July 6, 2022
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
4 Comments

Quran in Igbo!

Muritala Chukuemeka

Quran Translated into Igbo

The Quran has been translated into Igbo! At least that what the headline says! This was in an article in IQNA, the Igwa Quran News Agency. I also found it in another article, I think in PRNet.

The man who translated the Quran, Muhammad Muritala Chukwuemeka, says he worked for five years to prepare. He devoted himself to this translation and to his speaking about it. He has invited others to attend the launching at the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, Nigeria.

He was formerly a religious Deeper Life pastor. Since his conversion, he has held conversations with many people who have expressed interest. He has actually converted 300 people to a belief in the Quran. He wants his fellow Igbos to be sympathetic to the meaning of the Quran.

It turns out that he was not the first to translate the Quran. Another person, Professor Jumbo Ugoji, was the first, in 1988. He had translated it from English to Igbo. He is apparently still alive.

But Sheikh (his name now) Chukwuemeka translated it from Arabic to Igbo. He’s pictured in the news feature.

James Baldwin

Back to Basics: James Baldwin

I’ve begun reading books by James Baldwin – Giovanni’s Room (1956), The Fire Next Time (1963), and If Beale Street Could Talk (1974). It’s only a very small selection, but these are what I could easily find at Norwalk Library, not far from my apartment. James Baldwin was an African-American.

He began writing in 1953. Or I should say he began publishing in 1953. I’m sure he was writing long before that! I see hints of his writing even in his teen years when he was deeply into the church.

Giovanni’s Room is heart-felt. It is the story of a young man who is in love with Giovanni. But he denies it. Yet he cannot stay away from Giovanni’s room and the hold that room has on him.

He has said goodbye to his girlfriend. When Giovanni dies, he is left alone.

The Fire Next Time starts with a letter to his nephew. Then he spends a lot of the book detailing his interest in the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. They have several conversations. Elijah Muhammad asks him what he is doing now, with the church behind him. Baldwin doesn’t defend his decision.

He later says, “If we — and now I mean the relatively conscious whites and the relatively conscious blacks . . . do not falter in our duty now, we may be able . . . to end the racial nightmare . . . and change the history of the world.”

If Beale Street Could Talk holds onto the conversation between Fonny and Tish. Fonny is in jail, and Tish visits him regularly. In the end she has to have the baby by herself. Fonny does not get out of jail in time. Yet he is innocent of the crime and working hard with the lawyer who is helping him.

I would like to read more of these books. There is a list of all the titles; I believe I should start with books between 1953 and 1963. I’d like to read Nobody Knows My Name and Another Country.

June 26, 2022
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
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Catching Up and Keeping Up

James Baldwin

James Baldwin

I’m reading James Baldwin’s books. I had no idea about these books. They, with the accompanying essays and other writings, are so powerful.

But I can see why I ignored them for so long – I was in Nigeria until 1986. That was the year that Baldwin stopped writing; he died the next year.  So now I’m making up for lost time. I don’t have much to report yet; I’ll have to be more focused than I am right now. But I did see a Mount Holyoke (my alma mater) student talking about James Baldwin with great praise.

Instead I’ll talk about Adichie’s and Gates’ comments from “Streaming from Kigali.” (In case you are wondering, Kigali is the capital of Rwanda in East Africa.) And I’ll also bring in the other three panelists.

Gates and Adichie and Other Panelists

Melinda French Gates and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie were commentators on “Streaming from Kigali.” Melinda focused on education, keeping girls in school.

If they have to withdraw to have a baby, they should then go back to school. She said this is critically important. Girls getting a good education, even if imperfect, is better than no education!

Chimamanda focused on the stories. She said that stories tell girls and women the effects for herself and others in their circumstances and lives.

She also stressed the important positive issue of sex education. If it is boring, girls will not listen, but if it’s got sex in it and is told well. they will listen.

We also had three women who were the panelists. Each is a specialist in her own area. None of them actually described what they are doing now, but I checked them out and found all the information fascinating.

Dr. Shivon Byamukama

Dr. Shivon Byamukama

Dr. Shivon Byamukama was the first panelist. She is the Managing Director of Babyl. The company has been in partnership with the Rwanda government since 2020. Since 2016, Babyl has been instrumental in AI – artificial intelligence – using it to focus on an individual’s health care needs.

