Trapped between cultures: Nigerian parents in the US, UK, devise ways to save kids

Source: Punch Newspapers Nigeria. Saturday, November 17, 2018

Born and raised in lands thousands of kilometres away from their ancestral homes, many Nigerian parents in the Diaspora are finding new ways of reinforcing indigenous cultures in their children, writes ERIC DUMO

Jesus na you be Oga, Jesus na you be Oga, all other gods na so so yeye, every other god na yeye dem be," gushed out of 12-year-old Amaka's mouth in disjointed Pidgin English as she made for the door. It was a dry afternoon with wind blowing at top speed across most parts of California, yet the excitement on the little girl's face was as moist as a sweaty palm.


Born and nurtured in the United States, young Amaka only got to visit her parents' country - Nigeria - for the first time last December. She had heard so much about the place - many of those tales were gory presentations of what Africa's most populous country looked like. The little girl was only Nigerian in nomenclature but American in spirit and soul. When she jetted out of the LAX International Airport in California together with her father - Mr. Isaiah Uchendu - and mother, Ijeoma - on December 13 last year, she was unsure of what to expect upon arrival in Orlu, Imo State - the home town of her parents. Tales of blood-sucking demons running riot and huge man-eating apes jumping from trees to rooftops had created a dreadful picture of Nigeria in the days preceding the long voyage. It was the beginning of the end as far as she was concerned. But 11 months after that historic trip, Amaka has a different idea of her fatherland and the amazing culture of its many peoples.

Experiencing Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Owerri and her native Orlu in the five weeks she
stayed in the country, the little girl not only realised how wrong her earlier ideas were but also what she had been missing all along. She wished she could turn back the hands of time.

"I thought we were heading to a jungle in Africa but I was surprised when the airplane landed in a place called Lagos, a big city with cars and houses," the 12-year-old recalled as our correspondent played guest to the family at their modest three-bedroomed apartment in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, California, during a recent visit to the United States.

There are about 23,302 Nigerians in the state of California alone, according to a 2016 American Community Survey. While many have lived there for decades, acquiring citizenship status in the process, the pursuit of a new life amidst crushing poverty and widening economic inequality in Nigeria has driven dozens more there.

The Uchendus moved to this bustling city a little over 12 years ago - shortly before Amaka's delivery - their first and only child. The couple, despite now fully entrenched in the American way of life, has not forgotten their roots. Each year, one of them makes the long trip home at least once to see and meet with family members, relatives and friends. The tradition has not only helped them to keep in touch with happenings in their home community but also helped them put to good use their hard-earned savings in the United States. Isaiah works as a driver at a delivery company, while Ijeoma is a senior sales executive at a popular chain store. But while they have plenty of 'Nigeria' in them even in America, Amaka only knows little about home - a situation the couple are desperate to change.

"My daughter used to have weird thoughts about Nigeria and Africa in general and that bothered me and my wife a lot," the 42-year-old said, clutching tightly to the little girl on the three-seater sofa they sat. "Initially, we didn't pay much attention to this but as she began to grow older, we became more concerned. We wanted her to know more about home - about our hometown, Orlu, and our culture in general.

"We saw how other Nigerian parents were beginning to seriously introduce and instil their indigenous culture in their children, so we became more interested in doing the same.

"We began to take her to more Nigerian events in California and started making her take active part in the activities just like the other children.

"As time wore on, she started to show more interest and in fact wanted to know more about Nigeria and her many cultures. My wife and I, at that point, thought that it would be nice to finally take her home to witness things for herself.

BITTER LEAVES: Bitter leaf boosts fertility, fights prostate

Topics:
- Bitter leaf boosts fertility, fights prostate
- Protect your vital organs with bitter leaves

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Bitter leaf boosts fertility, fights prostate
By Kudirat Musa, Nigeria 
Monday, November 19, 2018

Dr Grace Johnson, a specialist, has said bitter leaf works so well for fertility, and

fights prostate cancer because its boost the functions of the reproductive system, balance hormones and help the ovary release healthy eggs.


Johnson, who is Food Nutritionist, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday, that the effect of bitter leaf ranges from specifically toning the reproductive organs and boosting overall health.

