Hearing loss is a condition that describes inability to use the hearing organ for maximal purpose of hearing due to a defect/damage in its biological functioning.
Hearing loss comes in different measures. It may be severe-profound hearing loss which is deafness or mild-moderate hearing loss which is called hard-of-hearing. A deaf person is unable to use his or her ears to perceive and meaningfully decode speech sound with or without amplification and thus depends on vision for the purpose of human communication.
While a hard-of-hearing person can perceive and meaningfully decode speech sound be it at louder or amplified level, at close distance or by virtue of familiarity with the speaker.
Whether a person is deaf or hard-of-hearing, acquisition and usage of sign language has proven to be of tremendous benefit towards a better living condition in the society. Hearing loss deprives one of partial or total normal language of communication among human folks which is speech. Communication is used for building relationship, for the purpose of learning and acquiring a living.
The importance of communication towards a child’s intellectual development cannot be over-emphasized. Communication contributes to social welfare, psychological development and holistic well-being of man.
Hearing loss, however, constitutes a barrier to communication through total or partial deprivation of ability to perceive and meaningfully decode speech sound. This barrier can however be eradicated or alleviated through acquisition and usage of sign language for persons so affected. Sign language is a medium of communication that uses recognized visual signals to represent spoken words. It is a complete language with its own grammatical structure and rules which can only be acquired through concentrated effort of learning.
Ever since sign language has been introduced into the world of people with hearing loss, it has elevated their profile from the abandoned, ill-treated, deprived, discriminated-against, and the viewed as less-than-human faction of the society.
Sign language has given birth to a group of people with their own unique culture – the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing. People who have accepted their difference, who celebrate their culture. People with healthy self-esteem, people who have overcome the detriments of their hearing loss, people who despite the condition of hearing loss have been able to lead a meaningful life, who are succeeding at par with their hearing counterparts.
Sign language introduces another medium of communication which the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing can acquire to overcome the shortfalls of inability to perceive and meaningfully decode speech sound for the purpose of human communication.
Despite the manifold benefits of sign language to person with hearing loss, its acceptance is still a matter of choice and a debated issue. It takes accepting the reality of the hearing loss by the person (if adult) or the parent of the affected person (if a child). Occurrence of hearing loss, as with other conditions of disability is often greeted with strong denial backed with a desire for recovery which consequently leads to shopping for solution.
Experiences have shown that solution-hunting often leads to further depression as no solution is often gotten even after much wastage of time and resources. This is when it finally dawns that the hearing loss is a reality indeed and the need to accept it. Several persons with hearing loss get to come in contact with sign language at this stage, especially through educational placement in a special school.
Some whose hearing loss occur at more advanced age of life will at one time or the other (earlier or later) come in contact with other people like them who have accepted their condition and use sign language. Through these types of interaction, sign language is transmitted. Although, some may still continue to live in partial or total denial after such encounter.
There is a translation that often greet the introduction to and acquisition of sign language. The deaf child or adult is able to have a language or another language (as the case may be) which can now be used to fulfill human purpose of communication. A child who has been hitherto gloomy will suddenly brighten up, the adult who was often previously confused and whose psychological well-being has been greatly marred will begin to recover. New relationship is built, new identity is taken. There is feeling of equality with hearing counterparts, gateway to more achievement is opened. Indeed sign language opens the world to the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Although, advancement in medicine and technology seems to be contending with the relevance of sign language. However, hitherto there is no technology that can restore hearing once it is lost and there is no technology that can totally remove the burden of hearing loss. Technological devices like amplifier (hearing aid) or cochlear implant are only helping to minimize the effect of hearing or to manage the situation.
I have met several hard-of-hearing people, who, despite using hearing aids to perceive speech have fully embraced sign language usage. The use of hearing aid does not 100% guarantee hearing at all times. Interaction with these people have shown that they do not hear fully and effectiveness of the hearing aid is subjected to circumstances. There can also be period when their device will run out of battery, or damaged and removed for repair etc. Regardless of assertive device, they can’t ever be fully hearing.
My study about cochlear implant users reveals the same trend of response as observed with hearing aid users. Study reveals that, after been fixed with cochlear implant, patients still have to go through speech therapy to familiarize them with speech sound and some other services. Some cochlear implant deaf persons still find their way into the world of sign language users – the Deaf and they reported feeling more at ease and at home than depending on the cochlear.
Hardly can ever be any technological device or medical intervention that can effectively wipe out sign language from among people with hearing loss because none can replace hearing after it has been lost. Deafness or hard-of-hearing can’t ever be written off from the person so affected by any technological intervention.
Today, September 23 is World Sign Language Day. This article is especially written for parents of children with hearing loss or matured and young adults with hearing loss to accept the condition and embrace sign language. Living in denial of hearing loss reduces chances of fulfillment in life. One may succeed academically and in career life without accepting the situation of hearing loss, but that is not a holistic achievement because man is created a social animal to interact with and explore his world.
Accept your hearing loss, Embrace Sign Language, Accept Deaf culture and be Empowered!
Happy World Sign Language Day!
Bernice Adebimpe OYELEKE
Post graduate student
Dept of Special Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan.
From September 17th to 19th, about 2,000 of representatives from various sectors such as political leaders, faith leaders, women and youth organizations, educators, and media visited South Korea to attend 2018 HWPL World Peace Summit.
In an effort to find solutions to achieve sustainable peace, the participants discussed their roles and actionable plans in relation to the enactment of the international law for peace, the development of peace education, the promotion of a culture of peace as well as religious harmony.
On the last day of the 3-day summit, the host organization, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) held sectoral conferences for members of youth and women organizations, religious leaders, and media.
The Role of the Youth and Women in Realizing Peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the World
Organized by International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), an affiliated group of HWPL, the youth session titled ‘The Role of the Youth in Spreading a Culture of Peace for the Realization of World Peace’ had an agenda of the support and the participation of youth for the ‘Peace letter campaign’.
<We are one, Chairman of HWPL and youth of IPYG>
Peace letter campaign is one of the peace projects of IPYG to urge the government to support the implementation of the international law for peace based on the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW).
Mr. Herculano Amaral, Coordinator of International Rotary Club of Dili Lafaek in Timor-Leste, introduced the result of the peace letter campaign. “Last year, IPYG members of Timor-Leste Branch met the former president and introduced about HWPL and IPYG’s activities. And this year, our team convey the documents of the DPCW and a peace letter to the cabinet of the president. The movement is intended to get support from the president of our country and also those who involved in the decision making.”
In particular, this year’s conference also aimed to call for the support for the peaceful reunification on the Korean Peninsula. According to the General Director of IPYG, Mr. Young Min Chung, IPYG has made progress within Korea. The Declaration of Unification of Korea, declared by Chairman of HWPL in 2010, stated the need for the two leaders of Korea to listen to the voices of the Korean citizens. To achieve this, thousands of youths in Korea have written peace letters to President Moon to voice their support for the unification. At the same time, hundreds of political leaders from around the world wrote letters to urge the leader of North Korea to talk to HWPL for the peace of the Korean peninsula.
In the same vein, “2018 Worldwide Women’s Peace Conference” was held by International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) affiliated with HWPL to share the progress of its peace activity such as women’s peace education and plant peace campaign and to discuss the role of women leaders to bring peace in the world as well as to the last divided nation, Korea.
On the topic of the conference, Former First Lady of Croatia, Dr. Tatjana Josipović said, “The only legitimate and reasonable politics is to search for the permanent peace, without any violence. Women in the creative fields of activities can contribute to the implementation of peace influencing other people to advocate the DPCW to become a binding legal instrument. I think the provisions of the DPCW should be not only a moral obligation but to be binding rules for all world leaders. Our voice must be heard from political institutions, art scene, sports fields, classrooms, and media to warn humanity that we must do everything to stop wars and violence once forever.”
4th International Religious Leaders’ Conference: Spreading the Culture of Seeking a Trustworthy Scripture to Realize the Era of Peace
World religious leaders from 20 different denominations gathered together to promote the culture of peace among religions and seek for the dedication of faith leaders to realize peace. For this, the members of ‘Solidarity of Religions’ Peace Committee’ were appointed as a role of spreading the culture of seeking a trustworthy scripture.
