Tag Archives: Nigeria

Nigeria to Ghana

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The flight may only take 45 minutes but I feel like I’m a world away. Lagos, Nigeria thrives on a hectic energy, everything is fast and you live fast or die. However, life expectancy in the city is substantially less than the surrounding rural areas and this reflects the toll that this lifestyle takes. Lagos is developing but it is being held back by its infrastructure. Lack of electrical power and drivable roads make starting a business hard and the few that do make it seem to give little back in the way of taxes or assistance to their communities. Whilst there are many parallels to this in Europe there are few places where you can see such poverty contrasted against such wealth. The gap between the classes of society in Nigeria is ever present especially when you can see the shantytowns from the hotels that charge a basic rate of £240 per night. Corruption also plays such a pivotal roll in society that it will take many years before the money given to the government actually gets to the communities that need it. However, most of the people I met in Nigeria are proud of their country and I heard many times that Nigeria is a land where you can make it if you try.

I’ve not been in Ghana long enough to even begin to form an idea about the infrastructure here but I can already see some stark differences. When I arrived in the city of Accra, which has a central airport, I was instantly hit by a better quality of air. When travelling along the roads I found myself relaxing as the cars followed the road markings and drove safely as appose to the highly reckless driving that is prevalent in Lagos. Whilst most of the Ghanaian’s I have met complain about the Accra traffic the roads still resemble the quieter days of Lagos driving.

From Accra the project travelled west to Busua to link with the Black Star Development Projects Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO). After sitting for hours in the Tro-Tro’s (local shared transport) Busua is a welcome relief. Busua sits in a wonderful location, it has a constant sea breeze and an open and relaxed atmosphere. Upon arrival Ebenezer the Volunteer Coordinator in training met the Global Youth Video Project. From the office we headed straight to the surf shop on the beach where I met Tabitha the Senior Volunteer Coordinator. If you plan on volunteering with Black Star you can be assured of a fantastic welcome. All of the staff here are brilliant and have a strong commitment to ensuring that responsible tourism and sustainability is central to their role. After Tabitha and Ebenezer ran through some of the volunteering induction I was taken to my accommodation so I could freshen up and return to learn more about the Black Star NGO. When I returned the power was still off so we continued to talk about the role of the NGO and the local customs and acceptable behaviours for tourists and visitors.

Paulo, Ebenezer and Tabitha

Paulo, Ebenezer and Tabitha outside the Black Star Development NGO

 

 

Sexual Health in Nigeria

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Please beware that this blog contains information on some sensitive topics and may not be suitable for all readers.

When in Nigeria I visited Action Health Incorporated (AHI). I went with Yemi from Hope for HIV/AIDS International to be shown round the facilities by Mavis, an intern at the organisation. AHI is a huge non-governmental organisation (NGO) for young people 10 – 21 years of age. AHI is dedicated to the promotion of adolescent health and development.

During the visit to AHI I was fortunate enough to talk to the programme officer dealing with the counseling and advice part of AHI in their youth clinic. The AHI provides youth friendly sexual health and personal development advice through student doctor placements that rotate monthly supported by a permanent advisor.

I discussed some questions that I had about the sexual health service with Oladimeji, the programme officer. Through our discussion I was able to broaden my knowledge surrounding Nigerian health provision and the legal situation of healthcare. I found that HIV testing at the clinic is only available to those over 18 years of age and that both HIV and blood pregnancy tests are done on site. The morning after pill is also permitted and is prescribed. However, abortions are not permitted unless the pregnancy is affecting the health of the woman and until recently a woman was only able to have an abortion if the husband agreed. Thankfully, the rights of the mother now supersede the wishes of the husband and if any woman dies in labour the entire delivery team must appear before a medical panel to explain why. Women are also now allowed to control their own contraception whereas before they were not permitted to without the signed permission of the husband. However, the prescription of regular birth control for young women is severely limited as there are fears about a community backlash against the clinic, and parents suing.

