Yali Network Kwara Blog

The wailing increased as the pallbearers lowered the body to the ground. The grave diggers picked up their shovels to finish their job filling the grave with sand. The howling lessen as people turned their back to take their leave. No one was passionate enough to go 6 feet with the deceased to prove their love. They all stopped crying and wailing soon as they started taking stocks of properties. Jolted into awakeness by the tap on my shoulder, I cleared the sleep from my eyes, as I tried to observe the unfamiliar environment. I turned around and saw two men, both in all white flowing garments with nice fragrance. They introduced theirselves as Munkar and Nakir. They proceeded into interrogating me and asked; have you ever lived before?. I replied lived? what’s that? I said no confidently.  Just then, a clip of my existence was played before me. Who could have thought I lived for 65years. 25years of my life trying to figure out what to do with life. Constantly stumbling off my feet,...

Opeyemi Shittu opeyemishittu72@gmail.com ___________________________________________ Oh! Will you make a mockery of me if I thrive and jive vivaciously to the upbeat tune of fallacy? Will you deride me if I found solace and consolation in the comforting, reassuring embrace of insanity? I asked; will I be an object cruise to you if and when I ultimately give in to the temptation of delusion like a sailor succumbing to the allurement of the song of siren in the sea.        But what am I to do? When I'm woken only to be met by the harsh-stern-cold-menacing glare of this horrible inexplicable realm What am I to do? When the bitter reality wrecked my dream ship on the sharp rock of my very existence. What am I to do? When life gust of winds pulverized my humble abode tearing it down in ruins  What am I to do? When the evil-minded reality villainously derailed my unwary train on a voyage to the land of dream actualization What am I to do?

JUNE IS HERE Hello everyone, June is over already and it was exciting for us at YALI Network Kwara, we can't wait to share our June events with you all. The hub engaged in quite a number of activities in the month of June, from commemorating the World blood donor day to world sickle cell day, the international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, The masterclass session and the June members' hangout. WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY: YALI Network Kwara commemorated the World Enviroment day in partnership with the PICK THAT TRASH Team. The day which was marked on the 5th of June with the theme "RESTORING OUR ECOSYSTEM THROUGH CLEANUP AND COMMUNITY SENSITIZATION" had lots of volunteers and market women in attendance. Mega Clean Up, Waste Management/Disposal Sensitisation, Demonstration of 'how to use' Roll-On Roll-Off (RORO) Bins and a lot of Environmental Games amongst others were used to commemorate the day. The team moved from Oja Oba to General, educating an...

Ojo Oluwaseun ojooluwaseunridwan@gmail.com Talking Of a Breathing Space.  My friend just came back from Lagos few days ago. I was very glad to see him after a six-week of being apart. Upon sighting one another, we called each other those names that are peculiar to us. We laughed, hugged and laughed a lot more and more. We started talking immediately he arrived and the discussion was as soul-pleasing as always.  I missed him a lot and I told him. I have written him on WhatsApp how much I have missed his presence. He said the same to me. Not long after his arrival when he complained about my look. My cheek bone has shown. I looked lean and stressed. He didn't ask why because he knew. Our culture whenever one of us is not around is an exchange of emails. Although we rarely communicate because we usually see that time as a breathing space. Someone want to be absolutely in charge and this is only usually possible when one of us is not around. Making things happen by oneself withou...

The Metric of Society is Flawed. Its inconsistencies and Bias puts me off. A Society that speaks from both sides of the mouth. They say they want you Covered but then not too Covered. Why is the Extra Fabric on my own body a point of Discuss? Why does my simple Black make thou turn on thy heels? Society; Your Hypocrisy is Foul. I see through your Snide Comments. They are Unsolicited you know. You Claim to worry for me that I'm oppressed. But (scoffs) you are the Oppressor. Society!!,Hmm... Let people be and let it be so. Society is you,me and you. By The Veiled Pharmacist Reach her via: mubarakaharoyehun@gmail.com

Most, if not all, have at one time or another heard the name ADOLF HITLER while only a few, microscopic few, have ever heard the name LEOPOLD II OF BELGIUM. The reason for this, as far as I'm concerned is the colonial brainwashing done to us in Africa by the Europeans.  I recently saw a meme that read "the reason why little is known about king Leopold II and much is known about Adolf Hitler is because the victims of the former were black and the latter were whites". Truth is, I agree with the meme hence my digging to find out as much as I can about the atrocities committed by king Leopold II. Although, I know about some of his atrocities in Congo, searching about him and reading a lot about him opened my eyes to the fact that king Leopold II was the devil in human skin. Leopold II of Belgium was born on 9th of April, 1835 and was the second but eldest surviving son of Leopold I. He succeeded his father to the Belgian throne in 1865 (at the age of 30). He reigned for 44 ye...

"Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together - Eugene Ionesco     Nigerians today are people characterized by high level of worries, fears, concerns and anxieties, for the future and yet full of hope for a new and better Nigeria. Nigeria nowadays is known for its everyday tension, social division, religious and ethnicity crisis, terrorism and assassination, corruption and mismanagement, immoral behaviours and quite a lot of social vices. Despite all these concerns, Nigerians still have assurance and possibilities of a new Nigeria, the one they all dreamt of, the one flowing with the proverbial "Milk and Honey".    When the notion for independence was moved by Chief Anothony Enahoro on April 1st 1953, every patriotic citizen was delighted that a new Nigeria would soon emerge. A Nigeria that would be ruled by a Nigerian without any external control. My Dad told me how October 1st 1960 was all gay and full of merry. He told me that the celebration of ...

Stress is the feeling of exhaustion as a result of some form of activities. Stress can be felt physically, mentally or emotionally. When one is physically stressed, it is most times obvious for other people to see but the mental and emotional stress are often not obvious, they are only felt by the stressed fellow. It's normal for one to feel stressed at some point in time but stress management is an important skill that we all should learn. There are ways by which stress can be managed, and individuals have different ways of dealing with stress, be it physical, mental or emotional.  Different ways by which forms of stress can be managed includes: listening to music, reading, dancing, exercising, maintaining privacy, sleeping, among others. Physical stress obviously is best managed by knowing your limit when it comes to doing things that involves energy and all. Stress is normal but to avoid being severely affected as a result of stress, learn about stress management and go for whic...

Oluwaseun Ojo ojooluwaseunridwan@gmail.com __________________________________ For the past two weeks, I have constantly been on the road for some programs. During one of those trips, a lady with whom I was in a car asked me some questions that really amazed me. Before she asked those questions, I have been noticing some reactions in her that was telling me that she wanted to talk about (or find out) something about me. Well, since she hasn't asked any question, I remained muted. Who answer an unasked questions? But truly, I was curious too. Few hours later, she asked one of those questions?  "Why are you so calm, cool... I mean...mehn?." Ah...well. I became nervous then went offline for few seconds, then came back... I couldn't figure out what to say immediately. I ransacked my brain for an appropriate answer and at the end, I told her with smiling glowing on my face, gesticulating with my hands, "ahm, ahm... I just...like it" That wasn't the comprehensi...

Dear Freshers, Hope this letter meets you well. We are using this medium to congratulate and welcome you to this University. You deserve a pat in the back for making it till this level, however, this is the beginning of another long journey.  From QLSA Unilorin Chapter, we wish you a good luck on your academic trip. To then make your journey a easy one, we have for you, few instructions and we implore you to comply. Before we proceed, who are we, QLSA Unilorin Chapter?  Quantum Leap Student's Assembly (QLSA) is a campus based organization that has major interest in training youths in a parliamentary styles so as to build them into a worthy leaders. Our main focus is on leadership skill, political literacy and academic success of our members. To achieve this, we have several programs one of which is our weekly sitting which hold on Thursdays, where we rub minds on national matters, campus lives and general decision making. Well, we shall tell you more about QLSA as ...

Adejumo Barakat is an educator, she has been teaching for the past 5 years. She's passionate about quality education, a conserved environment, peace, leadership, and poverty eradication. She's the co-founder of PeaceBoxNigeria and a serial volunteer.  Adejumo Barakat is a Native of Ibadan, Oyo state. She's a graduate of Federal College of Education Special, Oyo, Oyo State, where she studied Business Education and Special Education for students with learning disabilities. She's a final year student of University Ilorin, studying Business Education. She's an educator, graphics designer, content creator, Public Speaker, relationship and life coach, businesswoman, an Ambassador of Literacy for African child (Laced Africa) also An Ambassador of Initiative for Sound Education, Relationships, and Health (ISERH). She's a trained change agent, a certified SDGs Ambassador by Mogi Global Leadership school. She's also an Alumnus of MOGI Global Leadership ...