“Their patients can use their insurance cards to gain access to Babyl. After payment, a nurse will call.

“{They} will have a short consultation with you to give you advice and see if your condition is treatable through digital health. . . Then, the triage nurse will either book you a followup appointment with a Babyl Senior Nurse or GP, or refer you to a partner health facility for treatment.

“If you have a Babyl followup appointment, our GP or Senior Nurse will call you at the appointment time and finish your treatment, including prescriptions and laboratory tests.”

The Babyl method sounds convincing. I hope it works well and is leading the way in Rwanda. It is an important major step.

Dr. Corine Karema

Dr. Corine Karema

Dr. Corine Karema was the second panelist. She is the Malaria Senior Programme Officer, African Leaders Malaria Alliance.

She was the former Director of the Rwanda National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP). She served is this role for 10 years.

From 2011 to May 2016, she was also the head of Malaria & Other Parasitic Diseases (Neglected tropical diseases) Division – Rwanda. During her time . . she led the development of malaria control strategies, policies and research.

These have resulted in increased coverage with overlapping important reductions in malaria morbidity and mortality in Rwanda.

Memory Kachambwa

Memory Kachambwa

The third panelist was Memory Kachambwa. Memory is an “intersectional feminist,” a women’s rights activist with many years of working on issues of gender and development.

I admit to not fully understanding what an intersectional feminist is! But I’m trying to understand. I believe it means overlapping identities and not being able to isolate any one factor alone.

She is an activist and a feminist, so in these ways, she is an intersectional feminist. She identifies gender, race, sexuality, multiculturalism, and other factors that make up a woman. And she is always aware of all the factors!

She did not describe these for us, but it was on my mind as I listened to her.

Getting Up Early

So what did I gain by getting up at 7 am to listen to “Streaming from Kigali?” I certainly gained the information from all three panelists on what they are doing now in health concerns for girls and women. And I benefited from hearing Melinda French Gates and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tell about their relationships with what they remembered, and forgot!

June 9, 2022
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
2 Comments

Strange Happenings in Africa

Strange Happenings in Africa

The pictures are in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The artists have fashioned their masks out of whatever they could find in the trash or in what ever other places where parts accumulate.

Nada Thsibwabwa poses in a robot-like costume. This is made out of used cell phones, hundreds of them, all held together by wires and parts. He is covered in it!

The photojournalist Colin Delfosse took these after the KinAct Festival which brings European and African artists together. I understand that the pictures are from 2019, but this is my first time of seeing them. So I treat them as new for me!

Florian Sinanduku’s costume, made of packs of pills, is a statement against counterfeit drugs. He wears this costume to highlight the importance of following orders to get pills legally. “Finding medicine is a big issue” in the DRC, he said. “You never know where it comes from and what it is made out of.” The report from World Health Organization noted that, in 2017, a majority of the fake or substandard drugs came from Africa.

Junior Mungongu shows off the costume he created out of plastic bottles and lids. When he walked around the city in his costume, he asked people to screw their used bottles onto the lids.

Falonne Mambu models her suit made of electric wires, which represents her country’s aspiration to be a major generator of electricity. Although DRC is home to two powerful hydroelectric dams, they operate at minimal capacity — and only 19% of the country’s population has access to electricity, according to USAID.

Like the others, she is covered head to toe with her outfit.

David Baketimina wears the costume he created out of artificial hair. Traditionally, hair was a way for women in the DRC to communicate their beauty. But with the commercialization and popularity of wigs, weaves and other artificial hair in the country, he says “women have lost their identity.”

The photojournalist said he captured these for their creativity. When he sells the pictures at a festival in Tel Aviv, Israel, the journalist gets half and the artist gets half. The event is for the Meitar Award for Excellence in Photography in November.

I wish I could show you these amazing costumes, but my software does not accept these large photos. But go to the page with the link.

Attachment

Pollutants

Environmental Standards

We are living in a world that according to the 2014 Act that established it, every Nigerian has a right to clean air. But it hasn’t happened yet.

The body that is supposed to look after these affairs is the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, or NESREA.

