Junction of the unknown

FESTAC, LAGOS

I visited Lagos yesterday...the mainland. Life on the fast track is a stark contrast from the town I have spent the past year. Walking around with my tallest uncle, we reminisced about my childhood and nostalgia came full force as we passed my childhood road in Festac, off 72^nd road. The flats, shops & mosque at the junction suddenly looked so small compared to the gigantic structures I once remember as a little girl. Lagos! The place to be. Festac is part of this great big city that displays a glimpse of the beauty of urban planning. The sideways are wide and passerby of all shapes, sized, social economic status buzz by. Strapping young men just leaving midweek services from various churches around the corner. Middle aged men sitting under trees enjoying the evening breeze and drinking beer. Women closing shops and heading home to prepare for another round of work- house chores & tending to the family (A woman’s job is never finished). Observers politely staring as each set wander by. The ambiance of this neighborhood elicits a feeling of ‘I’m doing something with my life’. Purposes of all dimension perfumes the evening, and this observation having just rounded up my one year National Youth service. Life is sweet at this junction of the unknown.

Day I moved to Nigeria

One year later

KUMASI, GHANA

This evening I take off for Kumasi, Ghana, an uncharted territory for me. There I will spend one week with the Blessing O Foundation Int’l team, along with an expert child trauma psychologist assessing the situation on ground on girl child issues. There are about a 100 girls in Kumasi, Ghana, mostly Muslims ranging from 10-20years old. Some were married off and later abandoned while others were promised marriage and when impregnated, were discarded or ran away. They have been sexually molested and now live on the streets, some with children, and continue to be victims of sexual abuse. Ghanaians have invited us in and we have commenced dialogue with the government on adequate measure to mitigate the situation. We aim to coalesce with community stakeholders, including other NGOs, individuals and government officials making a concerted effort in assessing a way forward.
 

Stay tuned for the next post on Kumasi.