The Activist

New Dreams! Breeze,Thoughts and Confidence

2012-02-02T01:59:00.007+01:00

Air in my lung
Breeze on my face
Smiles on my cheeks
Thoughts in my head
Confidence in my voice
Great purpose in my walk
I stroll on the boulevard of new dreams
I don't have to walk, smile or think alone

Subsidy, Leadership and Change: Managing Change as a Leader by Atoyebi Oyelere

2012-01-13T21:32:00.001+01:00

Ken Blanchard, the author of the popular book “One Minute Manager” while commenting on a book (Who moved my cheese) by Spencer Johnson said “Everyone knows that not all change is good or even necessary. But in a world that is constantly changing, it is to our advantage to learn how to adapt and enjoy something better”. My belief is that the essence of leadership is initiating and managing change.

If I can say it a thousand times more, I would continue to say it the way it has always been said, the menace of underdevelopment in Africa is basically an outgrowth of the bane of incompetency in leadership. As the fight for the removal/continuance of the subsidy of petrol (PMS) enters the fifth day, my reflections have not been about the economic justifications or moral sanity of the whole episode of the drama, the imbroglio and brouhaha generated, but from the angle of a student, I’ve garnered practical lessons in leadership:

1. You don’t introduce change as a leader where you are not trusted. The basis for every credible leadership is trust and before any meaningful journey could be embarked upon, credibility is the first point of reckoning.

2. Wisdom is the diligent combination of the correctness of a decision and the appropriateness of the timing for the implementation of such decision. If I could go mathematical: Wisdom= 80% Appropriate Timing+ 20% Correctness of the decision.

3. A change imposed is a change opposed….an organization can only change when enough people in it change. If you can work on people’s mind long enough, then you can make the necessary impact (change) in their situation after they have seen where they fit in, in the big picture. If people carry the mindset of Egypt into Canaan, they would soon change Canaan into Egypt. Capital development without human (manpower) development is a waste of resources.

4. Leaders don’t just set goals, they set standards…Any leader who demands from others, what he himself has not shown to sacrifice is only seen as a tyrant, no matter the “nobility” of the cause he/she proves to be pursuing. The defining characteristic of a leader is sacrifice….not what you acquire, but that which you give.

5. Leaders have a clear sense of communication. It is when the people see how change can make things better that they get more interested in making the change happen. It is when the desire for the new level is greater than the comfort the status quo offers that change is birthed!

6. Leaders know that defining changes that are very critical to his people are not made drastically. They are gradually introduced over time. Also, major changes are not made in times of instabilities or upheavals. You don’t need a prophet to tell you that such change would be opposed. It is puerile to make major economic decisions in times of political and social hullabaloo, not to talk of precarious security situation. Insecure people would never support change!

7. If someone calls you a donkey, don’t pay any attention to it, but if five people call you a donkey, go buy a saddle. When change is being resisted, it is either you are wrong or they are hurt. I believe leaders who have shaped their world are always in the minority, but they are never detached from the feelings of the majority, except the decision to be made is a personal one.

8. Americans rejected the privatisation of social security despite former President George Bush’s country-wide advocacy for it. Bush latter shelved the policy. Leaders are sufficiently grounded and understand the game well enough to know that just like in a team sport, personal awards and accolades are a CONSEQUENCE rather than an OBJECTIVE. Leaders don’t lose if they give in to the wish of the people “temporarily” to later win in the end; it is just an avenue to show how paramount the interest of the people is to them.

9. Honesty is still the best policy…any leader who applies the principle of double standard WOULD NEVER gain the trust of his people…if there are cabals in any organization that are above the rule, then the revolt by those classified as under the rule is only a function of time. The scale of injustice is never permanently at rest, it is like a pendulum, many at times activated by the wind of change!

As we occupy our dear country till the desired change comes…Please let us learn from what you are learning at this critical period of our nation

FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVER: OCCUPY LONDON 2012

2012-01-07T19:28:00.006+01:00

If we have our own working refinery, we wont even be talking of subsidy, if we have working electricity the cost of production will not go up unbearably every time there is an increase in fuel price, if there is economic development with focus on people freedom, employment, social security and human security there wont be unnecessary hardship on the people of Nigeria.Agricultural sector is still neglected remember? The late Obafemi Awolowo must be sad about this. If we even take this argument further, if our 'leaders' can start the sacrifice by cutting their salaries and other benefits and pumping the money saving from this into the country's development, they will be such good heroes. If our 'leaders' have a slight clue on tackling corruption starting from themselves and reforming our security sector, may be we can start listening to their legal, economic or moral justification to remove fuel subsidy. Nuf said!

Abuse and Slapsgiving! by bishop david oyedepo

2011-12-18T13:18:00.005+01:00

This is getting out of hands. Open abuse and damnation of a child all in the name of deliverance. We always believe some people are untouchable. I am so appalled by this and join everyone that condemns this act! This is bad! Bad!! Bad!!! Religion houses need to be called to order, state persecution of those committing atrocities in the name of religion need to be firmly rooted in our society not only Boko Haram is our terrorist in Nigeria. Revrend King paid for it and Bishop Oyedepo is not above the law!!!

Welcome: The new Nigerian refugees by SYLVIA OFILI

2011-12-14T17:17:00.005+01:00

THE Nigerian Senate just gave many people enough justification to become refugees. I predict in the next couple of months, in countries all over Europe, young men and women will arrive in droves, over sea and land, and they would all be gay. Gay or not, everybody will be gay. If you have ever wanted to leave that country but have never had any real reason to (apart from the obvious ones i.e. no light, no water, no security, no good schools, malaria, armed robbers, corrupt police, corrupt politicians, no jobs, fake drugs in the market, no connections, no food to eat, petrol wahala, feel free to add to this list) well, now you have a solid one. Do not waste any time. Put your slippers under your armpit and hit the desert (keep an eye open for Boko Haram though) but be sure to stay clear of Libya. We are being killed there but hey, who cares? The Senate has better things to do than save Nigerian citizens.

Oh yes, the Nigerian Senate who have so much time on their hands, decided to pass a bill stating that gays shall not be allowed to get married and if they dare do, they shall get fourteen years in jail. Let us face the truth. There are no gay couples applying for marriage certificates in that country. How would they do that? There are no provisions for such a marriage in our system, therefore, this bill is totally redundant. It is like telling me that I am banned from eating eba in my kitchen when I had none in the first place. If eba was available and waiting for me in my kitchen, then that’s another story. But I don’t even have garri or hot water. In fact, I don’t even have a bowl to make the eba in, so what exactly would be the point of such a ban? It’s as simple as that. I can’t be the only one that sees how unnecessary this bill is. A total waste of time and resources. But hey, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

I am surprised about the excitement this bill has caused in our people. People are almost foaming at the mouths because of this useless bill. I wish our Senate could be equally engaged in other serious matters. For example, Boko Haram. Every month, a new bomb and yet, our senators are laughing over homosexual jokes on TV. I would have expected some kind of crack down by now. Or is it only in the Niger Delta that the military enjoys operating? And what do they plan to do about the religious violence in the north? Or is this show of solidarity against homosexuals going to stop the burning of churches over there? Will this be the very act that will unite Christianity and Islam in the north? And if that is so, will it not be strange that it is only in our hatred we can unite and not in love?

There is much to be said about this bill but I wonder if there is any point. In a bill where "public show of same-sex amorous relationships directly or indirectly” can lead to ten years imprisonment, how long will it be before neighbours turn against neighbours? In a land ruled by superstition, with the constant threat of “bad belle”, how long will it be before our jails are full of people suspected of homosexuality? Nobody needs to tell us that we are treading on dangerous ground, led by people who do not see beyond their feet.

Whatever our opinions may be about sexuality, let us not allow others use us as pawns in political games. There are many issues the government needs to face. So many young people have died on our terrible roads this year. Women are still being raped and abused daily. Children are still on our streets hawking. People are still dying of malaria. Armed robbers and kidnappers still operate freely. Corruption. Electricity. Water. Need I go on?

If you want to know the truth, I will tell you. I do not care about who gets married or who does not in this life. I have seen dysfunctional marriages in that society and it was not a pretty sight. All my life, I have seen men do as they want in their marriages. I have seen old men run after girls young enough to be their daughters. I have seen men abuse their wives and children as if they were running a slave farm. I have seen men marry one wife, two wives, three wives. I have seen men sell their daughters to other men for money. I have seen it all.

Now all of a sudden, these same men are all so concerned about who gets married?

Our country is too corrupt for us to pretend that we are that righteous. Let us stop fooling ourselves. If we were so in touch with our moral values and if really, our moral values meant so much to us as we are now claiming, Nigeria will not be in the state it is now. We are not virtuous enough to talk about moral values. Definitely our Senate should be the last place where morality should be discussed. No, let those who have clean hands come forth and speak, otherwise, everybody should keep quiet and stop the hypocrisy.

slyofili@yahoo.com

Author of this article culled from The Guardian: BY SYLVIA OFILI

Where Is The World Headed To? by Godwyns Onwuchekwa

2011-12-07T02:09:00.006+01:00

Well, not sure anyone thinks of this. But looking back at events in the past months - or may be year - you would quite agree that it has been a momentous recent past.

The financial turmoil has refused to let the so-called 'markets' out of its trolls. Revolutions like we have never seen in recent times came like a wave, dethroned life-kings and maimed brutal warlords.

Where there is mercy, evil is creeping in; and where there is evil, mercy is being crushed. Leaders are torn between the devil (their friends and business associates) and the deep blue sea (the economies).

It is time countries look inwards to save themselves from themselves. Manufacturing is going down at the speed of light as all of us head into the office and leaving the farms behind. Meanwhile, more mouths - did they say its 7 billion now - need to be fed. Genetic-Modified (GM) food will soon not be enough.

Talking of which, the increase of illnesses that our (well, early humans) bodies should have fought off is now terrorizing us. Obesity is now an illness and still cannot be directly challenged; anorexia is revered as a way to beauty.

Regardless of these, the hurdle the world must jump to become the desired place everyone wants is very simple: those who want freedom must respect others and give them same freedom.

How can it be that the Revolutionists who killed dictators turn round to torment others? They have tasted and experienced discrimination and stigma, have been imprisoned for speaking out, exiled from their own community, trampled on for challenging their tyrants, etc. Yet, when they overcome the tormentor, they prefer to torment others?

In Egypt, the same 'Freedom' fighters who removed Mubarak has refused lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgendered and intersex (LGBTI) people freedom; of expression and association. Tell me, how just are these that sought justice?

In Libya, the Revolutionist rebels who killed Gaddafi for oppressing them has turned around to torment and torture blacks and other foreigners.Where is the justice they yearned for?

In Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, suicide bombings are common way to kill fellow fighters and even their own community for religious disagreements.

In Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Cameroun, Malawi, etc, those who demanded for self-rule and democracy have turned to become slave dealers turning their country men and women who are gay or of opposing political opinion into refugees.

In Somalia, Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, war has been used to keep the poor everlastingly poor, and power tussle trashed dissenting voices.

In Europe, and the so-called West, propaganda continues to be used. They close their eyes to oppression where it yields money to them. Malawi may not oppress gay people but Nigeria can... and the West are being very careful because Nigeria is a pot of oil and the Chinese are lurking on the corner waiting to grab it.

So, where is the world headed to? It is in a cycle of oppression. Each of the oppressed will turn around and oppress the next.

At this point, can you tell where the world is heading to? Obviously not to a freer world.

For more thought provoking posts visit:http://www.godwyns.com/

The Last Moment of Wangari Maathai

2011-11-28T16:17:00.008+01:00

On Mon, 11/7/11, Njeri Mbire wrote:

THE LAST MOMENTS OF A BEAUTIFUL MAMA.

Maathai is driven to her final admission at Nairobi Hospital. She explains her diagnosis to doctors at the facility. Her condition has reached what doctors call Metastic level – that is has spread beyond the ovaries to other critical body organs including the liver and is spreading fast.

She is complaining of abdominal swelling, pain and abnormal bleeding. She is weak. The focused Nobel Peace Prize winner is admitted to Pioneer ward – a ward next to both the High Dependency Unit (HDU) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Things are getting out of proportion. Top cancer surgeons have gathered to deal with the urgent case.

By default, she chooses not to get the pleasures of the posh North Wing like most of the privileged class would do. Former President Daniel arap Moi, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, President Mwai Kibaki, Makadara MP Michael Mbuvi among others have always enjoyed the Five Star medical treatments available in the North Wing.

Typical of Maathai, the fighter for the down-trodden, argues: “There are no five star patients and still wanted the company offered by a ward.”

