IEC Applications Can End Extreme Poverty in the World

IEC Applications Can End Extreme Poverty in the World

I am one of those involved in the concerted efforts for the eradication of extreme poverty in the world. And I have reached the advanced final stage in the development of the applications that can reduce poverty by 80 percent with IEC, Information, Education and Communication methods which I have seen during my years of working as an IEC field officer for the Center for Education, Population, AIDS and Drug Abuse (CEPADA), an NGO founded by Mrs. Hadiyat O. Shitta-Bey, a former award winning Program Specialist in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) when I did Market Based Distribution (MBD) surveys of the largest markets in Lagos, the most populous state in Nigeria and the largest megacity in Africa and when I was contracted as a public health illustrator and translator for the production and publication of family planning methods booklets in Pidgin English, Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa for semi literates distributed by the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) and as a national Program Consultant for the Child Survival and Development (CSD) projects of the UNICEF in Nigeria.

The first mobile app for all the users to GSM phones has been in development since 2014 and I have also completed the layout for a SaaS e-commerce and fintech app for interactive IEC through social network for wealth creation and distribution among all the users of mobile phones in Nigeria and other countries.

Imagine an app with X Amazon and Paypal combined.

My advocacy for the education of the millions of girls out of school in Nigeria is fundamental in the eradication of extreme poverty in developing countries, because surveys have shown that majority of the people living in poverty come from families with mothers who did not go to school or dropped out of school.

In Nigeria, we found out that almost 90 percent of the bandits and terrorists on rampage in northern Nigeria were born by mothers who did not go to school and without any formal education and thousands of their children were destitutes. Their rebellion against law and order was caused by lack of parenting and poverty with uneducated parents who did not have the information on family planning and family welfare. 

They continue to breed children they cannot feed and they cannot afford to send to school. 

Extreme poverty is largely due to ignorance and illiteracy.

With the use of IEC applications through mobile phones, millions of the people in poverty will be taken out of poverty.

The first MVP of the mobile app was among the top finalists for tech innovation awards in Africa in 2014 and the pitch for the SaaS e-commerce and fintech app was shortlisted for the a tech startups hackathon in Africa in 2022.

Both mobile apps will advance the decentralization of e-commerce and fintech platforms in all communities in Nigeria and other countries and downloaded without any payment by all those who can use mobile phones and the IEC applications will be in their own languages. 

- by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

The CEO, 

International Digital Post Network Limited

On My Advocacy For The Education of Every Girl in Nigeria

On My Advocacy For The Education of Every Girl in Nigeria

I prefer to speak to the future mothers of our nation; their education is the foundation for the nation building of a New Nigeria in the leadership of Africa among the comity of nations in the world.

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Champion of the advocacy for compulsory education of every girl; especially the millions of underprivileged girls out of school in Nigeria.

Using underprivileged girls for child labour should be a crime.

The deprivation of the education of any child is a crime Against human civilization.

Education opens eyes for knowledge and opens doors for human development.

Enlightenment is the vehicle for the fulfilment of life in the world.

Millions of underprivileged Children out of school in the world have dreams; hopes and ideas for great ambitions that will be of great benefit to humankind. But majority of them who cannot read and write are languishing in ignorance and suffering the misery of abject poverty, becoming the burden of humanity when they should have become the beacon of modern civilization.

Read the success stories on.

Nigerians Report Online: The First "Girl Rising" Success Story in Nigeria and How A Free MTN School Bag Made A Great Difference

https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-first-girl-rising-success-story-in.html

https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/p/international-digital-post-network.html

How To Write The Perfect CV - The Economist

How To Write The Perfect CV - The Economist

How to write the perfect CV

A job applicant walks into a bar

Imagine meeting a stranger at a party. What makes for a successful encounter? Lesson one is to heed the wisdom of a shampoo commercial from the 1980s: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Lesson two is to remember that you do not need to wear a beret or a fur stole in order to stand out. Lesson three is not to forget that what you leave out matters as much as what you say.

These same principles, it turns out, apply to writing a cv. A résumé is not a list of every job you ever had. It is not your autobiography. It is, like that hair-care advert, a marketing tool. Your audience is made up of recruiters and hiring managers. Like cocktail-party guests, they do not take a long time to decide if they want to keep talking. According to one study, such professionals spend an average of 7.4 seconds skimming a job application. 

