Bye, Fatima :)

Hello dear,

How’s it going?

I had a beautiful experience yesterday night, and thought I’d share with you.

My friend Azeezah (Zee) and I were on our way home from work, gisting about stuffs when we passed by this little lady on the floor. There was a bowl of money beside her, water and some medications. She looked darkened, like she’s been sun burnt for months, she was superbly thin and her hair was scanty, just mere strands, here and there. Her eyes were shut but you can see the pain in her face. She had some clothes on and had a wrapper small enough to cover just her legs. Like everyone passing by her at the bus stop, we looked at her with pity, dropped a few change in her green bowl, and walked away. After all, we didn’t know her. It’s Lagos, you have to be careful, they say.

You know that feeling where it’s easier to say something but the ‘doing it’ part is difficult, that’s how I felt last night (I’m being honest). It was so funny, I had just posted on ‘true me’ that we have to be heroes. ‘That someone somewhere needed saving and we might be perfect for the heroic job’. And now, here’s a lady who needed help and I was walking away :(

Image source:ascensionschoolnyc.org

Zee and I stopped and decided to help her. We contacted some of the NGOs we knew but no one could come ‘cos it was late. And then we started asking people around how she got there and someone said she’s been lying there for 2 days, that she was naked at first and then a nice person clothed her and some other kind hearts dropped the medications as well as water for her, though it looked untouched, ‘cos she was too weak to take them. The person also said that we can talk to her but he suspects that she had HIV ‘cos of the way she looks and that probably her husband dumped her there ‘cos of her illness. Apparently, she lives elsewhere; someone left her at the spot where we found her.

Well, we decided to take her to the hospital but the people we spoke to advised us to go with a policeman in order to avoid unnecessary attention. Fortunately, we saw a police man hassling an ‘Okada’ rider some minutes earlier, around there, so we walked to him and asked him if anything could be done about her and he said ‘Ah!! She’s just a beggar, leave her there.’ (Sighs)...

But we couldn't  so we walked to her and woke her gently. Her eyes. Her eyes were really white and she was crying. Zee started talking to her in Yoruba, and she said her name was Fatima and she wants to go home.

 We had to walk to a police station and they said that we don’t need a police report to take her to the hospital, but if she dies in the hospital, we would be contacted and questioned since it’s assumed that she was in our care.

We decided to leave her there, at the bus stop and return tomorrow with any of the charity organisations. We bought her a blanket and fruit and energy drink. Fortunately, a man walked to us and offered to help. He started taking to Fatima in her language and in tears she said she wanted to leave. She said that at night, the ‘touts’ around her steal from her, and they move her from place to place, using her as a muse for their pity party and get rich scheme. The crowd around did not help. Everyone was just staring and shaking their heads.

At that point, we decided to take her to the hospital and thankfully, our new found hero accompanied us. We got to the emergency ward in LUTH but was met with the news that they were on strike. We asked to speak to someone and finally we saw a nurse. We begged and begged, even suggesting that they let Fatima sleep on the floor, till the NGO come tomorrow but they refused. The doctors and nurses were laughing and talking, no one had the courtesy to even check on her.

It was late. Zee called her family to tell them the situation we were in and they were mad. I could not even tell my family. It was a crazy night. Fatima was seated in between us in the tricycle, the man helping us and the driver were in front and then Fatima started coughing. She coughed so hard and was trying to bend over. She said she wanted to sleep. The man in front kept talking to her. I was giving her some energy drink while Azeezah was comforting her. Everyone was scared; what if she dies, what would we do?

Since the hospital didn’t want her and we could not take her home, we decided to leave her at the stop and then come for her tomorrow, praying that she would still be there. She was in so much pain. She could not even walk. We carried her out of the tricycle, by then, a large crowd had gathered around us again, asking what happened at the clinic, and it was like in the movie, the way they raised their hands over their head when we said ‘the hospital is on strike’. And then, they suggested that we should go elsewhere or call the emergency number. It was really late and our families were worried. And we wondered why the person who suggested going to another hospital could not take Fatima there herself?

We prayed that she would be there the next day and then we can find help.

This morning, on my way to work, I was so happy that she was there, sleeping, her blanket covering her up, though, still sad that her bowl of money, drinks and all were gone. I called the NGO again and they promised to be there. When I got to work, my colleague gave me the Lag emergency number, 767, and immediately, we told them about her.

Glad to tell you that Fatima is in a hospital now. I got the number of one of the people we talked to yesterday and I've been calling him to make sure the ambulance shows up and he called me as soon as they came, though, he’s not so sure of the hospital they've taken her to.

