The Hashmak Woman Written by Vicky Bon

It was a woman

A purple hashmak was tied around her 
Beautiful hair
She took a walk to the tomb 
In which he was laid
She was in love 
She was in love with the tomb owner
He freed her from demons
Saved her From hurts
Now he was dead
She wanted to be with him again
She wanted to look at him and call 
Him Raboni
Now he was dead

Her sandals slapped along the path 
On her way to the tomb,
Tik tak, Tik tak, it clapped
Her heart beating like a drum in Ikot Ekpene
Kpom! Kpom! Kpom!

She was about to roll it
When he tapped on her back
Is that you raboni? 
She asked in dismay
He began to speak
Her heart skipped
She wasn't sure

Do then men speak?
Then she remembered the promise
The promise of his resurrection
He went back to the arms of his love
Even dead couldn't stop him
His love for her, was stronger than dead

The hashmak woman
Won the heart of the king.

Learn to protect yourself

Learn to protect yourself if you know you can't afford taking care of a baby. I mean single girls who aren't buoyant enough! Lots of babies are seen everywhere on the streets of Nigeria theses days. After all the pains a living woman goes through to push out a baby, she also has the mind the dump that child...what a world. Why not search for women who can't have babies and give the innocent beings out. Adopt them out....don't abandon them in a nylon bag or dust bins. Condoms are not expensive, birth control pills are affordable... At least they are less expensive than taking care of a baby when you know you are not buoyant.

My dear Nigerian women, babies are precious gifts from God...get it rightfully.

if Boko-haram isn't defeated by December, i'll stay to fight it out- BUHARI

Buhari, who spoke to Al Jazeera English’s Mehdi Hasan in a wide-ranging and exclusive interview with the tv’s flagship current affairs show, ‘UpFront’, reiterated his pledge to defeat Boko Haram by December, but also acknowledged he would be willing to negotiate with the group to secure the release of the kidnapped chibok schoolgirls

The most dangerous day in a woman’s life

Today, in Africa, the most dangerous day in a woman’s life is the birth day!
Almost one third of all maternal deaths globally are concentrated in two countries: India and Nigeria!

Globally, an estimated 289 000 women died during pregnancy and childbirth in 2013, a decline of 45 percent from levels in 1990.
Most of them died because they had no access to skilled routine and emergency care. Since 1990, some countries in Asia and Northern Africa have more than halved maternal mortality.

There has also been progress in sub-Saharan Africa. But here, unlike in the developed world where a woman’s life time risk of dying during pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 3700, the risk of maternal death is very high at 1 in 38. Increasing numbers of women are now seeking care during childbirth in health facilities and therefore it is important to ensure that quality of care provided is optimal.

Globally, over 10 percent of all women do not have access to or are not using an effective method of contraception. It is estimated that satisfying the unmet need for family planning alone could cut the number of maternal deaths by almost a third.

Most maternal deaths are preventable.  By far the commonest cause is bleeding; bleeding during pregnancy, while in labour or soon after delivery of the baby.
Infection, disorders related to high blood pressure, AIDS and prolonged obstructed labour make up a significant amount.  Abortion, anaemia, embolism and rarely ectopic pregnancy make up the rest.

The Millennium Development Goal #5 set in 1990 aspires (a) to reduce maternal deaths by 75 percent from 1990 to 2015; and (b) achieve universal access to reproductive healthcare services by 2015.

As of 2011 Sub-Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) had the highest number of births to women between 15-19 years of age in the world: 117/1000 women, relatively unchanged from 123 in 1990.
Early childbearing poses great risk to mother and child.

Another problem is family planning. In Nigeria, large differences in contraceptive use persist between urban/rural populations, rich/poor people, and the educated/uneducated. Healthcare during pregnancy is important and must be provided by “skilled and equipped health personnel”…i.e. a doctor, nurse or midwife.

MDGs Report
An important document titled “Nigeria 2013 MDGs Report” has been released on the NPHCDA.org website.
It states:  “…the maternal mortality rate is 350/100,000 against the target of 250. The proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel is currently 53.60% against the target of 100 per cent and antenatal care coverage (at least one visit)” * the WHO recommends at least 4 visits!* “is currently 67.7 per cent.”

The Federal Government has established a MDGs Acceleration Framework (MAF) for MDG 5 that they believe” will enable all the targets of MDG 5 to be achieved by 2015.”
We are less than 500 days to the deadline.
Nigerian women, daughters, sisters and mothers are waiting.