Air pollution poses a global threat to all of us. This year’s World Environment Day theme, #OnlyOneEarth, provides us with an opportunity to reevaluate how we treat our environment. It also gives us the chance to come up with “collective and individual action plans to join the global drive to protect and restore our planet.”

How we can rid ourselves of the most polluting

That is a bold statement but true. It is generated from the most common actions through internal combustion engines, power generation, and industrial processes. So what can we do to ease these pollutants coming at us each and every day?

The relevant government agencies and their partners should address these harmful pollutants by providing the required information. Their insistence on environmental education among the people should be given utmost clearance. In fact, there should be penalties when the required elements are lacking.

But we are way behind on these actions. There is no way to address these individual acts, so what else can we do?

We can actively monitor the facts that do stand up to inspection.

These translations aren’t meaningful but the impact is.

One example is Sam’s flat. Sam is my younger son; he is in a flat that has 24-7 electricity. Can he reduce this load? Perhaps turn it off during the night, when everyone is asleep? Even five or six hours when it is not on would generate a tiny saving. Or can he set the thermostat higher?

The government of Nigeria is tackling these standards but with no enthusiasm. They need to “take steps to tackle this by proposing the affordable use of green and renewable energy alternatives like wind energy and solar power.” Besides being helpful for the environment, these pilot projects should go beyond  and also offer economic potential. They may help the economy by providing jobs.

It may be too much to hope for! But I think of our grandchildren who will live in a world impacted by these changes.

May 16, 2022
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
4 Comments

The Chiefs in Igboland

Chief with his headgear on, showing His Royal Highness

Nigeria Honors its Chiefs

I really enjoyed “The Significance of Titles in Igboland.” It is an article by Chief Uche Nworah who has written it in response to the James Curry Society, Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, at the University of Oxford (UK).

In his introduction he provides causes for taking the title. First is that “titles are adopted names. . .that ultimately takes over an Igbo man’s given names”. I have seen this in action for our own chief, Ejike. I see the title taking as a way to promote Igbo ceremonies and cultures.

Second, he says that “title-taking is an important aspect of socio-economic and cultural life of Ndigbo” (people of Igboland).

Third, he says that titles “could be inherited, bestowed/given, or taken by any Igbo man or woman who feels that he/she has come of age, and is willing to go through the required ‘ritual’.” He includes an item that “certain titles are exclusive to certain families based on ancestry and lineage.”

He lists several other factors, including that title taking varies from one community to another.

I don’t believe that title taking is so prevalent in my own community of Nanka, though it does exist. My uncle, Isaiah, was proud of his title and used it frequently. But I wasn’t aware of many others who had titles. And my husband refused to take a title.

Chief in his own village

Igbo Title Clarification

Chief Uche Nworah says there can only be one Igwe in a community at a given time. That was certainly true in my own community of Nanka. In fact I believe there was an argument over who was the rightful Igwe. But it has been solved now with the new Igwe; I met him several years ago.

Then he talks about how traditional Igbo titles can be acquired. A major way is through inheritance. Another is the invitation by the Igwe to join the cabinet.

Then he describes the significance of titles. Being an upholder of promoting Igbo culture is important. Opening doors and receiving praise from others is also helpful. The title holders are also regarded as people of truth and social justice.

Finally he describes the responsibilities of Igbo title holders. He says that judging fairly and without prejudice, whatever the circumstance, is paramount for all title holders. I think he praises title holders for their wisdom.

Then he gives us many photos of title holders, with their titles attached. It is enlightening! But I don’t believe he includes any Nanka people in his list!

Self-Defense: Part of The Origin Story

Being Black in America

Last time I told you about two events from Project 1619, a “New Origin Story.” This was another piece we read for the Project 1619. The title is Self-Defense. It’s Chapter 9 in the 1619 book, in case you want to look it up.

The opening of the chapter is about Jessie Murray in 2014. He was in a bar near Atlanta, Georgia. He is Black; his wife is white. Several drunk men were hounding him. He went to the car to get his gun, knowing he might need it to take his wife away. When he reentered the bar, a group of the men started fighting him, with fist after fist on his face. He apparently fired the gun into the crowd. The person who was shot was a former police officer.