According to her, the problem with a lot of infertile patients is that they do not connect infertility with "fertile nutrition".

"Good nutrition is considered to be the foundation of a healthy body. That is why a healthy ovary will only be found in a healthy body.

"When the ovary is healthy, it releases a healthy egg (ovum) which once fertilized, results in a healthy pregnancy and if all goes well, you will have a healthy child.


"Bitter leaf has a bitter taste and it is true that most people cannot withstand it but remember that the best of medicines comes with a bitter taste and bitter leaf is ranked high among them,'' she said .

NAN reports that bitter leaf plant with leafy green vegetable and used in the form of vegetable eaten to promote and enhance the digestive tract to do job.

Johnson said "bitter leaf fight prostate cancer which is common among men who are over 40 years old and one of its known symptoms is difficult and painful urination.

"Bitter leaf is very good for this ailment. It increases the flow of urine and reduces the pain as well as regulates the spread of the cell.

"To fight prostate cancer with bitter leaf, just squeeze the fresh leaves in water and take a glassful four times daily while you constantly go for a checkup.

She added that bitter leaf also fight Insomnia, `insomnia is a condition that promotes habitual sleeplessness'.

Nutritionist, however, said that bitter leaf extract has been doing wonders for those suffering from sleeplessness by taking two glasses of bitter leaf solution every night and they would experience a calmness and sleep.

She said that almost everybody knows bitter leaf is a well-known remedy for stomachaches treating malaria, typhoid, diabetes, diarrhea, tuberculosis, gallstones, kidney disease, prevention of cancer and lowering of hypertension among others.

"It is important that bitter leaves should always be taken fresh in other to enjoy its miraculous health benefits,'' Johnson said.

NAN
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Protect your vital organs with bitter leaves

By Anna Okon - Nigeria

Bitter-leaf ('Onugbu' by Igbos of Nigeria )

This plant is very useful in toning the vital organs of the body especially the liver and the kidney. 

Bitter-leaf can be very helpful in maintaining the optimum function of the liver to release bile acid every time people eat fatty foods. Another major function of the liver is the production of glycogen. Glycogen is stored energy that is released in times of low level of glucose especially for people who are fasting.
The liver should be well taken care of by using bitter-leaf. Once the liver has been damaged it can't be restored to its normal function. People with liver problems can drink a glass of boiled bitter leaves water every day.

Infertility in women caused by endocrine systems

Written by Oladapo Ashiru
~PUNCH Nigeria. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2018.

Dr  Oladapo Ashiru

The most common cause of infertility in women is their inability to produce eggs that are normal. Egg production disorders are among the most common reasons why women are unable to conceive. They also account for more than 30 per cent of cases involving female infertility.

Fortunately, approximately 70 per cent of these cases can be successfully treated by using drugs that support ovulation. Many pharmaceutical industries continue to produce or import many of such drugs regularly. The drugs include clomid, gonadotropins, such as menogon, follitrope, folligraft and gonal F, as well as several other FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) containing hormone injections. Anovulation (inability to ovulate) can be due to four major factors categorised as follows:

Hormonal factors

These are the most common causes of anovulation. As explained in my doctoral dissertation, the ovulatory mechanism is controlled by a complex balance of hormones and like an orchestra in a symphony, any disruption in this process can hinder ovulation. The hormones are released by the endocrine glands in the body, starting from the brain, hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, pancreatic islets cells, adrenal glands and the gonads. There are three main sources causing this problem:

a) Failure to produce mature eggs
In approximately 50 per cent of the cases of anovulation, the ovaries do not produce normal follicles in which the eggs can mature. Ovulation is rare if the eggs are immature and the chance of fertilisation becomes almost non-existent. Even when we give a substantial amount of ovulatory support to hormones like FSH, we may obtain as many as 12 eggs, for instance, and only seven will be fully mature, while five of them will be immature eggs that cannot be fertilised by using "brute force" with Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection.


Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common disorder responsible for this problem. It includes symptoms, such as amenorrhoea, hirsutism, anovulation and infertility.

This syndrome is characterised by a reduced production of FSH and normal or increased levels of LH, estrogen and testosterone. The current hypothesis is that the suppression of FSH associated with this condition causes only partial development of the ovarian follicles and follicular cysts, which can be detected in an ultrasound scan.

