Ngozika and The Magic Water Pot

 

Ngozika and The Magic Water Pot

(in memorial tribute to my beloved mother, Gladys Onuamaighiuwa Eke, Nee Ugwubujo of Umuuda Nsigwu, Umuahia North, Abia State, Nigeria. Her mother was a potter)

When Ngozika lost her water pot at the stream, she was afraid to return home, because her mother would scold her.

She was weeping until sunset and was alone.

Mammy Water, the mermaid emerged from the stream after turbulence.

"Don't cry Ngozi!ka."

Ngozika was trembling at the shocking signt of the mermaid.

"Stop weeping. I have brought you another water pot. A water pot that will never lack water even in the dry season," said Mammy Water.

"Take the magic Udu Nmiri Ataata."

Ngozika collected the water pot and stopped weeping 

She thanked Mammy Water and returned home carrying the magic water pot on her head.

Ngozika and The Magic Water Pot

Chapter 1

Ngozika was the only child of her mother, Nneoma, a poor widow living in a small mud hut with thatched roof of palm fronds in the Umu Udara village. 

She was having malaria and lying on a raffia mat inside the bedroom and very troubled that her beloved daughter had not returned from the stream since noon. If she had not been very ill and unable to walk, she would have gone to the stream flowing into the Oti river to look for her. And none of the neighbours had come to see how she was doing since majority of them joined her accusers pointing accusing fingers at her as they falsely accused her for causing the untimely death of her hardworking husband Ndudirim, a farmer and palm wine tapper. He had fallen from the top of the palm tree whilst tapping palm wine and his back was broken as he fell down to the hard ground.

He was carried back home injured and in pains. The Dibia, the village native doctor rushed to treat his wounds, but he became bedridden and never recovered. 

The Anya Unmuo, eyes of the spirit witch doctor of Umu Udara village consulted the oracle of AFA divination and concluded she caused the death of her husband two months ago. Onye Isi,  Chief of Umu Udara and this council of elders wanted to banish her to return to her own village, Umu Okazi. But Anya Unmuo said the oracle decided that she must remain ostracized in the village as a widow until Ngozika would be old enough for marriage and her first male child would bear the name of her father to preserve his lineage. Ngozika's mother must not be allowed to remarry and no man must sleep with her again till her last days on earth. 

"Any man who dares to sleep with her will be cursed to die like her late husband," said Anya Unmuo.

Nneoma was speechless. 

To be banished to her own village would have been better than to be ostracized in Umi Udara. Her consolation and joy of her life was Ngozika who was already known as the prettiest girl in the village and would become the most beautiful maiden for the competition of many suitors.

The sun was disappearing in the horizon, when Ngozika returned with the pot of water.

"What happened Ngozika? You want to give me heart attack?" 

"Mother, I am sorry. I lost my water pot when I slipped after fetching water from the stream. It fell into the stream and the water carried it into the Oti river," said Ngozilka as she put down her water pot at a corner in the bedroom.

"Then how did you get this water pot," her mother asked 

"Ahaa! Mother! Our Chi is the God of compassion and mercy," Ngozika replied.

"I was weeping and others at the stream only felt sorry for me and said I should return and tell you what happened,' she added.

"Yes. You should have come back and take another pot to fetch water," her mother said.

"Mother, I was afraid that you would scold me in anger "

"So, would scolding kill you?"

"No. But I was just weeping and weeping  by the side of the stream until others left and I was alone." 

"Then how did you get this water pot?"

"Mother, as I was still weeping, when suddenly, the stream became turbulent with ripples in circles. I was scared and wanted to run away, when Nwayioma Nmiri, the beautiful mermaid of Oti river appeared from the circles of ripples of water with a pot of water."

Her mother gasped in awe.

"You saw Nwayioma Nmiri!"

"Yes, mother. She was smiling and said, don't cry Ngozi!ka. I was trembling at the sight of the mermaid. And she said, stop weeping. I have brought you another water pot. A water pot that will never lack water even in the dry season,"

"Oh! Chim o! My God!" Her mother exclaimed.

"Take the magic Udu Nmiri Ataata. Nwayioma Nmiri said giving me the pot of crystal clear water."

"Chineke!" Her mother exclaimed.

"I collected the pot and stopped weeping. I thanked Nwayioma Nmiri and she went under the water."

"Nobody saw you?"

"No one. Everyone has gone. I was alone." 

"Let me drink the water," said her mother  excitedly. 

Ngozika used a cup made from dried gourd to give her mother the water.

She collected the cup with shaking hands and slowly drank the water.

As she drank the water and gave Ngozika the cup, her fever stopped and she felt strengthened. 

"Ngozika, my beloved daughter. Lekwam o! Look at me! See what is happening to me! I have regained my strength.The fever is gone! I am well!"

She was able to rise to her feet and stand up lifting up her hands gladly.

"Chineke Obasi be na eligwe imela! God Almighty who dwells in heaven thank you," she said loudly.