The Most Rev. Wattegama Dhammawasa Nayaka Thero, President of Sri Subodharama International Buddhist Center in Sri Lanka, said, “Even though my place is peaceful right now, we cannot be completely free from conflicts deeply. Religious extremists do not practice their own religion and some hold strongly to their own religious views, hence conflicts and misunderstandings occur due to this discrepancy. Therefore, I could agree the goal of HWPL that we should find out the most trustworthy scripture that can overcome the differences of ideologies among religions to achieve world peace.” stressing the need for the religious harmony based on a trustworthy scripture.
Speaking about the need of the comparative studies of the scripture, Chairman of HWPL said, “Why do people need the scripture? It is because the scripture leads the righteous way for people. Thoughts or wisdom of one’s own can’t be defined as a scripture. At this time, the comparative studies of scripture are the most urgent since it is the definite way for the religions to become one.”
2nd Conference for Global Peace Media Network: International Peace Media Community, “Peace Initiative”
Journalists and representatives of media outlets from about 30 countries took part in the conference for global peace media network where the peace media platform ‘Peace Initiative (PI)’ launched.
‘Peace Initiative’ is designed by the ideas of the journalists around the world in order to spread the news of peace and promote peace journalism with protecting the freedom of the press. To forge the cooperative partnership for ‘PI’, participated representatives of media outlets and HWPL signed an MOU.
Ahead of the addresses from the journalist, Former President of Tunisia and Bishop of Poona diocese delivered the messages on the significance of the role of media to promote peace in the mind of people and the society.
As a special speaker, H.E. Dr. Moncef Marzouki, Former President of Tunisia, emphasized the mission of the media. “As a human rights activist, I know how much I owe to the independent press that has always unveiled the violations of the dictatorship in Tunisia and the Arab world and thus contributed largely to the Arab Spring. Today there is a new mission. In the face of the surge of hatred, rumors and false information that infect social networks, only honest and serious journalists are the guarantors of the truth, which is the essential condition for peace in hearts and minds. I am sure you will live up to the immense task ahead and wish you good luck in this vital mission.”
Mr. Avtandil Otinashvili, Editor in Chief of Newsday in Georgia, said “We journalists should let the whole society know about the peace-building efforts of various sectors of the society. By raising awareness of peace through news reporting, we can stop those innocent people, especially youth from losing their lives in the futility of war. I believe it is our noble duty and responsibility as a journalist.”
“In this context, I am glad that HWPL and journalists from different countries considered the need to create a ‘Global Peace Media Network’ in order not only to inform the population about the existence of conflicts but also to outline ways to resolve them. We are confident that the content called ‘peaceinitiative.net’ will become the platform that will prepare and disseminate information on the subject of peace, which, in turn, contributes to establishing peace on our planet.” he added.
The conference concluded that the participants signed “Joint Statement on Media Cooperation for Press Freedom and Global Peace” which contained the mutual assistance and cooperation to foster global peace through sharing peace-related news, to report to help protect human rights as well as democracy, and to take joint action onto inhumane atrocities.
The host of this summit, Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL participated in each session and delivered his message to the attendees, the peace-builders. “We founded HWPL for the security and peace in the world. However, HWPL cannot achieve world peace and the cessation of war by itself. Power of an individual is merely that of one person. However, if these individuals gather, we can foster great strength. If we abide by the DPCW of 10 articles 38 clauses, we can achieve peace. For this very reason, everyone should acknowledge and promote the DPCW. Let every one of you become one and achieve peace. We are one!”
It was a rainy Saturday and it was a day the old girls of Methodist Girls, the oldest girls’ school in Lagos, organised a 5-kilometre health walk for better girl-child education and rebuilding of the old school premises.
The rain kept pouring and the old girls defied the heavy downpour as they marched out of the school premises clad in red tee shirts and jeans. They marched through the streets, singing school songs, reminiscing about the good old days, and determined to help redirect the path of the girl-child towards a better future.
For Mrs Yomi Afolabi, president of the Old Girls Association, there is an urgent need to focus on the girl-child and provide the facilities and tools that would make her excel in her studies. “Methodist Girls High school is a school that has a good legacy. It is the oldest girls’ school in Nigeria and that alone speaks volume. It is a mission school and it is a school that is known for excellence, high moral standards and discipline. I am so proud to be a product of that school.”
She added: “At this time in history, we have decided to give back to our Alma mater, as a way of ensuring better girl-child education and improved school facilities. Data shows that globally over 70m children do not have access to good education and over 50 per cent of that number are girls. UNICEF records show that 60 per cent of all children in Nigeria are girls and there is a Voice of Nigeria report that states that 27 per cent of Nigerian girls are out of school in Nigeria.”
Even before this latest move, the association has done some things to make life better for the girls. “The walk is like a landmark for us to showcase to the world that we are now ready. We have a lot of things that we want to do, we have a focus group and dinner. We are going to be meeting with a number of corporate bodies and we would be telling them our stories and soliciting their support. Sets are raising funds in different ways and talking with family members and friends. We are going to have a drama production and there are different things lined up for raising funds like selling our souvenirs.”
Bunmi Morenikeji, the chairperson of the fundraising committee, tells it how it all started.
“About two years ago, we realised that the old block of the school has structural deficiencies. We had thought that we could renovate but engineers reviewed it and saw that it was beyond repairs. It is called the old block; the centenary block about a hundred and four years. So, you can imagine how long it has been there. Right now, the students have been moved out for safety reasons.”
The target, according to Morenikeji, is to raise a minimum of three hundred and fifty million naira for this. “We have different things that have been planned out, first from ourselves. We must be committed to this and so all sets have been asked to bring in a particular amount. The target is to raise a hundred thousand, about a third of it from us, as old girls. Then this walk today is part of the awareness but beyond that we are also looking at Corporate Nigeria to support us.”
For Funmi Owoade, nee Aboyade Cole, the social secretary of the association and president of the 1966 set, this was their own way of giving back to the school. “As an old student, I can be anywhere and raise my head. It is a very good school, a missionary one for that matter. It stands amongst equals. My advice to the younger generation is to be part of a good thing.” Olajumoke Gbadamosi, nee Shadare, went down memory lane to relive her memories of school days this way: “I remember that we started in form one at Broad Street, Lagos. The following year in 1951, we were brought to the present school as one of the first set. It was very interesting because I lived on the Mainland and had to walk to school. It was quite exciting coming to school and talking with your friends.”
Asked what it means to be a product of the school and she replied: “I have gained a lot from the school because what gave me the first impression was when I went for my Higher School Certificate. I was made the head girl and we got beautiful training there. Then we had the white women with us and we had to behave well, dress well. If you come to school on a rainy day and you were dry, you got a good mark. I don’t know whether that means anything to you these days.”
Ask her to compare the current educational system with her days and she replies that “It is almost incomparable. In our time, when you say that you are from Methodist Girls High School, they respect you because of the standard.”
Next, she discloses the significance of the walk by the old Girls Association and her expectations for the girl-child. “I woke up very early to come and join them. I really feel bad that I missed the walk because I can’t walk far now; I am 81 years old. I would love to see us build up a new building to replace this one. In fact, my set has already donated a million naira and I pray that I would be alive when the new building is ready.”
The school which was founded in 1878 has carved a niche for itself over the years, by contributing in no small measure to the development of the girl-child as an individual and the nation as a whole.
MGHS has produced many eminent Nigerians who have helped the socio economic development of the nation. “It is in line with the vision of the school to maintain the highest standard laid by the founding missionary leaders in the field of education and a hallmark for moulding the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical and social life of every student that the building project and walk is being organised by the old students of the school.”
The event ended with a health talk by Dr Ronke Dawodu.
The chairman of the 2018 reunion committee, Mrs Funto Igun, also took members through the activities lined up for the reunion in October.
The World Health Organisation ( WHO ) has called for urgent global action to end Tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest infectious disease which claims 4000 lives daily. The call was made at a press conference to launch the 2018 Global Tuberculosis report, held yesterday at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the TB epidemic, with data on disease trends and response in 205 countries and territories. It also outlined a monitoring framework with data on SDG indicators and a graphic country profiles from the top 30 high-TB-burden countries.
