I do not believe in destiny. Moments later, I ask myself “what is genetic predisposition then”? What is it, to ‘inherit’ the defective genes just like your father, brothers and male cousins had and bleed incessantly (literally)? It is both pre-written and inevitable. Sigh. I am not so sure about my stand on destiny anymore. Haemophilia, the topic of this post and the last clinic I was posted at, is a bleeding disorder. It has a genetic association, like explained above. So a haemophiliac...

It is not really an article, but a way of expressing some ideas. I am studying in a post graduation course and we are studying deeper how to search information at internet; how to use information like this one to develop professionally. In which way people around the world could help us to achieve the mentioned goal. All participants in my course are teachers and we are looking for ways of improving our knowledge, not only in English, but in general. How this community, for i...

Recently I had visited a home for a service meet. I was asked to take care of children. Children who were full of life. People categorize them as "disabled". I would say that is a very wrong usage of the word. Just because they are unable to perform certain activity they can not be simply termed as "disabled". I would rather say they are the most able individuals in the world. They are happy among themselves and are so open and so loving. If an individual is not able to do somethin...

Please tell us your name: Obiamaka Frances Ifejika... Obidara... Obii... Never Amaka. And your age: (uses calculator) 23 Where are you originally from and where do you currently live? Onitsha Ado N’Idu, Anambra state. I live in Lagos most of the time. According to your business card – what’s your job title? The front says spoken-word artist, flip it and you get photographer. And how does that compare with what you wanted to do when you were 10 years old? When I was 10 I had no idea w...

When I was young I used to think that anything that was written in a book MUST be true? After all, books have publishers, and there are all sorts of people who are paid to check everything right? Of course not – there is no single magical arbitrator who decides whether the content of a particular book is “true”. Luckily I have had some amazing teachers during my life, especially at university, who helped me to develop critical thinking skills which have in turn allowed me...

I’d like to chop the onions I looked down at Themba’s* determined face and panicked. The first thought that came to my mind was But how? You see Themba was around 12 years old at the time and he had only one arm – the other hand been amputated around his elbow after he sustained serious burns to his entire body in a fire. As the words articulated silently in my mind I immediately felt ashamed at my reaction I felt the sensation of my cheeks turning red and I pretend...

A couple of months ago, we mentioned that the Adobe Youth Voices (AYV) Aspire Awards had partnered up with UNICEF to give young people like you the opportunity to change their communities by providing three youth-led projects with grants to support the implementation of innovative initiatives. We want to congratulate EVERYONE who took part in this competition – it is so inspiring to see so much talent and creativity being put to good use. Now, the votes have been tallied an...

...and share your views on Sanitation & Drinking Water, Productivity, Governance, Vulnerability and Quality. You have up to the 14 of July to make a difference!! About the Stockholm Statement: In September 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 68) will meet to discuss the progress on the Millennium Development Goals and a roadmap towards a new development agenda. The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) believes that this event presents a critical opportunity to champion...

This is a repost of a news story posted on the website of the Food and Agriculture Organization: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/177728/icode/ 12 June 2013, Rome - Thirty-eight countries have met internationally-established targets in the fight against hunger, chalking up successes ahead of a deadline set for 2015, FAO confirmed today. “These countries are leading the way to a better future. They are proof that with strong political will, coordination and co...