He was counting on the recently enacted “Stand Your Ground” law. He knew it had been used successfully. But in his case, it turned against him. He was told he couldn’t use it. Because he had fired accidentally. he wasn’t able to claim Stand Your Ground. Secondly, he couldn’t have claimed Stand Your Ground because the men were not at risk of “preventing death or great bodily injury” to him. It concludes by saying that he received five years’ probation. Unjust, but better than prison!

After the War Between the States

Shortly after the War with the Confederate South and the rest of the United States, the Blacks refused to disarm themselves. They felt they had to hold onto their means of defense. Yet in the few years after that war, the man was sent to investigate horrendous deaths by whites against Blacks. He reported on white people causing death and destruction to Black people in both the South and the North.

The rise of the Ku Klux Klan and other groups meant that “white people clearly had the right to Kill negroes. . . without fear of punishment, and without loss of caste or reputation.” These groups had ongoing horrific examples of white supremacy.

Later in Florida in 1920, Black residents exercised their right to vote. White residents tried to stop them. They had ordered the Black residents to get their ballots certified. But the man who should certify their ballots was away, on a fishing trip arranged by the town!

The Black people tried to vote, but over the objections of the white people. For the next few days, the Blacks fled to the home of one of the leaders of the Black people. They armed themselves, but were overpowered. White people from the surrounding counties came to help. The whites said that more than 500 Black residents fled. And that town, Ocoee, stayed white for five decades after that!

In 1944 Lena Baker, a Black woman, was charged with no right to self-defense. She had fired on and killed her white accuser, a man. He was holding her against her will.

But the prosecutor charged her with murder. The jury deliberated for less than half an hour and delivered a guilty verdict. Lena was sentenced to death by electric chair.

Into the 60s and 70s, Black people tried to open the communications, but with moderate success. There are so many instances of the perils of being Black in our society. These are just the barest examples of what happens.

May 7, 2022
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
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New Origin Story

Nicole Hannah-Jones: Introduction

The 1619 Project is a major work by Nicole Hannah-Jones. In her introduction she describes how she was so taken with the date “1619” when she was 15 or 16. She had to research the date and why it mattered to her.

Nicole Hannah-Jones

She said that for her, Black people were mentioned as mostly inconsequential to the story she had of the history of the U.S. From the “brief time of slavery” to the time of Martin Luther King’s March on Washington was about 100 years. Yet the Black people were largely absent.

In her sophomore year in high school, she took a course that explained how the Black people were involved.

She began asking for extra books on the topic. When she began reading a book called “Before the Mayflower,” she came across the date 1619 and realized that the first inkling of slavery was from that date. It wasn’t when the people were still in Africa, but when they came to this country.

Editor and Creator of the Project

Nicole Hannah-Jones is the editor of the project. For this session of our time to discuss the chapters together we were assigned certain pages. The first chapter we read was a history of the question of citizenship. Although we have often defined citizenship coming from our parents, that is by no means the only definition.

In the 1830s there was a concerted effort by the Colored National Convention to define the meaning. For many years the convention had struggled with this. They were meeting in Rochester New York that year. Finally in 1853 Frederick Douglass took the stage. He published his newspapers, The North Star and Frederick Douglass’ Paper, in Rochester. His papers reached “the far corners of Black America.” They were a major influence in reporting the news of the day, including the news of the convention.

In that year, 1853, he was the chair of the Committee on the Declaration of Sentiments. He held that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution along with other political history, moral philosophy, and Christian theology all led the way to citizenship. He made clear that the goal of citizenship was valid.

Yet it was contested from all sides. It was not until 1868 when the phase “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside,” became law.

Still, three of the four states which had remained part of the Union, did not ratify it right away: Delaware in 1901, Maryland in 1959, and Kentucky in 1976! That’s my (former) state – Kentucky!

Punishment

We also had another section on Punishment from “The 1619 Project.” Think about these numbers: they are staggering! In the early 1970s our prisons and jails had less than 350,000 people. Today that number is 2.3 million. And that doesn’t include those on probation or parole, another 4.5 million.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

This is in a nation that prides itself on justice and equality!

Bryan Stevenson recounts the history of the acts that has led to so many Black people incarcerated. He says that basis is found among white people who are afraid of Blacks and fear retribution from Black people. He does not find evidence for this, but nevertheless it is an overriding fear.