Read more on 
https://www.economist.com/business/2024/05/30/how-to-write-the-perfect-cv

The Billionaires Mindset

1. HAVE UNBREAKABLE FAITH in your CREATOR and in YOURSELF. The size of your faith is the size of your strength. Avoid foolish pride in yourself. Be amiable, humble and noble. 
2. Family is your top priority. Reject every form of failure and deprivation in any member of your family. Don't forget that Charity begins at home. Confess every morning before you go out I REJECT POVERTY.  I ACCEPT PROSPERITY.
3. Acquire the education and skills you require for success in your career (occupation or profession).
4. Be a dare devil go-getter in business for contracts, jobs and commissions. DON'T EVER DEGRADE YOURSELF. And DON'T DEGRADE OTHERS. 
5. Be an enterpreneur and start your own company as soon as you can to produce or provide a product or service majority of people need in your location.
6. Believe in the Universal Law of Reciprocity. Do Good. Avoid Evil. BE ALWAYS GRATEFUL.
7. Explore all possibilities and opportunities in legitimate investments online and offline in the most profitable ventures, stocks and startups. INVEST IN REAL ESTATE before you are 30.
8. In unforseen economic challenges or Acts of God, ADAPT or REINVENT or you will become EXTINCT
9. Have current, domiciliary and fixed bank accounts in your local currency and in American dollars and Pound Sterling 
10. Cut off liabilities and whatever does not add value to your life and business.
11. Have life, health and company insurance policies.
12. Health is wealth. So have only foods and drinks with proven health benefits. Keep fit, Relax and Avoid Stress.

Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

The CEO,

International Digital Post Network Limited,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series

Nigeria Daily Twitter

https://twitter.com/nigeriadaily

New Nigeria on Pinterest

www.pinterest.com/nigeriansreport

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengozi

#God

#Faith

#family

#charity

#billion

#billionaire

#Success

#business

#education

#career

#jobs

#contracts

#contacts

#career

#bank

#economy

#finance

#investment

#stocks

#realestate

#insurance

#NFTs

New NFTs for Sale on https://nftmyimage.com/@nigeriadaily    

Ada Ure, First Daughter of Beauty

Ada is the Igbo name for the first daughter.

Her body decorated with Uli black dye motifs.

Uli is as old as 3000!BC

Igbo mythology said Uli was a gift from Ala, the goddess of earth, who blessed women with the ability to create art.

The Igbo tribe has the oldest monarchy in Africa dating back to the ancient Igbo Ukwu during the Bronze Age around  3,000-2,500 BC,  same period of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

Uli Si Naka Chi

Means Art of Uli comes from the hand of destiny or God.

This esoteric NFT is done in Nsibidi, ancient form of writing in pictograms,  logograms or syllabograms by the Igbo tribe and related ethnic groups in South Eastern Nigeria. Insibidi means the Beginning in Igbo language.

I have been exhibited in Japan in 1983 when I was 20 and my works were insured by the UNESCO. I was exhibited in the National Museum of Nigeria and curated the first Art Against AIDS Exhibitions in Nigeria in 1993 at the National Museum and National Arts Theatre in Lagos. All the works were collected. 

My highest priced works in oil paintings on canvas were, "The Metamorphosis of the HIV in the T-Cell" was bought by Family Health International (FHI) and "Eruption of the Love Virus" bought by a private art collector. $20,000 for each one at first exhibition in the National Museum in 1993.

https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/2023/09/new-nfts-for-sale.html

European Union (EU) Flagship Programme To End Violence Against Women Worldwide Shows Limited Impact So Far

 

PRESS RELEASE

European Union (EU) Flagship Programme To End Violence Against Women Worldwide Shows Limited Impact So Far

The €500 million Spotlight Initiative has been an ambitious attempt by the European Commission, together with the UN, to ensure that women and girls around the world live free from violence and harmful practices

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg, September 11, 2023/ -- Almost one third of the €500 million in EU funding for the “Spotlight Initiative” went to its management by the United Nations; The initiative did not achieve its objective of attracting additional funding from new donors; Auditors call for better value for money and note risks to the sustainability of the activities.

The €500 million Spotlight Initiative has been an ambitious attempt by the European Commission, together with the UN, to ensure that women and girls around the world live free from violence and harmful practices. However, according to a new report by the European Court of Auditors, this flagship EU programme for combating sexual and gender-based violence has shown little impact to date in terms of improving the situation of those it is intended to help. Despite positive achievements, the auditors found that the initiative could be managed more efficiently and could provide better value for money, as well as increasing the share of funding that reaches final beneficiaries to help more women and girls.

The Spotlight Initiative is a global strategic partnership between the EU and the UN to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in partner countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Pacific and the Caribbean. Initially launched in 2017 for a period of four years, it was extended to the end of 2023 due to delays.

“Violence against women and girls has no place in the world, and no woman or girl should be left behind,” said Bettina Jakobsen, the ECA member in charge of the report. “Through the Spotlight Initiative, the EU has put more money than ever into ending such abuse, but more should reach final beneficiaries and we still need to see more impact.”

The auditors acknowledge that the initiative has benefited women and girls globally and helped to address violence. For instance, it has supported activities to prevent violence against women and girls, such as training and awareness campaigns, and services to victims of violence in all African and Latin American countries, albeit to different degrees and with varying levels of success. However, the initiative’s set-up only allows for a limited assessment of performance. Moreover, given its short time span and the fact that data are incomplete, it has not yet been possible to measure the improvement for beneficiaries, such as victims of violence or participants in training courses, and it is difficult to assess the extent to which it has achieved its intended results. There is no evidence that violence against women and girls has fallen in the countries covered.

