Nno, Welcome, Ola,

I visited Nigeria in 2006 and was bitten by a bug called High Infant Mortality Rate. I read about the issue in a local news paper in Abuja. This information was buttressed while on holidays in my father's village (Nnewi); an elderly woman informed my cousin and I of 2 infant deaths that Christmas week from childhood preventable illnesses. I was aghast. I sat down, dumfounded, then a flashback of I (as a child), at the end of civil war, women carrying their dying babies of kwashiorkor to my father's compound seeking relief; food, water, medicine anything to help their infants. In 2007 I returned to finish my graduate school in Public Health and my community health class provided a platform to research infant mortality rate. Hence, I wrote a paper on it, and proposed a three year strategic pyramid solution.

This blog is about being part of the solution:
(a) bringing the issue to bear
(b) envisioning seamless integrated strategies
(c) visualizing adapting innovative, sustainable solutions to mitigate variables that give rise to high infant deaths.

At issue is the continent of Africa. Some may say I gave money to Africa, yes you did but in reality you gave money for a project in Mali, or Sierra Leone or Liberia. That is 3 countries out of 50. From my research, high infant morality rate in SSA is attracting international, national and individual researchers seeking effective methods in implementing sustainable measures or solutions towards reversing the numbers. I am suggesting that more man power is needed to combat the problem at least in Nigeria.

http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG_FS_4_EN.pdf



Sunday, November 7, 2010

Tears-Crying and Advocating a Cause

I turned on my television on thursday-11/4/10, and there was Ashton Kutcher crying-tearing up while advocating for Human Trafficking. "I care" he said and he wants others to care as well, (or does anyone care...., I think he said).  I pondered, why tear up?  Will one's cause be advanced by tearing up?  Thus, I thought....if only I could get a hollywood power couple and engage them in my cause (High Infant Mortality Rate in Nigeria, SSA), and have them cry while talking about it, would the strategy be very effective?  My first thought went to that beautiful couple; Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.  How about them? I asked myself.  A pause, I doubt very much if  Mr. Will smith would cry nor tear up, and neither would Jada. Besides, those two already brought us "FELA" the musical via Broadway and now the show is being staged in London. In other words they have done something positive for SSA. Further more Will has engaged himself enormously in various causes.  If crying would assist in bringing to bare the issue I am advocating I need to start shedding tears each time I talk about it, maybe the global village would pay attention and help immediately.
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