He has taken on cases of Black people convicted of minor crimes, including some from many years ago. He has freed Matthew, held for more that 40 years. And he has aided many, many others.

He says, “The smog created by our history of racial injustice is suffocating and toxic.” He continues, “Today, in courtrooms across America, advocates and lawyers representing Black people cannot effectively assist many of their clients without recognizing that, contrary to the legal doctrine, those clients are presumed guilty.”

Bryan Stevenson says that we must fight – and fight hard – to repair the damage created by racial injustice in all its forms.

April 21, 2022
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
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Forceful Book

YouTube Peace Corps volunteer. https://youtu.be/wEEuRazE66E

Fellow Peace Corps Volunteer

A fellow Peace Corps Volunteer in Libya sent a YouTube to me recently. I had to laugh at its absurdities!

He was a volunteer in Libya. He is inviting me to send it to other people, so I’ll include you in the list!

I hope it will make you laugh too.

I would like to ask him how he used the “camel hand shadows”. Or did I misunderstand what he said?

He answered and said just “my hands.”

Latest Book

I just finished “Song in a Weary Throat” by Pauli Murray. It is long – 569 pages – and comprehensive. She called the book, “Memoir of an American Pilgrimage.”

But reading it was an instruction in how to overcome all obstacles. Pauli did not let anything deter her. When she encountered something on her path, she went around, over and under it. Nothing seemed to stop her.

I read in the introduction that she is coming back into favor now, having been dead for 37 years. I am amazed that no one had heard of her! She apparently went undetected in the years since her death. My friend saw a documentary about her just a few short weeks ago. She introduced us to her first book, “Proud Shoes.”

This is the second book which was completed after she died. Others helped her finish it and prepared it for publication.

Her first book recounts the story of her relatives, both living and dead. The second is much more comprehensive. I’ll just retell a few stories here.

The WPA and Segregation

Pauli’s Memoir

Pauli began working for the WPA, the Works Progress Administration, in 1935. She was assigned to the Workers’ Education Project. She taught classes to people in many professions.

Since her work was primarily voluntary, she would be amazed to discover that they spent many extra hours working on lessons.

In 1938 she applied to the University of North Carolina but was rejected on the basis of race. Her cause was taken up by papers in the region. She was Sand tied to the stories.

During this controversy she wrote to President Roosevelt but also sent a copy of the letter to Mrs. Roosevelt. She was disappointed by the results, but admired Mrs. Roosevelt’s interest in the action.

She did not get in.

But later she learned that this effort was part of the ongoing work to end enforced segregation.

Odell Waller

She tried desperately to save Odell Waller. He was sentenced to die by electrocution. She overcame all manner of obstacles. But she failed.

She again addressed a  letter to Pres. Roosevelt and a copy to the First Lady. In response she got an angry letter from the First Lady, accusing her of ignoring the reality. And she got an invitation to meet! Over the years she became quite familiar with the First Lady.

Jim Crow in the Nation’s Capital

While she was at Howard University for Law she became involved with a group of students. Then the major issue was getting overcharged for hot chocolate. With others, she eventually carried out a campaign at the Little Palace Cafeteria. For two days the students held out. He closed early one day, and on the next weekday the picket line came back. Finally he had to accede to their demands and they were served.

Her stories reflect many other instances of her overcoming obstacles. She lived through the death of her nearest relatives in 1955 and 1956. In 1959 she became friends with Renee Barlow, another woman in the male-dominated legal profession. They proceeded gradually until Renee used the words from the Book of Common Prayer, which Pauli recognized. They found they were both Episcopalians.

Meeting Betty Friedan

In 1965 she met Betty Friedan. During their talks, they came to realize the need for a concerted effort for women’s rights. In two years, they had set up NOW. At first they attracted a few women, but before too many years, they had over 200,000 women.

Call to Ministry

In 1973 she embraced the call to the ministry, and spent her final years as an Episcopal priest. I recommend this book to you. It will help you uncover obstacles in your own path!

April 13, 2022
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
2 Comments

Africa in Transition

Africa in Transition

Poverty in a village in Nigeria

On March 31 Africa in Transition posted a statement about “Nigerian Democracy in Peril.” The article highlights the country as it “Descents into Lawlessness.”