External and internal factors led to challenges and delays in implementation. These included not only the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and domestic political changes, but also complex governance arrangements due to the number of UN organisations involved. The Commission’s choice of the UN as its implementing partner was a political decision in support of multilateralism. However, the UN’s costs of administering the initiative totalled $155 million (i.e. 31 % of the initiative’s total budget), leaving $351 million for the implementing partners and beneficiaries. Although the EU’s executive was aware that UN involvement entailed higher costs, it did not thoroughly compare the alternatives.

Despite being the sole funder, the EU has not always been given sufficient credit for funding visibility. Moreover, although the EU’s contribution was intended as seed funding to attract additional investors, no new donors have been found, and so results may not be sustained. The auditors also stress that the programme is not long enough to create lasting change on a complex issue which requires long-term actions and additional resources.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of European Court of Auditors (ECA).

Note to Editors:

The purpose of this press release is to convey the main messages of the European Court of Auditors’ special report. The full report is available at ECA.Europa.eu.

Press contact:

ECA press office:

press@eca.europa.eu

Damijan Fišer:

damijan.fiser@eca.europa.eu

M: (+352) 621 552 224

Claudia Spiti:

claudia.spiti@eca.europa.eu

M: (+352) 691 553 547

Vincent Bourgeais:

vincent.bourgeais@eca.europa.eu

M: (+352) 691 551 502

Background:

The Spotlight Initiative is founded on the ‘Theory of Change’ and its six pillars supporting policies and legislation, institutions, prevention, services, data, and women’s movements. This approach is complemented by the “leaving no one behind” principle, including measures to focus on marginalised populations. The initiative receives EU funding of €497 million (€250 million for Africa alone), €465 million of which is managed by the UN in more than 26 countries on four continents. The remaining €32 million is managed by the EU through civil society organisations; other donors have committed only symbolic amounts. An estimated one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence at least once since the age of 15. According to data from the Initiative, in some countries the share of people who think it is justifiable for a man to beat his partner fell in 2021, but the figure actually went up in some Latin American and African countries. In Latin America, none of the supported programmes recorded a fall in cases of femicide.

ECA special report 21/2023 “The Spotlight Initiative to end violence against women and girls – ambitious but so far with limited impact” is available on the ECA’s website (ECA.Europa.eu).

SOURCE

European Court of Auditors (ECA)

20 Years of Advocacy For Character Development of Nigerian Children and Youths for Nation Building: 2003 - 2023

20 Years of Advocacy For Character Development of Nigerian Children and Youths for Nation Building: 2003 - 2023

In 2003, my King of Kings Books International sponsored the King of Kings Books International National Essay Competition for Secondary Schools in Nigeria at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies of the University of Lagos with the mission of character development of Nigerian children and youths for visionary leadership in the nation building of a New Nigeria.

 In 2004 spoke to children and youths of the Foursquare Gospel Church at 62/66 Akinwunmi St, Alagomeji-Yaba, Lagos with the approval of the General Overseer, Rev. Wilson Badejo who met with me and commended my mission.

In 2004 I left Lagos for Bonny Island in Rivers State, where I sold books on medicine and true love in the Nigeria LNG Residential Area 1 where I had the presentation of my book, "The Language of True Love" on the Valentine's Day, February 14, 2006 and also sold the book on the street.

I joined the Assemblies of God Church in evangelism and supported church planting on Bonny Island.

I returned to Lagos in 2008 to focus on the advocacy for the education of the millions of underprivileged girls out of school in Nigeria.

The success stories include the following:

* Nigerian premiere of "In The Name of Your Daughter" cosponsored by the High Commission of Canada in Nigeria on May 23, 2019.

http://totnaija.blogspot.com/2019/05/nigerian-premiere-of-in-name-of-your.html?m=1

* Nigerian Premiere of “Girl Rising” with Holly Gordon of 10x10 and Participant Media on October 11-12, 2013. https://newsghana.com.gh/moments-nigerian-premiere-girl-rising/

https://allafrica.com/stories/201310281009.html

https://www.brandarena.com.ng/2013/10/girl-rising-premieres-in-nigeria.html

https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-first-girl-rising-success-story-in.html

* Nigerian premiere of "HE NAMED ME MALALA" for the MALALA Fund on October 11, 2015.

https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/2015/10/he-named-me-malala-attracts-nigerian.html

https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/2015/10/nigerian-school-girls-stand-withmalala.html

I am glad and grateful for the cooperation and support of everyone, company and organization since 2003 to date in the upliftment of Nigerian children and youths. 

- EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima 

Publisher/Editor, 

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series 

www.pinterest.com/nigeriansreport

https://twitter.com/nigeriadaily/

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengozi

Tel: +2347066379246

Girl Starts School with Confident Smile after Surgery

PRESS RELEASE

Girl Starts School with Confident Smile after Surgery

Aissatou from Louga, in northwestern Senegal, was born with a cleft lip and palate, and the stigma around the condition in her home village left her trapped at home

Access Multimedia Content

DAKAR, Senegal, December 5, 2022/ -- A little girl has been able to start school with her new confident smile after receiving surgery from a medical charity to treat a birth defect. Aissatou from Louga, in northwestern Senegal, was born with a cleft lip and palate, and the stigma around the condition in her home village left her trapped at home, isolated and withdrawn. Due to the unkind reaction she received, and the difficulties the condition brought, her father Ousmane and mother Khadija did their best to protect Aissatou. They felt the need to cover her head in public and felt forced into a decision to keep her out of school. Left untreated, a cleft lip and palate can lead to difficulties eating, drinking, speaking, and hearing loss. Farmer Ousmane used the proceeds from his harvest every year to try and find someone to repair his infant daughter’s cleft lip and palate. But every year, he was disappointed. Ousmane said: “I love my daughter so much, I would never stop looking for her healing.” In 2019, when Aissatou was just a toddler, Ousmane heard that a hospital ship from international aid charity Mercy Ships was coming to the port of Dakar to provide free surgeries and medical training. He made the journey to the port with Aissatou, and they were thrilled to receive a surgery appointment. But the joy was short-lived as the operation had to be delayed due to COVID-19. Ousmane and Aissatou had to return home and wait for the ship to return. He said: “In my heart I knew that these people would help my daughter. I just kept praying and hoping that the ship would return.” Aissatou was four years old when she boarded the Africa Mercy hospital ship in 2022 for surgery.  Despite being a curious little girl full of life she only played alone and not with other children on board. Ousmane came with Aissatou as a caregiver, while her mother Khadija waited anxiously at home, “I couldn't eat or drink,” she said. Aissatou’s father, Ousmane was also nervous, “during the surgery I was afraid,” he said as he recalled the difficult hours of waiting. “I don't know anything about surgery, and I had no idea what was happening. It took a long time before she came back, but when she came back, I was so happy!” Once the bandages were off, Ousmane and his daughter could both see the transformation. Where before Aissatou’s cleft had been, there was smooth skin. Aissatou stared at herself in the mirror, looking fascinated. Senegalese translator Boubacar Diallo who worked on the ship during Aissatou’s stay on board her joy was contagious. He said, “The first thing I see changing on her is the smile. After the surgery she was smiling all the time. “After surgery she was free. Playing and running everywhere, playing with other kids. She was dancing a lot.” Her father said: “Her life will change so much now. She will be able to speak properly and go to school.” When Aissatou returned home, some of those changes were evident immediately. She was embraced by her village and no longer hid her face. She started school, began playing with the other children and helped her father on the farm. One of the village elders shared: “We had lost all hope. We thought she was going to die like this. Nobody believed that she would be healed.” Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mercy Ships.   About Mercy Ships: Global health for the last two decades has focused on individual diseases, while surgical care in low-resource countries has not received the attention it needs. Lack of surgical care resulted in almost 17 million deaths annually. Mercy Ships is an international faith-based organization that operates hospital ships to deliver free, world-class healthcare services, medical capacity building, and health system strengthening to those with little access to safe surgical care. Since 1978, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 55 countries, with the last three decades focused entirely on partnering with African nations. Each year, volunteer professionals from over 60 countries serve on board the world’s two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy® and the Global Mercy™. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks, and engineers dedicate their time and skills to the cause. Mercy Ships has offices in 16 countries and an Africa Bureau. For more information, visit www.Mercyships.org and follow us @MercyShips on social media. SOURCE Mercy Ships

Message Development For Screenwriting

Message Development For Screenwriting

Having a Message Development workshop is a must in screenwriting.
- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
prize winning writer and Publisher/Editor of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series, the first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry published since 2013.

I see the ignorance of the knowledge of message development by the majority of screenwriters in Nigeria.
They don't understand characterisation before writing screenplays.

To remember the five elements of Characterisation, simply remember the acronym STEAL, which stands for speech, thoughts, effect on others, actions and looks.

Speech. Characters' personalities can be greatly defined by the words they say and how they say them. ...

Thoughts. ...

Effect On Others. ...

Actions. ...

Looks.

Everyone who wants to be a good screenwriter must understand message development in character development to depict the personality of every character in the screenplay for a movie or series.

As a professional scriptwriter for TV from when I was only 18 in Nigeria, there was no room for flippancy in the writing of the dialogue. And I wrote for three years before I left to work as a public health illustrator for the John's Hopkins University's Population Communication Services (JHU/PCS) when I was 21 to produce fully illustrated booklets on family planning methods in the different languages of Pidgin English, Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa for the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) in the 1980s and later became a national program consultant for the UNICEF in Nigeria. I produced a fully illustrated booklet for nomadic education which would have been very effective in the primary education of the herdsmen and their families and would have been used for the prevention of conflicts between the herders and farmers in Nigeria.

