Fashion for a cause!

(Strictly for the young)
BY TOSYN BUCKNOR
SO, in 2008, Swe Bar came alive! It was a little show we called Jeans for Genes! It featured music, and fashion — designers used denim to design some fabulous pieces!
The models were beautifully made up by Labelle’s Touch, and the houses including, Byge, Beampeh and MY Q turned up with interesting designs.
T-shirts were on sale; from ‘These Genes Celeb’ inscribed tees, to patterned ones, it really was these genes day!
Toyin Adesola, author of Still Standing, read excerpts from her book, which chronicles her journey, living with sickle-cell.
Artistes such as Etcetera, Divine Brothers, M.P, M.I, Jesse Jags, Bez and L’il Flow performed, while spoken word and poetry was supplied by Sage and Chiedu Ifeozo, Ebuka and Shade Ladipo hosted the event, which had celebrities such as Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi and the UnRulies strutting the runway.

IN 2010, Swe Bar will come alive again as Fashion meets Music! It’s Jeans For Genes 2, and it is strictly, a t-shirt party!
Designers such as OUCH (who recently showed his line at the Waldorf-Astoria), Toni Payne, 5VE and more, will show their collection while artistes like Skuki, Lami, Loose Kaynon, Overdose, S.K.A.L.E.S and Hakym the Dream will perform.
As it is a sickle-cell awareness initiative, the hosts of the day will have information for the audience about the disorder, with one or two poets performing poetry specially designed for the show.
This year, the project will also be raising awareness about a lady living with sickle cell, who recently had to undergo an operation and needs help with footing the bill.

SICKLE cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin* S, an abnormal type of hemoglobin.
Sometimes these red blood cells become sickle-shaped (crescent shaped) and have difficulty passing through small blood vessels.
When sickle-shaped cells block small blood vessels, less blood can reach that part of the body. Tissue that does not receive a normal blood flow eventually becomes damaged. This is what causes the complications of sickle cell disorder. There is currently no universally accepted cure for sickle cell disorder.

IN the past, These Genes has organised events like Jeans for Genes 1, Celebrity Auction, and Red and Blue Day, and also made appearances on shows such as Moments with Mo, Today on STV and Morning Ride.
This is their first event of the year, and with support from s.h.a.r.e, Swe, Zapphaire Events, M.Et.Al, Jus’ Kidding, X3M Music and more, Jeans for Genes 2 should be one of the biggest awareness based fashion shows, of the year.
For more information, please stay updated on www.thesegenes.blogspot.com.




Happy marriage… what you should know
• Start each day with a kiss — This one is not that hard; on the contrary; it can be healthy and nice.
• Wear your wedding ring at all times — most couples do wear the ring, however; their reasons might vary, so as long as they think of it as a sign of their commitment to their spouses, then they are on the safe side.
• Date once a week — It is very healthy; maybe not as often as once a week, let’s say every other week or that a date can be inside your home and that you don’t have to go somewhere fancy to have it, you get the idea, right?
• Accept differences — No one is perfect. However; healthy arguments are good for the relationship, hence; the most important thing would be learning how to compromise with one another.
• Be gentle — a person is supposed to be the closest to his/her spouse, being gentle is crucial to keep them close enough or they will find that comfort elsewhere.
• Give gifts — nice small gifts are appreciated every once in a while
• Smile often — Smile always because it is contagious and you are more likely to be smiled at when you show your teeth more often!!
• Touch — intimacy between married people is very important and touching is a means of communication that reflects closeness, connection and love; it is your way of keeping the spark alive.
• Talk about dreams — dreams of the future that is; if you don’t share your dreams with your spouse; then who?
• Do what the other person wants before he or she asks — of course; you need to know your spouse so well to be able to do this one. I guess this comes with time as you grow to know each other but seek to get that knowledge; don’t assume that it will come to you!
• Listen — this could be the most important one ever, but note that you should listen with empathy and not just hear what they are saying; you should get involved.
• Encourage — positive support and being there for one another is also very important; seek their support and give them yours and be generous!
• Do it his or her way — sometimes; you need to do things their way just to show how much you love them and respect their feelings.
• Know his or her needs —what good is a spouse if he/she does not know the needs of their significant others? This should be your primary concern!
• Call during the day — but don’t over do it and be obsessed with calling him/her. Give them their space but also show them that you think of them by a 2-minutes phone call saying “how are you doing?”
• Slow down — and don’t jump to conclusions; always give the benefit of the doubt and wait to hear them out.
• Cuddle — yes; intimacy is very important and reflects love and deep feelings.
• Ask for each other’s opinion — absolutely; whose opinion would you seek if not your spouse’s? Your decisions will reflect both your lives and not only your own, so their opinion is important for you to make the right move.
• Show respect — all the time; whether you are alone or among others. Showing respect is more important than showing love.
• Celebrate birthdays in a big way — this does not mean a big party; just show them you care about their personal occasions.
• Apologize — and don’t be too stubborn to admit that you made a mistake, because apologizing can clear things between you and allows you to move on from the conflict in a healthy manner.
• Forgive — from the heart and not only in words; forgive them and mean it.
• Set up a romantic getaway — this sounds like fun every once in a while; no harm in that!
• Ask, “What can I do to make you happier?” — in other words; communicate and keep it going, because one’s needs might change along the way, and what they used to like a couple of years ago might not be appealing to them now; so make sure you ask them what does make them happy and do it.
• Be positive — even when it is a negative era of your lives; always try to show the full half of the cup.
• Respond quickly to the other person’s request — show them that you are doing this because you care for them the most.
• Talk about your love — again; communicate. Always tell them as well as show them how much you love them and how happy you are because of having them in your lives.
• Treat each other’s friends and relatives with courtesy — even if you don’t like their family and/or friends, you treat them with respect and courtesy for the sake of your spouse; they deserve that much.
• Admit when wrong — don’t be too arrogant to say it.
• Be sensitive to each other’s sexual desires — more importantly; understand these desires and keep the communication going.
• Pray for each other daily — and do it from the heart.
• Say “I love you” frequently — don’t assume that they know you love them; everyone likes to hear it, so say it!
• End the day with a hug — show closeness and again; intimacy.
• Seek outside help when needed — if you reach a point when you feel that you cannot solve the problem alone; seek the help of someone you both trust before giving up, or go for professional help as a last resort. Never feel ashamed of that; seeking help is a lot better than giving up and doing your very best to solve your issues. You owe it to yourself and to them to do
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