It is meaningful to me, a former resident of Nigeria. it seems that today the leaders of the country are more concerned about their own pockets. Nowadays even the police and the military are among those corrupted. I don’t believe that anyone is exempt – maybe the leader and vice-president Yemi Osinbajo, although I can’t be sure of him.

I have watched him deliver an address to those in attendance at a Health Watch event. I believe it was about the long-awaited Lancet Commission on public health.

When describing the lawlessness in the previous administration, he “disclosed (that) about fifteen billion dollars were stolen from the fight against Islamists under the previous Goodluck Jonathan administration.” He hasn’t mentioned more recent comments, though I am sure they are too many to count!

But what does it say about the country which is near the top or at the top of lawlessness?

Violence in Nigeria is multidimensional and pervasive, ranging from perennial herder-farmer clashes to gang violence, armed robbery, attacks on state infrastructure, especially police stations, airports and power transformers, intercommunal violence, lynching, ritual killings, mob justice, and casual intimidation of ordinary citizens by law enforcement.

I cannot believe those living in Lagos (like my sons) are immune to these threats. But they do continue to ignore them. Sam just moved into a building with 24/7 electricity. It has tennis courts, a gym, and a swimming pool. He says his kids will enjoy these amenities. Chinaku lives in a high-rise penthouse with the same 24/7 electricity and view of the ocean.

It is like Lagos is on its own. The rest of the country is engulfed in illegal activity carried on by supposed leaders!

Even my cousin Isaiah, 82, succumbed to the lawlessness carried out by thieves and bandits. He was shot and killed on the trip from Enugu (the capital of the east) to Nanka, our home town! His wife was with him, but not harmed. I cannot imagine how she coped.

Isaiah was apparently questioned on the issue of Biafra. Whatever answer he gave was not enough to save him!

Essays on Race

TEAM Westport Essay Contest Winners

On Monday April 4 I went to the ceremony for the winners of the essay contest. Dan Woog, the blog writer of 06880, posted all the winning essays on April 5 (at 5:00 am!) You can read them here. I sat next to him at the event, and he was busily writing notes about the essays. He didn’t comment on them.

He also watched the video with Judy Hamer’s thoughts about the way she and others judge.

All three of the winning essays were beautifully written and heart-felt. All of them proposed solutions to the problems of racism. One talked about bringing the ideas into the open so they can fruitfully discussed. Another said being in the majority just means being able to ignore issues of race. They do not need to be discussed, though he did not recommend that! The third said he is a member of the white and a minority race. He said that people who are faced with issues of the founding fathers somehow feel threatened by race.

I do know Judy Hamer. She is in my group of Grannies who write about their daily lives or examples we chose. For a taste, this month we wrote about “Say Yes to the Dress”. Next month we’re writing about our parents. She’s also in my book group which reads fiction for a month, and then non-fiction for the next month. So we have many experiences together.

New Friends

I met a new friend in the last couple of weeks. She is Nneka. I assumed she was Igbo from her name. She just showed that in the Zoom list. But when I talked to her, she said no, her parents just chose that among other names in a list! She has never been to Nigeria.

She is an associate director of the Yale Fund. She doesn’t raise money from my class at the Yale School of Management. Instead she concentrates on the classes of ’69 to ’72, and the classes of ’79 to ’82.

We had a good discussion on Monday and will probably have another one soon!

March 29, 2022
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
2 Comments

My Favorites

Organ Crisis

Rev. Dr. John Morehouse

We have had a major crisis in our church! The Music Committee, formed by our Music Minister Ed Thompson, has come up with a plan to buy a new organ. Our old organ gave up the ghost six months or even a year ago. It was an electronic organ. The new organ is a pipe organ. It is completely paid for by a few major donors. These people also contributed to our pledge drive and other ways too, so we’re not short on that funding.

But three people, and more, do not want this organ. One person objects because the process was flawed. No one tested the organ; she says that was a major oversight. She also does not like the way the organ interferes with the outside view of the Memorial Garden. Another person is adamant about the organ’s obstructing the view. She also does not like the way the Senior Minister and the Minister of Music have embraced the idea of a new organ. A third person likewise does not like the view. She finds the Senior Minister and the Minister of Music equally off-putting in their praise of the new organ.