After tests, doctors give her options to consider. 1) Surgery -- however that would mean doing away with several of her organs a list of which we choose not to publish for privacy reasons.

Of course any such action would be followed by chemotherapy and from her Cancer blood test - which doctors called “CA 125” it is clear any surgery would require a chemotherapy session every week.

Even then, “such treatment is only effective and sufficient for malignant tumors that are well-differentiated and confined to the ovary.” Her condition has even touched “the spleen and the lungs,” doctors tell her. (one of them was speaking)

Maathai asks: “So after the surgery what will be my quality of life?”

Doctors answer: “It depends on how your body reacts.” The doctors go ahead to explain how different people reacted to similar conditions.

“How long does it guarantee I will live?” she asks doctors, taking the off guard.

Later one of them reflects: “I was a little shocked because normally patients ask that before quality of life”

“Well, it guarantees an extension of life to about six months to five years,” doctors explains.

Then Maathai poses a question: “What if I don’t go that route of chemotherapy and surgery?”

“Well it will spread very fast and will arrest your key organs and that may cause death,” doctors explain, hoping she might reconsider the path she was now taking.

“Well instead of spending the rest of my six or five years postponing death and spending money and resources that would make my family happy, let me surrender to the creator,” Maathai says, according to two surgeons who were talking to her.

Attempts to make the option of surgery and chemotherapy fail and doctors give her a day to reconsider her decision.

Finally, as per Nairobi Hospital policy, doctors are forced to ask hard questions.

“When it spreads to the rest of your organs It may cause cardiac arrest (Read Heart Attack) can we install a cardiac warning bell,” doctors tell her.

“For what purpose is such a bell?” she asks.

“Well” one of the hospital administrators who attended the meeting says, “to help us resuscitate you in case something happens and probably rush you to HDU or ICU for attention.”

Our sources explain that Maathai sits on her pillow and with a firm but friendly (sic) look says: “If that happens, let it happen, don’t intervene.”

“Why?” they almost reacted (this is unprofessional).

She responds: “Because life is not about me only, it’s about many other people and I am still strong.”

As required by policy, they then ask her to tell her family to sign the DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) forms clearing the hospital of any responsibility should the eventuality happen.

Again, she says she would put pen to paper, “without subjecting anyone to the decision about her.”

The decision she made shortly after 4 pm, just two days before she died.

....... (ends)

Press Statement on the occasion of the "16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence"

2011-11-26T12:26:00.002+01:00

BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights (BAOBAB)

On the occasion of the

“16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence”

Lagos, Nigeria, November 25 2011

Press Statement

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights (BAOBAB) happily welcome you to this Media conversation happening on the first day of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence,” “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let's Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women’.”

The 25th November every year marks the beginning of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence” which is an international campaign that started in 1991 dedicated to advocate against all forms of Gender Based Violence. The 16 Days runs from November 25, (International Day against Violence against Women) to December 10, (International Human Rights Day) to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasise that such violence is a violation of human rights. This 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including December 1, which is World AIDS Day, and December 6, which marks the Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre in 1989, when 14 women students were massacred by a lone gun-man opposed to the affirmative action policies promoted by feminists at the University of Montreal.

Since the “16 days…” campaign started, this period has been utilized by various women’s groups to call for the elimination of violence against women by raising awareness about gender based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels; strengthening local work around violence against women; establishing a clear link between local and international work to end violence against women; providing a forum in which organisers can develop and share effective strategies; demonstrating the solidarity of women around the world organising against violence against women and creating tools to ask governments to implement promises made to eliminate violence against women.

Over the years, gender based violence has been a cause for concern in Nigeria and the world at large. This is mainly due to the very patriarchal nature of the society and obnoxious cultural beliefs that subjugate women and lead to their systemic discrimination in private and public spheres. The need for strategic campaigns and interventions has become even more crucial with recent reports of the prevalence of rape and assault cases on women and young girls in the country. This rise in the number of cases is a very worrisome development as BAOBAB has also continued to receive more reports of violence against women at its offices and via email and telephone calls. Two of such cases of violence are the alleged infamous gang rape in August 2011 of a young woman by 5 men suspected to be students of Abia State University, as well as the rape of female students of St Anne’s college Ibadan, Oyo state. There was also the cold murder of a female banker allegedly by her husband, amongst others.

The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let's Challenge Militarism and End Violence against Women’. BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights is today joining other partners around the world to mark the period with a series of activities which include: a Gender and leadership training for young boys and girls between the ages of 13 -17 years; solidarity street campaign by a network of Men and Boys against Violence against Women (MABVAW); an in-house debate by the BAOBAB team on “Violence Against Women and Globalization, ”as well as various social advocacy activities by members of our community based volunteer outreach teams in 15 states of the country.

BAOBAB is using this opportunity to call on the government of Nigeria to:

1. Expedite the passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill into Law;

2. Expedite the reintroduction, adoption and passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill into Law;

3. Establish support mechanisms including one-stop centers for victims of SGBV and formal shelters in collaboration with women focused NGOs;

4. Strengthen existing laws and frameworks to protect women from FGM and other harmful practices

5. Increase involvement of women in peace building processes and strengthen CSO collaboration for sustained engagement in conflict prevention and peace building.

6. Improve the collection of disaggregated data and maintenance of statistics on SGBV.

7. Ensure efficient investigation and prosecution of SGBV cases.

Distinguished friends of the Press and fellow agents of social transformation, once again we are happy that you have honoured this invitation to participate in the conversations of the next few hours and some of the activities with us, and we hope that this will translate to further collaboration towards eliminating all forms of gender based violence and consequently promote human development. Remember, if it is not good for your mother, daughter or sister, then it is not good for any woman! Let’s stop violence against Women now!

Thank You all

Chibogu Obinwa

Ag. Executive Director

See more posting on Baobab's blog

THE COMING ANARCHY

2011-11-12T15:09:00.004+01:00

THE COMING ANARCHY
by Robert D. Kaplan
February 1994

The Minister's eyes were like egg yolks, an aftereffect of some of the many illnesses, malaria especially, endemic in his country. There was also an irrefutable sadness in his eyes. He spoke in a slow and creaking voice, the voice of hope about to expire. Flame trees, coconut palms, and a ballpoint-blue Atlantic composed the background. None of it seemed beautiful, though. "In forty-five years I have never seen things so bad. We did not manage ourselves well after the British departed. But what we have now is something worse—the revenge of the poor, of the social failures, of the people least able to bring up children in a modern society." Then he referred to the recent coup in the West African country Sierra Leone. "The boys who took power in Sierra Leone come from houses like this." The Minister jabbed his finger at a corrugated metal shack teeming with children. "In three months these boys confiscated all the official Mercedes, Volvos, and BMWs and willfully wrecked them on the road." The Minister mentioned one of the coup's leaders, Solomon Anthony Joseph Musa, who shot the people who had paid for his schooling, "in order to erase the humiliation and mitigate the power his middle-class sponsors held over him."

Tyranny is nothing new in Sierra Leone or in the rest of West Africa. But it is now part and parcel of an increasing lawlessness that is far more significant than any coup, rebel incursion, or episodic experiment in democracy. Crime was what my friend—a top-ranking African official whose life would be threatened were I to identify him more precisely—really wanted to talk about. Crime is what makes West Africa a natural point of departure for my report on what the political character of our planet is likely to be in the twenty-first century.

The cities of West Africa at night are some of the unsafest places in the world. Streets are unlit; the police often lack gasoline for their vehicles; armed burglars, carjackers, and muggers proliferate. "The government in Sierra Leone has no writ after dark," says a foreign resident, shrugging. When I was in the capital, Freetown, last September, eight men armed with AK-47s broke into the house of an American man. They tied him up and stole everything of value. Forget Miami: direct flights between the United States and the Murtala Muhammed Airport, in neighboring Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, have been suspended by order of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation because of ineffective security at the terminal and its environs. A State Department report cited the airport for "extortion by law-enforcement and immigration officials." This is one of the few times that the U.S. government has embargoed a foreign airport for reasons that are linked purely to crime. In Abidjan, effectively the capital of the Cote d'Ivoire, or Ivory Coast, restaurants have stick- and gun-wielding guards who walk you the fifteen feet or so between your car and the entrance, giving you an eerie taste of what American cities might be like in the future. An Italian ambassador was killed by gunfire when robbers invaded an Abidjan restaurant. The family of the Nigerian ambassador was tied up and robbed at gunpoint in the ambassador's residence. After university students in the Ivory Coast caught bandits who had been plaguing their dorms, they executed them by hanging tires around their necks and setting the tires on fire. In one instance Ivorian policemen stood by and watched the "necklacings," afraid to intervene. Each time I went to the Abidjan bus terminal, groups of young men with restless, scanning eyes surrounded my taxi, putting their hands all over the windows, demanding "tips" for carrying my luggage even though I had only a rucksack. In cities in six West African countries I saw similar young men everywhere—hordes of them. They were like loose molecules in a very unstable social fluid, a fluid that was clearly on the verge of igniting.

"You see," my friend the Minister told me, "in the villages of Africa it is perfectly natural to feed at any table and lodge in any hut. But in the cities this communal existence no longer holds. You must pay for lodging and be invited for food. When young men find out that their relations cannot put them up, they become lost. They join other migrants and slip gradually into the criminal process."

"In the poor quarters of Arab North Africa," he continued, "there is much less crime, because Islam provides a social anchor: of education and indoctrination. Here in West Africa we have a lot of superficial Islam and superficial Christianity. Western religion is undermined by animist beliefs not suitable to a moral society, because they are based on irrational spirit power. Here spirits are used to wreak vengeance by one person against another, or one group against another." Many of the atrocities in the Liberian civil war have been tied to belief in juju spirits, and the BBC has reported, in its magazine Focus on Africa, that in the civil fighting in adjacent Sierra Leone, rebels were said to have "a young woman with them who would go to the front naked, always walking backwards and looking in a mirror to see where she was going. This made her invisible, so that she could cross to the army's positions and there bury charms . . . to improve the rebels' chances of success."

Finally my friend the Minister mentioned polygamy. Designed for a pastoral way of life, polygamy continues to thrive in sub-Saharan Africa even though it is increasingly uncommon in Arab North Africa. Most youths I met on the road in West Africa told me that they were from "extended" families, with a mother in one place and a father in another. Translated to an urban environment, loose family structures are largely responsible for the world's highest birth rates and the explosion of the HIV virus on the continent. Like the communalism and animism, they provide a weak shield against the corrosive social effects of life in cities. In those cities African culture is being redefined while desertification and deforestation—also tied to overpopulation—drive more and more African peasants out of the countryside."In the poor quarters of Arab North Africa," he continued, "there is much less crime, because Islam provides a social anchor: of education and indoctrination. Here in West Africa we have a lot of superficial Islam and superficial Christianity. Western religion is undermined by animist beliefs not suitable to a moral society, because they are based on irrational spirit power. Here spirits are used to wreak vengeance by one person against another, or one group against another." Many of the atrocities in the Liberian civil war have been tied to belief in juju spirits, and the BBC has reported, in its magazine Focus on Africa, that in the civil fighting in adjacent Sierra Leone, rebels were said to have "a young woman with them who would go to the front naked, always walking backwards and looking in a mirror to see where she was going. This made her invisible, so that she could cross to the army's positions and there bury charms . . . to improve the rebels' chances of success."

Finally my friend the Minister mentioned polygamy. Designed for a pastoral way of life, polygamy continues to thrive in sub-Saharan Africa even though it is increasingly uncommon in Arab North Africa. Most youths I met on the road in West Africa told me that they were from "extended" families, with a mother in one place and a father in another. Translated to an urban environment, loose family structures are largely responsible for the world's highest birth rates and the explosion of the HIV virus on the continent. Like the communalism and animism, they provide a weak shield against the corrosive social effects of life in cities. In those cities African culture is being redefined while desertification and deforestation—also tied to overpopulation—drive more and more African peasants out of the countryside.
.....................................................................................

Here is the link to continue reading this interesting article: http://www.theatlantic.com/ideastour/archive/kaplan-2.html

Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah blogs from detention

2011-11-05T11:57:00.006+01:00

Alaa Abd El Fattah, left, who is being held in an Egyptian jail, with his wife. Photograph: Nasser Nasser/AP

Writing in colloquial Egyptian Arabic from detention Alaa Abdel Fattah:

I am writing this blog while being ashamed of myself, I was moved to Tora Investigative [jail] on my insistence and nagging because I could not take the difficult circumstances of the appeal detention, the darkness, the filth, the cockroaches that crawl over my body day and night, there is no break and we don't see the sun, darkness again, but the issue that bothered me most was the toilet, I don't know how to handle the filth of the toilets and the absence of doors and stayed five days fasting, binded binded binded.

