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Tag: child

  • Foundation opens child centre in Calabar

    Foundation opens child centre in Calabar

    In its bid to promote the early educational development of children, the Oando Foundation (OF) has launched an Early Childhood Care Development Centre at St. Patrick’s Primary School in Adiabo, Calabar, Cross River State.

    Director of the foundation, Ms Tokunboh Durosaro, said the programme includes upgrading of the classrooms, training of Early Child Care Development Education (ECCDE) teachers and caregivers by providing them with the necessary skills to work with young children effectively.

    “In addition, OF provides on-site support to teachers in the use of ECCDE equipment and provides educational equipment and furniture such as kiddies’ furniture, white board, children mats, and various children’s teaching aids and toys,” she said.

    She said the centre was established to meet the needs of children based on the approved curriculum which stipulates physical development, affective/psychosocial development, cognitive development, food and nutrition, health, water and environmental sanitation, safety measures and child protection.

    She said, “The programme has been designed to stimulate interest in schooling at a tender age by providing an environment that is child-friendly and age appropriate; ensure the fullest development of personality, talents, and mental and physical abilities; strengthen knowledge on current trends and approaches in ECCDE capacity building for teachers and caregivers; and encourage pupil enrolment and retention in schools.

    “As we know, there is growing scientific evidence that what happens – or doesn’t happen – to a child in the first 1,000 days of life has immediate effects on his or her well-being and future.  Early Childhood care and education services help build cognitive and non-cognitive skills at a time when children’s brains are developing, with long term benefits, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

    Speaking at the event, wife of the Cross River State governor, Mrs Obioma Liyel Imoke, said education is the best gift for every child and should be made available and assessable to every child.

    She lauded Oando for the effort at early childhood educational development.

    Commissioner for Education, Prof Offiong Offiong, expressed gratitude to the foundation for their commitment to the programme and called for other corporate bodies to emulate same.

    He promised to work with the foundation to ensure all their programmes succeeded.

    Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr Joseph Ebam, lauded the foundation for their sense of responsibility in developing education in the state.

    The Obong of Calabar who was represented by the Village Head of Adiabo, Apostle Edet Okon, also expressed gratitude for the gesture and promised to always work with the foundation for the sustainability of their programmes.

  • Medical doctor decries child sex abuse

    A consultant at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, (LUTH) Dr Chidinma Ajayi, has decried child sex abuse, saying children are more vulnerable to abuse in the society.

    She said it has become a social norm, which is underreported as the affected ones are not ready to expose the culprit as a result of social stigma.

    Dr Ajayi, spoke at the African Child Day celebration organised by the National Council of Child Right Advocates of Nigeria,(NACCRAN) Lagos State.

    The event held at the media centre, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos was themed: ‘Sexual abuse and the community’.

    Child sexual abuse, Ajayi said, could either have a long or short term effect on the child as they psychologically live a traumatised life.

    She added that victims are most times violated by someone close to them. She, therefore, advised pupils to be more self conscious and report any abnormal actions from people, who disguise themselves as neighbours, elders, relations or family friends.

    She admonished parents to desist from all forms of child abuse and teach their children sex education.

    State coordinator, NACCRAN, Mrs Olaitan Oshodi, said the society’s greatest asset is the children, which without, is doomed for destruction

    “A child-friendly quality, free and compulsory education should be given to every African child. Education to the child should not be treated as a privilege that the society grants, but a duty that the society fulfils towards all her children,” she said.

  • We have a child between us but we don’t love each other

    We have a child between us but we don’t love each other

    Dear Aunty, please I want you to advise me about a man that I have a child for. I didn’t know that he doesn’t love me until now. What can I do as I don’t also love him again.

     

    It’s important for you to know that being a parent is very important but not as important as being a good parent. You do not have to be with this man if you know that without love, there cannot be true happiness between you. Even in most loving relationships, there are bound to be conflicts, so I wonder how two people who do not love each other can stay together for the sake of the child and not have serious conflicts. But if you can work to manage strong emotions and model how to work through some of it, you may just be able to manage the situation and live together for the sake of the child.

    Are you on a very strong level to provide economically for the child? If so, you may opt for single parenthood. You can however arrange for time for the child’s dad to hang out with him/her to play, enjoy time with the child and show him/her that he enjoy being with you and him/her.

  • Reporter dedicates child 14 years after

    Reporter dedicates child 14 years after

    The family of Chief and Lolo Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, a reporter with Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation dedicated their second child, Master Chimdindu Onyedikachi Ugoji-Eke after 14-and-half years after.

    The dedication which took place at All Saints Methodist  Church Market Road, Aba Abia State attracted friends and well-wishers of the family, prominent among who were members of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State chapter led by its Chairman, Mr. Hyacinth Okoli.