According to the report, Nigeria’s TB treatment coverage stands at 24 percent with 155 000 deaths, including 35 000 deaths among people with HIV. Also, 24, 000 people fell ill with drug-resistant TB while 58, 000 people living with HIV fell ill with TB. The TB cases in Nigeria were attributed to five risks namely alcohol, smoking, diabetes, HIV and undernourishment.
The Director, Global TB Programme, WHO, Dr Tereza Kasaeve called for urgent actions to close the gaps and reach all people affected with TB worldwide with proper care. In a chat with The Nation, Dr Irene Koek, the Deputy Administrator for Global Health, US Agency for International Development (USAID) charged leaders from African countries to recognizeTB as an important issue that demands urgent attention with political commitment which invests in the needs of patients and health systems.
Heads of State are expected to meet at the first-ever United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on TB on 26 September in New York, to commit to accelerate the TB response.
We have gotten accustomed to statements like “the end time is near, nations will be against nations, all manner of sicknesses will plague the land and more”. Coincidentally, as a nation, we have had to battle with critical and life threatening diseases that has stolen the limelight of other lesser diseases that are also killer beings.
In the year 2015, we had the case of Ebola that placed the fear on the foreheads of Nigerians and other West African countries. It surely wasn’t easy to contain such disease but it was reduced yet it is raising its ugly head in moments of opportunities.
In the year 2016, we had the case of Lassa fever that seemed to make Nigerians pick the option of keeping their environment neat than allowing rodents visit their foodstuffs.
The truth still remains that there are several lesser known diseases yet to come to limelight that are wiping lives on daily basis.
1. Malaria
Malaria is a major health problem mostly in Africa where thirty countries in Sub-Saharan Africa account for 90% of global malaria deaths. It is also important to note that Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, and Uganda account for nearly 50% of the global malaria deaths. It is estimated that up to 100 million cases of malaria resulting in over 300,000 deaths in Nigeria every year. 97% of Nigeria’s population are exposed to the risk of having malaria and the remaining 3% live on the malaria free highlands in Nigeria.
Sadly, the “ordinary Malaria you know is the ultimate killer of all times with millions of deaths in its portfolio”. This mosquito transmitted disease causes symptoms that generally start off as a general feeling of un-wellness (malaise) and later progressing to fever and headache, which in severe cases can end up with coma or death.
Although, research has proven that the proponent of this slow poison is dirty environment and stagnant waters in gutters and drainages.
To curb the cases of malaria, there are different seminars to educate the masses on the symptoms, prevention and causes measures, issuing of free mosquito nets and proper adherence to sanitation days.
2. Perinatal Conditions
As happy as the outcome of childbirth is, some people come out with health challenges while some are free from the health challenges
Perinatal conditions are events occurring around the time of childbirth. There is no doubt that childbirth can be a very magical moment mostly cherished between young parents and a newborn.
However, out of over half a million pregnancy-related deaths worldwide, it may interest you to know that there are over 40,000 of those occurring in Nigeria and some sources including official data from National Population Commission (NPC) have suggested that over 140 people die every day from pregnancy-related conditions in Nigeria alone making Nigeria the second country with the highest maternal mortality rate (after India) and the highest in Africa. This is a substantial proportion when viewed from a global standpoint. It has been established that 70 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in Nigeria are as a result of 4 conditions: haemorrhage, sepsis, eclampsia and complications of abortion and can easily be prevented.
3.Cerebrovascular Disease/Accident (Stroke)
Cerebrovascular disease may sound more technical. It is still the same as stroke which occurs when there is a loss of blood supply to a part of the brain which could either result from blockage or rupture of a blood vessel commonly known as Ischaemic or Haemorrhagic stroke respectively.
If blood flow is interrupted, for longer than a few minutes, the brain cells begin to suffer from irreparable damage which could result in permanent damage.
4. Diarrhoeal Diseases
Diarrhoeal disease is a very common cause of death most especially in third world countries while it is the second most common cause of deaths in children less than 1-year-old worldwide. According to the latest WHO data deaths caused by diarrhoeal diseases in Nigeria reached 173,878 or 10.19% of total deaths and the age adjusted Death Rate is 101.48 per 100,000 of the population. This data ranks Nigeria as the 19th country in the world.
Deadliest Diseases
5. Respiratory Tract Infection/Pneumonia
Respiratory tract infection including pneumonia constituted the second leading cause of death in Nigeria. There are two major types of lower respiratory infections: bronchitis and pneumonia. Some of the easily recognizable symptoms of these infections include a runny nose and sneezing, headache, and sore throat. Symptoms may include fever in more severe cases like pneumonia. In most developing countries, these diseases can easily be lethal unlike in developed nations.
6. Measles
Measlesis a highly contagious respiratory disease affecting up to 90% of people sharing a living space with an infected person. Across the globe, measles kills 22 people every hour or about 197,000 people every year; remaining a leading cause of death among children most especially the under fives.
Despite the availability of vaccine, the spread of measles is fuelled by poverty, lack of access to medicine and lack of education though there has been a drastic fall in the cases of measles by up to 74% within the last 15 years, the disease stills claims thousands of lives.
7. Tuberculosis (TB)
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one-third of the world’s 7 billion population is currently infected with TB and that someone in the world is getting newly infected with TB every second that passes more of which happens again in Sub-Saharan Africa.
However, the good news is that being infected does not mean that the disease is going to manifest as the individual to an obvious state like other debilitating illness or condition that suppress the immunity like HIV/AIDS, malnutrition and some other chronic (long-standing diseases) like poorly managed diabetes. The bitter truth is that TB is next to HIV/AIDS when it comes to number of deaths caused. Back in 2012, there were around 1.3 million TB-related deaths worldwide most of which occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and other developing countries.
8. HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS was first reported in the 1980s and the fact remains that since then, AIDS has caused over 30 million deaths. This is more than the population of Gabon, Botswana, Gambia, Qatar, Jamaica, New Zealand, Ireland, Norway and Denmark put together. Though its mortality rate has reduced because of education and anti-viral medications used to combat it, it still kills millions of people year on year.
According to UNAIDS, In 2012, there were 35.3 million people living with HIV and since the start of the epidemic, around 75 million [63 million–89 million] have become infected with HIV. In 2012, 1.6 million people died from AIDS-related causes worldwide; over 1 million deaths occur in Africa on a yearly bases and Nigeria recorded 239,700 deaths in the same year. This is far more than every single Ebola outbreak in history added together.
In as much as the media doesn’t equalize the treatment given to all ailments in communicating its effect and symptoms, there are other lesser diseases that surely kill faster.” The smaller, the mightier”.
To this end, it is advisable to always go for checkups every 3 month, likewise reporting oneself to the hospital in cases of confusing symptoms as well as sick moments.
“For over three decades, the Montreal Protocol has done much more than shrink the ozone hole; it has shown us how environmental governance can respond to science, and how countries can come together to address a shared vulnerability. I call for that same spirit of common cause and, especially, greater leadership as we strive to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change and mobilize the ambitious climate action we so urgently need at this time.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Every year, on September 16, the world celebrates the International day for the preservation of Ozone layer as the World Ozone Day.
SINCE 1995, the United Nations has celebrated this date as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.
This year’s theme is “Keep Cool and Carry On: The Montreal Protocol”. According to the United Nations, this theme is a motivational rallying call, urging all of us to carry on with the exemplary work of protecting the ozone layer and the climate under the Montreal Protocol. The theme has two connotations – that our work of protecting the ozone layer also protects climate and that the Montreal Protocol is a “cool” treaty, as exemplified by its outstanding success.
The ozone layer is a fragile shield of gas that protects the Earth from harmful part of the sun rays and preserves life on the plane
In commemorating this year’s celebration, below are facts of the ozone layer that you should know.
• Ozone was discovered by Christian Friedrich Schönbein in 1840. He named it after the Greek for ‘to smell’ which is ‘ozein’.
• Ozone is a pungent smelling blue gas. A molecule of ozone consists of three oxygen atoms
• The ozone is found in the Earth’s atmosphere. About 90 per cent ozone is found within 17 kilometres of Earth’s surface while the rest of the ozone is found in the stratosphere
• The ozone depletion has led to the greenhouse effect which has resulted in global warming. The ultraviolet rays of the sun are cancerous and they can cause skin cancer.
• Ozone absorbs most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, which protects us and many other life forms from its potentially damaging effects.