#IDG2022 : Equal Power Youth Manifesto

We, a group of young activists from around the world who are committed to promoting girls' rights and gender equality, submit to you our Equal Power Youth Manifesto.

 

Hello supporter!

I am Dedeou from Mali.

Despite the resolutions established by political decision making processes and bodies all over the world, girls continue to be sidelined.

We need girls' confidence in their leadership skills to grow, and encourage greater political participation, so young women can take part in the decisions that affect them.

Because girls' rights and needs matter.

So we, a group of young activists from around the world who are committed to promoting girls' rights and gender, submit to you our Equal Power Youth Manifesto.

#idg2022 #girlpower #girleducation #empowerment #equalrights #humanrights #Manifesto
#leadership #power #gender #girls

Join us on 
https://plan-international.org/girls-get-equal/equal-power-manifesto/

Ubongo Launches Girl Champion Campaign Toolkit in Celebration of the Day of the Girl Child

PRESS RELEASE

Ubongo Launches Girl Champion Campaign Toolkit in Celebration of the Day of the Girl Child

The Ubongo Girl Champion campaign toolkit invites the public to partake in hosting screenings of Ubongo’s girl-power episodes for girls and boys of ages 7 to 14

Access Multimedia Content

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, October 11, 2022/ -- Africa’s leading creator and producer of children’s educational media, Ubongo (www.Ubongo.org), is delighted to announce the launch of Ubongo Girl Champion campaign toolkit as a resource to inspire action for the Girl Child. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to amplify African girls’ voices and experiences in a fun and educational way. “We believe that girls’ voices should always be amplified no matter the day. Today simply marks the start of a journey to empower the general public to become advocates for the girl child. Through the campaign toolkit, we are leading a movement to celebrate girls in all of their glory and invest in a future that believes in their agency, leadership and potential,” said Ubongo’s Outreach and Communications Manager, Tamala Maerere-Kateka. The Ubongo Girl Champion campaign toolkit invites the public to partake in hosting screenings of Ubongo’s girl-power episodes for girls and boys of ages 7 to 14. The screenings can take place in both formal and informal settings, such as, at home, at school, in girl-focused programs and at the community level. Those who take part in hosting the girl-power episodes will stand a chance to win an Ubongo Girl Champion award in recognition of the incredible work being done to celebrate and champion girls. The public is encouraged to use #UbongoGirlChampion and tag @ubongokids (https://bit.ly/3CNZkrh) when sharing posts about their screenings on social media platforms to help with the recognition process. To support the girl-power episode screenings, Ubongo has also created a guide to help with the registration and setting up of girl-led Utu Clubs to empower girls in different communities. Utu Clubs are a fun, interactive way for kids to build knowledge and skills in STEM, do good in their community and work together to act with Utu (shared humanity). Research shows that girls learn as much as boys from Ubongo edutainment (Borzekowski, 2017). The episodes will introduce viewers to the five remarkable girls of Ubongo Kids (Kibena, Kiduchu, Amani, Nina and Tabasamu) who navigate and overcome challenges while learning STEM and 21st century life skills. “We are already elevating learning for over 31 million African kids, and our vision is to equip the 500 million kids in Africa with the educational foundation, critical skills, and mindsets to change their lives and the world,” added Mrs. Kateka. To access the Ubongo Girl Champion campaign toolkit and Utu Club guide, visit www.UbongoKids.com Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ubongo. About Ubongo: Ubongo is Africa's leading producer of kids' edutainment. As a non-profit social enterprise they create fun, localised and multi-platform educational content that helps kids learn, and leverage their learning to change their lives. Ubongo reaches over 31 million families across Africa through accessible technologies like TV, radio and mobile phones. Learn more about Ubongo at www.Ubongo.org SOURCE Ubongo

HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!

#Childrensday #children

#Nigeria #thankyou #opportunity #education #digital #love #future #health #safety #network #school

HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!
Children are my best true friends and that is why my life is focused on doing my best for them to secure the future of our children.
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of my company, International Digital Post Network Limited is focused on the education and welfare of the millions of underprivileged girls out of school in Nigeria.

Let us pray for the health, safety and well-being of our  children.

O, Lord JESUS Christ,
We pray for a heart that loves you.
Give us the strength to love others more than we love ourselves.
We thank you for this day.
We thank you for another opportunity.
Amen.

Lord,
I ask that you would direct our mind to know, investigate and seek the truth
and to understand the difference between wise and foolish choices.
Make us prosperous and victorious triumphant overcomers in the world.
In the mighty name of our MESSIAH JESUS Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever
AMEN.

