue that women have with themselves, of what should I do to make everyone happy? What should I do to prove my worth? What should I do to save this relationship? Will I accomplish anything by getting angry? How can I best fulfil my duty? Why don’t people accept me like I am? form the basis of their anger. It drains a lot of their energy, leaving them with no enough mental space for self-care.

Anger when unexpressed or inadequately expressed stays there like a wound. If expressed inappropriately can disturb personal well being and hurt people around you. These long-standing emotional wounds are carried forward as physical chronic pain, psychosomatic disorders and mental health issues. Some of the common physical disorders that arise from the ‘stress of anger’ are chronic muscular pains, hormonal, uterine, nervous, migraines and asthama. Psychological problems like low mood, sleep disturbances, nervousness are also seen frequently.

“Ladies, Harness your Anger” a wellness talk @ Yafot wellness by our very experienced psychological well-being Homoeopathic consultant, Dr Charuta aims at bringing more awareness and understanding about the complex emotion of anger. In the process, empowers you with some practical strategies to express your anger appropriately.

Thus, it’s time to harness the power of ‘emotion of Anger’ by acknowledging the parts that make it valuable and fixing the parts that make it so damn exhausting.

This talk is on  6th July, at 2:00 pm- 4:00 pm, at 360, Orchard Road, #03-16/17, International Building, Singapore, 238869. Please RSVP to +65 69511220 or +65 87385400. You can also email at info@yafotwellness.com to register.

Please visit links to know more about Yafot Wellness-

https://www.womenlines.com/wellness-centre-in-singapore/

https://www.womenlines.com/ways-to-look-young/

https://www.womenlines.com/live-well-feel-great-yafot-wellness/

It is a pleasure to welcome Senior Physiotherapist Shubhangi Gaikwad from the United Arab Emirates as an  Influencer for health and fitness at Womenlines panel. A Dedicated PT offering 7 years of acute-chronic care experience; a history of “exemplary” ratings on performance reviews; solid credentials that include, BLS/Dry needling/Manual Therapy certifications /certified FMT and a master’s degree in physical therapy in Neurology. Background includes work with pediatric, adolescent, adult and geriatric patients. This month Shubhangi is sharing tips for How to choose a right pillow! 

Hello ladies !!

I had always been asked by my patients on how to choose a perfect pillow to have good sleep and pain-free neck. So, I thought to share the details with you all too, I am sure this information will help you to select a comfortable pillow for you and your family.

If you wake up every morning with an achy neck, you may want to try sleeping with a neck pillow. Neck pain is extremely common and increases with age. Neck pain may radiate into your shoulders or down into your arms and may cause you to wake up with a morning headache as well as a stiff neck. Since you spend about one-third of your life in bed sleeping, the type of neck support you have while you sleep can be important.

Neck Pillow: Protecting the Cervical Spine

Together, the seven bones in your neck make up the cervical spine. These bones are cushioned by spongy cervical disks and supported by muscles and tendons. The normal shape of the cervical spine is a gentle curve called the lordotic cervical curve. Anything that causes you to lose that natural neck position for a long period, such as sleeping with your neck bent or extended, causes stress on the spine and its supporting structures and can result in neck pain. In a recent study of 128 people with chronic neck pain, it has been found that a combination of exercise treatment administered by a physical therapist along with the use of a neck support pillow was more effective than exercise alone in relieving chronic neck pain.

Neck Pillow:  A neck pillow is a specially designed pillow that supports your neck and head in a natural position. There are a variety of neck pillows in the market that aims to reduce neck pain and give you a good night’s sleep. All are designed to create a natural resting position for your head that maintains the lordotic curve of your spine. Choices include neck pillows made from foam or stuffed with fiberfill or other materials, as well as styles that are inflatable or are filled with water. Inflatable and water-filled pillows allow you to customize the firmness and support. Apart from any specific medical recommendations, personal preference might be the deciding factor when choosing one design over another.

Neck Pillow: How to Use One

People sleep in different positions and are shaped differently, so the foremost step to avoid your neck pain is the selection of your neck pillow. Neck pillows are designed for sleeping on your back or your side. (Sleeping on your stomach is just a bad idea because your head and neck can’t be in a natural position.) If you sleep on your back, your neck pillow should support you without your head being tilted backwards or forward. If you sleep on your side, your neck pillow should keep your nose in line with the centre of your body. Remember that any unnatural sleep positions that cause your neck to twist or bend can easily translate into neck pain by morning.

A final point before closing: For comfort and a restful night’s sleep, make sure your neck pillow is allergy tested and washable

If you have any query regarding any exercises, don’t hesitate to ask in the comment section.