I was confounded by Nawarah (Negm)'s article in which she spoke of my manliness, but Naglaa Budeir's article reminded me of my previous detention where the blog was my refuge and where I was honest with myself.

I didn't know how to man-up and take (the conditions), even though thousands are bearing such conditions and worse, even though I haven't experienced the agonies of a military jail and wasn't tortured like other colleagues of military trials.

I have let down my colleagues of the Maspero (incident) detention and that of the Ministry of Defense along with other politicians, I have let down the convicts who were moved by the commotion that was created for me and decided to tell me about the atrocities of the Interior (Ministry) so I can tell the people, they were happy that someone could tell of the baltagiya (thugs) and the organized gangs, and yet I fled for the toilets.

I have exchanged the youthful company of the convicts that was filled with happiness & joy with that of the (ones accused of embezzling) public funds that is full of geezers, depression and boredom. During the appeal (prison time) I was daily discovering stories of those who were wronged and (other) important cases, the low ranked police officers who were detained after their first protest and were accused of burning the ministry. I didn't believe that there was something genuine amongst their ranks until I had met them. Tamer Rashwan, whose case is very ambiguous makes us doubt that the State Security is developing new discreet tools instead of detention, torture and neglect that I have witnessed in front of my eyes that I was memorizing so I can tell you about them when I get out.

It's not the convicts only who felt that I can play a role from the inside, the detectives were also harassing and inspecting whoever was conversing with me and the large number of informants and all what I said found its way to the administration.

I left all that for a more spacious, cleaner and brighter cell, and because I couldn't man up and withstand the toilets of the appeal (prison). This is my capability, these are my limits and this is my weakness.

Even the decision of rejecting being investigated in front of a military prosecution that you are celebrating has an element of cowardice, the day we gathered to take the decision I did not have any courage to listen to (my wife) Manal's opinion whom I will leave alone in the last days of her pregnancy and will leave her alone to oversee the workers who are preparing Khaled's room, I who shall be detained and she who shall be burdened while she is running around for my demands, my sustenance and my visitation permits as well as the campaign that was founded for my case.

I took the decision in a meeting with colleagues from the revolution and got her stuck and didn't listen to my wife and depended only on the certainty that she will back me up in all my choices.

And yet I am proud, it's true I am not the macho that Nawara (Negm) thinks I am but I am not a coward either, I was offered by an important person from the revolution a plea that allows me a swift exit, get out but refrain from insulting the General (Tantawi), only that, a small sacrifice was asked but I rejected it, how would I have faced my family if I had accepted?

Let's begin from the start: How are you? I am Alaa, a foot soldier in the revolution, there are those who sacrificed more than me, those who are much more courageous than me, and those whose role is much more important than mine.

I am Alaa, proud that I am doing what I can and sometimes surprise myself with what I am capable of. And I know myself and what I am not capable of. I try never to fail my commitments, I try to overcome fear always and I constantly try to be in the front lines at all times.

If you see in me any magnanimity, courage or bravery know that I draw them from my mom, my younger sisters and my wife (who being separated from is the hardest part of detention).

The Fifth Day and the First Night in Cell 1/6, Ward 4, Tora Investigative (Prison)

3-November-2011

Alaa Abdel Fattah

@Alaa

Translation by Mina Naguib in Stockholm, Sweden and Sultan Al Qassemi in Sharjah, UAE. Original Arabic post can be found here.
...................................................................................................................................................................
I have personally met Alaa and Manal, the two most beautiful couple on earth and the extra ordinary committed people activists. Am joining in the belief that Alaa will be free soon to return to his family and the people he cares about.

REVOCATION OF ''MEMBERSHIP'' OF NIGERIA BY A NIGERIAN IN ARGENTINA

2011-10-21T18:55:00.002+01:00

I read today, about a Nigerian who is in Argentina, who yesterday (or today in Argentina), had written to the Nigerian Ambassador there to transmit his letter to the Presidency, about his revocation of Nigerian citizenship, to which he called ''membership''. I share with you, his thoughts. - Anonymous

Revocation of my Nigerian “membership”

Tops of the day to you all,

I am Akinyemi Adeseye fondly known as “Teekay Akin”. I’m a free lance human rights and Afro-centric consciousness writer and teacher.

I’m using this medium to renounce my membership or you may use the word citizenship. The reasons can be seen in this piece attached Since I was born, I've been told that I'm Nigerian; the nationality of the people from that land mass around the River Niger which was created from the amalgamation of various kingdoms by the British and the name coined and enforced by some Brit called Lugard, I'll throw up in my mouth if I use the word "Lord" before his name, and his mistress in 1914. 97 years on, everyone that was every born or came out of that region will be known as Nigerian. - A heavy mental blow dealt to people from various kingdoms and identities. A chain that will bind their fates together in an unholy way for almost a century, I suddenly began to reason; if a Frenchman is from France, an Englishman from England, a Spanish man from Spain, a Portuguese from Portugal then why aren't I, a YORUBAMAN from YORUBA KINGDOM??

Nigeria may stay or fall, but I'll always be a YORUBA MAN! We all need to realise some hard truth, that for many years we have been avoiding and running away from. This union called Nigeria wasn't made by our own accord! THIS IS STILL SLAVERY! This is nothing more than the slave master gathering up all his slaves, bonding them together with his slaver master powers, making them work and live together for years, creating an identity for them and after a while stepping aside. Those slaves still are bound by the curse of that slave master! And the people that make up Nigeria are still bound by the curse of the British and later brought in his American buddies for the feast, the feast of flesh and blood!!

The greatest form of freedom is that of the MIND and the attainment of a new level of consciousness as our own people, as independent people as free people is our only way forward! For 51 years since the so called independence, which during the last one I asked "Independence from what exactly?", we have been entrapped, enslaved and bound within this union, running helter-skelter like sheep without shepard. For 51 years, we have watched our lives, hopes and resources plundered, as this was never our home? The nation was never ours in the first place, it was that of the colonial master- It was his nation, his creation and his large backyard he got his oil, minerals, tested his medicine, economic and political experiments in!

It was his own little playground and the so called rulers his sheep and dogs. The Sheep and dogs he could commands and control, which is why we see that our so called leaders aren't there for the benefit of the people. As the people- Nigerians is an abstract concept which doesn't exist in any real sense, but rather for the reason of exploitation, oppression, control and repression! Take a look around you today and tell me what exactly it means to be a Nigerian, take a look around you today and tell me if it actually means anything to us other than that geographical location- something like a foreign product manufactured in China which is exported for the use of others but still carries the tag - Made in China, so Nigerians are a foreign concept conceived by the British and manufactured in the area called Nigeria! In 51 years, we have been plagued by our differences in every form, our differences which existed in most parts before the formation of Nigeria but never so violent and barbaric, those have now become the order of the day.

People who were once free in their kingdoms, with their norms and traditions, languages etc have now become slaves in this Nigeria, their resources being looted, their lands being ravaged and raped by the day and their children being torn from the souls of their communities! The time has come for us to wake up from this slumber and free ourselves from this bondage! The time has come for us to re-define this unholy union. The time has come for us to break off these chains, send slavery and colonisation finally packing from our minds, return back to our kingdoms. If we feel the need as a people to unite, then WE and only WE should sit down and determine this, no one else!

If we well, we've had enough, the fine; we go our separate ways with mutual respect for each other and return to our kingdoms! I, personally uses this medium to renounce my membership of Nigeria and tender in my membership card- which I'll be doing later this week in an official letter to the caretakers or so called presidency through one of the embassies. Hence I'll be officially stateless, nation less BUT a FREE man, a man from an ancient Kingdom albeit still held captive by Nigeria and her owners, a man fighting for the freedom of his people and a Kingdom that supersedes all these nations and states. I'm YORUBA; that is my ancestry. That is my IDENTITY! That is what DEFINES me. As we attain a higher level of consciousness we shall all see this!

Kindly find enclosed a copy my Nigerian “membership” booklet #A3101928. The original I’ll hold on to as a souvenir of a sort for generations to come.

What do you think about this soul cry people?

Wangari Maathai: Celebrating The Unbowed ‘Crazy Woman’ By Njoki Wamai

2011-10-06T18:26:00.006+01:00

Prof. Wangari Maathai did not need any introduction growing up in the eighties and early nineties. She was there already, in the news and in hushed conversations in our living rooms and market places. The strong dark woman in African prints and braided hair,speaking truth to power when no one dared question Moi.

She was there even after Moi called her the crazy woman with insects in her head and sycophants in parliament chorused calling her a badly behaved woman and a divorcee who was a threat to Kenya's national security.

She was there in press interviews and run-ins with the establishment’s hired goons after graciously kneeling to plant a tree.

She was there, at home with grandmothers in villages urging them to plant more trees,as she was, dining with world leaders in exclusive locations explaining complex concepts of why they urgently need to address climate change.

The grey Monday morning she left us signified the mood that enveloped me and indeed Kenya and the world as we came to terms with the loss of yet another great non-conformist whose courage to turn her back on old formulas while inventing the future had left an indelible mark in Kenya and the world we live in.

Again the words of Thomas Sankara, the former revolutionary President of Burkina Faso rang true to the person that Wangari was: another ‘crazy’ woman who engaged in the politics of space at a personal and public level.

At a personal level she confronted patriachy refusing to be cowed into oblivion by her ex-husband, thereby affirming Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s words that ‘well-behaved women seldom make history.’By Wangari’s refusing to conform as a ‘well-behaved woman’ in her private space she made history and expanded the public space for women and men at a national and international level in various spaces such as the academy, in politics and most importantly the ecological space which she was later feted for as a Nobel Laurent.

These instances of madness and non conformity have led to several legacies she left us on environment, women’s emancipation and politics.On the environment, her madness finally bore fruit when she recovered and secured our public spacessuch as Uhuru park, Karura forest and more recently our water towers: the Aberdare and the Mau complexfrom landgrabbers and corrupt politicians.Internationally, as the co-chair of the Congo-Basin fund she tirelessly campaigned to save the African water tower.

On local politics, she refused to conform to the politics of handouts in her Tetu constituency and left a legacy that is evident in the numerous development projects she initiated. At a national level, she stood by her convictions no matter where her ethnic group, religion or political party was, which cost her the Tetu Parliamentary seat in 2007 when she failed to support the Bananas/Yes team in the referendum.

On women rights, Wangari was a feminist par exellence, who exemplified the personal is political mantra from her days in the National Council of Women of Kenya, as a founder of the Green Belt Movement, to her role as Chairperson of Maendeleo ya Wanawake(MYWO) when she publicly initiated a campaign that supported Wambui Otieno’s bid for SM’s body.

Many ‘well behaved women’ who were beneficiaries of the patrimonial politics of Moi’s leadership refused to support Wangari as she fought for the rights of another ‘crazy’ woman and for a younger generation of Kenyan women who now enjoy these rights.

Embracing the legacy ‘crazy’ men and women

In conclusion, the most notable constant that enabled Wangari and Wambui to soldier on despite adversity and insulting labels such as as ‘mad women’ is their great love for humanity.

A love so great that their revolutionary legacies will be celebrated forever.They both exemplify Che Guevara’s assertion that ‘the true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality. We must strive every day so that this love of humanity is transformed into actual deeds, into acts that serve as examples and as a moving force.’This is the simple act that these two daughters of Africa urge us to live for and in so doing leave our world a better place than we found it. Love our humanity.

Njoki is a Peace and Security Scholar at the African Leadership Centre (ALC) at King’s College, London.

First appearance of this tribute was published in the Kenyan nNewspaper Sunday Nation on 2nd October 2011

Reviving 'The Activist' Blog.

2011-09-26T15:05:00.008+01:00

It's being a long while that I visited different blogs like I used to do. It has equally being some time since I last focused on any activism theme that my blog is known for. It is sure a time to revive 'The Activist' Blog and go back to those overarching issues.

I am going to have a very busy academic year as am back to the university doing my Masters. King's College London is a tough school of excellence and the African Leadership Centre is a tougher fellowship administrator. I have to combine so many rigorous activities and on top of this list is to revive 'The Activist' Blog, contribute to many online discussions on the blogshpere like I used to do and excel exceedingly in my studies.

I will take everything step by step. But it is much easier when one is sure of what to do and makes plans towards achieving them.