Celebrating the Life and Time of Hon. Emma Osigwe

Celebrating the Life and Time of Hon. Emma Osigwe

- By Ingram Osigwe

According to Abraham Lincoln,"in the end, it is not the years in your life that counts, it is the life in your years" 

The above underpins the life trajectory of the late Hon. Emmanuel Osigwe.

Born 88 years ago in Umuopia, Akokwa, Ideato North local government area of Imo, the late Osigwe was an educationist who encouraged many young people to embrace education.

Not only did he preach the gospel of education through out Akokwa, as a headmaster, he was instrumental to the establishment of a primary school at his immediate community, Umuopia.

As a bridge-builder, he not only ensured that Akokwa kids got quality education, he also collaborated with his friend and traditional ruler of the neighbouring Umuchu in Aguata LGA Anambra State , HRH Igwe Ignatius Offorbuike( Ezeora)of blessed memory   to ensure that many got admitted to Umuchu High school.

In the same manner, it was through his instrumentality and friendship with the late Umuchu monarch that several Akokwa indigenes got employed as teachers in Anambra State.

A one-time councillor in Ideato North local government, the late Hon. Osigwe was a stickler for discipline and honesty, virtues he wore like a garb through out his 88 years on earth.

He was indeed an embodiment of the virtues of honesty and integrity.

As a political leader, he held tightly, stubbornly to these virtues and applied them to his everyday conduct.

For example, piqued by the corruption that oozed from the Ideato North local government then, Hon. Osigwe had petitioned the then Imo state Military Administrator over the frivolous spending of the council Chairman, a situation that was to cost him his position as councillor, salaries and comfort.

As a politician and community, Hon Osigwe was a sincerely altruistic person, never known with no attachment to material things. He served his people selflessly, attracting development to them.

He was contented with his pension and never longed for ostentatious, ill acquired wealth. Sadly, the country he served meritoriously denied his pension to the end.

As a loving husband and father,Hon.Osigwe greatly brought his virtues and philosophies of life to bear on his household. No wonder all his children turned out shining stars in their various areas of endavour.

Right from their young age, the late Hon. Osigwe had  ensured that all his children imbibed the value of education.

For example, they all grew up to see the massive library in the house which he got International Organisations to equip with books.

He would later strive to ensure that all the kids got quality education up to university level.

Emma was born when education had started to make meaning to Akokwa people. He was bracing up for the white man’s education when his father Osigwe, died in December 1940. Emma was just eight years old.

Together, his most senior brother Celestine, and their mother Nwanebe saw him through primary education. The young Emma obtained the then respected Standard Six Certificate and had a stint in teaching before proceeding to a Teachers Training.

Born in 1932, the late Hon. Osigwe was trained as a teacher at Azaraegbelu Teachers Training College where he obtained grade- three teacher's certificate  and then became a full fledged teacher.

He later did a required one year course in Education and became a grade- one teacher(an equivalent of today's NCE)

His last posting was to Community Secondary School, Osina in Ideato North, Imo State from where he meritoriously retired in 1997.

Hon. Emma Osigwe spent his retirement life farming (on a higher scale), reading and writing as well as in rendering some humanitarian services.

His zeal for selfless community service was unwavering. For example, on retirement in 1997, Emma Osigwe took it upon himself to continue to check the devastating erosion from central school (near his house) to Ama-Agba junction.

To crown it all, in 2011, Emma used both his Federal and State Pension  to construct deep gutters on both sides of the said road up to a point.

The news of this uncommon patriotic act got to the leadership of the Umuopia Development Union of the time. The President- General then, late Chief (Sir) Anthony C. Okpara (Aputaifeadi) approached the Opia of Umuopia, Eze (Dr) Don Opurozor who approved of a well-worded letter of commendation to this icon.

A consumate family man, In 1965, Emma met his heartthrob, a fashion- designer of all-time, late Mrs Ifeoma Osigwe (nee Munonye- Asiegbu) from Umuojii Umukegwu- Akokwa. The union was blessed with five surviving children- all with family.

A strong- willed personity, few heart rending occurances in his later life were to directly tugged at Emma's heart.

These were the death, almost in quick succession of  two of his children- both science graduates- and then that of his dear wife after a protracted illness few years later.

Emma succumbed to the vagaries of old age on February 26, 2021 and was immediately buried in accordance with his last wishes.

Yara Shahidi Becomes Global Ambassador of Dior

 

DIOR MAKEUP NAMES YARA SHAHIDI A GLOBAL BEAUTY AMBASSADOR 

THE FRENCH FASHION HOUSE NAMES THE ACTRESS AND ACTVISIT YARA SHAHIDI AS DIOR'S NEW GLOBAL BRAND AMBASSADOR 

Yara Shahidi is Christian Dior's newest global brand and beauty ambassador, alongside Christian Serratos and Sam Visser celebrating the designs and creations of Women’s Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, and Creative and Image Director of Makeup, Peter Philips. She joins the league of other Dior brand ambassadors Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lawerence,and Cara Delevingne. 