 Shubhangi Gaikwad, Shubhangigaikwad06@gmail.com,

Instagram- sgfitnessguide

Womenlines takes pleasure to share about a powerful campaign in Nigeria named ‘Building Young Entrepreneurs(BYE)’. Founder Bright Oloyo, Motivational speaker, Business consultant, mentor, career coach and C.E.O of Black Pride Multipurpose Company, with a collection of seasoned Entrepreneurs from around the world are embarking on a rescue mission “Building Young Entrepreneurs” across Nigeria, Africa’s most populous black nation. This campaign is based on the theme ‘Steering  Young  Minds Towards Entrepreneurship and  Good  Leadership.’ Considered to be the biggest campaign running over 1000 schools across Nigeria.

THE SAD REALITY – TALE OF A NIGERIAN GRADUATE.

I arrived at Lagos seven (7) years after graduation in search of greener pastures, and I found the pastures though not very green. Barely a year after my arrival, I applied for a banking job along with several others and I was among the few fortunate ones who got the job.

I lived at Alagbado on the outskirts of Lagos mainland and worked at Lekki which is on Lagos Island. It is a forty-four-kilometre (44km) journey but could last several hours due to traffic congestions, hence I had to leave home at 4:30 am each morning to enable me to arrive the office before 7:30 am which is my resumption time.

The journey to the office was nothing compared to my return journey. The traffic back was usually hectic and I arrive home between 10 pm and 11 pm most nights. I had roughly three (3) to four (4) hours sleep on weekdays. Life was hard, but with time I got used to it. I was fortunate to have a job and will do whatever it took to keep it.

It was a Friday and not having enough sleep was the last thing on my mind. I am a marketer and on Fridays, we gave our weekly activity report in a marketing meeting headed by our branch manager. These meetings were a place to shine if you were meeting your targets but dreaded if you weren’t.

I have been fallen short lately and dreaded Fridays. Today was going to be worse because the week has been extremely poor, I couldn’t even open a single account the entire week. The country was going through a recession and it has been increasingly difficult opening accounts lately. However, the bosses didn’t care, you had to meet your targets or be shown the way out.

“You will certainly not be with us at the end of this year, the way you are going”. Those were the final words of the branch manager directed at me. As envisaged, I was torn apart at the meeting, thoroughly tongue lashed. I got back to my desk and discovered I have been issued a warning, two more and I would be sent packing.

I looked at my watch it was 7:15 pm, the branch manager had just left for home. I bade him farewell, just to make sure he noticed I was still around when he left. I had rounded up my activities for the day as early as 5:00 pm, but there was no way I was going to leave the office before him on a day like this.

I switched off my system, grabbed my bag and commenced the hectic journey home. By the time I got to Oshodi bus stop, where I was to take a final bus home, it was already 9:25 pm. I was tired and angry with myself and the world. I was holding my suit on one hand and my office bag on the other, my tie was folded and tucked in my pants pocket as I stood in the overcrowded bus stop waiting for a bus to take me home.

The crowd at this bus stop every Friday was massive. I have struggled unsuccessfully on three (3) occasions to board a bus heading to my destination. Suddenly I felt some funny movement behind me and I turned instinctively and saw two roughly dressed boys running. The woman behind me said “Oga, dem don carry your wallet” meaning “Sir, they have stolen your wallet”.

I quickly transferred my office bag to my other hand with the suit and frisked my pockets, sure enough, my wallet was gone. For a few minutes I was confused, and thou I knew the pocket I had placed my wallet, I had to check every other pocket to be sure. And it hit me, my wallet was gone, and I was standing in a crowded bus stop at 9:45 pm without a dime.

At that moment, my sorry life flashed through my mind and I felt like crying. I felt life had dealt me a wrong hand, I felt cursed.

I have always been a brilliant student, top of my class all through my secondary/high school days. I had big dreams of working in a multinational oil firm, hence even though I had the chance of studying medicine in the university, I opted for mechanical engineering, and as expected I graduated with very good grades from a prestigious university ten (10) years ago.

The chaos of people scampering for a bus brought me back to reality. How was I going to get home? My ATM cards were in the wallet that was stolen, hence I couldn’t make any withdrawal, at least not immediately. I had only one option “UBER”.

I had the app on my phone but have never used it. I remembered someone saying in the office, you could link your account to it and you didn’t have to pay with cash. I tried it and it was quite simple and straightforward, within minutes I have added my account details and booked a ride. The fare was two thousand nairas (#2000) approximately five dollars ($5), which was five per cent (5%) of my monthly take home…… for a single ride. Now I remembered who was talking about the uber service at the office, it was my boss. Certainly, no staff on my pay grade would dare consider this. I wished there was an alternative, but sadly, there wasn’t.