    Guests were later moved to Amokwo Item Hall where they were treated to sumptuous reception. The couple danced to the admiration of their guests.

    In separate interviews with the couple, they attributed the arrival of their son to divine intervention, adding that the child came at a time they least expected.

    According to Lolo Ugoji-Eke, “I am very, very happy to have another baby after having my first child after 13 years of marriage. It is wonderful because, at a time, I was as if all hope was lost, but God just remembered me. I can’t express it. There is no word that is enough to quantify what God has done for me.

    “I have always been hopeful, even when it wasn’t forthcoming, I never lost hope. I knew I will still have more, so I expected the baby. If given the opportunity, I will like to have one or two more babies and I will be done. The reason is that, I would want my son and his sister to have other siblings regardless of their sex(es).

    “For people who are passing through what I passed through in the past (childlessness), I will tell them not to lose hope, because once one is alive, there is hope and God says there shall be no barren women in his presence. So anybody who believes or knows what God can do should be hopeful that one day, it will be his or her turn and that God will remember them. Our children should look up to us for the best. We shall give them the best; with strength and resources from God, whatever is the best is what we will give to them.

    Chief Ugoji-Eke who stood by his wife all through her pregnancy period, said he felt highly elated because the birth of his son was a special case “that after 13 years of marriage, I had my first daughter. My son came exactly 14 and half years after that marriage. So, it is a special blessing and I thank everybody that has found time to be here today to celebrate with me and my family. I thank my office, the Vintage Press because they have been so wonderful, I am supposed to be somewhere with them but they gave me the leverage to be with my family to prepare for this ceremony. I highly appreciate them for their understanding because it is not easy to understand one’s pains and joy and share same with you at the same time, I am so happy.

    “I would say Yes and No, that I expected to have another child after the first one that came 13years after our marriage, because God is the giver of children. It is not about your might, it is about the grace of God. God gave it to us when we didn’t even expect it. If God decides to give us another one, fine but I don’t expect to have more than three because the cost of living now is so high and the best you can do for a child is to him/her a befitting educational background for him/her to grow to become somebody in the society. It is not about how many you have, it is about the quality of education and the standard of upbringing that you give to them that matters a lot.

    “For those who are still childless, all they need to do is to get down on their knees and pray to God without season. Like I said, it is not about strength; it is about praying and seeking the face of God. God will always answer them. God’s time is the best. People may say we had our babies at our old age, yes! But to God, it is nothing. By the grace of God, we will still be alive to see our children grow before our presence and give them the best of education. So, if you believe in God, pray to God, God’s time is the best. They should have patience, focus their lives and supplications unto God, God will answer all their prayers.

    “My promise to man and God is that my children will have the best that I, at my level can afford to give them. They shouldn’t because I had them late suffer, with the much I can produce out of my wealth, they will have it.”

    A close member of the family and also the godfather of Master Chimdindu, Mr. Obasi Ude said that as a godfather he was going to make sure that the child would be trained properly in a most responsible manner in order to not only be useful to the family, but to the society, adding that his family would always assist Ugoji-Eke’s family in helping the child meet his spiritual and material needs.

  • Guaranteeing future of the girl-child

    Guaranteeing future of the girl-child

    Govts urged to transform education

    The problem of the female folk, experts say, starts from their infancy. From childhood, the issue of their subjugation begins to manifest. From infancy, they face the problem of preference of the boy child over them. Again, on human development, the girl-child is also at the receiving end. Parents prefer sending their male children to school. The girls stay at home to carry out domestic chores.

    They also suffer the highest number of school-drop-out in Nigeria. Experts maintain that Nigeria accounts for the highest number of out-of-school girls in Africa.

    This has become a source of worry to individuals, civil society groups and governments at all levels. The international community is no less concerned about the nauseating phenomenon.

    In the circumstances, therefore, the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) has focused attention on the development of the girl child, with special consideration for their education.

    So, to mark the second International Day of the Girl Child, the UNICEF has urged governments at all levels to show more commitment to getting more girls enrolled into schools and improve the quality of learning for all children.

    Despite the decreasing number of girls that are out of school, too many around the world are still denied quality education and a chance to reach their full potential. UNICEF expressed its worry that there is terrifying evidence to the effect that even a single year of secondary school for a girl correlates with as much as a 25 per cent increase in her future earnings. But today, millions of girls are still out of school, including 31 million primary school-aged girls.

    The executive director of UNICEF, Anthony Lake said that “education can transform the lives of girls and strengthen their communities. Innovation can help us reach every girl by transforming education.”

    He further said that with its partners, UNICEF is exploring how technology can increase access to education for out-of-school girls and improve the quality of learning for every child.

    In South Africa, the TechnoGirls partnership among UNICEF, the government, and over 100 private sector companies is connecting 10,000 adolescent girls with mentors from the tech sector to boost their skills and job readiness.

