MY TAKES ON NYARUGUSU REFUGEE CAMP

By:Lin Collins

 

“Investing in girls’ economic and social empowerment can reduce their risks of experiencing violence,” says Kathryn Paik, the Women’s Refugee Commission’s program officer who has been working closely with the International Rescue Committee in the Nyarugusu Camp. “It equips them with the skills and resources they need to be healthy, productive adults who can contribute positively to their families’ and communities’ well-being.”

The Nyarugusu Refugee Camp is located in the northwestern part of Tanzania, it is however crowded because of the increasing numbers from other migrants. And now it is bursting at 200 percent of its original capacity of 50,000. Good work done by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and - Heidi Lehmann, director of the IRC’s Women’s Protection and Empowerment Unit, who is a major force behind the Girls Summit formation.

At least the IRC’s are doing a good job, training 380 adolescent Congolese girls among others. It is a good thing to hear that they try to build their morale and develop some handy skills for them. Also, helping girls to archive their aims and objectives is really a good thing. The food, the clothing’s, housing and just to mention a few, kudos to them.

Since this is not only done in USA but also around the World, be happy someday they would reach you too. Helping girls gain knowledge, skills and confidence is their priority. Of course should there be any crisis in the US or anywhere around, women would suffer most. It is all good when they put in their efforts to halt a particular movement or marginalization.

Moreover, it is not only about girls though, guys and the whole Masculine gender is included. If a Congolese migrant like Ilunga Malea Shabani is giving access to go out and do minor jobs on taking permission, it should be something encouraging. At least he has the right to work and earn a living. Though this may not be a frequent thing as due to circumstances, it is cool. It is all about making the refugees feel at home and giving them hopes for the future. It is a first-class thing as well. In his case, he has not seen his parents for 18 solid years. And now he has missed home though he may not recall the journey very well. He has people to tend to, he has a place to sleep and some money to earn, and how much could you possibly ask for again? You can imagine some young men doing the job for UNHCR as translators. In one way or the other, they are made to feel at home and of useful entity.

Finally, with the UN, IRC, WRC among other institutions helping solidly to create a brighter future for these refugees, I do not think that Africa's youth are wasted in refugee camps as my friend Azad Essa would say.

The Women’s Refugee Commission. The WRC is releasing a report on July 31 intended to help humanitarian actors better identify and address the unique needs of adolescent girls in displacement and crisis settings. The report includes initial findings from the IRC’s work in the Nyarugusu refugee camp. This is also very helpful as it may give one any in depth analysis as to the current and forwarding situations. So you see why won’t you yet keep your fingers cross and let’s see what the WRC has to offer?

 

MY TAKES ON IRELAND GAY MARRIAGE VOTE

By: Lin Collins

Same Sex- Marriage or Gay has taken grounds rapidly especially in Europe. Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender Rights {LGBT} would be nothing common to a 10 year old girl in some of these European Countries.

The recent popular vote by the people of Ireland has triggered something in my thought. In fact it is the first country to accept by popular vote. When it all began with Cicero, it quickly moved to Richard John Jack Baker and James Michael McConnell in the 1970’s,with the history of same-sex unions during ancient times, which consisted of unions ranging from informal and temporary relationships to highly ritualized unions, it continues to be now a modern state-recognized thing; same sex-marriage.

It is rather in despicable how we treat these kinds of issues. We often take it on a lighter note. Oh yes of course I know we are in a ‘modern age’. For the one word ‘modernization’, we tend to think that of course we have to adapt to just things we find pleasure in. Especially to those in Europe, same-sex marriage is not a new thing anymore. Think about it, if you would have to change at every bit in the name of ‘modernization’ what would you be turning into. Just ask yourself. It is not about modernization, it is about how you perceive the world from the beginning of creation. If God, which I know some of you do not still believe that he does exist {would talk about that someday later} was to bring another Adam into the scene instead of Eve, how would it be like?

“If it is about child bearing that is no problem”. Why, the advent of technology. Of course technology has aided us in so diverse ways. Mind you, to every good thing, there is a bad absolutely. If technologies has rallied us round to recognize that we can in plant sperms and hopefully change the genital organs, does it imply that you should crowd on it? You marry man to man, woman to woman. And then the adoption idea comes. Fine, you adopt a girl child if you a gay, so he grows up to call who Daddy, and who Mommy, same genders? You can imagine the generation of beings you are already introducing into our world.

In addition to this, you have to understand that there is a limitation to everything under this Sun. You have to understand that to every rule there is an exception. Always I have the right, I have the freedom, too? To do whatever that I want. You could imagine the right that was exhibited by the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and the aftermath {Genesis 19:5-10}. I hope you know the story. If that right was just legal in the sight of the Angles, would they have smote the people with blindness on their pressing?

It is not about being in Europe but measures to undertake to ensure that it does not cross over to Africa or to the other countries. You sit in Ouagadougou, and tell yourself “Of course they should enjoy themselves, it is not in my country.” I give you ‘Ayekooo’. There is an adage in the Ewe language which I translate literally that, “if you see your neighbours bear burning, quickly put a pot of water beside your own.” It means that you should not take anything for granted. “I was deeply saddened by the result,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, said at a conference in Rome on Tuesday night. “The church must take account of this reality, but in the sense that it must strengthen its commitment to evangelisation. I think that you cannot just talk of a defeat for Christian principles, but of a defeat for humanity.” Of course a defeat for humanity! He is the Vatican’s top diplomat; he is seen as second only to the pope in the church’s hierarchy, which remarks represents the most damning assessment of the Irish vote by a senior church official to date. So you see it is not only about our country but our religion as well.

Finally, a colleague would whisper into my ears, “We are always talking about it but not much improvement?” assuming you convince your neighbour the detrimental act he or she may think of engaging in it to stop, would she not have given it a second thought? I tell you, it is all about prayers. Of course prayers can move mountains. Mind you, behind every act there is a force.

Do you always have to think about technology, freedom and right, no relation to your country, modernization, experimenting with everything you think is cool? For your information, just yesterday Greenland's parliament unanimously approves same-sex marriage with effect from October 1, 2015.

Maybe you would be familiar with this, “curiosity, kills the cat”

What about this ““if you see your neighbour bears burning, quickly put a pot of water beside your own.” Ayekoooooo!

AS TIME FLIES

Where day and night reins

Even that since the days of old

Humanity can expect nothing than changes in life

The Magnificent Moon slowly walks

Believing by daybreak

Would have crossed the sky

If only humanity needs

Get this correct

That there is no end to striving for what it wants

For one economist would tell you “human wants are unlimited”

And that is why man needs not to stop

Fighting for the passion

Like a fish, would not resist the drop of water

It is not hard getting frustrated; neither is it easy, keeping up with focus

As time flies

It is just as good as changing momentum

When you finally see the snail walk slowly

Ask in a golden voice

“Would you ever walk like this?”

If it has the opportunity to answer

“There is no haste in life”

It would not imply that you have to slumber in bed

As you keep focus in life, take it slowly

Why?

The more you climb, the slower you have to

In that,

As time flies