These three people, and one person’s husband and children, came with her to our board meeting last week. This person has called out board members and the board for their support.

Rev. Dr. Ed Thompson

Now the Senior Minister and the Music Minister have withdrawn their support. They have said no one is more important to the health of our community than a disagreement about the organ.

So the organ will not have a vote for or against. There will be no vote!

What do you make of this?

Our board is meeting tonight (not our regular meeting time.) The Senior Minister will join us for part of the time to see what else he can shed on this issue. For the rest of the time, we will try to figure out what we want to do.

Favorite Places

Though I have not been to one of my favorite places in many years, I can imagine some of Kano is the same. Kano is in the northern part of the country, centrally located. The Mosque is certainly the same. The beggars who conduct themselves near the mosque are probably the same!

There are 4 other districts: the Fagge, inhabited by people from other parts of Nigeria as well as other countries; the Sabon Gari, housing migrants from the south and east; the Syrian Quarter; and the Nassarawa, site of modern government buildings and exclusive European and African residences.

And I’m fairly sure that the ancient market is the same, though updated (perhaps!).

What would I like to buy in the market? The first image shows three beads, one about 1 and 1/2 inches long, the others a little shorter. The second one shows a Chevron and a square bead.The first image shows three beads, one about 1 and 1/2 inches long, the others a little shorter. The second one shows a Chevron and a square bead.

And I’d look for other designs that imitate the Chevron shape.

What else?

I’d get several pieces of tie-die from the local people. They have amazing fabrics.

And I’d buy a couple of shirts for my sons. I can imagine these shirts carrying similar embroidery from many years ago. I’d probably buy one in black for my older son and blue for my younger son.

I would need to send one or both of my sons to Kano to see the Durbar Festival. It is an annual event, where the most horses of any in the world are shown.

The men’s robes, horses and decorations are magnificent. It all sounds wonderful!

March 21, 2022
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
2 Comments

Major Commission on Health

Church Yesterday

Kim Warman delivers her sermon

Kim Warman, our intern minister, gave the sermon yesterday. She presented it with the title, “”Women and Faith: Then Go On and Work.”

Before the sermon, she had several women read the critical steps of trying to get to “equal.” The first person read each section of the constitution or bill of rights or another document. This person read, “1761” or something similar with no mention of women’s rights. The next section also mentioned slave rights as 2/3 of a person.

When the reader mentioned 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was declaimed. In 1865 President Johnson began the process of Reconstruction which lasted just until 1877. Several more bills were named. 1920 was the women’s suffrage act, though it did not stress the right to vote for women of color. Native women until 1924 and some Asian women until the 1950s did not have the full right to vote.

The upshot of all this is to say that women do not yet have the equal rights of men. Why? Because women do not have equal status. We lack sufficient strength in our numbers, even though they exceed the men’s numbers! I believe we have to follow Kim’s advice: Then Go On and Work!

The Lancet Commission calls on these doctors.

Nigeria Health Watch

Nigeria Health Watch tells us this: The Lancet Nigeria Commission Calls for a New Social Contract on Health!

But what is it? It is a round-up all the needs for the social contract on health without any specifics! I read it all, and was expecting to see some results. But it is just that – a commission.

It is a list of all the concerns that our government needs to address.

The report provides insight into the challenges of healthcare delivery in Nigeria and recommendations to change health policies, improve health outcomes for all Nigerians, and ultimately achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) – ‘One Nation, One Health’.

That is a huge order! But it is a start. This commitment is a step in the right direction.

What Stands Out for Me

Health Care Delivery

This stands out for me: A combination of a high burden of maternal and child mortality (and) a reduced yet significant burden of infectious diseases particularly malaria. The poster shows a report detailing an event in June 2022.

So what is the government to do? For me, number one is to reduce the rate of maternal and child mortality. This is a very high number and bodes ill for the country. Can we reduce the numbers? It will take a major initiative to reduce these to an “acceptable” rate, at least a little nearer those of European countries.

But as I think about the number of women in the North who don’t have easy access to medical care. It is staggering.

A few districts have implemented the efforts of the town-wide or district-wide initiatives with training. Many more can follow, provided there is more training. That way fewer women are left on their own.