You will always be a friend

2011-09-13T21:34:00.014+01:00

When I said you will always be a friend, I meant it
When I said I could forgive you anything, it's from the heart
When I said I will always be there for you, it was not in vain
When I said you were special, yes in every way
When I said my dignity and integrity not negotiable, they are not
You said goodbye, not so much in words but it was understood
I kept my distance, I may do so forever
But one thing is certain; you will always be a friend

The Bright Sky

2011-09-10T09:49:00.004+01:00

Cloud dissipation,
the herculean task of the mind
Dark clouds away,
the bright sky is taking charge

Cats on Tuesday: England without my Cats

2011-09-06T15:50:00.006+01:00

I have missed bragging about my cats!!! My sweet sweet Scofield and Garfield. I am off to school in England in a few weeks and taking them with me is not an option. My husband will be joining me in a few weeks and I wonder who will be in charge of my cats. Nobody for now. I choose not to worry about how I will sort this out yet because am trusting God and the Universe! My cats will be fine but will I be fine without having them snuggling next to me for the next one year?

They have being good kids. Socfield skin issue is still a big concern but am sure again that he will be fine. Hey all cat lovers on Gattina Cats on Tuesday... say hello to all my lovely purr angels!!!

The Shameless Quest

2011-08-30T20:29:00.007+01:00

Rationality and sanity eluded
What a heart crave, it pursues
Shameless or not the game is on

Guilt and shame trapped in the bottomless pit
Forever unsurfaced
But it takes two to tango

This heart is shamelessly on the quest alone
This heart tangos alone it seems
As the other half remains unreachable

The shameless quest comes to a halt
The heart faces rejection
The best response ever to a shameless quest

Taiwan: Beyond my imagination.

2011-08-17T15:01:00.008+01:00

I have checked my list of characteristics of a modern and developed country and Taiwan was beyond my imagination with huge thumbs up. Taiwan rocks and I am in love! Taiwan has eased my mind, showed me so much beauty and make me feel so alive and Taiwan people are just so friendly and hospitable. Oh, they love my hair (locks of my natural hair) and am now a celebrity (the most popular attraction according to Yessuf Milburn) counting so many endlessly pictures have taken with Taiwanese and some Chinese on request. I have smiled so much that my heart is singing!!! Taiwan rocks!!!

1. Beauty – Check
2. Hospitality- Check
3. Development – check
4. Economic growth- Check
5. Respect for rule of law- Check
6. Protection of citizens- Check
7. Security- Check
8. Electricity and other amenities - Check
9. Modern infrastructures - Check
10. Neatness - Check
11. Orderliness - Check
12. Serenity - Check
13. Creativity - Check
14. Innovation - Check
15. Discipline - Check
16. Friendliness- Check
17. Environmental preservation - check
18. Sustainable peace-Check
19. Reliable government and democracy - Check
20. Health system - Check

We traveled through the beautiful park of Taroko National Park today. The incredible road stretched endlessly in the belly of endless magnificent mountain and sheer gorges standing so tall and proud with many of its peaks towering 3,000m in more than 92,000 hectares of land. I am in love and am heading to Taipe!!!

Basking in the ambiance of Happiness- SayTaiwan all the Way

2011-08-14T17:49:00.017+01:00

My life was colourful today. When you feel joy and happiness when surrounded by people who make your smile shine through, you will know the meaning of 'COLOURFUL'. Ghost day (festival) in Taiwan, a fabulous Sunday that left me basking in the ambiance of happiness. It was not my fault that I woke up at 2pm, it was my fault for sleeping at 7am. Well, woke up and freshen up I did, my host family were worried about my lack of appetite because I was not hungry. It was as well since my tummy could eventually not hold all I had to eat at dinner - so much varieties for a small stomach.

Quick rewind before dinner, yeah I woke up at 2pm, got to join the family for the ghost day prayer and burnt offering. We proceeded to where the activities were taken place. I am in love with this tradition. Lots of food and drinks for the ghosts, so they can eat these well selected menu in the spirit, there was fire already burning fire containers where all the papers representing dollars would be burnt. You need to have bundles of this spiritual legal tender for the ghosts to have money to spend in their world. I picked as much as I could for my late parents as I joined my Taiwan host family in the ritual. It was a unique experience, very to know that the departed are not forgotten. What made this event unique was the fact that everyone in Taiwan seems to be reaching out to their departed families on this very day. This is an experience I will never forget in a hurry.

It was announced that we would go for dinner by 6pm, so we had to get ready. I did what I had being waiting to do since I arrived 3 days ago, share the gifts I brought for my host family members! What an enthralling moment this was! I seemed to have chosen good gifts from different countries in Africa for my host family members! Good fabric, nice African prints and clothes, beautiful beads and a host of other great items! April and her sister tried out their outfits and they were so beautiful on them. James and April chose to wear their African attire to dinner and I felt so proud. Gisele got Kenya beads (Kazuri and Masai) and a musical CD by Nneka from Nigeria. Yeah, I did not forget to bring Nigerian currency as souvenir. Oh, where was I? Good. I got gifts in returns, a bag from NEPAL, two symbolic colourful artwork that represent good charms and a pretty pendant!

I picked my new bag with my carry-about-stuff in it and off we went to dinner! I am very lucky with my host family who happens to have 3 other family friends hosting Michaela, Dagan and Yussef from Czech Republic, ISrael and USA respectively. We all met for dinner at Stone Restaurant where once again we had to cook our food! Fresh and delicious and in abundance, I ate and mingled with optimal bliss! We had good times eaten our food with many members of Shui-Sen Lin (my Host), Jen- Ching Lin ( Dagan's host), Hsueh -Chiu Liau (Michaela's host) and Ying-TsangTseng (Yussef's host)' s families. We met some enthusiastic Taiwanese youth at Stone and we took our own continental family potrait before we moved on to the special Karaoke night in a handful of Balloon made into animals for us at the Stone Restaurant!

Our Karaoke night was the icing on the cake, we sang with no care, in the world our host families were with us and some of the family members chose to play snooker, yeah we tried our hands on table tennis too. My life was colourful today as I held nothing back. I enjoyed with people who were so willing to spread happiness. I had fun with souls who believes in love as the ingredient of great radiation of the universe in its glory!!!

My Taiwan Trip... the fun has begun

2011-08-13T20:25:00.013+01:00

After 23 hours of journeying through one continent to another, I finally made it to Taiwan! The trip was worth it! My fun started by meeting 4 other participants from different countries in DOHA and we flew all the way to Hong Kong together in a great anticipation to meet the other 245 participants from over 100 countries. Meeting the warm and amazing Salim Alriyami, (OMAN) Hayel Adel Amin (JORDAN), Ana Calzada (SPAIN) and Khaoula Bessame (ALGERIA) pointed to the fact that being part of Taiwan International Youth Week- Centennial Homestay is the best decision of the year! Not only would I have fun in Taiwan but I will have fun with these other amazing people! Not only will I learn much more about Taiwan but I will also learn from other people and they from me. My fun had started!!!

I finally arrived at about 7pm on Friday the 12th, the airport was welcoming and so were the Homestay Organisers!!! I met Alice Lin at last! She did an incredible job of coordinating with 250 people! The other tired participants that had gone through long or longer journey were also there at the airport still very happy to mingle. The bus ride to Taoyuan from the airport was great and so was the fast train ride to Taichung were my host family members were waiting not minding the delay in my journey! I knew immediately that I was in great hands!!!

I was welcome like a queen in the fantastic mansion of the Lins my host family in Nantou County. What a superb hospitality. My bed was made, my room is beautiful, I even get a lots of drinks and other goodies neatly arranged in a corner of the room for me. WOW. The world needs more of this unconditional love from all of us!

My day one (13th of August) started well and ended well. Did I mention that I slept till 12 noon and was only awoke by my host member boyfriend to eat lunch? After lunch we moved to join other host families where I met 3 other participants Yessuf Milburn (USA), Michaela Humlova (Czech Republic) and Dagan Wald (Israel). Off we to start knowing Taiwan and its people. Part of places visited was Mazu Temple. We went bowling- we all bounded the more and had fun. We ate at a place I have decided to call 'cook your own meal' restaurant. This was lovely! I am still fumbling with the use of chop stick, this is not my first time of fumbling, I hope I will get to use it properly before the end of my stay in Taiwan. The host families with us will not let us pay for anything, they took care of our feeding. Another way to say 'we care and we welcome you unconditionally'!

There are various activities mapped out for the next 7 days and I am basking in the euphoria of the anticipated fun and all! I have met other friends of my host family and they found me beautiful and energetic! You've gotta love Taiwan and its people!!!

GHOST By Soji Cole

2011-08-09T23:12:00.002+01:00

I do not know that when I die I will come back again. I had always thought that death is an enduring finality until I died myself. Sincerely I never feel like I am dead, even at that time when I rose from the mound of earth in which my body was buried, I felt I was just awoken from a deep slumber. So this is how it feels to be dead?

It is painful that no one can see me as I roam about the compound that has now turned into a mourning arena. I wonder why people are crying because I am dead. Yes, I died to fulfill a natural obligation, but here I am now, gallivanting in the midst of tears! I am particularly disturbed by my mother’s distraught condition. She is surrounded by six people who continually marshal her movements in a bid to prevent her from harming herself. I touch her and even try to lift her up to see me but she is insensitive to my touch. I want to tell her to stop crying because death is a good thing. Nobody can hear my voice, feel my touch or see me; maybe that is the only bad thing about death because nobody can feel what you feel. My mother will jump up suddenly and threaten to kill herself. I always feel elated at this intermittent restlessness of hers because if she dies she will come to me and people will not see the two of us. Then, she will be my mother again. I feel like going to hit those preventing her from killing herself.

Somebody mentioned that I died yesterday. Nobody has mentioned how.

I moved round the compound. I can see my father talking in hushed tones with his friends. He will not cry. Often he had told me before I died that men don’t cry in public, especially when women are about. I moved close to him and saw the tears streaming down freely from his eyes. He had lied to me while I was alive. He told me nothing will ever make him cry and so I must train myself like him. I detest him now for crying and, much more for seeing through his lie. I moved to where my brothers and my little sisters are clustered, crying profusely. This crying business is certainly becoming comical to me. I wish everyone were dead so that they can see the luxury in death.

I moved to the water barrel at the back of the house. I will attract attention now if I scoop up water from the barrel and throw them around. I took the bowl lying helplessly vacant on the ground and scoop up a generous volume. I threw it all about, waiting for the expected chain of reactions that will erupt from the people. No one seems to flinch even as the water rained down on them. I took another bowlful and splashed them torrentially about. Nothing. I took another and another and another until I got drenched myself.

At last, my mother was able to see me. She rushed to me and grabbed my hand to stop throwing the water away. I did not stop because I was already enjoying myself. I had got very soaked by now while mother shook me vigorously. I woke up to find mother starring disappointingly at me while I in turn stared at the wet pool of urine which has formed an intricate maze sliding away from under my mat.

Victims running for their lives- is domestic violence on the increase?

2011-07-23T10:34:00.008+01:00

Even though I don't directly deal with Domestic violence issues like organisations such as Baobab for Women's Human Rights and Project Alert on violence Against Women in Nigeria that do not only provide legal services for the victims but also counselling, mediation or shelter as the case may be, I still get to refer people or give links to vicitms friends and family via emails, phone calls or social media. My referral role is getting on the increase to my surprise. Does this mean many women are increasingly getting abused in their relationships or they or their family are just getting hold of help links like this?

I won't get into the unprofessional habit of divulging people's secret or identity since I didn't ask their permission but I will say on the safer side that some of the cases that I have had to refer are so pathetic! Some of the victims of spousal abuse have being enduring this act of destruction to their health and being for many years. They only get to seek help when this is about to claim their lives. Some of these victims can be counted lucky that they did not lose their lives while hoping their husbands will change or while hoping they made the right decision by waiting to take care of thier children in this abusive settings.

A banker, Titilayo Arowolo was killed on the 24th of June, 2011. Titilayo was stabbed 20 times according to the report and she was also hit by a sledge hammer. Her internal organs were found on the floor and her husband was suspected to have killed her. Some say for ritual or was a spiritual attack of which blogger Anna Wunmi Fani responded 'Hmmm, spiritual attack???!!!!! Everything in naija is related to spiritual attack. When will people start owning their bullshit and stop blaming the devil for their actions. We need to start equipping women with tools on how to deal with domestic abuse, both physical and mental. It is NOT OK for a man to hit a woman. Only a spineless, despicable coward hits women!' What was so interesting about this story was the fact that Akolade Arowolo and wife had being having issues in the past to the knowledge of Titilayo's and Akolade' families but nothing critical was done!