The affected ovary often becomes surrounded with a smooth white capsule and it is double its normal size. The increased level of oestrogen raises the risk of breast cancer. This condition has also been linked with inadequate carbohydrate metabolism, especially with resistance to Insulin. Insulin is the hormone produced in the body to help us to manage our sugar intake. This has been successfully managed by the dietary regulation, detoxification and the use of anti-diabetic drugs like metformin. The thyroid gland and the adrenal gland also play a significant role in the manifestations of some of the infertility problems at the level.

Jamaica seeks world heritage status for reggae

~Punch Nigeria. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2018

Jamaica is bidding to have reggae music admitted to a list of global cultural treasures worthy of protection, the UN’s cultural agency UNESCO announced on Tuesday.

Paris-based UNESCO keeps a list of so-called “intangible heritage” found around the globe, which groups together traditional cultural practices such as horse games in central Asia to pizza-making in Naples.

Jamaica has asked for reggae to be added this year at a meeting of the UN agency on the island of Mauritius, where 40 proposals are set to be considered from November 26 to December 1.

So far, 399 examples of world heritage including dances, food-making practices, boat-building, games, festivals and even coaxing rituals for camels in Mongolia have been added.

A successful application is largely symbolic, but can serve to raise the profile of the country and the practice.

Other applications this year have been filed for the Irish game of hurling, the making of perfume in the French town of Grasse, and traditional wrestling in South Korea known as Ssireum.

Reggae emerged in the late 1960s in Jamaica and quickly become a global phenomenon thanks to singers such as Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff and the famed producer Lee “Scratch” Perry.

Mental health challenges facing modern African male

Written by Adeoye Oyewole
~PUNCH Nigeria. Thursday, February 21, 2019

The term 'man' is usually reserved for an adult male of the human species, while 'manhood' is used to describe the period after he has transitioned from boyhood, having attained secondary male sexual characteristics that symbolise his coming of age and assumes the responsibilities accruable to that status.

Masculinity may vary in different cultures, but it has universal principles across cultures which basically embodies assertiveness, responsibility, selflessness, ethics, sincerity, and respect that has strong associations with physical and moral strength. The biological inputs through hormones induce the process of physical maturity in the males, which redirects the biological processes away from the default female route.

In many cultures, displaying characteristics not typical to one's gender may become a social problem for the individual. However, labelling and conditioning are based on gender assumptions as part of socialisation to match the local cultural template. In the primitive hunter-gatherer societies, men were often, if not exclusively, responsible for all large game killed, the capturing, raising and domesticating of animals, the building of permanent shelters, the defence of villages and sustenance the family in all ramifications.


Each time the universally agreeable traits of manhood are challenged, anxiety and anger may be provoked leading to maladaptive behavioural patterns. With the globalisation of values, there is an increased liberation of the female gender with the attendant financial independence, among other things, which has been the premise of male domination over the centuries.

Although the actual stereotypes may have remained relatively constant, the values attached to masculine stereotypes may have changed over the past few decades, since it is argued that masculinity is an unstable phenomenon and dynamic in conceptualization. However, the old ideals of manhood are getting obsolete just as the new is still not properly defined as we grope in darkness which forms the basis of manhood and masculinity crisis with grave mental health consequences in societies like ours in cultural transition.

The typical modern African man has cognitive dissonance, with respect to his roles as a traditional dominant male in the family as he also attempts to espouse the western ideas that compel him to recognise his wife as a partner in the business of raising the family. The traditional stereotypes of the father as the breadwinner and the mother as a homemaker are almost historical in the light of today's economic realities.

Four urogenital symptoms men should never ignore

Guardian Nigeria. Thursday, March 14, 2019

How knowledgeable are you about your urogenital health? Concerning the male genitourinary system, it encompasses organs that are essential for urinary and reproductive genital health such as the kidneys, urinary bladder, prostate, testes, penis, and other structures. When men have problems or concerns involving these organs, there is sometimes a reluctance to mention any urologic concerns to a doctor on account of embarrassment about the issue. There are certain symptoms however, that always require medical attention and delays in seeking out treatment may result in severe lifelong health consequences. Here are four red flags that your urogenital health may be seriously at risk and that you must urgently see an urologist.