    “Innovation is also helping governments and their partners to reach the-hardest-to-reach children who are at the greatest risk of being out of school. In Uganda, EduTrack is using SMS text messaging to connect students and schools with UNICEF, enabling them to report on learning, teacher quality, and violence in schools.

    “Innovation is not only about technology. It can mean embracing new ways to overcome other barriers that keep girls out of school, like improving sanitary facilities and keeping girls safe as they walk to and from school.

    Continuing, Mr. Lake said: “Innovation is giving us powerful new tools to reach and teach more girls than ever before.

    “To help more girls go to school, stay in school, and complete their learning, we need to keep learning ourselves, using these new tools, generating new ideas, and scaling up the most promising innovations.”

  • ‘My stand on child marriage’

    ‘My stand on child marriage’

    THE last time I spoke to you, you were with the Royal Art Academy. So how far have you gone with your acting career?

    Well, it’s been a very busy year. I have been involved in numerous projects. I did another film with Royal Art Academy this year. It should be released tentatively next year. I’ve done a TV series with Opa Williams. It’s already gone on air. It’s titled Living close to You. I also did a film with Renegade Theatre. They are the same people who performed the stage play, Waiting Room. That’s Wole Oguntokun’s theatre. I think he wanted to experiment a bit with film so he did Tarzan Monologue. He’s done it on stage before but he adapted it for film. I’ve done a couple of short films too.

    Let talk about the stage play, Waiting Room that took you to Scotland…

    It was amazing. I told myself I was going to do one stage play this year. So it just happened. When you are doing stage, you have to let go of everything else because you are having daily rehearsals so you can’t be doing any other thing. The play was staged in Edinburgh in Scotland. It was actually the first Nigerian entry into the Edinburgh Festival Fringe so that was like a big deal. People had not seen a Nigerian troupe performed there before. We were basically like representatives of Nigeria. I felt like a senator. People are watching your every move. But it was really fun. We got good reviews. We got good reception and it’s something that Renegade theatre is definitely looking at continuing because it’s an annual festival. It is one of the biggest theatre festivals in the world.

    Tell us about one particular troupe that wowed you and why?

    A troupe from Scotland itself, they called their play the Bloody Ballad. It was amazing. It was part drama, part musical concert. So they were basically singing and acting out the drama as well. It was just lovely and actors were incredible. They played live instruments. They had people playing different instruments. They were brilliant. I had to Google them and tweet about them. I started stalking one, just following her on Twitter. She was brilliant. Her name is Anna. There was also a troupe from South Africa; in fact one of them was awarded Best Actress while we were there. Her name is Robin Scott. She acted as an old woman. It was just two of them on stage but they held our attention for 1hr 15minutes. Just two people having a conversation on stage, they don’t move, they don’t leave the stage, the light might go off and on but they are still there just change position or something. The performance was brilliant. One of them, the one, who was awarded Best Actress, played an old woman who had Parkinson. Her hands were shaking. She was in character the whole time.

    You seem to be more involved in stage since your foray into the industry?

    As long as I am performing, I’m happy. I am comfortable anywhere.

    What were some of the lessons you drew from the experience?

    I learnt that I shouldn’t limit myself. When I came out of one of the shows, the one that was part drama, part musical concert, I spoke with Wole Oguntokun. I told him how one of the actresses blew my mind with her performance and he told me that it’s something a lot of us can do. It just occurred to me that it’s because we do not necessarily do that kind of genre; we don’t perform that kind of content maybe that’s why I thought she was so fantastic. We don’t get to see that content here.

    There is a show we do every other month, Open Mic Theatre, where actors get together and perform. I spoke with one of my friends with who we always do performances. I told her that we should stop limiting ourselves. We decided that next time we are doing Open Mic Theatre, we would put up a show instead of waiting for somebody else to get the content and come and tell us to come and perform it. That’s what I learnt. I’m not going to limit myself. I’m not going to sit back wait for the kind of content I want. I will create it myself before it comes.

    What the title of the movie?

    It’s titled Knocking on Heaven’s Door. It’s a musical as well.

    Tell us about your role in the movie?

    I played the role of Wunmi. She’s a best friend to the lead character which was played by Adesua. What Emem Isong did with this one was, she basically used the new generation of Nollywood actors for lead roles. Blossom Chukwu and Adesua played the lead role. There was also Majid Michel and Ini Edo.

    Your career seems to revolve around the Royal Art Academy. Why is that?

    I’m definitely doing other stuff. This year, I co-wrote two different TV series for different producers. I’m not sure about the name of first one. We just used a working title that might change at any time. The second is already in production. We worked with the title, What Are Friends For? So we would see if that changes or not.