It is rather of importance to keep one's life and protect oneself from abuse and violence than keep a marriage or relationship that will take one's life. As suggested by the executive Director of Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), Amy Oyekunle, it is time to go on the campaign offensive that lives can be lost to domestic violence and to provide information to women or men that might be enduring such act of violence. Really, won't it make sense for victims of domestic violence to first run for their lives and then decide where to go from there? The Domestic violence Bill ( the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill) has being passed in Lagos but never at the Federal level. Since we have to be our own watch -dog and protector before seeking state help or asking a third party to help, we need to take a solid protective stand and run for our dear lives instead of enduring domestic abuse/violence.

N: B - the above image is from Tess Wigwe's case

My birthday and its good sides!

2011-07-13T22:44:00.011+01:00

It's my 33rd birthday. I have two earth sisters, whom I got to know were born same day, same month, same year as me in different part of the world! I am a triplets on earth! Awesome. I should start an archive of birthday mates which will include Wole Soyinka, my friend Ayotola Onasanya, my two godsons and numerous other fatanstic people that I share this unique day with!

It's being a wonderful day with over 300 people from all over the world, reaching out via facebook ,twitter, phone calls, emails, personal visits to wish me a fabulous birthday. I also got some nice e-cards too, 2 of which I am putting up here from Grandmaster Emannuel Ikpeme and Ganiyat Aminu. Thanks everyone! You all made my day!

Apart from hubby's gift, I received 2 good news today. I made the African Leadership Centre Scholarship for my master's at King's College! Standtall Consulting certificate of Incorporation arrived today... it's being bliss all the way. I am dealing with the fearful adrenaline in my head that I need to get rid of, I am more than resolute to get help!!! Help is sure!!!

Happy birthday to me... Lady Guide, it's over to you and yours!!!

Busy June and getting hypnotherapy to counter aerophobic

2011-06-30T19:11:00.009+01:00

It is being a busy June for me. It may not get less busier as July approaches but I am not complaining. I have backlog of articles and assignments to do yet and I carry around with me my 'schedule list' and 'to do list'. Since the 1st of June, I have being moving from one programme to another and it got to the heightened level, when I had to go to Minna for a 3 days programme. After Minna on the 16th of June, I left that night for another programme in Turkey. I got back from an intense and educative Sexuality and Gender Rights Institute in Istanbul on the 27th of June only to leave straight for Nairobi on the 28th of June!

I am sitting somewhere at Kilimani, Nairobi with a promise to write this blog no matter how tired I am. My purpose of being here is to get a scholarship for my masters in Conflict, Security and Development. The interview phase is not an easy one and I had to be physically present! The outcome of the interview is yet to be known but I am sure I am on my way back to King's College, London for my masters! I had three unconditional admissions from three prestigious schools this year, namely; University of Sussex Brighton, University for Peace Costa Rica and King's College London! The scholarship is important because I cannot afford the school fees.

I can say that it is being a busy and productive June for me. StandTall Consulting website is almost ready, our business certificate for the services we will be offering in sexuality, gender, women's rights and security is almost ready as well. I am looking forward to working with an amazing partner Sokari Ekine! All is set but I need to get rid of the clot in my head, the toxin that has refused to stop its secretion and the danger it posed to my health. What is this about? It means I am hyper-aerophobic ( if I can coin that word without any labyrinth of ambiguity).

I have being flying for a while yes but there is no denying that my aerophobia is getting worse, it is interfering with my daily life. It is almost difficult at times to focus on anything else but a flight I will take say in 2 weeks time. It is that bad. And I should not get started on things that come to mind in relation to flying. This state can be so pathetic and mind-trapping. Well, I am on the way to get hypnotherapy (hypnosis). I have got to do it and do it pretty soon. The fear is finding a place that offer such service in Nigeria and I am not sure I want to wait till I get to London before getting help! I won't even try to take sleeping pills or muscle relaxant again as I just end up with nightmares or planemares. Yes, I will continue to talk to God in my own way and stop taking wine on plane before I get addicted. And the fact that my husband was flying with me this tIme did not ease my mind... I must get help!

Okay 'nuff said, I will get help as July approaches for my 33rd birthday and 4th wedding anniversary...

Kudi by Hafsat Abiola Costello

2011-06-04T13:00:00.000+01:00

Kudi you won’t be growing old and grey

And we’ll talk about you to everyone that comes our way

Some people say ‘oh my mum, she was ever so nice’

We’ll say ‘our mum, she paid our people’s price’

In her time, there was a market full of goods

Surprise of surprises, they sold our people there too

In chains and beaten on the ground they would seat

As others bartered and treated them like meat

Our mum, she came by with a smile, she couldn’t hurt a fly

She saw our people were tired, the sun was high

She demanded, ‘you have to set our people free’

And the seller said, ‘ah, what do you have for me?’

‘My name is Kudi, I am money, all of me

Set our people free, pay for them with me’

With her went her husband who was money to the third degree,

So many joined till the bill was paid for eternity

Tis a pity mum, you won’t be growing old and grey

But we’ll talk about you to everyone that comes our way

Some people say, ‘oh my mum, she was ever so nice’

But we’ll say, ‘our mum, she paid our people’s price.’

Note: the poem plays with the word 'kudi,' which in Hausa means 'money' and MKO's nickname, which was Money Kudi Owo (money in Yoruba).

Visit link to read more about Kudirat Abiola's story...

Ma May by Pamela Braide

2011-05-26T10:09:00.005+01:00

I willingly went to simple funeral today and left enlightened, grateful and awed.

Chief Mary Ekpiken normally called Ma May, was tiny, pretty, and the de facto head of my mother’s mother’s side of the family for as long as I had any memories. In fact she is so ingrained in my consciousness I wrongly believed her to be older than she actually is. Every one came to pay respects.

If my mother is my inspiration then Ma May was hers. Some people feel I’m a strident feminist. I don’t know what the term even defines. What I do know is that I grew up knowing that my extended family on my grandmothers side looked up to a woman for counsel and respected her voice. She blazed trails for them to follow and still managed to be fun loving and raise her own. This is what I knew growing up.

I didn’t know I should walk a step behind or understand biblical interpreters telling me a rib isn’t as important as the whole skeleton. I learned limitations later and I’m still trying to unlearn them.

I didn’t know many details about her public life. I knew she retired as a director in the Federal Civil Service. I knew she was given National honours decades ago. I knew she was educated when many women were not. I knew she was the head girl of Queens College in 1943.

But I never knew she could not write her science final exams despite the fact that she studied science subjects because though QC girls were eventually allowed to study science they could only write thier final exams in Kings College. (Schools for girls then focused on grooming, secretaries, teachers or simply literate wives who would keep good homes so science subjects were not originally available to girls) Even though it was technically possible it was regarded as extremely unfeminine and as the head girl she felt pressured to show example and eventually backed down from writing them. But my great aunt wanted to be a doctor and tried again! She registered as an external candidate in Kings College after leaving QC but still wasn’t allowed to do the exam (some crap about her being too tiny to be a doctor) She then settled for studying Economics in the UK.

I also just discovered today she organized women to seek equal pay once she realized her £38 a week salary was £8 less than that of a man with equal qualifications and the same job title. They won. Of course they did, she was a labour expert. I didn’t know this. She went to the ILO before I was born, I just went there a few years ago. We never realize what trails women blazed for us because we document nothing in this country (Nigeria).

I’m grateful her son Tunji Roberts put together such an informative funeral brochure. I loved all the tributes and pictures especially the one of her driving her convertible in the 60s and the one of her in shorts, sun shades and a jaunty hat. I read the tribute from her friend who said she would miss their outings to the over 60s dance in the London and watching free movies together. I saw the pictures of her with American politicians, her chieftaincy ceremony, her beloved Red Cross Society, her son’s family and her age grade mates.

She followed her dreams, fought for her rights and that of others, kept her doors open to many others in her family who have gone on to be “big” men and women. She made unusual seem normal to me. Sadly I’m sure as extraordinary as her story may seem to me there are many more stories we never get to hear. We need to do this.

Rest in Peace Ma May. I applaud you.

After posting this note on my blog I got an email telling me more about my Grand Aunt. Apparently she was featured in a book Pioneering Women: Riddel Hall and Queen's University Belfast By Gillian McClelland, Diana Hadden. None of my family member knew this! the internet is awesome.

Mary Ekpiken, who was resident in the Hall from 1953 to 1955, was the first Nigerian woman to graduate from Queens’s University. She returned home as an Economics graduate to take charge of the employment and statistical section of the Nigerian Civil Service. Her post required her to travel to the United States for research into establishing new industries as well as training teachers from the United Kingdom and the United States to assist in Nigerian educational projects

By Pamela Braide

Bridging Clean Water to Maternal Health

2011-05-20T08:33:00.004+01:00

Yesterday, on the Carbon for Water campaign trail, we met with Francis Odhiambo, the provincial public health officer of the Western Province in Kenya. He had a great impact in helping connect the dots between having safe drinking water, combating diseases and women having safe pregnancies and deliveries. Mr. Francis Odhiambo believed strongly that women suffer twice as much as men on health issues relating to water borne disease because of their daily activities and chores around the house and for their families. Women not only face the hardship of looking for nonexistent safe water, but they also have to trek miles to get stream water and firewood for boiling it. In his words during the interaction with the two Women Bloggers Deliver winners, Mr. Odhiambo explained that the LifeStraw public health intervention by Vestergaard Frandsen would go a long way in supporting the already stretched government health facilities in the Western Province.

A visit to Emusanda Health Centre, a health clinic built by Vestergaard Frandsen, brought to light many other concerns in relation to maternal health. In our interaction with James Okwiri, who has being living with HIV for the past 7 years, the clinic has saved many local residents from having to travel a long distance to the hospital in Kakamega. Not only do they find the treatments at the health center life-saving, they also consider the plan by Vestergaard Frandsen to build a maternity ward at Emusanda a much needed intervention.

The overarching issue on maternal and child mortality has had its effect on this community. Ms. Sinafu Mapesa, a woman living with HIV, explained the danger of home delivery and how a lack of access to skilled care has claimed the lives of many women. She experienced post-partum hemorrhage during one of her deliveries, but she was lucky to have her bleeding stop. Many other women were never that lucky. She stressed the importance of having a maternity ward in her community that can attend to pregnant women, most especially women living with HIV/AIDS. Ms. Brenda Opika who has an 11-year-old HIV positive child, shared her pain that she never got tested for HIV when she was pregnant. She said that she wished she had the information and knowledge to lower the risk of transmission of HIV by delivering through caesarian section. Not only was she excited that many women would now have the care and education she never received at a new maternity ward, she is ready to volunteer to assist pregnant women that might be living with HIV.

Only 44% of women in Kenya deliver with skilled birth attendants and the maternal mortality ratio is 560 deaths per 100,000 live births. The interactions and visitations with the authority on public health issues and people of Kakamega showed me the story behind these statistics. To attain the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, (Reducing Child Mortality Rates and Improving Maternal Health) especially with so many preventable cases, a much need maternity ward will be a round peg in a round hole for the people of Emusanda in Western Province Kenya.

"The provision of a 24 hours running maternity health centre would help pregnant women at Emusanda Community" – Pelista Chibole

The brains and the bruises: meeting the girls of Malava Girls High School Kakamega

2011-05-19T17:12:00.015+01:00

As part of the Women Bloggers Deliver contest, and the Carbon for Water campaign, I am excited to be traveling around the Western Province of Kenya, meeting women and girls who are hard-hit by the issues associated with the Millennium Development Goals. Yesterday, I got the chance to visit the Malava’s Girls High School -- a reaffirmation time that the Millennium Development Goals are so important, especially the goal addressing women and girls’ issues.

Team Vestergaard Frandsen and Women Deliver (consisting of Janna Oberdorf, Elisabeth Wilhelm, Rachel Cernansky and I) visited the Malava Girls High School to demonstrate how to use the LifeStraw Family water filters, a water purification tool that is being distributed to 900,000 Kenyans in the Western Province. The findings about water borne diseases and lack of safe water were very revealing -- teachers told us about how they have to use some form of chemical to purify their water or boil the water for drinking. While some of the girls mentioned that they often went home thirsty and empty-handed after spending a whole day in a very long queue to get tap water (where available). They said they would just let the stream water settle and drink, or their family would use firewood to boil the water thereby adding to carbon emissions in the atmosphere. A few of the girls who shared their experiences with us during questions and answers time, explained how some of them have suffered some form of water borne disease ranging from typhoid fever to diarrhea or having their family members suffer bilharzias.

The female students, who were up to 500 in attendance, believed in healthy living and safe drinking water as a disease free mechanism. The discussion took a turn as the girls began to trust in the team, and they spoke in confidence to each member of the team about prevailing issues affecting them as a girl-child, affecting their family and their development. It was an electrifying moment of revelations and counseling. It was not so long ago that I was in this stage of life too, with issues so germane to me I wish I had trusted and knowledgeable people to share them with. I was glad that I am part of a team with whom these brilliants girls can share their bruises, their concerns and their struggles in an unequal world.