As I waited for my ride, I went down memory lane, ten (10) years have passed since I graduated from school with high hopes, and here I was, no oil job, not even practising what I studied, but working as a contract staff for a new generation bank as a marketer with a monthly take-home of forty thousand naira (#40,000) approximately one hundred dollars ($100), which came along with insults and threats from my bosses for failure to meet targets. I was squatting with a friend and could barely feed.

I thought about my ever loving and understanding parents back home who had made so many sacrifices to see me through school, not once in the last ten (10) years have I sent a dime to assist them, they even sent me ten thousand nairas (#10,000) approximately twenty-five dollars ($25) last month to support me. Life was certainly not fair to me.

It was the salty taste in my mouth that made me realize I was crying. At that instant, my phone rang, which brought me back to reality. It was the uber driver, he had called me earlier to confirm my location, and now he was calling to tell me he had arrived at the bus stop with his hazard lights on. I saw him and quickly wiped my tears and moved towards him. I opened the back door and got in. the driver turned and said good evening sir are you, Mr Bright?. I looked at him and we both froze ………..to be continued

In Nigeria, six (6) out of every ten (10) graduating students are unemployed, and the country’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) states that over twenty-three per cent (23%) of working-age youths are without jobs or underemployed.

Please support the Building Young Entrepreneurs (BYE) campaign designed to steer young minds in Nigeria towards entrepreneurship.

To support: visit www.bye.com.ng/donation to purchase an SDS e-book or make a donation.

Together, we can build a brighter future for the Nigerian child.

Womenlines wishes success to the whole team behind Building Young Entrepreneurs (BYE) Campaign, Nigeria.

 As a Digital Media Partner Womenlines takes pleasure to share about an upcoming National Meet for launch of a noble initiative ‘Teen Coalition’ by organisation SCHOOL (Society of Community Health Oriented Operational Links), which is very passionately working on very interesting projects on the teenage group and also on the elderly group in India, with the intention to provide the best support system to them while engaging other sectors around too. CEO of SCHOOL Dr Benazir Patil is sharing in details what is the main objective behind ‘Teen Coalition’ at Womenlines-

Why does Teen Coalition exist?

Adolescence (10–19 years) is a unique and formative time. Whilst most adolescents have good mental health, multiple physical, emotional and social changes, including exposure to poverty, abuse, or violence, can make adolescents vulnerable to various challenges. Promoting psychological well-being and protecting adolescents from adverse experiences and risk factors which may impact their potential to thrive are not only critical for their well-being during adolescence, but also for their physical and mental health in adulthood.

Teen Coalition launched by SCHOOL in 2019, is the crowning association for the development of adolescents in India. We are a national membership-based initiative with both personal and organisational members representing a diverse range of groups working for the children falling in the age group of 10 to 19.

• Our vision is that adolescents flourish in India; we work alongside our members to support this aspiration.

• Our mission is to support people who work with adolescents and thereby enhance adolescent’s development.

SCHOOL, through the Teen Coalition works with organizations, projects and initiatives across all sectors for the development of adolescents, these include life skills; health; education; vocation and skilling; and many more. In doing so, SCHOOL creates a momentum that builds a process for progressive social change. To this end, it engages in public opinion, advocacy, and monitoring of national and international developments.

What does Teen Coalition work on? 

 Connect the dots

Connect the dots by fostering a nationwide movement of people and entities who work with adolescents

What this means

• Create opportunities for the adolescent sector to connect nationally, regionally and digitally

• Mapping those who work with adolescents in health, education, justice, social service and other sectors

• Effective local, regional and national relationships across adolescent networks and people who work with adolescents.

Raise accountability

Raise the accountability of those who work with young people

 What this means

• Information, resources and training widely available and accessible

• Policies impacting on adolescents are based on evidence, research and best practice

Champion adolescent development

Champion adolescent development through effective leadership and a cohesive voice.

What this means

• Teen Coalition and its members are recognised as an authority on adolescent development

• There is a positive change in public attitudes toward adolescents and those who work with them

• There is increased funding and partnerships for the cause of adolescents

National Meet for the launch of ‘Teen Coalition’ is scheduled on 26 June at India International Centre, New Delhi. To register for the meet please email at info@school4dev.

Womenlines wants to request readers to help SCHOOL in whatever possible way (financially, volunteer, supporter, partnership) to help them to deliver successful projects, which can be a real help to that section of society which is actually looking forward to a helping hand, to live a better life.