You experience a continuous and painful erection lasting several hours -

A painful continuous erection that persists for greater than four hours and arises in the absence of sexual stimulation is known as priapism. When priapism occurs, there is no relief of the symptoms even with ejaculation. The type of priapism that is the most worrisome is ischemic priapism, which results when blood is unable to be drained from a penis that is erect. It's a urological emergency that may lead to penile necrosis (tissue death) that can't be reversed.

There are various reasons why priapism may occur in males. In some cases of priapism, it may happen due to the use of medication for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Priapism may also be a complication of sickle cell disease. Sometimes the etiology of the condition is simply unknown.

Treatment may include blood aspiration, meaning that a doctor would use a needle to remove blood from the engorged penis. Administration of vasoconstrictive medication is also another treatment modality. Nonetheless, priapism is a serious condition that must never be ignored.

You have rapidly progressing genital skin discoloration/break down plus foul odor

If you ever experience a rapidly progressing genital skin discoloration or break down in conjunction with the symptoms of genital pain, foul odor, and fever, then there may be great concern for Fournier’s gangrene. It is a type necrotizing fasciitis of the external genitalia and perineum. Though the condition is rare, it tends to occur more in men versus women. There is also an increased risk of the condition in those with chronic medical conditions like diabetes or other health problems leading to an immunocompromised state e.g. HIV. Treatment may include administration of intravenous antibiotics and removal of the necrotic tissue via surgical intervention. The condition may ultimately be life threatening and early treatment is crucial.

You feel severe testicular pain

Testicular pain is another major red flag that you must urgently seek evaluation from an urologist.

The effects of sexual frustration

~Punch Nigeria. Sunday, March 31, 2019

The concept of having to deal with a sexually frustrated person has never occurred to yours truly as a
disease entity. However, several weeks ago, a man who is not even a skilled worker brought me face to face with an entirely new concept of illness and the facts unearthed were very profound. The sexually frustrated individual is that person who because of certain peculiarities within their body is unable to enjoy the sexual act. They are not satisfied by any act because of some attributes that they have. Some of these people have deformed organs or inadequately developed organs and are unable as a consequence to copulate. They are agitated persons because they do not have good sex, cannot complete a sexual encounter and consequently lack sex. Such people are nearly universally frustrated and the frustration they feel is the gap between the people's desired sexual goals and their actual achievement. Some of these persons may even be hermaphrodites, being that they have both male and female sex organs.

The individual who led me on this fact-finding mission is a security man. The jovial man is a dutiful sentry at the main gate of a large company dealing in oil products. The three women who drove up to the gate had no appointment according to the security man and the women in turn had no reason to be verbally abusive because the gentleman was doing his job. There is no derogatory term they did not use on him and he stood there emphasizing that he would not let them in. The women were all in their mid-forties and wore human hair and loud make-up. They looked a bit crazy too and talked in a rough manner. The security man was careful not to provoke a scene since he could not entirely be certain who within the company they knew.

However, when the noise and abuse became unbearable, he faced them calmly and told them they were sexually frustrated women. He said further that they should look for good men to teach them some bedroom lessons so that their heads could cool down. He hit a raw nerve: the women were at first stunned into silence. Then they got into their Sport Utility Vehicle and drove away.

A few weeks later, one remembered the incident and decided to do an online search. The findings were profound enough to provoke this essay. Yes, there is such a concept and yes, there are related health challenges associated with its presence in our lives. It is important to know that no two people have the same sexual desires and tastes, not even among identical twins. Some people want a lot of it and others less. And this is when the male genitals and the female counterpart are normal and able to function in the way they are supposed to function. It is a present feature in every marriage and the effects can be quite profound. For that reason, it is not universally found to be a problem which certain medications can solve. In many cases, no drugs would help them deal with the issue. There are many hurdles to cross before the men, most commonly become afflicted with erectile dysfunction which progressively takes away the excitement surrounding sex. In some situations, one partner may assume that there is sufficient sex in the relationship and could develop problems not being able to understand why the other party whines about not having enough of it.