A fish in the desert was what I felt like, born off the coast of the Atlantic, I was now in northern Nigeria where I only saw rain twice throughout the entire year I lived there for this very mission a stark contrast to the rain forest where I was from where it rained 10 out of 12 months in a year, I love the rain it's my best weather, I left that that behind for some volunteer humanitarian work in Northern Nigeria and in no time I was made group leader, as group leader I was to pick an extra project I liked for the group to do. People suggested various things, someone suggested we sensitise against abuse and educate people on their rights, I liked it, I had some northerners on my team and I listened to their opinions what they had to say giving it extra points over opinions of non northerners, so we shelved the idea even though I loved it especially because a girl I was fond of there she would always smile and love to interact with me but one day she was limping, she would usually tell me everything her culture,family,boys,school etc but not that day, she wouldn't tell me why she was limping, I looked at her and said someone beat you right? I knew if she wasn't telling me it had to be her father or a potential suitor or someone close, so the project was going to be personal. in the end I didn't do it because I was assured by the northerners that The Koran allows men to beat up women to correct them and telling people anything else would amount to there's a word I'm looking for oh Heresy, and the punishment for heresy in Islam is stiff. Truthfully our intention was to teach them about human rights to basic education, and all the other rights as well as donate food, money and work tools to women especially.
Here's where things get interesting We handed money to a woman who we heard how she struggles and how the money can better her BUSINESS immediately we presented the money to her she handed it then and there in our presence to her husband, a man with 3 other wives aside her, I didn't want my money to go to him but what could I do? I had already given it to her, there was no talking her out of it, I was a little disappointed inside, maybe she was trying to win favour from the husband or abiding by one rule I don't know of, looking back now I am smarter than I was then so what I would do differently is I would give the money to the woman privately not in the presence of her husband or any other male members of her community. Months later Another group came after us and saw the shelved project and decided to take it up what happened to them was on the news, they were almost beaten and stoned but luckily they escaped with a warning "never to set foot in the communities again because they were teaching their wives and children that they can do as they like and not respect their husbands and not respect Islam, if they are to set foot in any of those community they will be flogged. Funny enough It was the women that reported to the men that such and such group are teaching them unislamic things. 😐 I was not surprised.
Let me add, these are my experiences first hand accounts not meant to demean or ridicule however, I am happy to have such listening ears and I believe to tackle Africas problem we need to start from the root, The mind. Free the mind and everything else will follow.
Religion has its good but Africans need to know the absurdity of some of these imagine giving a struggling Christian family money to start a business and they in turn donate the money to church and pay tithe believing a miracle would happen and they'll be rich, and here I was thinking me giving you the money to start the business was the miracle. I've seen alot in Nigeria. I hope to travel Africa in future and experience and document even more.