How to save the ozone?
• The less carbon we use, the better it is for the Ozone layer. Carbon is found everywhere and every pollutant affects the layer in some way.
• In order to protect the ozone, we must reduce the use of fossil fuels
• We must reduce the energy consumption at our homes and try to conserve our resources as much as we can.
It is also important that we protect ourselves ozone layer depletion.
• We should avoid the use of fire extinguishers and sprays that contain chorofluorocarbon (CFC). Its depletion causes the sun’s high radiation to reach the Earth.
• Keep clean the air conditioning and refrigerator clean and buy the ones that are CFC-free.
• Reduce heating, air conditioning, use of cars, compressors, lawn mowers, e.t.c.
An Environmentalist and also a chartered Accountant, Gafar Olorunleke Odubote is a strong advocate for a waste-free and sustainable environment towards achieving a circular economy. He organized his first cleanup project on 19th May 2012 in Ogba, Lagos and since then has organized various environmental initiatives and advocacy to promoting a waste-free society. In 2017, Gafar visited some countries in Europe, including Estonia where he learnt how 50,000 people united to clean up their entire country in five hours and where he further learnt about environmental sustainability. In this interview, with Lanre Mosuro, Gafar, who is the 2018 National Director of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Nigeria – Let’s Do it! Campaign and also a Director at Let’s Do it! Nigeria, spoke on his mandate and vision for a waste-free Nigeria.
As the Junior Chamber International (JCI) National Director for the Let’s Do it! Campaign, what exactly are the responsibilities of your office?
We are young active citizens of Junior Chamber International Nigeria, taking action and creating impact in our communities. As young active citizens, our impact cuts across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, with membership and alumni over 7,000 in 50 local organizations and 70 tertiary institutions. This makes us the largest youth led organization in Nigeria.
My key role is to inspire the entire Nigerian population to have positive mindsets towards wastes management, engaging key stakeholders in achieving circular economy while uniting 5% of the country’s population for the biggest civic action in history – the World Cleanup Day on 15 September 2018. We educate people on the effects of littering, illegal wastes disposal, plastic pollution and climate change, while encouraging them to become environmental champions and support circular economy.
Tell us about the World Cleanup Day, how do you tend to achieve the project of such magnitude?
This year will witness the biggest civic action in history, where JCI Nigeria, Let’s Do it! Nigeria and partners will unite with other 150 countries of the world for World Cleanup Day on 15 September 2018–an initiative by Let’s Do it! World –which began in Estonia in 2008 when 50,000 people united to clean up the entire country in just five hours.
We are mobilizing 5% of Nigeria Population by uniting with individuals, civic organizations, Government and corporate bodies. We have a huge network of volunteers who are inspired to have a clean environment and our goal is to unite every sector of the society for a waste-free Nigeria by 2030. As the 2018 National Director for this project; I have Team Leads across the 36 States of Nigeria with over 5,000 team members who have connected with over 10,000 volunteers ready to execute the biggest civic action in history on September 15th, 2018.
With the support of ACT Foundation, States Environment Ministries and Civil Societies; we are aiming to change people’s mindsets towards wastes. We urge Nigerians to show support for the environment and come out to clean on that day.
What’s your inspiration?
I am tired of seeing trash all around our public places, while we can be efficient with our production and consumption. We don’t have any other place to call home aside this planet Earth and waking up every day seeing my Children grow in this present state of environment has inspired me to do something different and contribute towards a cleaner and sustainable environment. I organized my first cleanup project on 19th May 2012 in Ogba, Lagos with JCI Eko and since then I have been to significant places in Nigeria and West Africa promoting a waste-free society that embraces recycling and upcycling. What keeps me going is the hope of seeing my country become a circular economy where everyone will see wastes as a resource and not as a trash.
Solid wastes has over the years remained a subject of public discourse in Nigeria, what do you think is the root cause of this issue?
Trash blindness’ is the single biggest obstacle to creating cleaner communities which is aided by our attitude towards wastes. Nigerians have grown so accustomed to trash that we no longer notice it nor acknowledge that Waste is actually a resource and not trash. Therefore, the whole system of the country has been built as seeing wastes as a trash and the environment is also being treated as a trash. The current linear economy we are practicing where everything ends up to landfills is not good and we must transit to a circular economy as fast as possible. Plastic trash ends up in our oceans through rivers and other waterways, also gutters. Mismanaged waste in the nature ends up in oceans and is a danger to marine life.
What is our Technological option for sustainable waste management in Nigeria?
We need to develop, encourage and promote local technologies for waste collection, sorting, disposal, transportation and recycling. Through appropriate research and focusing on critical pollution sources, will help us in modeling the appropriate solution to wastes challenges in Nigeria. For example, we developed a mobile App called “World Cleanup” – a free App to assist people and stakeholders in developing data on Wastes by knowing the location of illegal dumpsites, their sizes and the content of the wastes. Our World Cleanup App is available for free download on google play and App store for free. With this App, we can generate data on the wastes in Nigeria and this will help our government & organizations in effective waste management. It is possible to develop automated machines installed in public that accept plastic from people in exchange for money. The machine would identify and accept only the right kind of plastic
What is the way forward for effective wastes management in Nigeria and what is JCI Nigeria doing towards its accomplishment?
We first must develop a positive mindset to wastes & End trash blindness. People must see the opportunity in wastes and embrace Circular Economy. Energy from waste is a promising technology & Nigerian waste is rich in organic matter. The education sector must be reformed to include environment as a component at every level –primary, secondary and tertiary levels. It should not be a mere theory course. Programmes should be designed for training & retraining of environmental personnel and more advocacy on achieving a waste-free Nigeria. The environmental laws are existing but there is problem of implementation, monitoring and sustainability. The government must generate data to understand the wastes Nigerian produces and make laws to promote investment in recycling & Circular Economy; while having the right infrastructures in place to support a sustainable environment.
JCI Nigeria through the support of ACT Foundation is currently engaging key Stakeholders all over Nigeria on achieving proper wastes management. One of the strategy to ensure environment sustainability is through the inclusive and active voice stakeholders’ involvement towards implementing a lasting solution to the problems of waste in Nigeria. We have designed various tool kits as educational material in training people on recycling and proper wastes management.
How can individuals and organization partners with you on this Campaign?
We urge people to know that our campaign has never been only about cleaning up waste. We also aim to unite the global community, raise awareness and implement true change to achieve our final goal– a clean and healthy planet. Individuals can support by adopting eco-friendly behavior, for example by not littering, reducing plastic use and advocating for a waste-free society. Organizations and Government can support by speaking about circular economy and the waste problem, support initiatives for zero-wastes while promoting policies and institutional framework for a sustainable environment. We can be reached through our email: Letsdoit@jci.ngor visit www.worldcleanupday.org .We call upon individuals and organizations to turn up in large numbers and join us on September 15th for World Cleanup Day.
Patrick Fuller writes on how the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service ( UNHAS ) has been playing a vital role in Northeast Nigeria, transporting aid workers and humanitarian supplies into areas of the conflict zone that are heard to reach or inaccessible by road.
Bruce Walker is a worried man. One of his helicopter fleet has developed technical problems and is stranded in the town of Dikwa. With night closing in, armed fighters could be lurking in the bush surrounding the town. A helicopter would be a valuable prize.
As head of UNHAS in Nigeria, Walker prides himself on the fact that since August 2015, when the service managed by the World Food Programme (WFP) first began transporting humanitarian workers into the midst of the conflict in Nigeria’s Northeast, there have been no major incidents.
A call comes in from one of his engineers on the ground. Walker can breathe easily again. The chopper is finally fixed and will be up in the air and back at base before sundown.
When it comes to running air operations, the 44-year-old Briton is something of a veteran. After a career in the Royal Air force he worked as a private contractor running air logistics and fuel contracts in hot spots such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. It was in 2014 that his experience secured him a job with WFP’s Ebola response operation, transporting aid-workers and medical cargo throughout Liberia and Guinea.
In 2015, he was deployed to Nigeria to set up a new air-bridge transporting humanitarian workers from the Nigerian capital Abuja to Maiduguri in the northeast state of Borno, which serves as the base for humanitarian operations supporting civilians fleeing the long-running conflict between government forces and non-state armed actors.
