The Malaria Scourge.

Malaria, according to the advanced oxford dictionary is a mosquito
borne intermittent and remittent fever endemic to warmer regions and
caused by a protozoan parasite (plasmodium). As we all know,its effect
is caused by mosquito bites. The female anopheles mosquito carries the
malaria parasite and injects it into your body anytime it bites you.

Not so many people in developed countries know about malaria because
it is not that common there. However, almost every Nigerian and
African knows malaria and how it kills people. The climate and
topography in Nigeria supports mosquito presence and as such, it is a
disease common in this tropical region of the world. According to the
World Health Organization, malaria kills faster than HIV/AIDS though
not as deadly as it is. 90% of all malaria deaths occur in Africa with
60% involving Nigeria. The menace of mosquito bite on the human flesh
especially children from 0-10, according to World Health Organization
reports, causes One death every 35 seconds in sub-Saharan Africa.

A visit to hospitals around clearly reveals that majority of Nigerians
are under the spell of malaria fever. I have suffered from malaria
several times but still living because there are several anti-malaria
drugs out there to cure malaria. The problem that occur is that
sometimes the malaria parasite develops immunity towards those drugs
so that the drugs don't work again and that is why malaria is very
dangerous and people still die because the parasite has developed
immunity.

Most adults in Nigeria and Africa have developed some immunity towards
the malaria parasite and survive mosquito bites. However, most
children have not yet developed that immunity towards the parasite and
that is why malaria continues to kill children in record numbers but
not adults. Another problem also is that, those living in rural areas
where there are no hospitals and no health centres to get
anti-malarial drugs and treatment often die.

SYMPTOMS OF MALARIA:

The symptoms of malaria include:
1) Feverish conditions.

2) High blood pressure.

3) Loss of appetite, Diarrhoea.

4) Muscle aches, Nausea, Cough.

5) Sweating that repeats every one,two or three days are typical.

6) Yellowing of the skin (jaundice).

7) And in some severe cases,dizziness.

WAYS TO PREVENT MALARIA:

There are several ways also One can prevent malaria attacks but
however the most effective and recommended is the use of treated
MOSQUITO BED NETS. Sleeping with mosquito nets prevents mosquitoes
from getting closer to your body.
Other ways are by clearing the bushy areas around one's house as that
destroys mosquito's breeding place. Insecticides also help to kill
mosquitoes.

The One Child One Net Agency is a public-spirited organization engaged in the protection of children against mosquito bites and malaria. This arose from the need to help curb malaria deaths along with the United Nations by 2015. We'll solve malaria cases and challenges through distribution of cost-effective, innovative and scientifically oriented insecticidal treated nets.

We'll give it out at little or no cost in addition to helping school wards grow morally by organizing seminars effectively driven at building sound character.

Me and My Favourite Food : World Food Day!

Nigeria is a nation blessed with numerous meal delicacies and in all
this, I find One always mouth-watering,luscious and palatable; Starch
and Banga. It is my favourite food.

Starch and Banga soup is the food known to those that come from the
South-south of Nigeria especially the Urhobos. It is known to be one
of the most expensive soup of the Urhobos. In the preparation of
Banga, the seeds are washed thoroughly and put in a pot to cook for
about 20 minutes, the water is then drained from the pot and the
already cooked seed is put in a mortar and pummeled slightly. Much
muscle is not exerted while pounding and little water is added at
interval to soften the pounds of the banga now liquid already. The
liquid is thereafter sieved back into the pot to boil under close
watching because it foams as it boils and thus may spill over the pot.
When foaming has died down,choice of meat and fish is added along with
periwinkle. Vegetable,maggi and salt is then added to spice the taste.
Starch generally has a simple preparation. Dissolving the starch,
putting water, boiling water and mixing it to avoid particles.

I must confess that I am not a good cook, in fact I barely cook but I
don't go hungry. I've got a Super Mom who is passionate about My
Hunger alleviation plus friends and family who most times prepare
choice meals for Me. Recently I've written a great deal about Hunger and
people wonder why I bother, not being perturbed by this I believe
every act of kindness done on earth not only lends a smile but stores
up Heavenly treasures. Hunger and food as different terms are relative
to Man. With Nigeria blessed with different delicacies that are not
only tasteful but healthy, it is a misnomer for one to go hungry.

Bolajoko Diosamame Fadipe and His FoodClique members recently
researched and found out that 1 in 7 Nigerians go to bed Hungry
without food that day. What a contradiction I thought owing to the
truth I eat very well daily and even waste food as a result of over
feeding. Most times even, I eat starch and banga soup twice in a day
yet people go to bed in Nigeria without food. Summation of their
analysis reveals that a staggering 22,857,143 Nigerians sleep without
meals and have no hope of it. How many must have died I pondered. I
have always considered truthful the fact that every act of compassion
makes a difference to someone. We can end hunger if we chose to come
as ONE and Fight it. There are genuinely sufficient resources in the
world to ensure that no one, nowhere, and at no time,should go hungry.
Bolajoko Fadipe and FoodClique through personal resources aim at
ending this hunger tragedy and I am fortunate to be part. Hunger, or
under nutrition, results from the insufficient intake of macro- and
micro- nutrients. It can lead to chronic malnutrition or the severe
wasting associated with acute malnutrition, why then should We allow
Fellow human beings go through such trauma.