    But they are already producing that. Also I’ve being trying to work on my own production for a while. That’s something I’m still working on. It’s going to take a lot of work. Talking about pitching my tent with the Royal Art, they are a good production house and you will want to relate with a product that has value and adds value to you. If they are going to do another production, I will definitely try to be part of it because they do a lot of good works. And it works for actors to project themselves.

    How do you intend to fund a movie project?

    That is definitely the toughest part for every filmmaker. But I strongly believe that a good product will market itself or at least draw people by its potential. For me right now, it’s all about tightening the scripts, the story, making sure it is brilliant.

    What is the hardest part of acting for you?

    I think as with every job, working your way from the ground up is the hard part. For a lot of people, that’s when they lose focus, that is when they run of patience. That is when they become despaired. It’s not exactly easy and sometimes, though you are getting a lot of work done, it does not necessarily translate into money in your account. Like lawyers, you have to put in some pro bono time as well, and that is not funny especially if one is a fulltime actor.

    This is why, you learn to diversify. I cannot afford to be idle for too long. I can’t afford to just be at home for two days. If I’m not on a film set, if I’m not shooting anything, I get writing jobs. I normally get referrals for writing. People call me more to write than to act. There are more actors, I think, than there are scriptwriters. So the minute I am not filming, I try to get writing jobs because the bills have to be paid. That’s the challenge for me, just trying to stay afloat while we are gradually working our way to the top. The downside is you can’t really dedicate time to starting a business on the side because business needs time as well and you don’t always have that kind of time.

    But I’m going to try to strike a balance. I’m looking into starting a clothing line. I’m going to try to find some ways to balance it because I like money a lot. If I’m not making money I’m not happy. I can fall sick if I don’t have money. So when I’m not filming, when I’m not writing, I will try to start a little business on the side.

    Why clothing line?

    It comes easily to me. I’m constantly sketching stuff even when I’m sewing back at home with my tailors. I hardly get time to sew anything in Lagos. Back in Kaduna, my dressmaker doesn’t do anything till I am there. When I’m ready to sew my dress, I spend the whole day with her. We cut it together and it’s usually my sketch. The problem is you can’t make sense of what I’ve sketched because you can’t seem to understand what kind of complex design it is. I have to be there.

    In fact there was a time when I wanted to make some skirts. I stayed at home, cut it, pinned it and then sent it to her. So I think it’s a talent and I enjoy it. I will definitely want to learn how to sew if I find a time. I might never get on a machine and actually sew something but I want to be able to speak the language of tailors. If I tell my tailor for instance, that I want her to helm something, meanwhile what I mean is I want her to tack it she won’t get it. I want to be able to understand and speak the language so that I will explain what I need my tailor to do and they will understand.

    So back to your acting career, would you say that so far it has been worth the while for you?

    It has been. I won’t lie to you. It has been. I have seen myself grow and for me that is very important. If I don’t see growth in what I’m doing then I get easily discouraged. I’ve watched myself grow. It definitely hasn’t been easy but for that growth that I see myself. I’m talking in terms of my craft. The way I will interpret a role now would be completely different from the way I would have interpreted it two years ago.

    In fact, I look back on the work that I did last year and I want to cover my eyes in shame. I could have done it so much better but that’s growth. I have also grown in terms of my value as an actress, other people’s perception and my networking, considering when I came to Lagos I didn’t know one single person but now I can’t say that. It’s almost three years now.

    You are one of the few up and coming acts who have been vocal about the childnotbride issue. Why did you throw your weight behind the campaign?

     

     

     

    It is something that I felt very strongly about, especially coming from a northern background. This is something that happens around us on a daily basis. You see young girls being given away in marriage. I don’t know maybe for some reasons, we didn’t sit up to make any noise about it until it was brought to our attention. This is something that has been happening for a while now and it is time we actually speak about it. It’s something that I feel strongly about because already prior to this time, I had been trying to do a little campaign against rape and other vices that affect the girl child up North. I just started talking about it with my State Government again so when this came up, I was like see what we are saying.

    In other developed countries, when you marry a minor, it’s considered rape. So it is something I feel strongly about and I just thought so why don’t we just make our own voices count. It might not go as far as Omotola’s voice would but it will go somewhere at least it will be registered somewhere in history that we made our point clear. We made our stand known. As Nigerians we face a lot of challenges from the government and we keep quite a lot about it. I guess sometimes, we are just tired, you can’t be talking everyday now but on this issue, I thought it’s an injustice and we should at least make our voices heard. I reached out to a lot of actors within my generation. A lot of people were filming, and I just said you know what? It’s not something we are going to procrastinate or say we want to do a month from now.