Shahidi worked with Dior earlier this year for International Women's Day for "Dior Stands with Women," a project created by Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project for female-led education. Off-screen, Shahidi is a full-time student at Harvard University where she is earning a B.A. in Social Studies and African American studies. She uses her social media platform to support Black Lives Matter and WeVoteNext while also dedicating her time to public speaking with leaders such as Dr. Angela Davis, President Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and First Lady Michelle Obama. 

Source https://www.crfashionbook.com/celebrity/a36914394/dior-makeup-names-yara-shahidi-a-global-beauty-ambassador/

Our Daughters Are Like Herds Of Sheep Without Shepherds

Our Daughters Are Like Herds Of Sheep Without Shepherds

They are like herds of sheep without shepherds.

Our churches have failed to guide and guard them.

Our Mosques have failed to guide and guide them 

Their fathers and mothers have also failed to be their role models.

See the.birthday parties of these impressionable and vulnerable teenage girls, they play and dance to psychedelic songs about romantic and erotic pleaures in the presence of their parents who claim to be Christian or Muslim families. 

I have left one of such dirty parties by a family fellowshipping with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Surulere. The parents ignored my call to stop playing pyschedelic songs of Davido and Wizkid to their teenage sons and daughters.

Their principals and teachers play the same songs at the school parties. 

Many years ago when I was mentoring a young woman and never touched her and she told her father, he laughed at me and asked if I was impotent. And many parents are like that.

We have seen young daughters of poor parents are pimped to Rich older men. And life goes on.  

They said "Mind your business!"

Yes. It is my business when anyone in my community is showing misguided lifestyle to others in the community. It becomes our business when little girls are raped by men and some gruesomely raped to death and dumped on.the streets and horrifying deeds terrify us with headlines of the news.

If you want to help a poor girl, you can sponsor her education without making her your fifth wife or girlfriend and making her a mother when her mates are in the university. 

Many years ago, I had a dream of Rev. Chris Okotie leading a group of male secondary school students on the Marina by the General Post Office and I wrote him a letter about it that Almighty God has called him to be a leader of the youths in Nigeria. But he ignored me. That was before Yahoo-Yahoo and GSM came out in the country.

Then in 1988 as a young national Program Consultant for the UNICEF Nigeria, I submitted a project for Nomadic Education for herders and their children, but it was ignored. Now, the chickens have come to roost. 

A stitch in time saves nine.

Prevention is better than cure.

There is no smoke without fire.

I know why since 2013, I have organized the Nigerian premiere.of "Girl Rising" to celebrate the United Nations' International Day of the Girl Child for the first time in Nigeria at the Silverbird Cinemas in the Solverbird Galleria on Victoria Island and also organized another one with the Nigerian premiere.of "HE NAMED MALALA" in 2015 at the same Silverbird Cinemas on Victoria Island, Lagos. Followed by the Nigerian premiere of "In the Name of Your Daughter" in 2019, for the promotion of girl education and public enlightenment on the dangers of the deprivation of.the education of the millions of underprivileged girls out of school in Nigeria. Because, we must secure the future of the mothers of our nation. But have you noticed that, no one else organized it in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 when I did not organize it? 

Meaning?

None of the secondary schools, NGOs, Federal Ministry of Education and state governments cared about doing so. 

The biracial wife of a retired general in the Nigerian Army queried me that if every girl goes to school, where will they get the housemaids for their households? Because the underprivileged children of the poor are the regular supply of housemaids and houseboys used for the chores and errands in the households of the middle class and upper class Nigerians, including the public officials.

That is why they lured hundreds of the poor with N1, 000 per person to join the Pro Buhari supporters against the June 12 protests yesterday in Abuja, while they kept their privileged sons and daughters far away from the chaos caused by the political crisis in Nigeria since 1999 to date. 

The bandits, hoodlums and terrorists on rampage are the underprivileged children of the poor who never went to school decades ago.

The chickens have come home to roost.

The worst is yet to come if we fail  to do what is best and right for Nigeria.

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

EKENYERENGOZI MICHAEL CHIMA: Born To Conquer

#saturdayvibes💋✌🏼️ 

Born To Conquer.

Alpha Man, EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima.

Prize winning writer since 13; internationally exhibited artist at age 20; curator of the first Arts Against AIDS Art Exhibitions at the National Museum and National Arts Gallery in Lagos at age 30; Independent TV Production Manager of "Money Wise" on DBN TV at age 35; writer producer and stage director of "Sleepless Night" featuring the Crown Troupe of Africa at the French Cultural Centre in Lagos at age 39; songwriter of "Hardway To Broadway" recorded in 1984 at Hollywood Boulevard n Los Angeles, California and "She Comes on Sundays" recorded in Lagos and premièred on the BBC in April , 2003; author and leading film writer and the Publisher/Editor of 247 Nigeria @247nigeria on #Twitter, one of the most upwardly mobile news aggregators on the internet; Publisher/Editor of NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series since 2013 and among the 10 finalists in the 2014 Fund for Internet Research and Development (FIRE Africa) Awards for tech innovation of a mobile video news and entertainment app with eCommerce and currently working on two new mobile videos social network apps.