Interacting with us were some of the female students who had to contend with different life issues – from physical and sexual abuse in the home to questions of sexuality and sexual health. Many more girls gathered around us in different groups to recount different stories of their young but bruised life. Beatrice suffers extremely painful menstruation (Dysmenorrheal) and her mother has prevented her from using the oral contraceptive that the doctor prescribed for her without any other alternative, she goes through pains for more than 10 days as long as her bleeding last to the point paralyses! There was little we could do to attend to all the needs of these brilliant girls but to exchange contact with promises to refer them to organizations and individuals within Kenya working on these issues of concern to them.

In less than one hour, discussions had gone around empowerment of girls and their family, provision of safe drinking water, and even though the female students are not having children yet nor are they children themselves, they were able to discuss the challenges around child mortality and maternal health. They also know a lot about the recurring danger of climate change and global warming if no intervention is offered by all of us. Just in one meeting MDGs goal 3- Promote gender equality and empowerment of women , 4- Reduce Child Mortality Rates, 5- Improve maternal health, 6-Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases and 7 – Ensure environmental Sustainability were discussed!

We have all started on the right path; supporting each other, educating each other, demanding that quality of our lives are improved and that we have access to basic amenities of life. I had a wonderful time with these incredible girls.

The Emusanda ‘Straight from the heart’ Global Partnership

2011-05-18T23:43:00.006+01:00

In the cause of making a scheduled trip to Rhodericks Maliatjo house, to carry out ‘fencing’ for the protection of his cows- this is to test the potency of the new project of Vestergaard Frandsen on Food Security- we met Mr. Mathews Olumatete Ofuwamba. Before I share the story of Mr. Mathews, I will quickly touch on the ‘fencing’ method in relation to food security. While skype talking with Torben Vestergaard Franden, he had elaborated on the company ‘fencing’ project in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana. This new project aims at preventing tsetse flies from killing off livestock’s of famers’ especially those that are into husbandry. The ‘fencing’ is a net system; the net which is black in colour has the potential of keeping off and killing off flies that could pose imminent dangers to the livestock. Live stocks are important food in many places in Africa and farmers who have being struggling to keep their animals disease free, have little to worry about if they can surround their animals space with the nets.

Across Maliatjo fence was the Emusanda Health Centre built by Vestergaard after their 2008 HIV/AID project in Kenya- called the “Integrated Prevention Demonstration”. The history of the health centre was better appreciated when heard from the local who not only donated the land but also believed strongly that Vestergaard has indeed saved lots of lives via this project. According to the down -to-earth, Mr. Mathews Olumatate Ofuwamba who I spoke with, he lost two sons to malaria as a result of lack of medical centre at Emusanda in Lurambi District of Kakamega. The first son died before they could found vehicles or any other means of transportation to take him to the far distance city hospital and the second died on the arrival at the far distance hospital. Both cases where too late and could have being prevented if there were existence of medical centre in their district. Mr. Mathews met Mikkel Vestergaard, the CEO of Vestergard Frandsen during the 2008 HIV project in Kenya and told him about his late son and the burden of taken care of his 10 grand children. That was how what I would love to call ‘Global Partnership” for saving lives began between the man who wanted a change and a company who is ready to offer one.

Emusanda Health Centre is now going on phase two development project of providing maternity centre in the district as Vesteergard Frandsen partners with Women Deliver to address goal four and of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – improving maternal health and reducing child mortality rates. As reported by Women enews Kenya ‘the best estimates for Kenya suggest that approximately 14,700 women and girls die each year due to pregnancy-related complications’. In Mr. Mathews own word, some pregnant women at Emusanda had died at home due to long distance to get medical help during labour and also due to lack of medical facilities for women. He is so happy and optimistic that a maternity centre is going to be built in Emusanda. The cost of this project is estimated at 70,000 US Dollars.

I am one of those who critically look at the motives of help coming from abroad but having seeing on ground what it is like for many to have access to basic amenities of life and access to services that keep people healthy and alive, then I would say it is high time for many government to see how their priorities can be rearranged and how they can’t partner with organizations and companies home and aboard to earnest resources to address what matters. There is no nation that can boast of good standard if its people are suffering and if its women are worst off.

SPEAKING IMAGES, THE LIFESTRAW FAMILY WATER FILTER DISTRIBUTION AT WESTERN PROVINCE KENYA .wmv

2011-05-17T12:38:00.002+01:00

The carbon for water project and distribution of Lifestraw Filter by Vestergaard Frandsen.

Carbon for Water, the first taste of a visiting Blogger in Kenya

2011-05-16T12:48:00.013+01:00

As I rode through the city of Kisumu, as jet-lagged as I was, I was kept awake by a fun-loving driver who thought it was imperative to get to know Kisumu. As we journeyed through the Western Province, I began to imagine how many of the township people have access to safe drinking water. By the time we arrived in at Kakamega, I had stored in my ‘brain document' questions to ask, contributions to make, and how to satisfy my curiosity by interacting with the many people that are benefitting from the Carbon for Water project.

Carbon for Water—nice concept! LifeStraw Family—fantastic idea—but how do they all fit in together? How do they work? How will the people of Western Province, especially the women, feel about not having to boil water using firewood and purifying with a filter instead? How would they feel the impact of LifeStraw water purification on their health and time? How involved is the government of Kenya through its Ministry of Public Health? How do carbon credits work? What does this initiative mean to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals? How can we connect all the dots of all the MDGs in relation to global partnership, environmental sustainability, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, gender equality and women empowerment, maternal health, reduction of child mortality, education, and poverty alleviation with safe drinking water and reduction of carbon emissions as public health issues?

In Kakamega with Rachel Cernansky, the other Women Bloggers Deliver winner, we worked through the details of the campaign as we were debriefed by Elisabeth Wilhelm. The Carbon For Water project in Kakamega will cost over 30 million USD with distributions of LifeStraw water filters reaching nearly one million people in five weeks with 4,000 community workers and 4,000 transporters involved. All in all, 4.5 million people will benefit! This project will be run for ten years and families will be offered free replacement of the LifeStraws when they wear out. Vestergaard is committing all these efforts and finances without collecting a single dime from the beneficiaries but with the hope that carbon emissions will be drastically reduced and Vestergaard Frandsen gets paid through carbon credit!

Today is a beginning for me: to learn more, to work with this amazing team, to critically look into how deforestation of local forests will be addressed, how carbon offsets will pay off for the entire planet, how linking public health with carbon emissions by Vestergaard Frandsen will change things for the better here in Kenya, and how it will improve the quality of women’s lives and their families.

Tomorrow is when I join the Vestergaard Frandsen staff on the campaign trail, and it will all start at 6:30AM in the morning, time to get some sleep.

"I had a lot of encouragement in my life and it wouldn't hurt to give the same to others where you can" - Pamela Braide

2011-05-12T12:25:00.001+01:00

It is awesome how the online network can link people up, make you know more about those that are making enormous difference, those that are architect of peoples' life, the builders of dreams and the defenders of rights! I just met Pamela recently after she inivited as a co-contributor to the Free2run Website. I wish I had met her sooner, than our online relationship as transcended to a face-to-face meeting sooner. It is never late they say and am glad to have met the fun loving resourceful and vision filled Pamela Braide!

StandTall: You are a woman with so many caps, you are full of productive activities,(singing, writing, activism, business planning etc) can you share with us, what made you so thick?

Pamela: I have a restless and curious mind so many things interest me. I sarted out by studying Architecture and like many young people in Nigeria just chose a course that seemed "professional" yet close to my orientation which is basically creative. Ive meandered back to doing things I love now and along the journey picked up these caps. I have run a live music venue/bar, promoted shows, edit video,sing alongside the things I you know I do now... The productive part? Depends on whom you ask.

StandTall: You are a board member of KIND and you are recently the lead anchor on KIND free2run project, can you tell us more about this project?

Pamela: KIND (Kudirat Initiative for Democracy) wanted a media component to a UNIFEM supported project called 30x11 that aims to increase womens participation in the political sphere. So I was asked to think of something in context of the objectives. I figured and we all agreed that we were tired of asking and felt we should just do. Women in politics complain that the media portrayal of them is either non existent or focused on fashion, society pages and the odd scandal. Free2run is an online platform where stories focus primarily about Nigerian women in politics and leadership. We are using the internet to collate, disseminate, celebrate and lend a critical voice for women who are free 2 run.

StandTall: What do you wish free2run to achieve in 1 year?

Pamela: That a good question. I want this site to generate stories that penetrate mainstream media. I want our stories disseminated widely on social media platforms. I want free2run make women in politics and leadership ubiquitous and unmissable. This of course means the women in politics and leadership at all levels.

StandTall: Do you see yourself going into politics in a few years time?
Pamela: Am I not already? Seriously though, my answer is why not? Im free 2 run!

StandTall: What is your ideal political landscape taking into consideration the political space in Nigeria?
Pamela: I want to see citizens convert the zeal exhibited before and during the elections to participating in this democracy. I want to see women politicians starting the campaigns for 2015 right now. We at free2run want to hear their views and stories.

StandTall: Do you think there will ever be levelled play-ground for Nigeria women who are in politics or in leadership?
Pamela: The barriers are mighty but we everyday a woman somewhere shovels into the mountain patriarchy built.

StandTall: There are recent news about Gbemi Saraki's nude photos and the president aspirant Ms. Ebiti Ndok dud cheques, can we say these allegations represent what women can offer in development?
Pamela:: I wrote a piece titled Slut Shaming as the new tool for Political Intimidation which covered the Saraki issue. The very nature of the weapons employed against her shows the mindset of her opponents. Chief Ndok will be explaining herself in court so I am anxious to hear her side of the story.

StandTall: You studied architecture and as far as I'm concerned, you are an architect of people's lives, builders of people's futures, where do you get these inspirations?

Pamela: That's a lofty gele you placed on my head StandTall and I deny all such allegations at once! (lol). I genuinely like interaction with people and I'm a busy body. Why leave situation as it is when it can be better? I do a lot of youth empowerment programs under the YES Campaign, personally and with young women through KIND. All I can say is this system fails its future stars. I had a lot of encouragement in my life and it wouldn't hurt to give the same to others where you can.

StandTall: Who are your role models and why are they your role models?

Pamela: My role model is my mom. She is very accomplished, yet kind, humble and witty to boot.

StandTall: If you are approach by an higher being to change the world and you are giving just a choice, what will you change?

Pamela: I would turn down the greed button in the world and then wave an equity magic wand because believe more women in charger will improve things.

World Women Bloggers Visiting Kenya- Posted by Womenenews Kenya

2011-05-08T11:28:00.010+01:00

I am reblogging this post and the original can be found on Womenenews Kenya. All credit of this post which am reblogging goes to Womenenews!!!

April 29th 2011- Toyin Ajao from Nigeria, Rachel Cernansky from United States and Hannah Ryder from United Kingdom will be in Kenya’s Western Province from May 14 to May 22 to research and write about Carbon for Water project campaign.

The three winning bloggers will accompany community workers as they distribute LifeStraw® Family water filters to almost a million households in Kakamega, Kenya.

Find out more on this remarkable project

___________________________________

World Women Bloggers Visiting Kenya

___________________________________

In April and May of 2011, LifeStraw® Family water filters will be distributed to approximately 90% of all households in the Western Province of Kenya in a groundbreaking program that links access to safe drinking water with low carbon development. The program, called “Carbon for Water,” will provide more than four million residents with quick access to safe drinking water at home. The program is led and solely funded by Vestergaard Frandsen (VF), a global company that specializes in complex emergency response and disease control textiles, including LifeStraw® Family. It is self-funded by VF and will be reimbursed by carbon financing.

For one week in May, from May 14 to May 22, the bloggers will travel through Kenya’s Western Province, all expenses paid, to research and write about the campaign and the women whose lives are being affected. In sub-Saharan Africa, many girls and women spend hours a day collecting water, often walking miles in extreme conditions and on dangerous roads to fetch water and wood for fuel. This is time that could be better spent in school, as one in three girls in sub-Saharan Africa does not attend primary school and misses out on the opportunity to build a better future for herself and her family.

To honor the bloggers’ work and the work of Women Deliver in raising the profile of women from this community, the Emusanda Health Center in Kakamega will receive a long sought-after maternity ward donated by Vestergaard Frandsen with contributions from the blogosphere.

Stay tuned to both the Carbon for Water and the Women Deliver websites to read the bloggers’ posts, videos and updates.

