RUNS: VIRTUE OR VICE? Guest Blog By Dami Adeoye

The recent report by BBC news that there is high rate of teenage girls living with HIV in South Africa; allegedly caused by sugar daddies and the unprecedented trafficking of teenage girls as sex slaves make many shudder and wonder about the future of the African child.

Runs is a slang coined for every behavior devoid of integrity. For example, a young girl who sleeps with rich men known as sugar daddies for money is said to be involved in "runs."

It is indeed worrisome that children barely out of their cradle are already involved with men old enough to be their fathers to the extent of contracting HIV and its attendant diseases. Also of concern is the indiscreet way young girls are lured abroad by human traffickers to become sex slaves. These are kids of school-age whom lullaby should still be sung to. In this case, young girls in villages are the major victims of human traffickers who promise their illiterate parents overseas scholarships and job opportunities for them. In a bid to alleviate poverty, their poor parents out of ignorance consent to the whims of the traffickers who turn their children to prostitutes abroad.

From reports, "Runs" is more prevalent among female students of higher schools of learning. This is one of the reasons parents are sceptical of leaving their female children to attend tertiary institutions.

Some girls engage in it for different reasons. It may be due to poverty, greed, curiosity and peer influence.

Poverty has been cited as one of the reasons teenage girls are involved in the act of sleeping with sugar daddies for money. The poor economic conditions which pervade in most countries in Africa prevent parents from providing adequately for their children. This leads the children into finding alternatives to support themselves. As a result, they fall prey into the hands of randy men.

Also, some female students who are orphans or from poor homes, who nurture academic ambitions are liable to get involved because they do not have any means of livelihood. They believe they must be educated either by hook or crook as education is their only way out of poverty.

Curiosity plays a role in girls' involvement in the act. This stems from what they view as unreasonable restrictions by strict parents. It is a way of expressing their freedom and independence. Thus, they rebel against their parents' wish.

Greed which has been defined as excessive desire for wealth is also considered reason young girls get involved in Runs.

In truth, some of these girls are well catered for by their parents, but out of their insatiable appetite for materialism and extravagance still sleep around for money. This kind of situation whereby a girl from a privileged home still gets involved in "Runs" has been likened to a case of one casting one's pearl before swine.

From inquiries, peer influence has been identified as part of reasons teenage girls become victims of promiscuous men. It is a natural feeling for young girls to want to fit in, so that they would be accepted by others, gain peer approval, for popularity and to prevent being stigmatized a social outcast. As a result, vulnerable girls who do not have the courage to stand against peer pressure fall victim of their peers who introduce them to various acts of immorality. They acquiesce to it, and in the process, some have contracted Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and become drug addicts.

Many people have posed questions of who should be blamed for these unfortunate realities of our time. African leaders for poor economic situations? The ineptitude of parents and inability to provide adequately for their child? The child who does not have the courage to stand up for moral convictions?

African leaders and agencies in charge must intensify their efforts to save the future glories of Africa from destruction.

Also, African core values and ethics must be upheld to prevent further moral decadence.

About Guest Blogger: Dami Adeoye
I love to read, write and travel. I believe strongly that emphasis should be more on causatives-of problems, not just treating issues on the surface but from root. This belief inspired the article. HIV can be curbed if youths shun materialism and extravagance, which are the bane of the society today.

Pink Pearl Foundation Takes Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening to Cameroon

As part of an effort to enlighten and empower Cameroonian women at the grassroots, Dr. Lydia Fondufe recently invited Pink Pearl Foundation (PPF) to provide free lecture and screening on breast and cervical cancer.

The event, which took place in March 2013 at the ministry of health in Kumbo, Cameroon, had in attendance the PPF team from Nigeria headed by its founder, Mrs Orode Ryan-Okpu and senior partner, Mr. Onye Ubanatu. Medical partners from Diamond Helix Hospital; Dr. Ufuoma Okotete and Dr. Vivian Mbaba were also in attendance.

