The United States of America’s First Lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama opens up about her White House mentoring program in this month’s issue of More Magazine.

“Growing up the way that I did — kid from the South Side, going to public schools — the more my career developed, I realized how much I didn’t see, how little exposure I had to opportunities.”

FLOTUS Michelle Obama’s More Magazine cover picture is absolutely breathtaking…. Equally amazing is the elite White House mentoring program created by the First Lady herself…

“To open a secret door for others that hadn’t been opened for me,” by pairing disadvantaged girls with some of the powerful women in the land.

Mrs. Obama explains to the newest inductees of high schoolers, noting that the President’s internal White House acronym is POTUS:

““They call me FLOTUS, for first lady of the United States. And there are many times when FLOTUS and POTUS feel like characters.”

There have even been times, she says, when she’s craned her own neck to see which celebrity might be causing all the excitement.

“And it’s me. Oh, man, it’s FLOTUS. FLOTUS is here. No one told me FLOTUS was coming.”

FLOTUS Michelle Obama tells her class of mentees:

“But sometimes, I just want to be Michelle. So you guys have to start slowly seeing me as Michelle, all right?”

For more about Michelle Obama’s unique mentoring program–and why it is so personally meaningful to her–read the full story in the February 2012 More Magazine, on sale now.

We absolutely love these compilations!

Africans and in particular African women are coming fast and furious! As the economies of Africa gain momentum globally, African women are stepping out of the shadows to claim their stake of the lion share or the proverbial pie *wink*

Surprisingly though, looking at this list of the richest women in South Africa, only 2 women are billionaires and they are non-Black. We still need to overcome gender & racial inequalities on the continent. What is comforting to know is that plenty of you are in the shadows, working hard on your businesses….in time, in time….

South Africa’s 10 richest men and women will be profiled in the January and January/February 2012 issues of Destiny and DestinyMan.

Here they are:

1. Wendy Appelbaum – R1,99 billion
Main income source: Gordon Family Trust

Wendy Appelbaum to far left in black

2. Wendy Ackerman – R1,46 billion
Main income source: Ackerman Family Trust

Wendy Ackerman in middle in white

3. Sharon Wapnick – R334 million
Main income source: Premium Properties/Octodec

4. Elisabeth Bradley – R246 million
Main income source: Diversified Portfolios

5. Judy Dlamini – R124 million 
Main income source: Aspen

6. Nonhlanhla Njoli-Mncube – R94 million
Main income source: Capitec/WBHO

7. Christine Ramon – R49,67 million
Main income source: Sasol

8. Santie Botha – R41 million
Main income source: MTN

9. Beverly Fraser – R37 million   
Main income source: Cargo Carriers

10. Pauline Goetsch – R32 million 
Main income source: Peregrine

The Rich List, compiled by Intellidex, was determined by looking at the super-rich and their role in growing and owning companies. Specifically, the magazine gained net worth information from publicly traded companies, i.e. companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

[Source]

Divorce always takes the wind outta me. Hollywood or not.

They are humans like us. Live, love & laugh like us and when a marriage fails. It hurts, especially if children are involved. But also, this generation, which is losing fast their faith in the sanctity and beauty of marriage….

I am sure by now, y’all have heard the devastating news that supermodel Heidi Klum & singer hubby, Seal are calling it quits after 7 years of marriage.

Heidi Klum & Seal in happier times….

Late Sunday night the couple issued a joint statement:

“While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul searching we have decided to separate. We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart. This is an amicable process and protecting the well-being of our children remains our top priority, especially during this time of transition. We thank our family, friends, and fans for their kind words of support. And for our children’s sake, we appreciate you respecting our privacy.”

Sources directly connected with the couple tell us … Heidi’s decision to divorce Seal has nothing to do with a third person. There is NO issue of infidelity. But Seal’s inability to control his anger has become too much for Heidi to take, in no small part because it’s affecting their children….their careers also played a part in Heidi’s decision. She has become a mega-entrepreneur and extremely rich, and that professional evolution has created a distance between them.

.

Divine. Just divine.

As we ready ourselves for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2012 Collections, taking place February 9^th – 16^th in New York City, check out these Prada’s ‘Minimal-Baroque’ eyewear capsule from the 2011 collection. They retail for $290. They are a definite MUST-HAVE in your sunglass collection!

These Prada Baroque sunglasses were inspired by their spring/summer 2011 womenswear. So last season I know but they are divine…

They are a work of art…

To promote their new line of sunglasses, Prada turned to three fashion illustrators – Ivo Bisignano, Marcela Gutierrez and Andrea Tarella – to create the campaign.

Check out some of our fave fab celebs that were spotted rocking the Prada Minimal Baroque Sunglasses from the Spring 2011 line.