Please visit https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/teencoalition  to make contributions for ‘Teen Coalition’!

Charu Mehrotra

Let Excellence be your brand

Founder- Womenlines

Womenlines is delighted to welcome Anjalika, an IITTI (CANADA) certified professional Image Branding & Lifestyle Consultant, as an Influencer for Image Branding at Womenlines. Yes womenfolk, gear up to learn the tips and tricks to carry yourself with excellence and make excellence your brand. In her sharing for this month, Anjalika is talking about certain etiquettes of the corporate world-

“You have been doing good; in fact, amazing, for someone who is here on her internship,” Rita said that to me right after a rather challenging meeting. She was the Public Relations Director to the resort development I was attached to as an intern, all those years ago. Once she finished her sentence, all eyes rolled slowly towards me; yes, all five pairs of them. That was my first corporate experience, ever and yes, I was truly elated hearing that.

I was only 18 at that time and pretty much clueless. However, I was lucky to have found myself a mentor. Rita taught me, with day-to-day examples on what corporate etiquette is and I have not looked back since.

What is corporate etiquette?

It actually refers to a set of rules one needs to adhere while at work. There are a couple of spoken ones and most definitely a whole lot of unspoken rules. While the list of corporate etiquette guideline is endless and some of us might even get lost in the translations of it all, to that I say, when in doubt, there is always common sense.

Keeping your workstation clean and tidy should not come in as a surprise to anyone. It is the basis of respect to yourself and definitely, to others. So, the first rule ever of corporate etiquette; keep your area of work neat.

Have you ever walked into an office and see a group or groups of people standing around chatting, laughing loudly and have a really casual attitude at work? You are paid to work not to engage in casual chatter and to loiter about. You want to be taken seriously, take yourself seriously first.

All of us know of a ‘peeper’ or two in the office; I used to sit in a cubicle next to one. Not only she peeped, my cubicle-neighbour, was so interested in what I did all day long. In short, she could tell me in detail what went on in my cubicle. Respect each other’s privacy; do not peep and definitely knock before entering someone’s office.

In this era of connectivity, we go about our day with our phones literally hanging on to us. Keep handphones on vibrating or silent mode while in the office. Imagine having fifty colleagues in the office, all with their ringtones on. One thing is for sure, it is going to be a one really noisy office!

Nasty office politics is a total no-no. Never engage in one. Distasteful, unclassy and what makes you think you are not the subject of their conversation at one point or the other? If your colleagues can talk about others to you, they can surely talk about you to others.

Never shout on anyone; it is unprofessional – stay calm and think rationally at all time; even when the office feels like crumbling down.

As trivial as it may sound, though it is actually not, your personal grooming is a real deal breaker when it comes to corporate etiquette. Pleasant scent, appropriate office attire, proper footwear and groomed hair and face come in tops in my personal book of grooming for excellence.

Always attend a meeting with a notepad and pen. This not only shows that you are interested in what is going to be said, but it also truly helps in remembering points that are discussed in the meeting; which will eliminate the unnecessary questions later.

Never interrupt and always wait for your turn to speak; basic manners everyone should adhere to.

Have you been in a situation where you need a stapler for home use but the thought of going down to the stationery shop really dampens you? Then you thought, ‘Oh well, perhaps I can just take the office stapler; that will solve the problem.’ Well, yes and no. Of course, you now have a stapler for home use but it is not ethical and totally wrong on all levels. Taking something without permission is stealing – there you go!

Never underestimate the power of being punctual. Punctuality only shows that you respect the other person’s time and in that process makes you an even better individual, in the eyes of others. Reaching office or meetings on time should be second to nature.

Data in any form must not be passed to anyone outside the company. That information belongs to the organization you work for and never should be compromised in any way.

Be in your best behaviour, keep your work ethics firm and manners, mild. That way, you will go leaps and bounds in the corporate world

Zu Anjalika Kamis Gunnulfsen is the Editor (Singapore) for Marketing In Asia and certified Image Branding & Lifestyle Consultant. She was also crowned Mrs Singapore Globe 2017. Born in Singapore and blessed to have lived in a couple of other amazing cities in the world, Anjalika is currently expatriating in Kuala Lumpur. Follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram and blog

www.zuanjalika.com,   

LinkedIn –https://www.linkedin.com/in/zuanjalika/

https://www.instagram.com/anjalika_mrssingaporeglobe2017/

Womenlines Digital Wonders Campaign

Womenlines presents ‘Digital Wonders Campaign’  reporting about exclusive brands which can help people to achieve excellence in life.