The event  which also marked National Women's Day in Cameroon,  kicked off with lectures from Dr. Oketete on the importance of early detection of symptoms (breast and cervical cancer). "Those already with the disease shouldn't be stigmatized, rather they should be cared for and loved, all they need is hope," Mrs Ryan-Okpu added during her presentation.

At the training, the women were taken through a session on Breast Self-Examination (BSE) with emphasis on the need for regular mammography tests and checkups.

A free breast and cervical cancer screening later followed after the session. Of the 175 women screened, 16 were found to have lumps/mass tissues in their breast while 67 were diagnosed with cervicitis, discolorations or discharges.

Mr. Onye Ubanatu, while giving  closing remark, urged the women to share their knowledge with other women who were not able to attend the event.

Since its launch in 2007, Pink Pearl Foundation has shown dedication towards eradicating Breast and Cervical Cancer in Nigeria through its awareness creation programs. The organisation has so far implemented over 40 of such programs to support the cause.

Watch the Live Stream of Africa Movie Academy Awards

Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) is scheduled to hold in Bayelsa state on April 20th, 2013.

And yes! It'll be streaming live! Don't miss any of the actions! ;-) Click the link to watch and be part of the event: www.amaaplus.com

Help spread the word!

Enjoy your weekend.

Video Interview: On technology and health #mhealth #IRP13

“Technology is changing a whole lot of things…the way we see our health should also change.” Dr. Nkiruka Orajiaka, Product Advisor, Hugh Alies.

This story was made possible by a grant from the International Reporting Project (IRP) for New Media Fellows.


First published on Ventures Africa. Also appeared on IRP website and Broad Street NG.

Positive Disruption

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For Naija Corpers: Before you pack those bags for camp! #NYSC @naijacorpers

I miss @BankoleTaiwo ;-) Yeah, maybe for all the selfish reasons you can think of... But I most miss him for his friendship...and that rare privilege of "fooling" around with him. I bet by now I'd have been ranting about my camp experience and telling him, "wow! I can't believe I once said I will not serve...this is amazing!"

And him? He'll give the most apt response to all my chit-chat. I've always wondered how he always had the almost perfect/on point responses. Blessing God for his life!

Okay... We, corpers and all, at Magaji Dan Yamusa camp are preparing for the big day- the closing ceremony and heading to the different PPAs and CDS.

Surprisingly, these past couple of weeks at the orientation camp have been a time of learning and unlearning for me.

Meeting, living, learning, unlearning and working with a group of strangers, some of whom have become friends, has been an interesting process of growth for me. I look forward to the next phase with thankfulness and open-mind.

This post is aimed at 'helping' the next crop of graduates who'll be serving our fatherland across Nigeria better prepare (that is, what to expect on camp). Try to prepare well as much as you can for the 3 weeks of camp life:

1. Ask other corpers, ex-corpers about their experience: Before heading to camp, I read a book written by an ex-corper titled "Corper Shun". Trust me, the book did go a long way to help me prepare... I also 'drilled' my older siblings and friends on their NYSC experience. Their diverse responses opened my mind to the uniqueness of the programme. At the end of the day, our experiences might be different but having a fore-knowledge of what to expect will reduce your "camp-shock." Some camps are more stressful and depressing than others. To put it better: some camps are more exciting than others ;-).

2. Come open-minded:
Come to camp open-minded. I know many people will feed your mind with their views and prejudice once you announce your state of service. I'll advise that you take your time to actually allow yourself experience the uniqueness of the place you are posted to and the people you'll meet as well.  Try not to judge everyone and everything at first contact.

3. Make friends:
Camp life is pretty stressful. Being around the right people or having the right people around you will help you stay sane. But don't be too desperate about making friends that you land in the wrong company. Try to have fun... and relax. Don't complain too much. Moaning and depressing murmurings will leave you exhausted. Avoid depressing conversations if possible.

4. Come with money but learn to budget well:
When I read in "Corper Shun," the need to bring some pocket money to camp, I thought the author was joking. But having experienced being broke (you might not get an ATM to withdraw money), I'll say please bring pocket money... But also learn to budget. Don't spend extravagantly... Be very frugal in your spending. Don't buy everything you see... Also don't allow camp photographers take pictures of you randomly- of course unless it is part of your plan. Be kind to others but also ensure you are not careless with your spending.