At the clinic they provide free male and condoms and also run a peer education programme with local schools on sexual health awareness. Even though AHI provides sexual health screening and contraception their central message is abstinence. I asked why this is and I got a culturally relevant response. The answer explored the difficulties of navigating the cultural response (and potential isolation) regarding sex outside of marriage as well as the impacts of poverty on many young peoples access to sexual health services. Many young people just can’t afford to get to a sexual health clinic and can’t risk going to a clinic in their local community. Many more people can not afford to feed themselves let alone support a child. I must remind you at this stage that Nigeria is one of the richest African nations and that whilst there is extreme poverty there is also wealth that most people have never seen the likes of.

Another discussion I had focused on child protection. I found out that the rights of the child only came into focus in 2010 and before this point they were not legislated for. However, when it comes to issues of protecting a child especially when it comes to sexual harassment and abuse the law does little in the face of such extreme poverty. Allegations of abuse in the area of Lagos rarely get explored because the person being abused will often be cultural isolated, whilst the perpetrator is often defended. Most abuse cases that were recalled to me involved richer relatives abusing girls that were already promised to them for marriage. In such cases the abuse often happened with the consent or without intervention from the parents because of the financial importance of such a marriage. There are many other cases in which abuse allegations will be settled financially out of court and many don’t even get to court because the parents chose whether or not to take it further. Whilst on a personal level I find this part of Nigerian culture abhorrent the western world is not immune to such violations. The abuse of children is global and before you sit back and criticize Africa you only have to look at the many stories of abuse, particularly in the church, children’s homes and the family to see that we all have to act now in the face of such unspeakable evil.

To find out more about AHI you can go to the website at: www.actionhealthinc.org

If you want more information about recognizing and dealing with abuse you can go to: http://helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm

The Amazing Rhoda Youth Centre

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I’ve just spent 5 days at Rhoda Youth Centre (RHC) and I’m definitely inspired. The RHC is phenomenal, it’s easily on par with some of the best youth facilities in the UK. It’s a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) run by committed workers. The project is funded by Youth Builders who are local people that donate money monthly to keep it running. The RYC provides training for young people who are struggling to find jobs after leaving education. It runs sessions for around thirty young people on film and production, IT, bead/jewelry making, art, music and acting. It has a sound studio, IT suite, film facilities, art studio, rehearsal/function space and classrooms. All students attend for free and receive coaching on setting up their own business and developing their employability skills. Young people who have worked on the project have now created their own music bands, jewelry businesses and employment opportunities. This isn’t like Entry to Employment (E2E) courses in England this is a three month placement with the same thirty students in small classes. The tutors know their students and the students learn the confidence in their skill of choice. RYC works hard to link students up with local employers and the students all work hard to learn what they can in the time they have. I think that the UK Government could learn a lot from seeing how successful this person-centered project is. It is certainly better than the cattle market system of E2E courses that many young people have experienced in the UK. It’s not just the courses that provide worth; the building is immaculate and has a feeling of grandeur. As soon as you walk through the door you feel important.

The video footage from this center will be clearer than any previous footage for the Global Youth Video Project because they gave me their equipment to use. The camera alone was bigger than my hand luggage and it was a real treat to use such equipment.

I’d like to thank the young people that worked on these videos as they put a lot of their time into answering these questions honestly and truthfully and at times this lead to very heated debates. Also a special thank you goes out to Tomisi for her wonderful cooking and for hosting me for the 5 days.

To find out more go to www.rhodayouth.org

Femi and Daniel

When the going gets tough the tough get going

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Backdated post from October 1st


Yemi and Rex

Today is the last day of October and the start of a new week with Hope for HIV/AIDS International (HFA). In the last 5 days I’ve learnt about the background of HFA and the mission they have to combat HIV/AIDS and the stigmas attached to those living with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS.

HFA has a small office on Palm Avenue in Mushin, Lagos. There are five members of staff and all of them are friendly and have done their best to welcome me and make sure that my stay is enjoyable. Lagos presents a brilliant opportunity for volunteers, as there is a lot to do. However, if you are looking for a social volunteering experience with other volunteers this isn’t it. Lagos is a tough city but if you’re looking for something to challenge you and push your comfort boundaries then this placement will suit you. Tomorrow I go to Rhoda Youth Centre, which is outside the city. I have a hunch that this will be a quieter area and I’m told that this is a bustling youth centre. I’m looking forward to spending the week there!