    It’s something I want to do instantly. I’m thinking within three days, I want to get you people together let’s do this video. So whoever is available for that day should let me know. There wasn’t a single person I spoke to who didn’t want to be part of the video. But it was more of an issue of time, schedule and everything. Someone like Bayray, she left the set and ran down with her makeup on, to the studio where I was recording the clip and did her bit and left. Everybody was interested. They wanted to make take a stand. They wanted to make their voices heard. I was really glad about that. The truth of the matter is no one will walk up to me and say he wants to marry my daughter but as a Christian, I’m supposed to be my brother or sisters keeper.

    Like I said, it’s not going to happen to us but it is happening to others. You’ve not already sorted out your life and you’ve already been handed over to somebody as his subject, to live his dream. Then you get up one day and you are 23 years old and you realise this is not want you want to do with my life but nobody gave you the chance to make that decision. Nobody gave you the time to chose, to grow and be aware. It is just unfair. It doesn’t matter if it’s about Christians or Muslims but it’s affecting somebody somewhere. So this is about that person.

    What exactly was the nature of the discussion you had with your State Government?

    Over the couple of years, I wake up to the news of rape here and there. So I just thought okay enough. Personally, I know so many people who were raped as children and I thought that I should probably start a little campaign about it. So I reached out to the wife of the Governor of my State. I went to her office to have a meeting with her Personal Assistant and a couple of other people who handle her project. We had a chat about it.

    I feel as if a lot of people don’t even know what rape means. My target was going to be the young ones from Primary to Secondary Schools. If you grow up as a girl not knowing your right first of all, even as a guy when you don’t know what it means to rape, you think it’s your privilege, When you don’t get it that no means no, then you are going to grow up into a person we hear about on the news who must have raped somebody. So I felt I needed to start from the background, from the root.

    I spoke with them about it and they had also outlined to me that these are the things that the wife of the Governor is focusing on so we were trying to work with her own project which was the stage we were when this whole intrusion came up. It’s something we are still working on. If we are not able to fit it into her schedule where she will be able to take it on as her own project, that’s what I wanted then. If we are not able to do that then I would just consider getting funding for us to do it individually. But what I would have wanted was for her to adopt it as one of her own project.

  • Child rescued from ‘kidnapper’ in Oyo

    A vigilance group in Oyo town has rescued a seven-year-old girl from a suspected kidnapper.

    The victim and her elder sister were running an errand for their mother around 8pm when the suspect snatched her.

    It was learnt that the elder sister screamed for help but no one responded.

    She ran home to tell their parents and the Commandant of the Vigilance Group of Nigeria (VGN) in-charge of the local government, Mr. Akeem Lukman, was notified.

    Lukman reported the matter to the police and mobilised a search party.

    It was learnt that the suspect was apprehended in Oroki around 10pm and taken to the Ojongbodu Police Station.

    The suspect said he was not a kidnapper and he “only came to take his daughter away”.

    Asked to show proof that she was his daughter and why he decided to take the child away at night without her mother’s concent, the suspect kept mute.

  • Baby sling, how safe for mother and child?

    Baby sling, how safe for mother and child?

    The world health organization reports that 80-90% of normal populations irrespective of race will at one point in

    time develop pain in the lower back. Though it has been easy to discuss etiological factors for back conditions such as job type, sports, life style, smoking, alcohol, trauma , body proportion and infections, the mechanisms that underpin the complex symptoms have not been exhaustively explained. Pregnancy and the necessary conditions imposed by nursing a baby through the first 18 months of life bring impressed forces to bear on the back bones of the mother and the child she is nursing. The bones of the back are designed in such a way that there are curves, four for a mother and two for a new born child-the other two will develop when the child is able to hold his neck without support, and later when he begins to sit down unaided. These curves help the back bone to bear weight 16(sixteen)times the weight that can be handled by a vertebral column without bends—this is in accordance with engineering principles and in concert with Newtonian Physics(Hooks law). The implication is that any attenuation or exaggeration of these natural curves will be amplified into clinical problems the magnitude of which will be modified, depending on several other considerations.

    It has become fashionable for young African mothers to put their babies in slings and place the slings on their necks with the babies spread out turtle posture, in front or back depending on what activities engaged them at the time. This is different from the older African method of carrying babies across the back with clothe belts of specific texture and size . It is also different from the relatively more expensive use of open or hooded wheeled baby carriage where babies are placed in more comfortable positions

    This discussion highlights how the use of baby slings can harm the bones of the back and lead to early degeneration of the inter vertebral joints . For a mother, resulting back problems such as low back pain may not develop immediately, but later when mother is older. For the child, all sorts of problems involving not only the spine and backbone but other parts of the body such as heart, lungs, and even arrest of growth may occur. Mothers find them selves paying frequent visits to clinics because of one problem or the other. Some babies may become very restless and cry endlessly, refusing any methods of pacification, even breast milk, because, they are unable to speak out their ordeal, discomfort and pain

    The problem of low back pain is worse for mothers who celebrate pregnancies with very short periods between pregnancies. In deed multi parous women that have had repeated exposure to the pregnancy hormones relaxin and progesterone( both are associated with excessive joint laxity and increased tendency for joints to sublux) are more likely to encounter probems.