“Commercial air services had been suspended due to the conflict and humanitarian agencies were facing a two-day journey by road up to Maiduguri. Our brief was clear, get people from Abuja up to Maiduguri where they were needed most — as quickly as possible,” explains Walker.
Starting with a Dornier 328 Turbo prop aircraft operating on a daily schedule, the UNHAS fleet soon expanded to include four Bell 412 helicopters which make daily flights carrying humanitarian staff and supplies to 11 different towns across Borno, most of which are difficult to access by road.
Based out of the airport in Maiduguri, the UNHAS team is comprised of eight pilots, four crewmen, three engineers, two technicians and an eight-strong support staff. The monthly running cost of the operation is USD 2.1 million.
Apart from the presence of the Nigerian air force, Walker found Maiduguri airport virtually shut down when he first arrived. Establishing an operation that would fly people and supplies into a conflict zone is never simple and no one had attempted what UNHAS wanted to do in Nigeria before. Walker immediately put his energy into building a network of contacts and winning over the local authorities.
“I had to start from the beginning — explaining what humanitarian organizations do and why we were there. Then it was a case of working out where responsibility began and ended between the civilian and the military authorities who run the airport and getting to know key individuals who could make things happen.”
The success of UNHAS largely comes down to the time spent on nurturing these relationships, coupled with a conscious decision to invest in and build the capacity of Nigeria’s aviation industry. The fixed-wing aircraft, crew and staff are contracted from a local operator, Dornier Aviation Nigeria AIEP. The physical presence of UNHAS in Maiduguri has also sent a positive message — that the UN is here to help.
But the UNHAS operation can be fraught with a variety of challenges. Walker is candid about the levels of unpredictability that he routinely has to manage.
“Every day we can expect the unexpected. The operation could suffer an epic fail for any number of reasons.”
It is mid-rainy season in Borno and early the next morning a torrential downpour has temporarily grounded the helicopter fleet.
This means re-prioritising some flights and rescheduling others. At this time of year flooding can sever road links to some locations and the UNHAS helicopter fleet can offer the only way in or out.
As the weather clears, an emergency call comes in on the radio requesting an airlift of a critically malnourished child suffering organ failure from the town of Rann, close to the Cameroon border. Emergency medical evacuations take precedence over everything and a helicopter is immediately scrambled to make the two-hour round-trip.
With most medical facilities outside Maiduguri crippled by the conflict, UNHAS provides the only life-saving evacuation service in Borno. Since 1 February, the team have been called out to airlift 37 critically ill or wounded people.
“Some are complications associated with acute malnutrition and other illnesses but many tend to be cases of civilians with gunshot wounds or blast injuries caused by improvised explosive devices,” explains Walker.
Safety and security considerations govern every decision that Walker makes and much of his time is spent liaising with the military.
As UNHAS is operating in a conflict zone, permissions to fly can change by the minute. Up-to-date intelligence and an acute understanding of the operating environment is needed to ensure that UNHAS crews and passengers are never put in harm’s way.
The logistics of running an operation of this scale are extremely complex. With literally hundreds of flight requests coming in each week from more than 56 humanitarian organizations, the UNHAS team have to piece together a flight plan that tries to meet everyone’s needs. Security is paramount.
Flight schedules are never the same and seat confirmations can only be shared with passengers the night before to ensure that the helicopters do not become a target for the non-state armed actors who may be waiting on the ground.
As the longest serving international staff member of the UN in Maiduguri, Walker’s motivation remains undiminished.
In the first seven months of this year, his team ferried over 36,000 humanitarian workers into the conflict zone and 75 tons of cargo.
“I’ve watched the humanitarian operation in the Northeast grow and change and I’m in no doubt that the work we do in UNHAS is saving lives. The success of every humanitarian sector, whether it be the delivery of medical services, clean water, logistics or food, depends on the air support we provide. That’s why I’m here.”
UNHAS Nigeria is fully reliant upon the support of international donors to fund its operating costs. The main donors include the US and UK governments and the European Union. To continue its operations, UNHAS Nigeria urgently requires US$ 9.2 million through March 2019.
Fuller is the Ag. Head of Communications, WFP Nigeria
The crisis rocking the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may well be a blessing in disguise.
Several attempts had been made to streamline the Nigerian football season with contemporary practice of running club competitions from August to May. We will recall the club versus country controversy which pops up whenever African stars are invited to national duty for Africa Cup of Nations in January, a crucial period for clubs in Europe and South America.
In view of this, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has resolved that from the next edition in 2019, the tournament will hold in June and July, which is the off-season for most of the world’s leagues. The club competitions – CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup – will also switch from a February to November schedule to an August to May calendar starting from 2019. The transition begins this year with the 2018/19 inter-club competitions, which kicks off in November this year and climaxes on June 1, 2019.
Meanwhile, the NFF and other stakeholders of the beautiful game in the country are worried about how not to miss the fast approaching deadline for next season’s CAF club competitions, given that our top flight league has 14 rounds of matches to go. On Monday, the NFF mandated its sub-committees (Organising, Technical and Development, Finance, Marketing, Football and Ethics, and Fairplay), to suggest the way out of meeting CAF’s October 15 deadline, when FAs are to submit entries for the two continental club competitions.
“The road-maps designed by these sub-committees would be thoroughly scrutinised by the Emergency Committee early next week with a view to approving and streamlining feasible work plans,” the NFF statement said.
At the heart of the matter is what the federation itself has identified as finding “a credible conclusion to the various leagues in this football season.” Staring us in the face is the reality that 14 Matchdays in the 2017/18 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) can’t be completed in seven weeks, not forgetting the AITEO Cup, which still has at least five more stages to reach the finish line.
This is where the doctrine of necessity comes into play. Political actors adopted it to save the nation from constitutional crisis in 2010 when an ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua failed to transmit power to his deputy Dr Goodluck Jonathan, and almost grounded the country. The doctrine of necessity is hinged on extra-legal actions with the objective of restoring order.
If we go by the rules, we may have to ask the teams to play three matches per week to conclude the season before October 15. In a country as geographically massive as ours and with teams travelling by road, this is practically agreeing to a dead sentence for the players and officials.
The other option is to perhaps borrow the example of leagues like Scotland where teams are divided into two equal sections in the concluding phase of the season to determine the champions and relegated sides. By the time the 2017/18 NPFL was suspended ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Russia, these were the 10 teams in the upper rung of the ladder: Lobi Stars, Akwa United, Kano Pillars, Enyimba, Plateau United, Niger Tornadoes, Katsina United, Abia United, Rivers United and Rangers. In the lower section were: MFM, Nasarawa United, El-Kanemi Warriors, Wikki Tourists, Kwara United, Go Round, FC IfeanyiUbah, Sunshine Stars, Yobe Desert Stars and Heartland.
If this option is accepted and the top 10 teams are made to complete the season facing themselves, they will not have the same number of matches since some of them had completed their head-to-head before the league went on recess. The outstanding fixtures among these 10 teams, for instance, will see Niger Tornadoes play eight matches, while Lobi Stars will have seven games. All the other teams have six outstanding matches, except Katsina United with five. A similar scenario applies for the bottom 10 teams. How then do we achieve a fair outcome when the teams don’t play equal number of matches?
This is the time for the team administrators to subsume their interests and act in the overall interest of Nigerian football. The NPFL should be considered to have ended, which means Lobi Stars, the top team at the time of the force majeure, should be crowned champions and immediately registered for the 2018/19 CAF Champions League. This will allow the football administrators time and energy to focus on completing the AITEO Cup, whose champions should emerge before October 15 and be fielded for the CAF Confederation Cup.
In the same light, no team should be relegated from any of the divisions or promoted to the upper level. Clubs and other stakeholders will lose revenue from gate-takings and sales, but it’s the sacrifice everyone has to pay to get our football back on track.
We can then work towards commencing the 2018/19 season in the next two months – allowing for transfer of players and officials. If we don’t have another man-made crisis, our football season should achieve the August to May calendar by next year.
Muyiwa Akintunde is a public relations consultant and sports enthusiast
…HIV positive kids can do everything other children do! – Delta Govt
Nigeria’s HIV epidemic affects all population groups and geographic areas of the country. Consequently, February 2015, the Federal Government signed into law the HIV/AIDS anti-discrimination bill to protect the rights and dignity of people living with HIV. Thus, making it illegal to discriminate against people based on their HIV status.
