Help Ijeomah live

I met her mum about this time last year. I didn't think we were going to keep in touch and become friends. A few 'his and hellos' once in a while was our routine until I saw her dp and read about her daughter in the Punch news paper . I met Ijeomah for the first time a few days ago and all I could do was brace up and pray for this young lady. Having to go through at least 3 dialysis sessions every week is enough to sap energy and the will to live from anyone; but it isn't so with Ijeomah. Even after her 37th dialysis session, she smiled and spoke with little strength; yet full of hope and aspirations! I took solace in her contagious smile and decided to join her in this battle against death. I decided to help her win her life back and assist her in becoming a doctor  as she hopes. Ijeomah is presently in a battle with Renal Failure and needs a Kidney transplant to surmount this obstacle.  My subsequent post will be to enlighten my readers about renal diseases; but today's post is about helping Ijeomah. Ijeomah is 19years and was in S.S.1 until her recent crisis. Thanks to her health challenge, she has lost some years in her education and can only hope to catch up when this sordid ordeal is over. She's the only daughter of her single mum, Oby who is a Masters degree holder that recently relocated to Lagos to start a career in the corporate world after several years of teaching in Abuja Please check the link below to read Ijeoma's interview with Punch newspaper. http://www.punchng.com/feature/jebose-boulevard/i-want-to-live-teenage-girl-with-kidney-disease-cries-for-help/ To win this battle, Ijeomah needs a renal transplant ASAP! A renal transplant in Nigeria costs about 10 Million Naira; In India, it costs 7 Million Naira; In USA, it costs 12 Million Naira; In UK, it costs 12 Million Naira. While waiting for her transplant, she has to undergo at least 3 sessions of dialysis per week and each costs an average of 40,000 naira. Dear readers, please help me help Ijeomah Let's help her win this battle against  renal disease and help realise her dream.  For further details please contact me via email ogunleyea.m@gmail.com

Global Handwashing Day

One of my favourite memories is my nursery school days. I loved my school. Everything seemed like fun. Learning was fun! Each class was like a tower, with colourful chairs, wall paintings, crayons and plasticine and of course wonderful peers and instructors!
I loved school then. Transitioning to Primary school was a rude shock! Even though both schools shared a fence, that was all they had in common!

Anyways, I remembered my nursery school experience cause I was reminiscing on the global Hand washing day. Nursery school had a lot of rhymes and songs about hygeine that still crop up once in a while , but I can't remember any that taught me about proper Handwashing.  
(pls if you have one post it as a comment).

Thanks to Dettol, Safeguard and Lifebuoy antiseptic soaps, we all know that we have unseen germs on our hands. And thanks to the recent Ebola Virus outbreak, Hand washing is becoming a norm in our society. 
However, there is a difference between Hand washing and proper hand washing.

Here a few tips about proper hand washing:

• Before you wash your hands, take off any jewellery.
• When you wash with soap, use regular liquid soap. You don’t need antibacterial soap to remove dirt and germs. In fact, using antibiotics when they aren’t needed can lead to antibiotic resistance – that's when germs get stronger and harder to kill.
• Use moisturizer on your hands. Washing your hands can dry out your skin. If your skin is dry, it can develop small cracks, where germs can hide. So put moisturizer on your hands after cleaning them.

When to wash your hands:

• Before and after you eat,
• Before, during and after you prepare food,
• After you use the bathroom or change diapers,
• After you blow your nose, sneeze or cough;
• Before and after taking care of someone who is sick,
• After touching animals, their toys, leashes, or (poop),
• After touching something that could be dirty (garbage can, dirty rags, etc.),
• Before and after you clean a wound, give medicine or insert contact lenses,
• Whenever your hands look dirty.

Proper hand washing is the cheapest way to stay healthy!  


Our Health is in our hands! 

Keep clean! 

International Day of the Girl Child!

Today, 11th of October marks the International Day of the Girl Child; when the whole world emphasises on the girl child's rights and the inequalities we face based on our gender.
Today, 11th of October marks the 180th day since our Chibok sisters were abducted and forced into untold hardship and horror.

What better way to celebrate the girl child day than to bring to the fore front again the plight of the Chibok girls and their loved ones?
No one thought at the beginning of the #bringbackourgirls campaign that they wouldn't have been returned 180 days after.

Just a few days ago at a gathering, one of my readers jokingly said 'B8, our girls are still missing o!' and I could only nod and wonder if they'll ever return. 
A vast majority of Nigerians have not forgotten these girls but we have moved on like we always do. I guess their immediate family members will be doing the same soon if they haven't already. 

I have often wondered what we will have to do in order to get our Chibok sisters back.
A lot of people have argued that they aren't girls again, that they can't return the same way they were taken and I do not disagree with this school of thought, but no matter how changed they might have become, we want them back.

As we join the world to mark the International Day of the Girl Child, we should remind our leaders and ourselves that this kidnap is no faux and that the reality is- our girls are still missing. 
Another fact is that if this happened before, it can happen again!
If 276 girls can be kidnapped from their dormitories in a state that was in a state of emergency, and more than 2/3 of those girls are still missing, then why can't it happen in any other region of the country where there isn't a state of emergency? 

Since every event in Nigeria seems to be centred around 2015 elections, maybe we should make a demand and tell our politicians and leaders that if they can bring back our girls, they'll earn our votes; maybe they'll take us seriously then, and bring back our girls! 

Happy International Day of the Girl Child Nigeria!

#Bringbackourgirls! 

Hasta la vista dear Khaki!

A few months ago, I penned down my frustrations about wearing my Khaki every Thursday. In that memoir, I ranted about how annoying it was that every one on the street felt they could start a conversation with a corp member once they sight their Khaki.

A friend of mine read through it, and thanks to him I have a fresh outlook about wearing my khaki.

I sort of converted my khaki into an armour and face each day squarely.

As my Mandatory one year winds to a close, my opinion about my experience has shifted.

I have stopped getting angry at the gentleman that feels referring to my khaki is a cool pick up line. I have stopped dreading my weekly 180minutes journey to Bwari for my CDS. 

I have ceased shivering at the thought of going to work on a rainy day.

Yet I have to warn everyone ( especially guys); when you see a female corp member in her Khaki, the chances are that she has had a tiring day either dealing with NYSC officials ( who aren't exactly friendly people) or has spent her hours in a meeting where absolutely nothing was achieved. 

So please spare the poor babe the ordeal of having a conversation that could add to the challenges of the day.

In my opinion, the NYSC programme was instituted for a good purpose,but like most vision, it has to be reviewed regularly lest it loses its essence and becomes a waste of time like most people believe.

I have reviewed the past year and I am grateful that it's over.  

Will I like another chance to do this again? NO!

Will i miss being a corper? NO!

It's Hasta la vista for good dear Khaki! 

I'll be glad to see you go!