    Older mothers are particularly vulnerable ; their bones are already getting soft (osteoporotic) because levels of estrogen the female hormone responsible for maintenance of strong bones( via estrogen receptors in osteoblasts), begin to go down as from age 38.

    Working mothers who also do much house hold activities such as cooking, washing, floor washing etc. are at increased risks .Also included are Mothers not getting enough sun light(required by custom to shield self and remain indoors), malnourished mothers not taking enough milk and calcium

    Others;

    Tall mothers, height above 1.8meters. Short mothers, height below 1.4m,

    Mothers with huge breasts, and mothers habitually wearing high heeled shoes

    Mothers and babies who are homozygous SS or carry the trait-AS or SC,AC-In these conditions there is abnormal hemorheology(abnormal blood flow pattern) ,such that red blood cells die in large numbers when they try to move across tiny blood vessels of the capillary beds. The consequences arising from the fragile sickle shaped red cells and their markedly reduced deformability manifest in the form of frequent vaso- occlusive sickle cell crises

    Mothers engaged in occupations which require them to stand for more than three hours or more in one or two stretches . In all these situations, the bones and joints of the back and the muscles that link them are engaged in more work than they are bioengineered to do, and the consequences from prolonged exposure to wear and tear will declare themselves sometime in the life of the individual-depending on duration.

    Mothers of old and in fact in rural communities who carry babies on their backs follow some carefully learned procedures, babies are not immediately strapped on the back immediately after meals, during periods of illness and when they are engaged in physical activities which involve much repeated bending and standing——during prolonged periods of standing, sitting, stooping and squatting, babies become quickly uncomfortable and try to draw attention of mothers by crying, squeezing their trunks and trashing, mothers from higher socioeconomic background pay attention and respond affectionately ,others simply carry on

     

    Positioning the babies involves the following

    The shoulders are abducted and laterally rotated maximally, The hips are also in maximum abduction and lateral rotation

    The neck is in extension and rotated in one direction to keep the face and chin away from mother’s upper back. The neck in normal humans has seven flat bones , with slots or holes placed at the extremes of the sides where huge blood vessels pass to and from the brain and skull. The bones of the neck are arranged in such a way as to allow for more nodding(flexion-extension) movements than rotatory/twisting ones. When mothers strap babies across the back, the neck is either allowed to oscillate between rotation, extension and flexion, or held to one side in twisted position with the blood vessels equally twisted ,resulting in narrowing or kinking .The neck bones and muscles provide protection for very important organs necessary for metabolism /growth and immunity of the growing child. These muscles can go into spasm ,and then fatigue with excessive metabolic wastes-the child will be in pain for as long it takes his mother to change his position or someone points out to her that child is in distress.

    For the growing brain, any little disruption will affect something some where within the vast array of neuronal organization.

    With the baby in sling or strapped on the back, thorax/chest region is curved backwards to reduce the normal kyphotic angle and the lumbar/waist region curved forward in excessive lordosis, but the prominent buttock of the African mother immediately limits anterior ward excursion of the baby’s pelvis, and so baby is held like a bow.

    With the baby strapped into position in mothers back, the following changes can be observed —the thighs are held onto the back and sides of mothers abdomen so the legs are effectively prevented from dangling without support. With the baby sling, the legs dangle freely, but blood vessels and nerves are at increased risk of being trapped.

    With the child on mothers back, the normal kyphosis (backward curve ) of the child’s backbone is distorted as it is forced into the hollow of mother’s back.

    Abdominal organs-liver, spleen, intestine, and stomach are pressed into the little space left.

    The lungs, heart and thick muscle of respiration-diaphragm which separates the trunk into the upper thorax and lower abdomen are all closely packed into this space.

    Venous return to the heart may be affected. The bladder which is an abdominal organ up to age six in children is included here . The genitals –testicles particularly in males is also squeezed on the area of the waist of mother. The ligaments which hold the bones of the back together are forced into tension at three points mainly—the neck, thorax and lumbar regions. The ligaments and muscles which holds bones of the shoulders and waist together are also under tension.

    When the sling is adjusted to hold baby close, the abdominal aorta; a huge blood vessels that supplies blood to the internal organs of reproduction, the bones and muscles of the waist , thighs, legs and feet , may be so compressed as to affect blood flow . Baby slides down and there is increased tendency for one group of muscles to slacken while the opposing groups go into exaggerated tension. As is often the case, Baby cries and trashes to draw mothers attention who draws sling tighter— This results in greater tension in the cervical (neck) and thoracic (chest) portions of the back bone. At some point, diaphragm is splint, reducing the thoracic capacity and child may find it difficult to breathe well; chest diseases which mothers cant explain.