The generosity of the people in Lagos is amazing and you can’t fault it. You need to be direct here but don’t worry if you’re not a direct person you’ll have to learn to be to survive. It will also help if you can cook basic things, there aren’t any social meals, although I’ve advised HFA to encourage this, so for now you’ll need to source and cook your own food. The street food seems to be safe enough though and you can get any meal for 3/4 people for 200N – about £2. However, on a night it doesn’t seem that safe to go out. There is still a fear of kidnapping here.

The other day I visited the one of the communities that HFA has a base in. It is a community built on marshland and is not dissimilar to the communities which may be shown on Oxfam adverts. This particular community had been flooded by river water during the week making navigation difficult.

The HFA is a Christian organisation and most of the work that they do is with Pastors and members of the Christian community. They have just got some funding through to deliver more training on HIV/AIDS but this training will be delivered to Muslim community leaders as well. The HFA usually have International Christian volunteers for their placements as well. However, I’m not a Christian, or religious and we are coping with our differences. I do think it may be easier to do this placement if you are a Christian but then for me it is an opportunity to learn about different models of community engagement and a different culture. Do be warned though if you are not a christian you will be asked a lot of questions and and you will be preached to.

First Impressions

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Sat in the Office of Hope for HIV/Aids Nigeria (Hope4Aids), I can see and hear the bustle of the streets below. Nigeria is very different to Gunjur in The Gambia but then this isn’t a small town. The cars drive faster and there is a constant background rhythm of car horns. You can also hear the steady hum of generators which power the buildings through intermittent public energy loses. Today feels like it should be a hot day but there’s no direct sunlight due to a haze over the city.

I landed last night at Lagos Airport, I was delayed for almost two hours but Rex from Hope4Aids was still waiting for me when I landed. I got a very warm greeting and was driven the short way to his home where I am staying with his family. Being a passenger in Nigeria isn’t for the faint hearted and I can already guarantee that every trip will be an adventure.  At one point during our drive to the house last night there was a heavy presence of police by the road side, they were trying to pull people over to get bribes. Rex handled this perfectly and just kept on driving advising the other drivers to do the same.

The accommodation is basic and welcoming, if you volunteer here you will stay with families (unless you chose otherwise). The house I’m staying in has electricity, via the generator, internet and a gas cooker. There’s no running water but there’s plenty of water to use for bucket showers, cooking and washing.

Today will be the start of my well planned itinerary and I definitely feel like the next three weeks will be eventful and fast paced. On first impressions this strikes me as a project for volunteers who like to get stuck in.

Nigeria

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I have safely landed in Nigeria to start the Global Youth Video Project with Hope for HIV/Aids Nigeria. I would like to thank the Gunjur Project in The Gambia for their hospitality and for a fabulous start to the project. However, today marks the start of a new journey with new questions and I’m very excited to see the results.

If you have any new questions that you would like me to ask Nigerian young people just leave a reply on the Ask a Question…

Welcome to the Global Youth Video Project!

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This is an interactive project that is travelling the world to capture the thoughts and dreams of young people to share them with you.

Ever wondered what young people think in different countries? If we’re all the same or if some of us share the same dreams? Ever wondered if the things you do in your life affect young people living thousands of miles away? Well here’s your chance to find out. This project is collecting the voices of young people across the world and putting them on video. You can hear the thoughts and ideas of other young people in places such as The Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana, Malaysia, Thailand, England and New Zealand to name only a few.

If you’re a youth worker, teacher or professional working with young people, there will be a resource page in 2012 that you can use to explore international issues and global citizenship, for now you can go to our youth worker section to find out more about the project.

You can also follow the progress of the project here on the blog page where you can learn more about the places visited. There are also hints and tips for those of you who want to travel!

Enjoy your viewing and keep checking this out for new videos.