In this fourth edition of the diary-like five-part investigative series on HIV across seven states in Nigeria- Ogun, Lagos, Delta, Imo, Benue and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, TOBORE OVUORIE, reveals many parents in Delta and Imo states respectively, are still ignorant about HIV. Thus, stigmatizing and discriminating against children living with the virus. These children are not only overlooked when populations disproportionately impacted by the epidemic are assessed, they are also denied their human rights to educational opportunities.
THE STORY SO FAR
The journey to Lagos state which birthed the first part of this series was an eyeopener for me garnished with a potpourri of extra findings and emotions.
I will write about the extra findings in a followup publication to this series.
Ogun state- the schools and parents, which unveiled the second partof this race left me with a mixture of goose pimples and pounding headache. My pen wasn’t missing but my muse abandoned me. While it was on holiday, I shuttled the hospital hunting for a cure to the pounding headache which caressed my head.
“You are reacting to unpleasant experiences,” my doctor told me. Sadly, I couldn’t share the trauma with him. Only my editor has such pre-publication right. He gave me some medications. “These at least, will help you sleep and relax,” he told me with a so-you-don’t-wanna-tell-me-what-is-eating-you expression.
A combination of my Lagos and Ogun state experiences have created a hollow, numbness, and pains in me. These experiences, like the Sahara desert’s heat, have sucked my words. Reason I can’t explain exactly how I feel.
But I kind of got my groove back with Edo state. I laugh alone night-after-night, while playing back unused interview tapes. “My people no dey carry last!” I exclaim often; most time, about 2am. Parents’ responses reeked of discrimination and stigmatization, yet had this hilarious bend. I have many unused interviews from Edo, (Lagos and Ogun states as well), but I play them almost every night so I can laugh and be able to write.
The story’s journey so far, has re-birthed me. I have gotten used to being told and snubbed with varieties of no! It doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. I doubt if I would give a damn should someone from any of the places I have been to recognize me and tell whoever that my supposed kids and I are HIV positive.
But to be honest, writing this fourth part of the series has been tedious for me.
“I feel like my head is filled with air,” I remember telling Mr. Muyiwa Lucas, one of this paper’s line editors. We were just about leaving the newsroom Friday August 24th. It was 10:05pm, my wristwatch told me.
“You need to sleep, eat and rest. It’s a sign of fatigue,” he had advised.
“I will,” I promised. But added a caveat. “After the whole series have been delivered, I will pamper myself to a day’s sleep and rest before hitting the road for the next stage of the developing story.”
“You’re too stubborn!” Mr. Lucas picked his bag and walked away.
I keep talking to myself, asking, “if I were living with HIV, is this what I would be facing?” I am holding onto the light with my hands and using my legs to kick the darkness my Lagos, Ogun and Edo states experiences have ushered in.
I don’t know which is better: the Lagos and Ogun state schools where I was outrightly told no without pretense and diplomacy or the Delta and Imo state schools where I was also told no, with so much smiles but well accompanied with caveats?
DO NOT BRING YOUR HIV CHILD TO THE SCHOOL UNTIL THE HIV TREATMENT IS COMPLETED!
Her voice was cool. And accent on point. I wished my friends who always mocked me that those of us from Warri can never speak good English no matter how well travelled, were there. I would have told them “Edulyn Schools is in Warri Delta state! Come and listen to correct English straight from Warri!”
The discussion kicked off well with the school administrator telling me all teachers will be on ground first week of September. Learners, like my supposed daughter, would be welcomed second week of September, while the entry form is N3,000 only.
Possibly, I should have allowed the conversation linger some more. Truth is, I never expected what followed. I had gone on to tell her my husband wanted me to confirm if our daughter’s health status wouldn’t be an issue. “The child is HIV positive,” I had calmly announced.
There was silence. It seemed like eternity to me. Then, she hummed. And hummed. A double “Y-e-a-h” followed. Then, she continued with so much finality like she had earlier rehearsed for it. “For now, we may not have to admit her anymore. And thank you for informing us. I think the treatment has to take place. Has she started the treatment?”
“Yes, she has started.” Again, like while in Lagos and Ogun states, something in me died.
“When the treatment is completed, I think we may have to admit. But for now, I wouldn’t say we are going to admit.”
I was confused. “HIV treatment completed? Is it ever completed?” I asked myself in a flash of seconds.
“Because we don’t have the facilities to check it. We don’t,” she added.
I became confused the more. “Facilities to check HIV in a school? What facilities?” I asked myself again. Make she kuku say dem nor want HIV pikin instead of all dis kakara talks, I was speaking to myself in Warri pidgin. She should simply say a child living with the virus is not wanted in their school, rather than dancing around a cycle, I said to myself.
I tried to push further. “I will call subsequently when the session has begun, maybe you may want to have a review of her.”
It didn’t work.
She added a caveat. “But please, let the treatment be completed before you bring her to the school. We will appreciate it.”
The excited me died.
SCHOOLS IN DELTA STATE DON’T NEED FACILITIES TO MANAGE HIV POSITIVE STUDENTS
This is supposed to be just a story. So, I don’t understand why I was so pained. Actually, I still am. So, much more later; before publication, I put a call through to Dr. John Osuyali, Executive Secretary, Delta State Agency for the Control of AIDS (Delta SACA) to confirm if schools need any or certain facilities before kids living with HIV can be admitted.
He giggled. I heard it clearly. Then replied.
“I am not aware of that.”
I went further to briefly share my experience with him. And asked again if schools need certain facilities before students living with the virus can be admitted?
“Not in Delta.” He answered.
HIV TREATMENT IS NEVER COMPLETED!
As I write this report, I still don’t understand why the response from the Edulyn school’s administrator ruffled me. It sure did. Reason when I spoke with the Delta SACA helmsman, I reeled on “Please sir, I equally want to find out, in children, can HIV treatment be completed?”
He didn’t giggle this time.
In his usual very calm manner, he replied “We don’t treat HIV half way.”
Oh. If the Edulyn school administrator actually knew HIV is never treated half way, then she was only garnishing the no she told me with some chocolates! I imagined again with my eyes fixed on the wall clock in my living room.
SORRY! OUR BOARDING FACILITIES NOT FOR HIV POSITIVE KIDS
PEARLVILLE SCHOOL, OWERRI
22nd, August 2018,
7.25pm
Dr. Nneka, a Business Developer with Pearlville School, Owerri, smiles often. And has so much warmth and positive vibes emanating from her. She phoned me night of the last day of Sallah. It was a working holiday for me. One of the downside of journalism.
The online editor of the paper, Mr. Lekan Otunfodunrin was planning how the series would be published when Dr. Nneka’s call jumped in. I answered the call but placed it on speaker, while a colleague recorded. She told me how she had been trying to track my phone number all the while, the reason she was phoning that late.
“Anything goes, provided I get my story,” I told myself smiling.
When I made the admission inquiry (earlier), I had disclosed the supposed child’s status. And she had promised to phone me after speaking with the school’s doctor.
Though later. But she did.
“When I called the doctor, then, I had to call the management for a quick meeting and we were like there is no problem with that (admitting a child living with the virus). But when the doctor now called back, she said actually, there is no issue with that but only that the school is a boarding school. If we have a day school, because they are only four in a room, that wouldn’t have been a problem. The problem is not us. The problem is that it’s a boarding school. She (the school’s doctor) advises that the child attends a day school. For now, we are not running a day school yet. That is the issue now.”
Honestly, I was confused. “Why can’t a child living with HIV be in the dormitory?” I have been asking myself. I still am.
HIV POSITIVE KIDS CAN DO EVERYTHING AND ATTEND BOARDING SCHOOLS!
Indeed, I was worried after being told my supposed daughter should be a day-student, as she cannot be in the dormitory. I turned to Dr. Osuyali.
“Children living with HIV, can they attend secondary schools with just boarding facilities. That is, can they be boarders in secondary school?”
In his usual very calm manner, he answered “There is no discrimination in Delta state to the best of my knowledge. Please, let me know if there is anyone you have identified. And if they have, well, if you bring it to our notice, we will look it up.”