    Some mothers prefer to have the baby in front, resting partly on the abdomen within the sling, the resulting problems depend among other issues on whether or not the mother has abdominal type obesity, height and lifestyle, size of the baby etc . Similar to what has been discussed, the head dangles here and there-a condition not very healthy for the growing brain, which in life appears like tooth paste but contains nerve bundles arranged in awesome and sophisticated pattern. Unlike the back, there is no free space when baby is hung in front, and the child’s abdomen presses on that of his mother much like pushing one ball of doughnut against another. Apart from causing great discomfort for the child, his back bone is excessively bent backwards to fit into the sling, – and each time mom tries to adjust baby inside the sling, the joints and the different parts of the back bones which are still soft (fusion not complete until about age six) are jolted and slammed against other parts , the results though similar to what was discussed earlier are worse when baby is in the sling in front of a fat, tall heavily breasted Mom. For reasons that have been explained, there will be episodes of unexplained illnesses every now and then, involving, nearly every system or portion in the growing child. Developmental milestones may not be grossly affected but subtle deviations from normal will be observed often ascribed to growing pains, teething, malaria, seasonal variation disorders, spiritual problems etc

    Suggestions

    Keep babies preferably out of slings

    If you must use baby slings, use the types that are adjustable and have enough pockets to house body segments-don’t use baby slings for extended periods of time –imagine your self in that position.

    Observe, feel and listen to baby-particularly when in the sling—these are easier said, especially when someone else and not the mother is carrying baby in sling, and mother is not around to see how much pain and suffering baby is going through. Some mothers/parents in developed countries install what is referred to as ‘I am seeing you’’ soft ware into home video systems that capture activities in the home and enable them communicate with whoever is nursing their babies while they are away.

    If you can afford it, get the hooded or open baby carriage system which comes in various forms, For those who can not afford such sophisticated products, any other arrangements will do-provided baby is placed to lie as comfortably as possible There are some that can be detached, assembled and placed as desired in cars, floors, tables, in offices and other safe places depending on the size and age of the baby. The bigger ones that can be pushed are now the vogue. Expensive quite alright but with small families, as opposed to large ones, they are affordable to those who plan.

     

  • ‘Let your child complete primary six’

    This year’s graduation was special at Mind Builders Schools, Ikeja, Lagos as it was the first time the secondary education arm of the school, Mind Builders High School was producing graduands.

    The six pioneer SS3 graduands joined 19 Primary Six pupils who had completed their education in the Omole and Central Business District (CBD) branches of the school for the colourful valedictory service and graduation held at the CBD School hall.

    Given that many parents do not allow their wards to complete Primary Six, it was a delight for the school to have up to 19 Primary Six pupils for the graduation.

    In the course of the programme, parents were counseled by Head Teacher, Mr Ezekiel Awe to allow their wards to complete six years of primary education, as stipulated by the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Law, rather than drag them to secondary school after completing Primary Five.

    Awe said going to secondary school is not just about passing entrance examinations but maturing. He said completing Primary Six helps pupils to mature and even have an edge academically.

    He gave examples of pupils who completed Primary Six who are now excelling in various secondary schools.

    “Please parents, let your children pass through Primary Six. If they do, they will be better prepared for secondary schools. Those that passed through Primary Six here are now excelling, winning scholarships,” he said.

    The valedictory/graduation programme featured hymns, bible readings, exhortation, special performances by the pupils of other classes, as well as presentation of testimonials and awards.

    Speaking on the High School graduation, Education Director, Mrs Bolajoko Falore, said she was particularly happy that despite their small number, the SS3 graduands sat for the 2013 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the school.

    “I feel very proud and happy. It has not been easy. This is the first set and what gives me joy is that they wrote their WASSCE in this hall. WAEC told me that I had to pay a surcharge but I did not mind. If we had to take them to another school, I won’t be able to know their standard. I want to be able to know our lapses; where we have to measure up,” she told The Nation.

    Addressing the graduands, Mrs Falore urged them never to forget the school’s core values of character and excellence, wherever they go. She counseled them to also be hard working.

    “Education will pave the way for you but hard work is very essential. Instead of being discouraged by challenges, recognize that the more you struggle. The sweeter the reward will be in the end,” she said.

     

  • Akwa Ibom ‘child-witches’ still endangered

    Akwa Ibom ‘child-witches’ still endangered

    Every Akwa Ibom child will be completely protected by this law we are signing today, and this is a commitment we would protect with all the might of the legal instruments at our disposal. We have come to make a law to protect everything we cherish and value….”

    Those were the words from Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio shortly after signing the Child Rights Bill into Law on December 5, 2008.