The three winning bloggers are:

Toyin Ajao – Lagos, Nigeria. Toyin has been blogging for 3 years from Nigeria, with a focus on gender equality and women’s rights. In 2009, her blog was selected for an International Activist award in Chicago by BlogHer. She is also a co-contributor to a ‘women in politics and leadership blog’ sponsored by UNIFEM called free2run (http://free2runonline.com.ng). Visit her blog.

Rachel Cernansky – Colorado, United States. Rachel is a freelance journalist and blogger focused almost exclusively on environmental and social justice issues. She blogs for the Discovery Channel’s TreeHugger and Planet Green, and has previously blogged for The New York Times, Dowser.org, and other sites. Visit her blog.

Hannah Ryder - Glasgow, United Kingdom. Hannah is a Senior Economist in the UK’s Department for International Development where she focuses on delivering green growth in developing countries. Within the UK Government she has worked as a Climate Change Negotiator and worked on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Visit her blog.

http://www.womendeliver.org/updates/entry/winners-announced-for-the-women-bloggers-deliver-competition/

Sunset for Nigerian Feminist - Hajiya Laila Dogonyaro, OON by Sola Fagorusi

2011-05-01T23:43:00.002+01:00

Sadly, it was twilight for Hajiya Laila Dongonyaro on the 28th of April, 2011; a foremost women rights advocate and politician. Born 67 years ago, Hajiya Laila, the Garkuwar Garki of Jigawa State was a known vanguard of women political emancipation in regionally in northern Nigeria and Nationally. She died after a brief illness and years of protracted battle with diabetics and hypertension.

The recipient of several awards including the Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON in 2001 was largely involved in the activities of the Jam’iyar Matan Arewa (JMA), the first collective Northern women organisation which was founded in 1963 and was the President of the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) 1993 -1915. She will be fondly remembered by several who have benefitted from her proactive efforts at pushing for child education, women socio-economic and political development and her active engagement in politics. It was Hajia Laila who famously described the role of women in the politics of the first republic as that of a ‘flower vase’. She opined that she felt so because ’some women then were active participants in politics but with no franchise to vote and be vote for.’

In an interview last year with the Daily Trust Newspaper, she recounted how she and a few others including the late Simbiat Abiola worked together and ensured that women had a voice in politics. ‘After the elections, we went and a transition committee was set up and I think there were 12 to 13 committees. There were about four or five women at the meeting and none of us was included. There was Anne Obi, Mrs Kezia Agundu, Mrs. Adenike Ebun-Oyegbola was there, Alhaja Simbiat Abiola and I. I couldn’t bear it so I asked to be allowed to speak. I expressed my disappointment at the composition of the committees. I pointed out that barely a week ago, we had queued in the sun to vote you as president and we are now being forgotten seven days after the election. That was in 1979. Alhaji Shehu Shagari said I was right and he directed that women should be included in the committees. Although our names were put down but we were never invited to attend the committee meetings. That was how the struggle started.’

She attended only primary school (was also married off early at 12) and was an advocate for girl-child education. One of her last projects was a girl’s secondary school in Garki, Jigawa State which she slated to be opened in September.

Hajiya Dogonyaro is survived by four children Mohammed Ahmed (the Sarkin Yakin Garki), Mairo Hassan Hussein, Binta and Isa Dogonyaro. The First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan in a national broadcast acknowledged her huge contribution to the cause of womanhood and said ’she will be missed by several people.’ Governor Adams Oshiomole of Edo State through a press release recalled her initiating the Women Opinion Leadership Forum, “which became a training ground for younger women, who eventually found their feet in politics”, her pioneering contributions towards the development of the Women’s empowerment movement and championing “greater involvement of women in politics and governance”.

May her soul rest in perfect peace.

Sola Fagorusi writes for Free2run and original Article can also be found on Free2run website.

Fela, water and Women

2011-04-25T21:30:00.008+01:00

I have never understood Fela's music, revolution and life style the way I did after seeing the Fela's show at Eko Hotel, Lagos. I was glad to make Fela's show today and it has transformed me in a greater way. I have more respect for Fela, his ideology and music. I commended the effort of the cast crew. They were awesome! And just one or two are Nigerians! Jayzee, Will Smith and Jada Pinket idea of show-casing Fela goes beyond a business idea for me, it is a remembrance of a change maker, a believer of human rights and a thorn in the flesh of corrupt Nigerian leaders!

I was transformed beyond what I ever thought possible within a short period of seeing Fela's show. The immaculate appearance of his strong feminist mother (Funmilayo Anikulapo Kuti) and her contribution to the tangible changes in Nigeria, her unfair and cruel death in the hands of the Nigerian military and the torture and rape of many women at Fela's Kalakuta's home during the military unlawful raid in 1978, all sent different messages to my soul. I had mixed feelings and eventually a very clear vision.

I thought more about a particular song of Fela 'Water no enemy' ( water has no enemy) and I started reflecting on this. Water! Trully, water can be seeing as a simple and natural product, that should be free and readily available most importantly in a clean and safe manner. I realised how this notion has changed over the years. Water, a natural resource yet scarce in many places in Africa has caused dispute between people, and countries and has also countributed to health hazards. There is now conflict over water, women especially suffer more over water scarcity in some countries, my visit to Kenya in 2009 helped me understood to some extend the danger of water scarcity.I remembered so well, how I had to struggle to get water for my family from a far distance and as early as 6am before I could get ready for school; those moments that were never pleasant.

Water is essential and without immediate and effective access to clean and safe water women, children, and men willl be further affected in many places espcially in Africa. It will lead to widespread of diseases and can further fuel violent conflict. Many organisations through humanitarian efforts are providing water for people in places that we do not even imagine exist or where we never have an inkling of how people are suffering on a daily basis to get water for their use, their business or for their family. Water, its link to safety of women, health of women and efforts of different organisations world wide, will be my focus in the subsequent posts. How can we strategise and develop innovative ideas to make clean water accessible to all? We need to asnwer this question!

NORTHERN VIOLENCE: A FACE OF INEQUALITY AND POVERTY

2011-04-22T10:13:00.001+01:00

The recent occurrence of violence, killings, rioting and burning in the northern part of Nigeria (i.e Bauchi, Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Maiduguru and Zaria) that followed the 2011 presidential election is both appalling and heartbreaking. The North has been made fragile and dreaded for so long due to religious, political and other sources of violent killings in the past.

On the internet I sought desperately for news and opinions on the terrible situation and got the following answers.

“…am a corper in Bauchi, we were attacked yesterday and our lodge burnt down…most of us got really injured… We’ve been waiting for security to come to our aid, but we have not seen any yet… Please I will be grateful if you know any security number we can call ….they burnt all our clothes the only thing I have now is my phone and my uniform…I want to go home…” An outcry of a corper serving in Bauchi.

‘I went for a conflict resolution workshop, and on discussing issues from northern Nigeria it was resolved that among many deep rooted issues, extreme poverty, cultural mindset and some rich Mafia’s are all behind this, not religion like they make us believe, uninformed teenagers and infants are brainwashed by the Mafia’s to cause violence’. Olubunmi Osinuga Shonde

‘I am seriously against politics of religion and ethnicity. Of course this is to some extent a problem in the North. So, for me the religion and ethnicity of whoever wins the election is not an issue. As for the killings and burnings in the north the reasons are cumulative and complex. Northerners, like all other Nigerians, are fed up with the sorry situation of the country’. Aminu Tukur

‘… Most of those who participated in the horrible riots were young people whose future had been circumscribed by poverty, illiteracy and wanton neglect’ -234Next News.

This killing has left beautiful states like Jos in a state of ruin. Destructive violence is never a thing to dismiss as it claims many lives, properties, and inflow of refugees to abode of endurance, mourning and heartache that many would not recover from.

The cost of violence is far greater than we can ever understand. It’s however safer for many people to trade blames and not put effort to understand the nature and sources of many violence and killings and how this can be resolved. Little wonder that over the years violence persists in the northern part of Nigeria, kidnapping and rioting are not uncommon in the southern and eastern part of Nigeria due to many complex issues of leadership, resource control and distributions among others. What are really the reasons behind the endless cycle of violence that Nigeria has witnessed in the past decade?

Salaudeen Nafisat Funmi, a resident of Kaduna in her word said ‘many innocents are being killed, houses are being burnt and many women cannot go out to find food’. The effect of any violent is always having double effect on women. Women who are still the major home makers and providers of care for children, husbands, loved ones as well as their extended families and communities do not only get killed, they often live in perpetual fear and discomfort. There were many shocking images of children and women killed violently in the last riot in Maduguri and Jos , occurrences that the nation is yet to recover from.

Aminu Tukur believes that the Northern unrest and chaos is more complex in nature, it is beyond General Muhammadu Buhari talking to the CPC supporters to stop the violence. It is beyond 2011 election, it is a face of poverty, hunger, illiteracy, the over the years neglect of the leaders to invest in human development of its citizens, the failure of the leaders to provide job opportunities, invest fully in sustainable development as wel as embracing diversity of ethnicity and religion in politics.

This is the time for our leaders to show sincerity of purpose, time for the newly elected President Jonathan, who has a chance to make a huge difference in the next four years, to get it right.

Laws that are conflicting with the rights of people have to be repealed, provision of health care services, education at all levels, infrastructural development, job provisions, alleviation of poverty, provision of electricity, empowerment of all and sundry, respect for the rule of law, respect for diversity and inclusion of Nigerians in how they are being led will go a long way to help the complexity of violence and human rights abuse and gross inequality in Nigeria.

A 50yr old Nation should not be in perpetual mourning be it due to hooliganism, protests, politics, religion, or poverty.

This article was originally posted on Free2run website.

Corruption in Nigeria...Beyond What We Think

2011-04-08T23:19:00.018+01:00

I am not going to mince words in saying that it looks like everyone is corrupt in Nigeria. I am no longer sure if I am not corrupt myself because after looking around and seeing no way out of paying the money I ought not to pay, I saw clearly the decadence in the system we are running!!! I saw how easy it is for anyone to aid and abet corruption or get the desire to trade in corruption!

When my friend was charged to court in January by her company who accussed her of misappriopration of funds- an accusation father from the truth - but because she has implicated herself in the statement made to the police, she needed surety or go to jail. Before we could rally round to organise all the necessary requests by the court, she was in Kirikiri prison!

That was when I start understanding how deep corruption is in Nigeria, how I no longer see it trickling down from politicians but trickling from other sectors to the politicians. The system is rotten. I am afraid that it will almost be impossible to get rid of corruption in Nigeria. Elections are here and am voting but there is still this feeling at the back of my neck; the feeling that corruption may be here to stay as part of our existence while another part of me is looking inward for innovative ways to curb this destructive act many have engaged in.

To digress, when I recounted the experience that am about to share to my cousin, who is a journalist, he wasn't surprised, he infact told me that when we are looking at the most corrupt establishments in Nigeria, the politicians are no longer leading. He said we should look into Business, Sport and the Press before we even touch the politicians. But with what I have seen, I will put the judicial system at the very top of this list!

I went to arrange the release of my friend and I was forced to part with money that was not justified but I had to because I could report this to no one! I had to because my attitude that would have being considered sanctimonious would have left her in jail for longer than seven days! We went to visit her at the prison, they made us pay before we could see her. I went to secure her bail, the prosecutor charged illegal fee of N20,000/$130 before doing her job of following the two guarantors including myself to access our houses! We complained, we said we did not have money, and she said nothing would be done if we did not pay! She even added another 5,000/$32 fee as the payment to the police officer whose job was to go get my friend out of the prison! And of course, we still needed to provide a car to pick her to our houses and back to the office!

All these payments are illegal and they are not new but very normal. I complained to a lawyer who only help as he said was to negotiate reduction of these illegal fees. he claimed nothing can be done. Then I realised that (some) laywers are in this too. I called another lawyer for a second opinion and he warned that we should take extra money to the prison for her release. How worse can this ever get? How far worse? If you have to pay through your nose for all illegalities, how can there ever be justice? What system is ever good enough and ready for the protection of the people of Nigeria. Should we even dare to trust the EFCC? NDLEA? Who can we trust? How many more people will take a cue from this to start their own chain or network of corruption?

Ty Bello - The Future (We are Nigeria)

2011-04-06T22:45:00.001+01:00

VOTERS EDUCATION PART 2: SEVEN MORE THINGS ALL NIGERIANS SHOULD KNOW by Kemi Martins

2011-03-20T17:35:00.006+01:00

1. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WASTED VOTE.

So you mean if I vote for a party which does not win, my vote is not wasted?

No, your Vote is not WASTED.