It is pleasure to share about Yafot Wellness from Singapore which stands out in the field of wellness centres through its holistic offerings based on cutting edge latest technologies along with expert health, nutrition and homoeopathic consultancy to enhance one’s wellness.

Womenlines team is delighted to share the interview of the founders’ of Yafot Wellness, a lovely entrepreneur couple, Mr Sonny Kwok and Mrs Marilyn Kwok, in their own words. Passion to help people to lead a healthy life and to live a life of purpose motivated this couple to establish Yafot Wellness.  Do listen to them in the video shared above and read their interview below-

Q1) Please share with our readers a little bit about yourself!

Sonny: I grew up in Singapore & did my Bachelor & Master degrees in the States. I’ve lived in countries like the Netherlands, China and Hong Kong with my family while working across IT, Consumer & Pharmaceutical industries. I am very thankful for these opportunities.

Marilyn: I was born and raised in Singapore, educated in the US with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. I had worked in the Banking, IT & shipping industries. Not long after, I made the boldest step in my life—to become a full-time mother of three beautiful daughters. Raising them together with my husband during his overseas postings have been my greatest joy.

Q2) When did you start this venture and what inspired/motivated you to take a plunge into this venture?

Sonny: I came to a crossroad at the end of 2017, wondering if I should continue what I do best at MNCs, or to try something different. That’s when we chanced upon this health & beauty business opportunity. It gave us the ability to provide innovative and cutting edge technologies for people to live and be well. It was so appealing that we just went for it!

Marilyn: I have personally experienced loved ones suffering from debilitating diseases and illnesses. This venture not only gave me an opportunity to support Sonny in his career, but it also provides me with the chance to do something I’ve always wanted—to help others live healthily. This creates a purposeful work and the opportunity to work together.

Q3) Can you share with us some challenges that you faced during the initial stages?

Sonny: On the surface, starting a business looks fun and exciting. What you don’t see is how much planning and hard work it requires behind the scenes. For us, every step was a challenge. From creating the business concept to selecting a target audience to negotiate the location, treatments, price positioning, HR, financing & marketing—it sure was hard work.

Marilyn: The greatest challenge for me was to learn new medical and biological terminologies that came along with the work we do. It required me to keep up with the latest technologies in both food science and health and wellness industries.

Q4) How do you balance your personal and professional life?

Sonny: In my previous global jobs, I was only home half the time. It greatly affected our family, relationships wise. Now, since the business is local, I spend most of my time in Singapore. I also get to spend more time with my family, with the bonus of getting to work with my wife and daughters. ?

Marilyn: Initially, the idea of working together was very appealing. However, we had never worked together before. Hence, in reality, it was a challenge for us. At work, we saw a different side of each other that we had never seen before. We began to see the importance of resolving workplace conflicts and to facilitate decision making in the most amicable way. With much discipline and effort, we also learnt how not to talk about work at home. Each night, we would intentionally set aside time to check on our daughters no matter how tired or challenging work was that day.

Q5) What would you suggest to other aspiring entrepreneurs who want to venture out on their own?

Sonny: Planning is of utmost importance, hence it cannot be rushed. However, when it comes to decision-making, it needs to be quick. Also, having a learner’s attitude is what keeps you going. Most importantly, stay humble and take your customers’ feedback to heart!

Marilyn: The strength of your business lies in the strength of your team. It’s crucial to rally teammates that share the same heartbeat as you!

Q6) Is there any person who has mentored/supported/inspired you?

Sonny: We are so thankful for those who have supported us in this new venture, but I want to give special thanks to my mentor Mr Aanandha Sharurajah, Founder of Atos Wellness! He’s a well-respected veteran in the health and wellness industry. He’s been so gracious to share his network and some common pitfalls in the industry with us. There was no obligation for him to do so, but yet he helped us and we are ever so grateful!

Marilyn: The vision itself of helping people live well is what inspires me. I find so much purpose in using my heart and hands to serve others. All that we do at Yafot is inspired by our faith—going back to God’s nature and creation for healing and wholeness.

Q7) What do you have in the pipeline for your venture’s future development?

Sonny: We truly believe in our vision to help people live and be well. We will continue to source for new technologies and the finest supplements for our customers here in Singapore and to the rest of Asia!

Marilyn: In the long term, we want to train and educate people of all nations on how to eat right. In addition to that, we want people to see the benefits of consuming pharmaceutical-grade supplements. The nutrients found in the food we eat today pale in comparison to what you can find in a supplement. We also want to drive the importance of drinking good quality water and to provide edge-cutting technologies for all to benefit from.

Address:

360 Orchard Road, #03-16/17, International Building, Singapore 238869

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yafotwellness/

Contact no- 6951 1220