This and the reduced burden of infectious diseases, especially malaria, will go far. And how will the government take care of this rate of disease?

Buy bed nets! This will certainly not stop all the infectious diseases, but it will do a little. I believe a little will go a long way to reducing the burden of disease as people see the results.

As for the remainder of the Lancet Commission, it will take more than the next few years. But it is a start!

March 12, 2022
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
4 Comments

Gender Identity

Dr. Alakija in Nigeria

More About Dr. Ayoade Akalija

Today there was an article about Dr. Ayoade Akalija. You may remember her from my last post, Feb. 25 or 27.

Dr. Ayoade Alakija, an infectious disease specialist based in Nigeria, is co-chair of the African Union’s Vaccine Delivery Alliance (AVDA). In December 2021, Dr. Alakija, nicknamed Yodi, was put in charge of accelerating equitable access to Covid-19 tests, treatments and vaccines for the World Health Organization’s global initiative known as the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator. 

She talks about getting the call from Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. She was surprised and said, “Have you got the right number?” Then she recovered. Her first thought was, “Oh, my God, they will all hate me!” She realized she will have to talk to all the specialists

She discussed this with her husband. He said something like, “Yodi, after all the complaints you have leveled at WHO, you have to say yes!”

She awaits equity in her work. She knows it is slow, but when “We give the same value to the life in Africa as we do to the life in America, then we will have global equity.”

What She Does Today

Now she spends 16 to 18 hours a day, advising governments, health ministers, finance ministers and the ACT (Access to Covid-19 Tools) directors. She also advises colleagues on shipments, deliveries and bottlenecks.

International Women’s Day

She recalls on questioning the day she got a rejection letter from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Outraged, she went straight to the Dean. He protested, saying it is for more senior people. She said, “This is what I want to do and I am not leaving until I am doing what I applied to do.” She was let in!

With her work with senior people, she still reverts back to her earlier statement:

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, pull up a chair. And if they don’t make space, then get on the table.” She did exactly that at a recent conference for young women. The men, who had invited themselves to the event, refused to make a place for her. They simply greeted her with an off-handed, “Oh, yeah, hi.” So she grabbed a mic – on the top of the table – and spoke to the men who suddenly had to listen!

Trust in governments, trust in people; these are necessary to make the system work. Today they are sadly lacking.

There needs to be a more regular, more consistent, predictable supply of vaccines. She says, “We have to look at the wider strengthening of the health systems,” to make everything work. Consistently in her talks to the top echelons of the people in each country, she encourages them to have trust in themselves and in the people they govern.

Picture from gender equity

Gender Equality

Nigeria’s Struggle for Gender Equality Gathers Pace Amid Protests is the heading for an article on women’s role.

Today’s announcement by the Nigerian lower legislative chamber partially rescinding last week’s decision to throw out five key gender-equality bills is a significant victory for women’s rights advocates. It is also evidence that well-coordinated political pressure by civil society organizations can produce real change.

Wow! This is evidence of women who have taken up the challenge. They protested for their rights outside the Parliament Building in Abuja, including holding signs to express their needs. Even though only a portion of the bills were rescinded, still it is a victory for women. There were five bills on the table; two were rescinded (and thus taken back to their original position). So they continue to stand.

Currently, only seven out of 109 senators and twenty-two of the 360 members of the House of Representatives are women. All the governors of Nigeria’s thirty-six states are male. Yet—and to put their under-representation in perspective—women comprised 47 percent of registered voters during the last election in 2019.

More Protests are Coming?

This may be too much for Nigeria!

International Women’s Day saw many protests by women. Still, as of February this year Nigeria ranks 184 out of 187 countries. This is the Inter-Parliamentary Union global ranking of women in national parliaments. We couldn’t be much worse!

And it is true that Nigerian lawmakers receive overall on average about $597,000, making them the second-highest in the world. Meanwhile an estimated 40 percent of Nigerians live below the international poverty line.

Guess what it is? It is less than two dollars a day!

So we need more challenges by and for women. We want at least some parity with others on the continent. Rwanda has 30% of its seats reserved for women, and in fact 60% of the seats are held by women. At least 13 other countries have some measure of success for women.

We can safely say that momentum lies with women, but they must use it to demand change! Yet so few of the women actually can demand that!