Ifeoma Chuks-Adizue 
Every now and then, God sends you a person who changes how you walk your journey. Someone who doesn’t just cheer from the sidelines but quietly helps you build the road you’ll both later walk on.
For me, that person is Crystal Chigbu, Founder/CEO of the Irede Foundation.
With Crystal, I’m like the little sister in awe of her big sister – watching, learning and borrowing courage from her light. She’s the kind of woman who makes you believe you can, simply because she does.
I still remember the early days when the Irede Foundation was just an idea. She’d come to my house, we’d sit for hours, talk, dream and I’d help her shape the words around her idea – vision, mission, taglines and all. She had the fire and voice, I had the words and structure. Today, by God’s grace, she and her team have run with those words and birthed deeply impactful results.
Years later, when it was my turn to host the Uncommon Woman Movement’s first physical event, even though I’d never attended one before…she was right there again, part of the small circle of sisters who made it happen.
I still laugh remembering when I’d tag along as her “PA” during her early speaking days. She’d speak with fire and grace, I’d sit and learn. I didn’t realise then that God was using those moments to prepare me for my own voice.
Then there was the time I got my first MD role and with it, my first MacBook and I couldn’t figure out how to right-click. She came all the way to my office to teach me! Or the day she attended one of my events, noticed my speaking notes on my phone and said to me, “You need a tab.” I laughed it off until Christmas came, and she surprised me with an iPad. Wow! That gift wasn’t only about the gadget; it was also about belief. She saw something in me even before I did and chose to invest in it. That’s sisterhood.
Through the years, we’ve shared wins and losses, dreams and doubts, laughter and tears. There have been shared moments of exhaustion and frustration, but somehow, the final line of every conversation is always the same: God is good, and He’s got this!
As I celebrate Crystal today, I can’t help but reflect on how powerful it is when women walk together with open hearts and shared purpose…especially for those tough days which always come.
So, I ask you, as you read this – Who is this for you? Who helps you hold the vision when your hands feel weak?
And perhaps more importantly – Who are you this to? Who can count on you to pray, push and remind them of who they are when life gets loud?
As you chew on that, here are seven things every sister should be to another, especially as we journey to birth our best selves and impact this world in ways that make our Father proud:
1. Compass – One who reflects truth when you lose your way and helps you remember your God-given identity.
2. Champion – One who cheers loudly, believes deeply and sees your becoming even before you do.
3. Co-Labourer – One who builds with you, not against you — praying, pushing and adding structure when your dream is still fragile.
4. Comforter – One who holds your heart in trust, prays through your tears and sits with you through the hard seasons.
5. Connector – One who opens doors, shares opportunities and makes sure you neither walk alone nor lack anything she has access to.
6. Covering – One who protects your name in rooms you’re not in, intercedes when you’re weary and guards your destiny in prayer.
7. Catalyst – who ignites courage by example…their obedience becomes the spark that fuels your own.
In closing, sisterhood doesn’t happen at random. Rather, as Crystal once told me, it’s something you build together. It takes showing up, forgiving, giving and growing side by side. The best ones are forged not just through laughter and victories but through honesty, vulnerability and grace.
As we raise the next generation, may we model this kind of sisterhood to them – the kind that heals insecurities, fuels purpose and multiplies impact.
…and may our daughters not only pick it up but make it even better.
To Crystal, thank you for being the sister who sharpened me, believed in me and continues to journey with me. I love you to the moon and back!
To every woman reading this – May you find your “Crystal”… and may you be one to another.
Until next week, keep saying YES to your MORE!
Ifeoma Chuks-Adizue, fondly known as Iphie, is a seasoned professional with a rare mix of experience in brand management, sales, media and over 20 years’ experience building global brands across Africa. Iphie is the Managing Director Africa at Global Citizen – an international advocacy organization focused on ending extreme poverty now. She is the author of two books – The Uncommon Woman and Made for More, and is Founding President of the Uncommon Woman Movement.