5. Eat from the kitchen
Some corpers are 'allergic' to eating from camp kitchen so they end up spending a huge part of their pocket-money in 'Mami market.' I'll advise that if you are not ultra-rich (or even if you are), try as much as you can to eat from the kitchen. The government paid loads to ensure you have three square meal per day. Don't miss the opportunity to use your meal ticket. Okay, they don't cook the best meal. But trust me, it is not that bad. You can complement what the kitchen provide with fruits from Mami market.

6. Beware of Mami market:
Mami market is the spot where things are sold on camp. And yes, things are very expensive there. The traders/retailers there blame the inflation in the market on camp officials. They say they were charged mercilessly for their rented space. So corpers bear the burden. To avoid being exploited in this market, try as much as you can to come with as much things as possible- waist-bag, bathing and washing soap, detol, Milk, etc. In our camp, the price of items were almost twice the normal retail cost.

7. Security:
Ensure you come with a safelock for your bags. But more importantly ensure you don't flaunt too much to put you at risk of petty theft. Be very careful with your belongings... For example, don't leave your phone or purse on your bed and turn away for a minute. Don't get me wrong, the camp is pretty safe. But some cases of theft were reported in my hostel as well as others. There are no locks on hostel doors so everyone including non-corpers (e.g. women who hawk goods) have access to these hostels. So, ensure you up your skills in keeping your things safe.

8. The military life is not as mean:
NYSC is described as para-military. So come prepared. Don't come expecting the camp officials to be mushy-mushy. It is not that they are not empathetic but just come prepared to live like a soldier or be treated as one- with harshness et al. The activities are no childs-play.

9. Be prayerful & don't neglect your faith:
It might be hard to have a me-time on camp. Activities are sometimes back-to-back. There are also other activities competing for attention. Not to forget how tiring waking up early for all those activities can be.  But try to maintain a healthy time for devotion. Attend the Nigeria Christian Corpers' Fellowship...(NCCF), Catholic or Muslim fellowship where applicable... Don't neglect your faith. Fellowship with brethren revitalizes.

10. Eat well:
Most activities, if not all, require high energy. I mean high energy! Ensure you eat well. Don't skip meals. Come with snacks and water bottle. The latter is to ensure you constantly have water closeby. There is a lot of 'standing under the sun' so you'll need the water to stay hydrated!

11. Actively participate:
There is always the temptation to play truancy while on camp. Especially when camp activities get overwhelming. Try as much as you can to be active on camp... Volunteer to serve in the different groups- Nigeria red cross, OBS, man o' war, etc. When in your platoon, also try as much as you can to participate in the group activities. All the team dynamics is part of the learning process. Active participation is not necessarily to get cheap recognition... Or massage your ego. It is just that there is no need to tiptoe through camp... You won't have the experience twice. Some of the seminars are annoying or a time-waster but try as much as you can not to stay idle...listen up anyway. Maximize all learning avenues. ( I was not ultra-active but I did try to at least participate in some activities).

12. Create your own experience:
No amount of experience-sharing can replace your own unique experience while on camp. So don't box yourself in. Go to orientation camp and rock the phase!! DON'T FORGET TO READ THE HAND-BOOKS YOU'LL BE GIVEN DURING REGISTRATION. As irrelevant as the small booklets might look, reading them will save you alot of headache ;-).

Bonus: Learn from the challenges you'll face. Embrace camp life with a thankful heart. Stay positive even when it seems you have no reason to. May God firmly establish you in your PPA and other phases of NYSC! I pray same for me and all corpers in my set as well. :-).

The NYSC anthem:
Youths obey the clarion call,
Let us lift our Nation high,
Under the sun or in the rain,
With dedication and selflessness,
Nigeria is ours, Nigeria we serve....

Note»»»» "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7.

Photo credit: culled from pro-NYSC Twitter handle.