As I have been in the village often when there is need for paperwork in Abuja to get done and moved about, our staff Peter has been working tirelessly at making sure things get done. Also a close friend of ours, Kayode, has supported this work as well as helping when I am in Abuja. Kayode is currently planning an initiative with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) of Nigeria that will address Human Security and Healing of Memories in Nigeria and that will kick off next year during the centennial celebrations in the country. This initiative has the support of the President and is being reviewed by him and his staff personally. As Kayode has been a support to TWCF over the past many years (I have known him since we started our work here in Nigeria), I also support him in his work with NOA. I have been asked to help consult on the curriculum and initiative by Kayode and the Director of the NOA. It is something I am honoured to do. The more I hear about this initiative and work on it, the more I see how it ties into how we are raising our children in TWCF. There is so much work to be done on teaching and training people in regards to human security (rights and assurance to basic human needs, safety, shelter, food, employment, respect, ect) and healing from wrongdoings by others. Hopefully by sharing ideas and raising important questions, solutions can be found that will create change and make a difference in this country.
Eg. An example of how there is an effort for change yet a struggle to implement it: I attended a ceremony and unveiling of a new initiative in Nigeria called “Do The Right Thing: Avoid Dirt, Be Clean”. There were dignitaries, politicians, religious leaders and international country ambassadors present. The initiative was introducing garbage cans to be used to reduce waste in the environment and keep our environment clean. While the initiative is a good one and supported, it has not been fully thought out. Not every state will get these garbage cans and push the agenda, let alone every city/town/village in the states that do get them. Also, once the garbage cans are filled, there is no plan yet as to what to do with the garbage in them. So we continue to have mass amounts of waste and garbage cover the streets and pile up on the corners, making the environment smell, becoming breeding grounds for bacteria and disease, aside from looking awful.