CSR: The Education, Protection and Welfare of Underprivileged Girls out of school in Nigeria.

Nigerian Dream: The nation building of a New Nigeria in the leadership of Africa among the comity of nations.

Behold the Nigerian Generation of Olodos!

Photo Credit: "Confusion Of The Nigerian Youth" from Information Nigeria.Org


Behold the Nigerian Generation of Olodos!

Shocking reports of mass failures in Nigerian school examinations have only confirmed the observations of many scholars and social watchdogs since the past and present incompetent administrations of the Nigerian government have failed to address the systemic failure of modern education in Africa’s most populous nation.

How can pupils and students pass examinations and excel in scholarship when they no longer read!

They prefer to waste their quality time chatting and pinging on smart phones, babbling and gossiping on Facebook filled with their trivia of junk, Twitter and other social network sites, hooked on European soccer leagues and championships and messing around in wanton promiscuous sexual intercourse spun by psychedelic X-rated hip hop music videos and pornographic movies on the Internet and TV while their equally corrupt parents and guardians have failed to be good role models since they have been caught in extramarital affairs of adultery, rape, and other licentious acts of debauchery and other corrupt practices.

Many of the parents are actually intellectually retarded and the only thing they know best is having sex and breeding children they cannot care for. So, majority of the retarded parents breed retarded children and increasing the population of dummies and liabilities who are a regular supply of recruits for crime and prostitution in Nigeria.


What of the school teachers?
When the educational system has collapsed, what kind of teachers do you expect from the tertiary schools?

Over 80 percent of the teachers are not professionally qualified to teach, because they don’t have the compulsory certification to teach.
I bet you, that majority of them will fail the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations if they were in the US.

Majority of the Nigerian teachers in Nigerian schools are even as intellectually retarded as their pupils and students.

In 2008, 19,118 teachers in public schools in Kara State failed the aptitude and capacity tests in English and Mathematics designed from primary four pupils!

Then we have received the latest shocking report that 80 percent job seekers failed the 2011 Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) recruitment aptitude test. And the applicants are the so called best graduating students with first class and second class upper class degrees from Nigerian universities.

“The recent mass failure of candidates in WAEC and NECO exams nationwide makes the call for an urgent surgical review of our schools system more urgent than envisaged. Also our current experience in the ongoing recruitment exercise where candidates with the so-called 2:1 certificates post less than 20 percent score line in some cases has heightened our apprehension about the lack of functionality in our education format. Over dependent on certificates is not the best. Over 80% of the candidates that wrote the NNPC recruitment exams failed,” said Engr. Austen Oniwon, the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Monday August 22, 2011.

Majority of the graduates from the universities have been found wanting in intellectual skills, unemployable and unproductive.

They have been cheating to gain admission into tertiary institutions and cheating to pass examinations and cheating to graduate, cheating to get jobs and they continue cheating as a way of life until they pass away.

The Nigerian society is like a serio-comic tragedy of existential drama on earth.

The following observation is from a Nigerian blogger.

Distractions Unlimited!
While the Bermuda Triangle of social networks – Twitter, Facebook and Google – still reigns supreme; Blackberry (BB) has become a must for many. These students are no exception, they are constantly pinging. If only the propensity to face-book can be converted to facing their books, then these guys would pass. A post summarizes it thus:
SUN NEWSPAPER today confirmed that ONE million candidates failed SSCE… Y wont dey fail?
FB/ BB/ Lace wig/ …BBA/ Wizkid/ Oniru/ Galleria/ Elegushi/ Ozone/ Shawarma…/ Pizza/ ipod/ Brazilian Hair/ Twitter/ Sagging/ nimbuzz/ ipad… Mcheewwww!!!

~ By Nwachukwu Egbunike in Why won’t they fail? of The Feathers Project blog.

Mental retardation (MR) is a common malaise plaguing majority of the youths and just listening to the popular ditties of 99% of their most sensational hip hop singers is enough to rate their low Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

Communicating with them is like having a nightmarish discussion with idiots online and offline.

These hordes of Nigerian youth I call NFAs (No Future Ambitions) are intellectually retarded with below-average intelligence quotient (BAIQ).

The majority of Nigerian youths we are seeing before our very eyes today are a generation of dullards or what we call “Olodos” in the popular Yorùbá language.


~ By Ekenyerenozi Michael Chima, Publisher/CEO of International Digital Post Network LLC is a prize winning Nigerian writer, author of four books and many blogs, Founder/Programmer of the annual Eko International Film Festival and Festival Director of Screen Afrika in Lagos, Nigeria.

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