Cynthia Chisom Umezulike

Cynthia Chisom, also known as Cynthia Chisom Umezulike, is an international human rights lawyer,^[1] model, author, motivational speaker and activist.^[2] Cynthia is the second daughter of Justice I.A Umezulike (OFR) who is currently the Chief Justice of Enugu State Nigeria.^[3] She is also the goddaughter to Prince Arthur Eze (Eze na Ikpo) a Forbes Magazine ranked billionaire oil tycoon, chairman and founder of Atlas Oranto Petroleum Group.^[4] Cynthia has been known to reference both her dad Justice I.A Umezulike (OFR) and her godfather Prince Arthur Eze as her biggest source of inspiration and motivation.

Education

Cynthia Chisom attended Our Lords Shepherd International Secondary School (OLSIS) where she was the best student in arts, the president of the drama and debate club, winning awards for her high school in drama, playwright and debate. She was awarded the best student in drama, poem and poetry by the Women’s Aid Collection (WACOL) and won the British Council Enugu prize in best-written and recited short stories. She proceeded to Igbinedion University Okada (the first private university in West-East & Central Africa) where she graduated with a second class upper bachelors degree in law (LLB) . She then attended the Nigerian Law School where she was called to the bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the federal republic of Nigeria at the age of 21.^[5]

Cynthia graduated with her first masters’ degree in International Human Rights Law from Queen Mary University,^[6] University of London. She also obtained a second Masters degree in International law and criminal Justice from the University of East London graduating with a distinction in International Criminal Law. Cynthia is currently a PHD law student at the University of Sussex in United Kingdom.^[5] Her doctoral research is focused on the legal and ethical implications of committing an anorexic patient to treatment. She hopes her research outcome will help pioneer a critical understanding of anorexia nervosa through the conceptual lenses the laws in the UK whilst shedding new light on the Impact and legal limitations of Involuntary Legal Commitments.^[7]

Author and Writer

Cynthia Chisom is a writer and researcher. Her writing covers human rights, activism, fashion, beauty and fitness. She has had her written work published in various laws journal including the Nigerian Judicial Institute Law Review. Cynthia Chisom Umezulke is the author of “Parallel Sapphires: Guidance through Life’s Journey’ which offers guidance on critical issues such as building ideas, career choices, appreciating ones true value and overcoming criticisms. She was a co-contributor on high fashion blog "High Fashion Elevated"^[8] and a former fashion and fitness editor for online magazine Passionistahub.

Motivational Speaker

Cynthia Chisom served as a keynote speaker at the Sea of Love first UK youth empowerment program where she delivered a motivational speech to address postgraduate and undergraduate students of Kings College, University of London.^[9]

Charities

Recycle of Love Foundation (RLF)

Cynthia Chisom is the founded the Recycle of Love Foundation (RLF) as part of her campaign for the rights of young children to acquire good quality education.^[10] The Recycle of Love Foundation is a charity that advocates for the social economic and cultural rights of young children ensuring that their rights to education, rights to housing, rights to adequate standard of living, rights to health and the right to science and culture are upheld. One of the RLF missions involves providing school supplies and educational board approved school curriculum textbooks, reading and writing materials and scholarships to young children living in extreme conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa. RLF goals are to ensure that young children who live in extreme poverty are empowered using education as a catalyst against poverty, deprivation and want. The Recycle of Love Foundation states that they are invested in working with the poorest communities, offering financial aid and scholarships to young children who are eager to learn but cannot afford it. As the Recycle of Love Foundation is still in its grassroots stage, with no major financial donors, it is mainly self funded.^[10]

Fight Against Anorexia and Bulimia

Cynthia established FAAB foundation with the aim of mentoring young anorexics and bulimics to combat the fear of food and embrace a healthier lifestyle. She is known to say at a mentoring event “food is not the enemy, we are, we get in our own way, it is all in our head, you can still be thin just do it the healthy way”. Cynthia's current Ph.D. research at the University of Sussex is focused on finding the legal and ethical implications of force-feeding (involuntary feeding) of anorexia nervosa patients in UK.

Modelling

Former fashion agent James St James scouted Cynthia at age 15 and signed her to his nascent talent development agency. She then started modeling and competing locally in Nigeria becoming a finalist at Ford Models Awards and modeling at the Nigerian Fashion Week.^[11]

She was also crowned Miss Tourism Lagos in 2006 and was chosen to represent Nigeria at the Miss Bikini World in Taiwan in the same year. Internationally Cynthia Chisom represented Nigeria at the Miss Commonwealth World in Milton Keynes alongside 56 other delegates from around the world.^[12]

She has since then worked as an international model in London, Paris, New York and Miami ^[13] and featuring on the catwalks of London Fashion Week, Vogue Italia, Paris Fashion Week, Vauxhall Fashion Scout, African Fashion Week London^[14] amongst numerous others.^[15]

In 2014, Cynthia Chisom was featured in a bag campaign for Didi bags with Britain’s and Irelands Next Top Model Lauren Lambert. The bag campaign appeared in UK Vogue, Elle and Harpers Bazaar.^[16] She is also currently the brand ambassador and face for luxury designer brand “Didi”. She has been consecutively nominated as Best Female Model of Year at the British Entertainment, Film, Fashion and Television Awards (BEFFTA) for the past three years.^[17]

Television

Cynthia has made various TV appearances either for human rights activism, fashion dialogue or political debates. She is quoted to have said to have most enjoyed her appearance on UK Channel 4's "Come Dine With Me" where she whipped up a Nigerian traditional delicacy for her Liverpudlian guests.^[18]

Other

Cynthia Chisom currently sits as the Executive Business Development Manager and International Researcher at luxury business and private Jet aviation hub facility “Diamond Hanger’’^[19] at Stansted airport in London United Kingdom. Cynthia is also currently travelling the world as a muse to LoUd photography^[20] shooting for the photographers ‘Model Book Series’. She has recently announced the launch of her new book.

References