“So, you are saying in essence that children can attend boarding schools even though they are living with HIV?”
“Everything. They are totally covered to do everything other children do,” he said with 100 percent finality.
Mr. Steve Aborisade, Advocacy and Marketing Manager, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), was dismayed when I sought a second opinion from him if kids living with the virus are not supposed to be in boarding schools.
“Why are we zeroing in on HIV? That is the question?” he began with much emotions. “There are so many other conditions that are there. Why HIV? So, why do people think children living with HIV cannot stay in a boarding house?” he continued.
I could hear the thundering echo of wherever he was. And his voice kept rebirthing it. “There are acts of discrimination. There are acts of stigmatization fueled by ignorance anywhere, everyday. It happens. It’s happening,” he added.
He said there are so many acts of discrimination even within families. According to Mr. Aborisade, there are families that send their kids (who test positive to HIV) out of the house. He also disclosed there are families that abandon their children. “Just because they don’t understand the issue. It is ignorance.”
He said the discrimination is as a result of the fact that people lack knowledge about the issue. And blamed the media for the populace’s ignorance, saying the public depends on the media to define their reality.
Schools like Ray Jacob Boarding School, Mgbidi and Alvana Model School, Owerri, both in Imo state, didn’t stab any part of me. They are expecting my supposed daughter living with HIV when their new academic calendar begins September 10th. I saw and felt their sincerity of wanting her.
Every other schools visited in Delta and Imo states respectively, buried a part of me. There are over 10 of them. For now, I wouldn’t list their names. I am hoping before I write the followup to this series, they would have honored their words to phone me like they promised. I have been phoning them since the initial contact. Some do take my calls telling me they will still get back to me. Others don’t. But when I use another phone number in calling, they all do take my calls but immediately tell me they will be in touch soon.
***
Out of over five million persons in Delta state, 78,359 person, according to the state’s governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, are living with HIV. The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) says the state has a prevalence rate of 0.7 percent. At the moment, 8,257 are eligible for treatment in the state, while 28,000 are currently accessing the life-saving Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARV).
NACA and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) in a 2017 Spectrum Estimates indicate no fewer than 2,634 kids between the ages of zero to 14 years are living with HIV in the state. Of these, 57.55 percent are covered by the Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) scheme.
The NACA/UNAIDS survey further reveals no fewer than 30,900 persons from 15 years and above have the virus in them within the state. Of these, 69.22 percent are covered by the ART care.
The survey also states no fewer than 1,220 persons in the state have freshly contracted the virus, while no fewer than 2, 772 mothers are in need of prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) care.
The Dr. Okowa, December 2017, had called for increased advocacy on HIV/AIDS to eradicate stigmatisation and discrimination in the country.
DR OKOWA
“I enjoin all stakeholders to re-double their efforts at educating our people on the HIV/AIDS pandemic, as well as to take proactive steps at eradicating stigma and discrimination among the citizenry.
“It is a known fact that many people are generally aware of HIV/AIDS, but correct knowledge on how to prevent the infection is rather limited, due mainly to unfounded myths and outright denial of the reality of HIV/AIDS,” he had said during last year’s World AIDS Day.
Indeed, interviews with many parents and kids in secondary schools in the state confirmed Dr. Okowa’s assertions.
“NO SCHOOL FOR OUR CHILDREN WHO TEST POSITIVE TO HIV!”
Mr. Gentle is an automobile repairer at Jakpa, in Warri, Delta state. He said it is none of his business if his younger brother’s classmate is HIV positive because he or she may have contracted the virus after absconding from school to partake in “illegal sexual matters.”
It doesn’t end there. Should his younger brother test positive to HIV, he says he wouldn’t give a damn. But he fears contracting the virus from him.
However, he wouldn’t allow his sibling be friends with anyone who is HIV positive. But if it were his sibling living with the virus, he wouldn’t disclose it to the school for fear of discrimination.
But he later changed his mind. He will inform the school about the brother’s HIV status only after he has been withdrawn from school. That way, according to him, the school can check other students if anyone has contracted the virus from him.
Mr. Gentle believes withdrawing his brother from school is the only way to prevent spread of the virus in the school community.
“People living with HIV do not live long,” he said. He doesn’t know there is a medication- antiretroviral, for HIV. Though he has been seeing it on TV, he doesn’t know it is real.
Many parents interviewed, not only in Delta state, feel ending a child’s education is the way to go in curbing the spread of HIV. Mary, a trader at the Sapele part of the state, joined other parents in saying she will withdraw her child from school should the classmate test positive to HIV. She fears her child will contract the virus because children play with anything, sharp objects inclusive.
But if her own child were to test positive to the virus, while seeking admission, she wouldn’t disclose his status to the school authorities “because they will not admit him.”
She talked about her brother too. If he were already in school when his status is discovered, she wouldn’t disclose it to the school authorities. She would rather withdraw him from school. She fears he will play with sharp objects, thus endangering the lives of others by spreading the virus.
“I will tell my child not to eat with his classmate who tests positive to HIV,” said Mr. Lucky, an automobile repairer in Ughelli, Delta state. I told him the virus cannot be contacted through eating together. And he asked me why. “It requires exchange of blood for transmission to occur,” I told him.
He didn’t believe me.
He went on to tell me the virus will spread if someone who is HIV positive uses his teeth in tearing a piece of meat for an HIV negative person to eat. He is not against his child playing with a kid living with the virus but wouldn’t allow them eat together.
When I asked if he would inform the school authorities should his child test positive to the virus, he retorted “how will you say my child has HIV!?. My child cannot have HIV.” I calmed him down that that is why I had included ‘God forbid’ in the question.
He let it slide.
But Mr. Lucky believes HIV cannot be hidden as it is visible on anyone living with the virus. I told him it is never written on the forehead. He admits being aware of that fact but still insists “It cannot be hidden. It will still show. People will still know.”
TRANSMISSION OF HIV THROUGH TEETH-MEAT SHARING? IT DEPENDS…
Mr. Lucky is not the only parent who has fears that kids without the virus could contract it from those with it while sharing chewed meat or that shared with the teeth (by the infected person). I contacted Dr. Angela Uwakem, Commissioner for health, Imo state.
“You know how HIV is transmitted. First of all, there has to be some fluid exchange. So, it is not as simple as that. It depends on the fluid. If there is fluid in the mouth; saliva. That is why we talk about kissing.
“So, it depends on what is the fluid content. If the membranes are intact; there is no blood exchange, there will be no problem. But if saliva becomes exchanged, there is a risk. So, it depends,” she explained while on a journey by road from Enugu to Imo state.
Mama Glory, as she is called by everyone, is a trader who often has many children flock around her shop where she sells different household items. Though she loves children and feels comfortable having them around, but it comes with a condition: they must never test positive to the virus. Should it turn out the other way, and such a child is classmate to hers, she will withdraw her own child from the school. Mama Glory is afraid her daughter may contract the virus because “HIV is a disease.”
MAMA GLORY
I listened to her bare her mind. She believes HIV can be cured. Asked if her daughter were HIV positive, would she inform the school while seeking admission? She said “I will first get her treated before taking her to school. I must be certain she is healed before I get her into a school.”
She would do this in order to prevent the spread of the virus in the school community. Mama Glory is driven by the belief: Do unto others as you want it done unto you.
Mr. James, a business man, will also not inform the school should his child test positive to the virus. “No need of telling the school. How can I tell the school? I will do it (take care of her) on my own,” he said.
He fears that telling the school will lead to either her expulsion or people rejecting her.
I pushed our talks further by asking if he will allow his daughter marry a man who is HIV positive. He retorted “is HIV a good thing!?” He wouldn’t allow her because “there is nothing good in HIV.”
Pa. Raphael Obamwonyi, though elderly still works. He is a businessman and father of many children. He has them old and very young. He showed me his very young set of twin. And like other parents I had asked what they would do should their child’s classmate tests positive to the virus, he felt the classmate must be a girl.
“I will tell him not to go close to the girl,” he said. Unlike many parents interviewed, he will not withdraw his son from the school.
Should his son test positive to HIV, Pa Obamwonyi thinks not disclosing the status to the school authorities is a sin. “As an elder in the church, I don’t need to hide sickness since it is unfortunate that the child is sick, but for it not to spread, I will tell the teacher.” He said possibly the school authorities may have some useful advice for him.