Three famous Aunties to Blue Ivy Carter:

Auntie Solange

Auntie Kelly (Rowland)

Auntie Rihanna

Now that the festive season is just about over and the back to school adverts are being aired, January is really sinking in. All that Christmas shopping that you did is catching up with you and only now are you feeling the pinch. The January demands don’t seem to end, from school uniform, stationary to travel allowance.

When we all partied up a storm, no thoughts were foreseen about how much we would have to struggle. And being paid in early December doesn’t help the money situation either and the thought of pay day in January is the most looked forward to day ever.   

People often refer to January as the Monday of the months; it is as rough to get over as every single Monday. Just as blue as every Monday, one can’t wait to get over it and just move along like it never came. But we never seem to learn the lesson about this month and every year we go through the same path once again.

Here some tips how to survive the January blues:

1. Buy all school needs in December after being paid.

2. Don’t be shy to take as many samples as you want at the shops *they usually give away a lot of samples in January*

3. If you single go on as many dates as possible *free lunches and dinners for ladies that is, sorry boys*

4. Buy you December grocery in bulk, so that in January you don’t buy again.

5. Buy cheap wine, you will get drunk fast *or so I hear, just don’t drink and drive* or better yet stay away from alcohol for the month

6. Gain some negotiating skills and shop for bargains

7. Accept every dinner or braai invite

8. Catch a lift with friends when going to the same place

9. Leave your credit card at home when going out *what you can’t afford in cash, don’t buy it*

10. Pay all your bills in advance, so that when January approaches you would have settled your account for January

11. Why not send recipes to your friends and offer to be a guinea pig *free meals yall*

All of these are easy step to enjoying January next year!!

I’m hoping that the Jan-u-Worry bug won’t catch you out again.

Follow me @DeeChiloane

2011 saw some high profile couples calling it quits.

Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai divorced Locadia Karimatsenga Tembo after only 12 days of marriage; followed by Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries who filed for divorce after 72 of marital bliss. Added to the list, Katy Perry and Russell Brand; Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher;  Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries;  Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony; Bradley Cooper and Renee Zellweger; Shakira and Antonio de la Rua; Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris…the list goes on! But you get the picture!

So we decided to focus on the good and review African/Black couples that prevail and continue to prevail….

Our power couples are two people who have been together for a long time, endured challenges (mostly publicly) with grace, are widely successful and epitomize the true essence of “Black love”.

We have listed these role models who keep their love going against all odds and are a force to be reckoned with.

They bring hope even when it’s hard times for love. They are some of the world’s most loved unions and they gather intense interest from the public at large and are well known. Even though they have come across challenges they remain together against all odds. They are the epitome of 21st century couples.

Here they are….

www.2012.com is no longer just around the corner.

It’s here!

As humans, when calendars change we seem to develop an attitude of reflection. Often times this attitude is accompanied by an acknowledgement of lessons that were learned in the past season.  Lessons that become a watery soup of “rules to live by” going into the next.

For me this is true and I wanted to take a few moments to detail six of the lessons that I  learned or was reminded of in 2011….

While you guys are deciding on whether Bey, King B is about to give birth, Beyonce released her favorite songs for 2011…

And I have to say, Bey‘s 2011 fave songs were….interesting!

READ ON….

He has to be the coolest King Prince around….

Prince William was spotted “feeling like a pimp, and gettin’ that dirt of his shoulder“….with his guest, Vanessa Boateng while Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watched.

The Prince & his wife, Catherine, attended a recent reception at Centrepoint’s Camberwell Foyer in London, England. Centerpointe is the British national charity that provides housing for homeless youth.

Fab times….

I’m sure you have seen those people who are at every social event, and you ask yourself HOW DO YOU DO IT?

Well let’s just say some will sacrifice their grocery allowance to be at an event, while some resort to begging publicists to get on the guest list and some have become so called friends with the right people.

Having the celebrity status means having access to the most anticipated parties, getting freebies, sponsors and a number of people who adore your every being. I mean who would not want that, but the price that others pay to get it. Well let us just say it’s a hefty price to pay to get that status.

From trying to keep up with the latest trends and labels, to having a sugar daddy/mommy or sleeping your way up. All these things might just make you famous for the wrong reasons, which is why we always ask WHAT ARE YOU FAMOUS FOR? I mean if I have no talent what so ever but I am in every newspaper, surely there must be something that is making me news worthy. While my parents sit back at home are hard at work for me have a decent education, suddenly appear in the latest gossip tabloid for sleeping with so many soccer players or even worse a married politician. All in the aid of being famous *seriously* is fame really worth all that trouble?

Being at every event *uninvited at times* does not make you a socialite but rather like a fame chaser. Or do some people live by the motto ‘fake it till you make it’?

Fame status is worked for and only patience will reward you. Overnight fame is just that, how you get it is how you lose it.

That’s all from me for now!!

Love Peace & Paparazzi

Follow me on Twitter @DeeChiloane

Be the first to get the lastest news from Faraitoday.com on Twitter and Facebook.