Name : I am Taofeeq Idowu Abdulkareem , but I am fondly called Obama Jr. II . I am from Owo, Ondo state. Education : I started Primary Education i Akure, Ondo State. I had my secondary education between 2012 to 2018, after which I secured admission into the prestigious University of Ilorin.  I am currently a second-year student of History and International Studies at the University of Ilorin. Interests : Humanitarianism, Advocacy, and Activism, Politics, Networking. *What do you do:* I volunteer at: - YALI Network Kwara - Wikipedia Passion : I have a passion for law; that's why I love activism.  Appointments : - Member, Social Team - Member, Secretary Team - Executive Member, Wikimedia Fan Club, UNILORIN - Member, UNILORIN Student Union Vice President's Committee Awards -Number 1 Editor for Wiki LovesSDGs NG Motivation : Growth and continued success Favourite quote : "You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated." - Maya Angelou R...

Suddenly, I heard a knock! Late into the night... It's a long narrative but don't skip.🤔 -------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a beautiful Wednesday evening during the cool season of last year. I was returning from school and there was traffic on the way. As I sat in the cab, I kept watching all the activities on the street. It was almost 6pm, the closing hour of most businesses. .... From where I was, I could see market women returning home, young kids running after their elder siblings. I could hear noises of vehicles from behind and ahead... and about an hour later, I got home. As I got home, it was about raining. So I walked inside my room and stay in bed to relieve my brain of the day's stress. ... I took a shower and changed into my night wear from the ankle flay skirt I was wearing. I felt total freedom from the intense dressing I earlier had on. I kept staring at my bible which was at the extreme end of the bed and almost besid...

"Take the food and eat, useless girl!" She yelled at me, staring at me like she would rip my guts.  "There is nothing you can do better than eating" she roared at me again...  I wanted to open my mouth in defence when she shut me up.     "For your information, that food was poisoned. Eat it and die", she said to me as she walked out, leaving me behind laying helplessly in bed.     For the past five years, I have been living with my uncle. His wife and I were never friends. We were just like cat and dog or should I say, we were like day and night. Though, I loved her but she detested my presence.  I can't still figure out the reason for her hatred for me, because she had been all caring and respectful to me before the death of my parents.  On many occasions, our fight made the house hot like hell fire that even her husband can't sleep in. Uncle would come in to calm her but Aunty Shade was one hell of a woman.   On one fate...

In the last few years, structuring has been a front burner in every political, social and economic discussion in Nigeria. An average Nigerian, both literate and illiterate, favours restructuring. However, Nigeria is not close to restructuring than it was ten years ago. The reasons, as far as I'm concerned, are the governors of the various states in Nigeria.  Nigerian governors are the laziest anywhere in the world. The governors are so lazy; they are only interested in collecting federal allocations monthly rather than look inward to generate revenue within their various states. Nigeria is so blessed with both human and natural resources, however, the country has not harnessed one-fifth of her potential, thanks to the governors and the political attitude of an average Nigerian who believed that there is only one level of governance, i.e central/federal government.  With the exception of Lagos State, the remaining 35 states in Nigeria cannot efficiently and effectively self-sus...

Indigestion is somewhat a form of discomfort which is mainly felt in the digestive system. It is a condition whereby there is difficulty in digestion of food. Food that we consume as humans are meant to be digested so as to give the energy needed to the body, and afterwards the waste products generated is excreted in form of faeces, urine or sweat. Inadequate or indigestion of food consumed can lead to conditions like constipation, which is a symptom of intestinal obstruction whereby there is difficulty in excretion. One of the important factors that aids digestion is adequate intake of water. It is essential to take adequate quantity of water before and after eating so as to aid digestion. Water intake before eating, especially after hours without eating is a way of alerting and preparing the digestive system for digestion. With this, digestion is made easier and excretion is done at ease. Another important thing that aids digestion is taking fruits. One of the benefits of taking frui...