"Mother! It is a miracle! The water heals!

It is a not ordinary water" Ngozika exclaimed joyfully.

"Yes! Ngozika! Nwayioma Nmiri has given us a magic pot of water that heals illness! I have been cured! I have been healed instantly. This is the miraculous water of Nwayioma Nmiri!"

She began to dance with agility as she felt healthy and rejuvenated.

"Thank God!" Ngozika said dancing with her mother.

"The news of my rejuvenation will shock the entire village. The good news will silence my mockers. They expected me to be bedridden and die. But Almighty God has healed me and saved my life with the extraordinary water in the magic pot from Nwayioma Nmiri."

"Yes, mother "

"Yes. But shhhh. Ngozika. The village must not know the source of our drinking water from udu nmiri ataata of Nwayioma Nmiri of Oti river. This is our secret. We thank Almighty God "

###

Story by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Produced by Screen Naija Cinema

Generated by Google Gemini Omni.

Saturday, August 9, 2026.

Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria.

Girl, Six Starts School After Life Changing Surgery in Senegal

 Mercy Ships

PRESS RELEASE

Girl, Six, Starts School After Life-Changing Surgery in Senegal

Six-year-old Mariama from Sedhiou in Senegal, West Africa, was just four when her legs began to bend outwards.

DAKAR, Senegal, March 20, 2023/ -- A mother who feared her daughter could never go to school and thought her bowed legs were incurable is calling her transformation by a surgical charity ‘a miracle’.

Six-year-old Mariama from Sedhiou in Senegal, West Africa, was just four when her legs began to bend outwards.

Her mother, Sifaye, said: “When I noticed her legs like that, I was really worried. I wasn't able to sleep enough. I was so scared.”

Mariama’s condition worsened as she grew, and her mother was concerned she would face more and more isolation. She could not run and jump like her friends and became self-conscious.

“Her friends laughed at her because she couldn’t walk fast or run, she was always behind,” Sifaye added.

Her parents made the difficult decision to keep her out of school.

Sifaye, a mother of four, said: “The school is so far, that is why I didn't send her there. Because she can't walk a long distance without complaining that she was tired. If she went to school, she wouldn’t be able to walk back home.”

The family sought hard for a cure for the next year but found nothing.

Her mother said: “During that period, we tried every type of medicine, but nothing changed. When we took her to the hospital, they told us that they can’t cure her.”

They were told that her legs would likely continue to curve for the rest of her life.

A year later, in a village two hours away, Sifaye’s brother Mane heard about Mercy Ships, an international charity with two hospital ships that deliver free surgeries to those with little access to safe medical care. He met a member of the charity’s patient selection team assessing potential surgical patients.

Mane said, “He told me they would offer free surgeries for patients. He showed me photos of people they had already treated. The pictures of the previous patients convinced me. I wished the same for my niece.”

He immediately told his sister.

Despite the fact that Sifaye was full of fear and had never travelled more than two hours from her home village, she travelled two days with her daughter to get to the port of Dakar, where the hospital ship the Africa Mercy was docked.

Sifaye said, “I was absolutely afraid of taking her [Mariama] to the ship.”

She said the first few days were constant bouts of homesickness, but the team on board quickly made them feel at home. For the first time, they also met children with conditions like Mariama’s.

“I was happy to meet other mothers who knew what I was going through, and it was good for Mariama to see she was not alone,” Sifaye said.

Volunteer orthopedic surgeon Dr. Stan Kinsch from Luxembourg, who treated Mariama, says that bowed legs can occur due to malnutrition.

Unfortunately, due to inadequate medical access in some African countries, the condition is more prevalent on the continent compared to other parts of the world.

“In developed countries, these conditions are treated early so they don’t require surgery. But here they are recognized late, and appropriate treatment isn’t available, so they develop into extreme forms,” said Dr. Kinsch.

After surgery and three months of physiotherapy, Sifaye and Mariama were ready to go home.

When Sifaye saw her daughter’s straight legs for the first time, she was overwhelmed with joy.

She exclaimed, “I was so surprised; I thought her legs would always be bent for the rest of her life. Seeing them like that today was wonderful. We were never going to afford to get her surgery, so this is a miracle for us.”

Mariama has now successfully started school.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mercy Ships.

Notes to editors:

Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and other healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has focused entirely on partnering with African nations for the past three decades. Working with in-country partners, Mercy Ships also provides training to local healthcare professionals and supports the construction of in-country medical infrastructure to leave a lasting impact. 

Each year, more than 3,000 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 accelerate access to safe surgical, obstetric and anesthetic care. Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has offices in 16 countries as well as an Africa Service Center in Dakar, Senegal. For more information, visit www.MercyShips.org and follow @MercyShips on social media.

For More Information Contact:

Saran Kaba WAGUÉ

APO Group

saran.kaba-wague@apo-opa.com

SOURCE

Mercy Ships