SAY NO TO CRIME

I found the message of this recent Nigeria AllStars song very powerful. It is a message of change, it is a message of hope- As we all say No to CRIME. This goes for all our leaders to shun corruption and human abuse. Election is drawing closer, may no life be lost...

Cats On Tuesday: I can't tell what is wrong with Scofield

CATS ON TUESDAY is a group of cat lovers who share pictures and/or stories about their cats once a week, hosted by Gattina


In almost a year, 11 Months to be exact, I have seen my cats only 3 times. I am far away from home on my fellowship which I will round up next Month. My cats, have being in loving care of my beloved partner and friend back in Nigeria. In April, Socfield developed skin problems and he was losing hair. We observed him for at least three months since we could not get hold of a vet. It got a little worse in July and we succeeded in locating his vet in August when I happened to be in Nigeria!



I got the vet to treat him this August when I visited home, he did not carry out any test but gave him treatment. He could not tell what was wrong. Hubby got another vet last week who happened to specialise on dogs and only could give some oitment for Socfield body. Well, between that time and now, Scofield is still losing hair more, red spots are appearing more on his body and just yesterday he hurt himself and was bleeding. He had refused to eat.


I had to call the vet (the one that has being treating him since he was young) again who will be seeing him today. I seem not to have much faith on the vet at the moment. I went online again and I disvcovered two conditions that can be responsible for his ailments. One is Allergic and Irritant Contact Dermatitis in Cats and the other is Allergic and Atopic in Cats.


I need to know if anyone has had to deal with this in thier cats and if they can help with more suggestion on how to treat this in case the vet is not so helpful? I have informed my partner to wash him with shampoo once a week, to stop him from going out, to remove our carpet but I need to know what else to be done...

Stop! You don't have to say yes!

Caught in the web of family expectation, this young woman of twenty is about to throw her education away and get married to a man she barely knows. This man in question was introduced to her by her elder and married sister, who then told the mother about the man’s intention to marry the younger sister, a twenty year old geology student at a Malian University.

My concern in this very matter is how things like this happen to young women all over the world, where their guardians or even parents from their societal understanding tried vehemently to explain to the girls how they will not find any other man as good as the ones they are pushing forth, if they girl should say NO. They are quick to remind these young confused minds on how Ms. P was unable to get a man after she has used all her life to acquire education and they quickly want these girls to stop in their track, if they do not want to be met with the same fate. On and on the brainwashing goes, till the victim eventually throws away her education, her aspiration to cliff with a man she barely knows!

At least, it is a duty one owes oneself to have a deep awareness of the life ahead. To be able to make the choice convincingly whether good or bad that this is the way I want to go, this is what I want to do and my life will not cease to be meaningful if I toll the path of my dream. But if your life has taken the wrong turn before you are even aware of the disservice you are doing yourself, then by the time of awakening, you are far gone in the game! I am sad that I do not speak the language of this young lady of twenty that I met through one of my housemates in Mali who asked me not to mention to her that he told me the story. Even if I had wanted to betray the trust, my French and Bamba’a are both not good enough to hold a conversation with her. And the very person that can be our intermediary has since sworn me into secrecy!

The few worlds I need to say if I have the chance is for her to be sure of her choice. For her to take a deep breath, close her eyes and imagine what she can achieve as a person and not as a married woman. To imagine what difference her life would make if she chooses to finish her education and pursue her dream (if any). To seriously think if there will never be any man as good as the one she barely even know but judging from the point of view of her sister and mother… all these and more I would like to share with this young woman of twenty who wants to get married to a man she does not even know at all because she was told that he is working and she might not get the same gold mine if this one passes her by.

Because I am a girl, I must study

BECAUSE I AM A GIRL, I MUST STUDY

A father asks his daughter:

Study? Why should you study?

I have sons aplenty who can study

Girl, why should you study?

The daughter tells her father:

Since you ask, here’s why I must study.

Because I am a girl, I must study.

Long denied this right, I must study

For my dreams to take flight, I must study

Knowledge brings new light, so I must study

For the battles I must fight, I must study

Because I am a girl, I must study.

To avoid destitution, I must study

To win independence, I must study

To fight frustration, I must study

To find inspiration, I must study

Because I am a girl, I must study.

To fight men’s violence, I must study

To end my silence, I must study

To challenge patriarchy I must study

To demolish all hierarchy, I must study.

Because I am a girl, I must study.

To mould a faith I can trust, I must study

To make laws that are just, I must study

To sweep centuries of dust, I must study

To challenge what I must, I must study

Because I am a girl, I must study.

To know right from wrong, I must study.

To find a voice that is strong, I must study

To write feminist songs I must study

To make a world where girls belong, I must study.

Because I am a girl, I must study.

-- Kamla Bhasin