    The law became necessary after many parents and guardians in the state subjected their children/wards to inhuman treatments after branding them “witches” and “wizards”.

    The events leading to the passage of the law are still fresh in the memories of many as the state was subjected to global odium by a report on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on alleged child-witches and inhuman treatments meted to them by their parents and communities.

    A self-styled cleric, Bishop Sunday William, declared in the report that 2.3 million witches and wizards existed in the state – most of them, according to him, are children.

    Williams also claimed that he helped parents kill about 110 “child-witches” for as much as N400,000 per ‘witch’.

    The BBC documentary on the activities of his church went viral on the internet. It angered Akpabio that a ‘Bishop’ would declare that 2.3 million witches existed in a state of less than 4 million people; leaving just 1.7 million of the population witch-free.

    The governor immediately ordered the Bishop’s arrest. The Bishop was later paraded at the State Police Headquarters, where he told reporters he did not kill the children as alleged, but merely destroyed spirits of witchcraft in them.

    “I started destroying the spirits of witchcraft from people since 2007. I only destroyed the spirits out of the people up to 110 but not killing the main people.

    “You can see behind me some of the children whom I have destroyed the spirit of witches out of them.”

    Akpabio dismissed the 2.3 million witches claim. The governor, who spoke at a ceremony organised by Inoyo Toro Foundation in honour of Science, Mathematics and English language teachers in Uyo, said some of the children had confessed to being witches and wizards when they were tortured by their parents and church leaders.

    Akpabio said: “If you put a nail on my head and ask me to agree that I am a wizard, I would do that to save myself from torture. That is how these children are tortured to accept that they are witches and their parents would gladly throw them out of the house.

    “We will not only destroy such churches, but also get their pastors prosecuted and jailed to set example for others because some churches are deceiving people.”

    While the number of such persons prosecuted since the enactment of the law remains unknown, cases of maltreatment and abuse continue to increase daily in the state.

    Commissioner of Police Umar Gwadabe said the command was grappling with the rising tide of violence against persons accused of witchcraft.

    His words: “On several occasions, our men were called upon to rescue vulnerable persons, such as women, children and the elderly who are falsely accused of being witches, and who are being subjected to untold acts of torture and brutality by some criminal elements.

    “A case in point is the rescue of two male children aged nine (9) and six (6) years Mmenyene and Samuel who were branded as wizards in a village called Ikot Obio Asanga. They were rescued in a toilet having been locked up for 14 days without food and water.

    “This followed a so-called prophesy that the children were wizards and responsible for the misfortune that had befallen the family. Those involved, the father and a prophetess had been picked up and charged to court.”

    One of such unlucky victim was 12-year-old Mercy Frank, whose mother bathed her with acid because a prophet claimed she was possessed by witchcraft.

    When our reporter met Mercy at the Children Ward of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), she was sitting alone and begging for food.

    Mercy, before the acid bath, attended Atabong Primary School in Oron. The acid bath affected her breasts, mouth and other parts of her body.

    Narrating her sad story, she said: “I am from Atabong village in Oron Local Government Area. I am the second child in the family of four children. My mother poured acid solution on my body that is why my mouth and my body are like these.

    “One of our neighbours told my mother that I was a witch but I told her that I was not a witch. She took me to Apostolic Church in Atabong, Oron and the pastor told her that I was a witch. When the pastor asked me if I was a witch, I told him I was not a witch.

    “The pastor prayed and told my mother that I was a witch then we went back home after the prayer. When we got home that night, my mother canned me seriously. Other neighbours begged her to let me be but she refused.

    “Later at midnight, my mother took me to a deep forest and poured acid solution on me and dropped me by the roadside and left.”

    She said security agents brought her to the hospital after seeing her in pains and crying by the roadside.

    Mercy was lucky to survive the attack.

    Effiong Lawson was not. He was recently beheaded, allegedly by his stepfather, Felix Lawson, 43, who accused him of being a wizard. Sources said Lawson accused the child of being responsible for the fate of his wretched and poverty-stricken family.

    Eyewitness said the incident occurred while the suspect was enjoying his meal after returning from work on the fateful day.

    His hungry step-son reportedly sneaked into the backyard and whispered to his younger sister to bring him leftover food to stop his hunger.

    But the enraged stepfather, who heard and recognised his voice, went for his machete and attacked the child.

    Two friends of the late Effiong’s who accompanied him to the house, sensing the danger from the stepfather, took to their heels but the late Effiong was not as lucky. He was overpowered and beheaded by the irate father.

    Our investigations revealed that these and other incidents occurred despite the Child Rights Law.

    Observers say the state government needs to exercise its judicial power and make the law function effectively by ensuring that perpetrators, like Effiong, are punished by the court to serve as deterrent to others.