The PRIMARY PURPOSE of VOTING is not to WIN but to convey your OPINION of who should GOVERN your constituency based on your VALUES. The purpose of voting is to choose People that you can trust with your "Hard earned" Taxes for the next four years.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WASTED VOTE.

Please Vote for your own conscience AND NOT because MORE People are VOTING for a certain party.

This is NOT a game of NUMBERS as ERRONEOUSLY BELIEVED; instead it is a LIFE DETERMINING FRANCHISE that you must exercise CAREFULLY AND OBJECTIVELY.

2. THE LESS PEOPLE THAT COME OUT TO VOTE THE EASIER IT IS FOR RIGGING TO OCCUR.

Yes, If you read the insight that Former Governor Donald Duke gave on Rigging elections, you would understand clearly that Elections were rigged by his former Party based on the great number of UNUSED Ballot Papers at the disposal of INEC agents.

It becomes clear that if there is a MASSIVE voter TURNOUT , there will be less Ballot Papers to use for Rigging.

Also If you look at BAUCHI and LAGOS States in 2007, you will realize that the Voter turn out made it difficult for RIGGING TO OCCUR on a greater scale.

3. THE PEOPLE THAT DETERMINE ELECTION RESULTS ARE NOT IN THE VILLAGES alone.

IT is a MYTH that those who determine election Results are in the VILLAGES. NIGERIA has forever at least since the 1960s had a problem of consistent Rural Urban Migration. Our Cities are overcrowded so it may not be so accurate to think that the people in the villages will determine election results. This sort of thinking breeds apathy amongst people and makes them abandon their responsibility of voting objectively because at the back of their minds they believe their votes don't really matter. Well, now you know- YOUR VOTE MATTERS.

4. YOU SHOULD NOT WAIT FOR RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO DETERMINE WHO YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR BECAUSE YOU THINK GOD WILL TELL THEM THE "CHOSEN" PERSON.

Well, I have said it before - We operate a DEMOCRACY not a THEOCRACY, In a DEMOCRACY their is NO DIVINE RIGHT TO RULE. THERE IS NO RULER and THERE IS NO THRONE. The only "chosen" person is the one you choose.

Those we are electing are PUBLIC SERVANTS and they are elected to lead, not to rule. God understands Democracy and He understands that leaders will be Elected based on Voters preferences.

For example, I know that a lot of People will be expecting Religious Leaders to tell them who to Vote for. However, the truth is that The RELIGIOUS LEADER is a Citizen of Nigeria just like you and I, and he also has a civic duty to vote based on his own Values. He knows God will not vote for him, he will have to vote by himself based on his own preferences.

THIS is GOD’S expectation of every Nigerian Citizen. If any Religious Leader fails in this CIVIC duty and teaches others to fail in performing their CIVIC duties, I can assure you that God will not be happy with that leader.

Another way we can look at it is in this way- Supposing God tells a prophet that a thief is the one who is going to win the election. Should the prophet then Vote for the thief ?

No, God would expect that the Prophet should still go ahead and vote for a honest person based on values.

This is what Voting based on values is all about.We should not vote for anyone because we think they are going to win or Because a Religious Leader says so. We should at all times vote for People who best represents the values we seek in Government.

5. THE BEST WAY TO VOTE IS TO VOTE BASED ON VALUES.

In the Past, Nigerians have voted based on tribe and tongue, military affiliations and financial prowess, we have even voted for people because they were corrupt and cunning, believing that these were good qualities of a politician. We cannot continue in that manner because 50 yrs is enough for us to see that all it has brought us is PAIN, HARDSHIP and MEDIOCRITY. We must now up the ante and Seek real values in Leaders.

So what are some of these values we should seek in Leaders?

a) INTEGRITY : Saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Example- Gani Fawehinmi

b) FORTITUDE : Courage to do that which is right even when it is unpopular. Example - Peter Akinola

c) PASSION FOR CHANGE : a dissatisfaction with status quo, A refusal to accept that things cannot be done in a better way- Example Tunde Idiagbon.

d) HONESTY: a leader who will not loot public treasury or collect bribes.- Examples A.A Bassey (of customs) and Nuhu Ribadu.

e) CONTRIBUTION: A willingness to sincerely contribute to Nation building.-Examples Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and Oby Ezekwesili

f) SELFLESSNESS: a leader that puts nation above self.- Example Aminu Kano

g) TRANSPARENCY: Accountability and openness knowing that you are a public servant and therefore you are accountable to the public.- Example Muritala Mohammed.

h) A CONSCIOUSNESS OF INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY: A belief and knowledge that what we do today affects the future of our children and our children matter more than us, therefore we must ensure that we build not for our sakes alone but for posterity. It is this particular value that also translates into VISION. - Example Obafemi Awolowo.

(The examples above are subjective because they are my examples, I am sure you have your own examples too, you may even disagree with mine –that is not important, what is important is that you take note of the values.)

This time around we must vote based on values

6. IF WE WANT AN ENVIABLE NATION, THEN WE MUST BUILD ONE.

It won't Just happen, We Must PARTICIPATE.

We must participate in Nation Building, If we don't, we will continue to suffer.

We must understand that though we may prosper individually, we cannot be said to have really prospered if our community is not prospering.

It is OUR DUTY to ensure that our commonwealth is not handed over to thieves.

We must engage candidates, we must ask questions.

No candidate should be elected without us making sure that they hold at least 10 townhall meetings.

The days of coming to campaigns and just reeling out promises is over. Candidates must go through debates.

Journalists must be ready to grill candidates

( and Please Journalists should stop standing whilst candidates sit to address them - that is the wrong order. If anyone wants to serve they should learn to stand while the people sit at meetings or at best everybody sits)

(Journalist should learn to address Public servants in a way that impresses on them , the status of Public servants; STOP ALL this YOUR EXCELLENCY this, YOUR EXCELLENCY that. Call them MISTER- Mr Govenor, Mr President)

We must participate, we must sacrifice time and effort for the change we desire- we have no choice.

7. FINALLY we MUST EDUCATE OURSELVES and EDUCATE OTHERS

How can I do that?

Firstly, share this note. You have friends on Facebook, so please share with them. It is good to share.

Afterall, you shared that picture, and you shared that joke and of course you shared that church program. Kindly share this one too. For the sake of others and for the sake of the next generation.

Please Campaign for your candidate & Donate towards his or her campaign. GET INVOLVED. Infact, it is a test of whether you really believe in them.

Encourage others to vote based on values and to Guard their votes.

You can also share the First PART of this note for more education on Voting.

Find it here

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=151180541569709&id=100000476801912&ref=mf

We will continue to pursue this form of electorate education until we see change. Thank you. God bless Nigeria.

N.B

PLEASE if you are blessed with the Gift of translation please kindly translate and transcribe to your native dialect and disseminate. Thank You.

Reblogging Why We Tell Stories by Su Chuen Foo on ALC fellows' panel at CSW

2011-03-15T20:46:00.006+01:00

March 3, 2011, New York – It is uncommon to find a panel discussion staffed by all young, African women leaders. That is why it was such a refreshing change to hear their voices at yesterday’s session on “Documenting Women’s Experiences in Peace & Security as a Research Tool.”

These women were alumni of a joint fellowship program between the African Leadership Center and King’s College London aimed to train young, capable African women leaders to take a greater part in shaping the future of their country and its citizens. Coming from all over Africa including Nigeria, Kenya, and Sierra Leone, these women gathered to share their stories with us, as well as the stories of other women during peace and security, and of the importance of documenting them.

Telling the stories of women in war - before, during and after - takes on a more personal note for these women, one which we at Women for Women International comprehend fully. Documenting and sharing the stories of these women is more than just keeping a record of war’s experiences.

When we tell the stories of women, we let others into the daily realities of women in conflict and post-conflict zones. We give the world a glimpse of what it means to lose your husband to armed rebels, to be raped in front of your sons and daughters, to be constantly afraid to leave your house for fear of being attacked, and to be shunned by your own community because you have become one of the many thousand victims of sexual violence through no fault of your own.

When we tell the stories of these women, we shine a spotlight on the existing gaps between policy rhetoric and women’s experiences on the ground. We tell policymakers that regardless of how well-intentioned their policies and programs are, that if it was not formulated with women in mind, it will fall far short of their goals.

When we tell the stories of these women, we remind donors and politicians that there is more to war than just military intervention. We share with them aspects of women and children’s lives that become lost in translation in the midst of urgent military decisions during conflict, decisions such as whether to send additional troops into countries experiencing chaos as opposed to seriously contemplating and acting upon the critical need to increase humanitarian aid to conflict countries.

When we tell the stories of these women, we are ensuring that women’s courageous actions before, during, and after the war are not forgotten, ignored, neglected, and swept under the rug during peace talks. According to Debra Mwase, who was one of the panelists from Zimbabwe, part of the reason women have been excluded during peace negotiations in Africa is because their role and actions have been for the most part, invisible. Without documentation, it becomes almost impossible to advocate, assert, and fight for women’s valuable contributions toward peace.

When we tell the stories of these women, we are putting a human face to the problems going on far, far away from many of the world’s citizens. Vivid images, stories, and interviews with these women will hopefully light a fire in people’s conscience, reigniting empathy for all humankind, and drive them to take action to end the mass violation of these women’s rights. When we hear of these stories, they shame us into remembering that, regardless of our intentions and experiences, solutions to problems need to come from women themselves. As the representative from Open Society Institute - East Africa Region, who closed the session yesterday shared, even after losing everything – their husbands, children, homes, and source of income, the Congolese women she met with only wanted soap, so that they can clean themselves and so that they can restore a sliver of their dignity.

Finally and above all else, when we tell the stories of these women, they remind us that women are not just victims of violence and oppression, but most of all they are also agents of change and of peace. Despite atrocities, loss, and violence, women survivors of war are able to defy odds to rebuild their lives and the lives of countless other women like them. Slowly but surely, many of the women survivors of war that have gone through the year-long program at Women for Women International have shown us the power of what little knowledge and resources can do for a woman’s future.

One such success story is that of of Violette, one of the women survivors of war from Rwanda that Women for Women International served. In attempts to flee the rebels who were tearing her village apart, Violette ran away with her children to a nearby church to seek protection. Little did she know that the church was also grounds for a mass massacre. To avoid getting killed, Violette smeared blood on her and her children and laid on the floor pretending to be dead for one week. With little money to support her children, Violette enrolled in Women for Women International to learn vocational skills so that she can earn some income to feed her children and send them to school. Relying on her entrepreneurial skills, Violette’s business of harvesting sorghum and beans flourished. Violette was making an average of $1800 a year when the average income in Rwanda was $260 according to the World Bank. Inspired to share her wealth and fortune with her community, Violette applied and received a bank loan to build a water pipe for her community, where women spend hours a day catching water from the wells.

There are many other stories like Violette - of women who are heroes to many of us, and these stories need to be told.

Before I end, it is important to note how symbolic the panel of young women leaders was when we talk about UN Security Council Resolution 1325. This landmark resolution passed in 2000 and for the first time recognized the unique role and contributions of women in peace and conflict times. It called for women’s increased role in peace negotiations and for the protection and prevention of women from insecurity. The fact that this panel consisted of all young women leaders presents a laudable step in the right direction. After all the ongoing discussions about the lack of progress on UNSCR 1325, this panel is helping keep hope alive for me.

Su Chuen Foo

Missing the 100th celebration of International Women's Day

2011-03-08T23:24:00.000+01:00

If I had not being so afraid of the turbulence up there in the sky, I would have discussed having an International Women's Day celebration in the sky aboard Air France plane with the cabin crew. It would have being fun, I would have still got the opportunity to anchor the very programme I missed in Nigeria due to Air France big fault! Well, missing a plane is better than losing a life! Air France had to do what they had to do to prevent crashing again, so I understand but then it pained me that I still missed the event that made me schedule my flight back to Nigeria from the 55th Commission on the Status of Women's events at the UN in New York.

I could just have started something in the plane to commemorate the day; that I have reasons to be thankful for days like this. Thankful that there are many feminists and women's rights defenders and activists that have made remarkable differences and contributions all over the world to change the status of women for better, to campaign and fight for the rights of women, to advocate and work for existence of many laws and policies for the protection of women and girls. Thankful for the support of many men that are advocating for the advancement of women and soliciting for better treatment of women in the society. Thankful also that many remarkable landmarks of achievements had being made and that many will still be achieved against all odds.

Happy 100th International Women's Day to you all.

The Activist

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World Women Bloggers Visiting Kenya

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Missing the 100th celebration of International Women's Day

Cloud dissipation,
the herculean task of the mind
Dark clouds away,
the bright sky is taking charge