October 16th is World Food Day and Food and Agricultural
Organization/FoodClique are ensuring No One goes Hungry on that day.
Bola and His friends are giving out food, materials and resources to
Hunger enriched individuals and areas across Nigeria. You too can help
by feeding someone on that day. Hunger makes a thief of any man and
helping with a nutritionally spiced up diet on the day is a boost for
social life. I've written on issues concerning hunger before and in My
findings, people pay less attention and pensiveness to it as they
believe that hunger is unavoidable in any society, even a society that
is blessed with great abundance. That is not true. The European
community today does not have hunger widespread. Most of Our citizenry
believe also that hunger only affects people who are lazy or people
who are just searching for a handout, people who don't want to work,
but, sadly, THAT IS NOT TRUE. Over one-third of our hungry people are
innocent children who are members of households that simply cannot
provide enough food or proper nutrition, some live only on the paltry
#18000 in Nigeria. And to think of the elderly suffering from
malnutrition is just too hard for most of us.

FoodClique will be marking this year's World Food Day by embarking on
a community Food outreach to feed Our hungry neighbours. The aim of
the day is to create public awareness about the problems faced by
people who struggle for food despite its abundance in the world. The
World Food Day was proclaimed in 1979 by the Conference of the Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It marks the date of the founding
of FAO in 1945. The purpose of that day heightens public awareness of
the world food problem and strengthen solidarity in the struggle
against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. In 1980, the General
Assembly endorsed observance of the Day in consideration of the fact
that "food is a requisite for human survival and well-being and a
fundamental human necessity". I have given to this cause and I enjoin
you to.

Why allow Fellow Nigerians go hungry when We have the best weather in
Africa to grow seed and arable crops?, Why don't you distribute food
to the hungry people?. You can make a difference by lending a smile.

Food aid as we know is not a sustainable solution to World
hunger,though there are emergency situations between life and death
where Food is needed and critical for survival. For the 22 million
Hungry Nigerians, hunger is a daily, sometimes life-long, reality.
People living with persistent hunger require and deserve a sustainable
solution based on self-reliance. Some of the ways to ensure long term
food security to me is by emphasizing on rural development by enabling
Men and Women to tackle and eradicate Hunger from their communities.
Increment in local production and provision of farming tools and
equipments such as fertilizers to aid harvesting are among others.
Endeavour to make someone smile on the 16th of October as you make the
difference; Feed!.

Musings Of An Insane Nigerian: Happy Birthday Compatriots!

Musings Of An Insane Nigerian: Happy Birthday Compatriots!: For Us as an independent and sovereign people,We turn 51 today and I am so glad; Not necessarily because of the togetherness or survival des...

Happy Birthday Compatriots!

For Us as an independent and sovereign people,We turn 51 today and I am so glad; Not necessarily because of the togetherness or survival despite bickerings or maladministration,It is the assertion that We've surpassed expectations of many and grown steadily with Our way of life.

To Me, It calls for celebrations, We should 'party hard' but still be pensive about where we should be headed as a Nation. Looking back and peeking ahead, There's more to fight for to become better.
Despite enormous resources at Our disposal, No Clean water, No constant electricity, No good roads as We now have world class morgues as roads, Our Politicians have used Us for their campaigns of calumny and even recycle us for the same use. In all this, We're still ONE.
I Love My country Nigeria and its People so dearly, I really do not know about you. Some of the ways include;
1) Nigeria is a nation blessed with rich human and natural resources, We're the 7th largest producer of Oil in the World, No tsunamis,No earthquakes, No droughts, This is God's Own Country as the Land is Evergreen.

2) Nigeria and Nigerians always show appreciation for good deeds and value. Awards of merit such as Order of the Niger (OON), Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) are given to deserving Nigerians who distinguish themselves here and beyond.

3) Nigerians are a happy people and extend such with pomp and pageantry. If you've ever been with a True Nigerian, You'll get fatigued. We transcend Our hospitality culture and its appreciated and noted the world over.

4) Nigerians, despite Our diversity are a United people who always strive to help one another, We suffer but We don't break. Over 200 Ethnic groups, 774 Local Government areas, 36 states, More than 160million people, We remain steadfast together to ensure National development.

5) Nigerians are survivors. They strive to break walls. A Nigerian is not hard to spot the world over,He/She keeps body and soul together in any clime. Our Black skin makes Us adapt to the toughest of situations.

If You're a Nigerian and A Proud One Like Me, Give a Huge shoutout today!.
Its OUR CELEBRATION...One People We'll remain!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Y'ALL.