Then, I pressed the wrong button.
I asked if he will support his son if his fiancee were living with the virus?
Pa Obamwonyi went hysterical.
“Haaaa…! Noor! Why are you talking like this?” He gesticulates with hands flying in the air. Though an elder in church, Pa Obamwonyi said he will first gift his son a thundering slap for daring to want to marry a lady who is HIV positive. He told me it is an impossible mission
“You mean if a child tells the father he wants to commit suicide (via marrying someone with the virus), won’t you first kill that child yourself than he dying by himself? That is death!” he retorted.
He doesn’t believe someone without the virus can be married to a person living with HIV and yet not get infected.
“No father will tell such a child to carry on knowing fully well his child isn’t living with the virus…I will punch his mouth to remove his teeth so that the HIV positive lady won’t marry him anymore.”
He was still hysterical.
I turned the table around. And he maintained that if it were his son with the virus, he will allow only a woman living with HIV to marry him in such situation.
The NACA and UNAIDS spectrum estimates indicate 3.61 percent persons are living with HIV in Imo state. The state tops 17th position amongst the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory, in NACA’s HIV ratings.
Imo state, according to the NACA/UNAIDS survey, is one of the high burden states supported by international partners. Notwithstanding this, no fewer than 115,303 persons from 15 years and above are living with the virus. Of these, 34.94 percent of them are under the ART coverage.
The survey yet reveals 7,782 children between age zero to 14 years are HIV positive in the state with 45.58 percent of them under the ART coverage. Unfortunately, no fewer than 13,987 persons freshly contracted the virus in the state while 7,227 mothers are in need of prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services.
Governor Rochas Okorocha
March 2017, the state governor Mr. Rochas Okorocha had cried out over the spread of HIV across the state.
He had blamed the state’s bubbling night life for the increase in the spread of the virus, saying there was no hotel that is not filled every weekends in the state. He had urged parents and guardians to caution their children and wards.
“Night life has no doubt, improved in Owerri. We will continue to light the streets. We should however remember that the situation carries with it, a collateral danger like HIV and this is why we should be very careful,” he had said last year.
Children of school age, unfortunately, are a part of these statistics in the state. However, like adults living with the virus who are discriminated against, they too are not spared.
CAN’T SHARE CUTLERIES, UTENSILS, WITH HIV POSITIVE PERSONS!
Mrs. Chibueze Chimobi told me she is a staff nurse while I warmed her up for the interview. Other parents interviewed before her, while listing their HIV prevention measures included not allowing their kids share cutleries with persons living with the virus. So, I asked her a question in that direction.
“No. No, I will not because of the risk.”
She went on to tell me there may be a mistake. “Being children, they do make mistakes. So, I will not allow my child to share anything with anybody to avoid mistake because fork is part of sharp objects and anything can happen.”
Mrs. Chimobi is not the only parent who has issues with their child sharing cutleries with a person living with the virus. Mrs. Mayah Ikechukwu, a fruits and vegetables seller also tilts in that direction.
“No, I am not going to allow that because my child may have a sore in his or her mouth and if he shares cutlery with this particular HIV person, virus is bound to get into the sore and infect my own child,” she said.
However, should her child test positive to the virus, she would inform the authorities of any school where she goes scouting for admission for him or her. Mrs. Ikechukwu opines that her honesty should pay. And if it doesn’t, there certainly will be a school which would recognize it and grant her child admission.
Her disclosure is for the protection of other kids in school, she told me.
It isn’t just parents who have issues with an HIV negative person sharing personal items like cutleries with a person living with HIV. Tomiwa Sanya, a 17 year old student wouldn’t as well.
I could feel and see sincerity written all over him that he wouldn’t stop being friends with a friend who tests positive to the virus. He has measures in place to protect himself. But like Mrs. Chimobi and Ikechukwu, he too will not share cutleries with anyone living with the virus.
He however takes it further “…I will of course not use his utensils as well.”
He admitted that notwithstanding the virus “only works inside the human system,” he wouldn’t be able to share clothes with a friend from the moment he is confirmed HIV positive.
“At this point, no! no! no!. I don’t know, I feel like it’s just fear; for anything can happen… It’s just the fear of everything,” he told me, while I stood behind the camera, holding onto the handle of the tripod and staring at him
HIV DOES NOT SPREAD THROUGH SHARING OF CUTLERIES
“Cutleries has to do with the spoon, the table knife, the fork. And no research has told us that using all these, you can contract or share HIV.” This is Mrs. Florence Oyakhilome-Edemode, Executive Director of the Edo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (Edo SACA).
Reacting to parents not wanting their children share cutleries with kids living with the virus, the Edo SACA helms-woman said persons who test negative to HIV can only be at risk of contracting it when they share sharp objects. These, according to her, include needles, razor blades,and other sharp unsterilized objects.
“In the first instance, a child is not going to be using table knife to cut fingernails that will endanger him or her to have blood contact through these cutleries.
“Research has told us that except this sharp object is having direct contact with the infected person’s blood, that is the only way he can infect another person.”
“THESE PARENTS ARE BEING DRIVEN BY IGNORANCE!”
Mr. Aborisade explained that these parents are being driven by ignorance.
“What happens when a child plays? Do you get infected with sharing a plate? So, I don’t think we should be giving space to ignorance as projected by these parents, if there are any of them.”
I wondered what he meant by ‘if there are any of them.’ I had sent him link to the first part of this story in which there are audios and videos of such parents.
“I don’t think we should be giving it any attention because they are just speaking from ignorance.”
He said “we simply need to educate them.”
I went on to describe the meat-tearing/sharing fear of some parents.
“I think we are speaking to ignorance. The scenario itself, I doubt if it is going to happen. How many people share meat? How many people use their teeth in cutting meat?” he asked.
I wanted to tell him while I was a child, even now as an adult, while eating, I used and still use my teeth in dividing meat. And while feeding a little baby, I use my teeth in getting some chunk, chew a little to soften it and give to the child. And I see many mothers do it. But I could feel the passion in him and decided not to interrupt his flow.
Mr. Aborisade said such parents are not to be given attention. “We have passed this stage. And that is the reality. We have passed this stage. Anyone who is not aware should come and be educated. We have passed this stage.
“If they were saying this in the last 15 years, that’s okay. But now, we shouldn’t be saying this. And that is the fact. We shouldn’t be saying this. We need to make them understand the fact that the only solution here is for them to be educated.”
He said there are so many other important things (about HIV) than giving space and voice to the ignorance of parents. “If they exist, we shouldn’t educate them because it is taking us to where we have left.”
I was shocked, so asked “are you saying we shouldn’t educate them sir?”
“This is not education. Do you understand what I am saying? This is not education. And there are serious issues. There are serious issues, more serious issues that we need to focus on. That is my position,” he answered.
WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DE-STIGMATIZE HIV!
But Nigeria’s health minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole doesn’t travel same path with Mr. Aborisade. In an interview Saturday August 11th, he expressed concern over the findings in this investigation. He said “What you just told me, if confirmed, shows we still have a lot of work to do in order to de-stigmatize HIV.
“My day will be a day when we will treat HIV just like how we treat hypertension and diabetes. With the treatment we currently have, HIV has become any of those chronic disease that cannot be cured but can be controlled.”
HON MINISTER OF HEALTH, PROF. ISAAC ADEWOLE
He said the parents and school authorities’ discriminatory acts is a reflection of the amount of work yet to be done by the country. The health minister called on all Nigerians to join the movement in eradicating HIV stigmatization in the country. He said people’s discriminatory actions (those in this story and others) is as a result of stark ignorance about how HIV is transmitted.
“It’s not just schools. It’s a situation in which all of us must be involved in education, improving awareness, eliminating ignorance and letting them know HIV is not even like TB where someone is coughing and you pick it. It’s not like pneumonia, it’s not like flu.
“This is good work (referring to this story). And I will pass this message to the team that we have serious work to do. And I will also work with my education colleague (minister of education).”
Editor’s Note: The interview, audio-visual of the child- Master Tomiwa Sanya, in the story, are used with parental consent.
This story was produced with support from Code For Africa and her Naija Data Ladies Fellowship Programme.