Azeezah and I don’t know if we will ever see her again. We hope to see her though (trying to see if the emergency guys can help us with that), but we are glad she’s receiving proper treatment. I don’t know her story so well, like, why she left home, but I hope she smiles again and finds her family too.

Bye, Fatima. Be strong wherever you are.

I learnt a lot from yesterday:

Being a hero isn't easy. You have to be ready for a lot of judgmental talk and I understand that in a way the judgments are true, because like someone said ‘If she had died, no one would understand that you wanted to help, you would be pinned with murder’. Someone even called us ‘Stupid people’. But still, I choose to think positive. Help because you want to. Just help someone in need.

Don’t judge. Don’t discriminate. I couldn't take a picture of Fatima, but the only way, I could describe her is that she looked like ‘Gollum in Lords of the rings’. It was scary. Her eyes. God. But again, do we help people by the way they look? Do we show love all the time? So what if she’s contracted HIV, can’t she be cared for? The 3 hours we spent trying to help Fatima changed my perspective on certain things.

Surround yourself with selfless people. My respect for Azeezah and that ‘Unknown hero’ skyrocketed yesterday. Not many people would have done what they did.

Appreciate what you have. Are you healthy? Do you have water and food? Can you feed and clean yourself? Do you have a bed? Can you find a reason to smile now? Are you secured at night? Thinking about Fatima’s situation and what’s happening in the Philippines (the typhoon situation) has made me a different person. While brushing last night, for the first time, I was glad that I had hands, water, a home and even a paste.

And those doctors. One questions, what business does medical practioners have with strike? L

In Nigeria, I know it’s difficult to help. Some stories have made us scared of helping people. But, please, help if you can. Money isn't everything. The money you give to people like Fatima might be aiding someone’s bad habits. People like Fatima are helpless and some wicked people are using them for their selfish ends. Please, if you can, call for help. Pray for them. Care for them.

Wish I’d see the new Fatima again. Till then, thank you Fatima. Bye for now.

(Sorry for the long post, just had to share the story with you)...Hope you are inspired to help. It’s not easy sometimes but it’s worth it. My heart is full of joy. :D

Image Source:lovingyourchild.com

Thanks so much for reading...Hugs!!!

ZERO TO HERO

Hello dear,

How's your day so far?

Is it me or did you also let the tears flow while watching the CNN Heroes: An all star tribute show yesterday?

Even though ten heroes were honored  I think in some ways, we are all heroes. Those beautiful little things we do counts.

The top ten heroes honored yesterday thought me about more the phoenix. we really can find beauty amidst ashes and we can find joy despite pain.

What would you do if you were raped? or lost your kid? would you back down if you were threatened to be killed 'cos you stood up for what is right? how do you treat kids that are not yours; what if their parents were in jail, would you take care of them? If you were faced with great adversity, would you complain your way through life or would you be the voice of the weak and silent ones?

These giants, these heroes, reinforced my belief that angels do walk among us. Take a look around, they exist.

Today, I celebrate these heroes, including my mom (yup. she's my hero) and all of the heroic projects I know like 'the slum to school project and my personal fave 'The So- Said home'. 
I also applaud all of us for the little ways we've left the world a better place, for being the reason for someone's smile and for being selfless and not waiting for a thank you.

Let the love of the heroes mentioned below inspire you to keep living a life of charity. Even in your weakness, you might give strength to someone. Take a look around, something or someone needs saving, you just might be perfect for that job.

Heroes aren't born, they are made. You know, heroes were once zeroes :)

The top 10 CNN Heroes for 2012 (in alphabetical order) . Click on the link for more about them and their work:

  Pushpa Basnet of Kathmandu, Nepal: Butterfly Home: 'Making sure no child grows up behind prison walls' http://ecdcnepal.org/(2012 CNN Hero of the year) 

 Wanda Butts of Ohio, USA: The Josh Project:  'Changing the statistics so that African-American children do not drown' http://www.joshproject.org/

 Mary Cortani of California, USA: Operation freedom paws: 'Helping veterans find joys in their life. It's priceless'. http://operationfreedompaws.org/

Catalina Escobar of Cartagena, Colombia: Juan Felipe Gomez Escobar Foundation. ‘These teen mothers are my own daughters. I want my girls to be empowered’.http://juanfe.org/

Razia Jan of Afghanistan, with an organization located in Massachusetts, USA: Zubuli Education centre. ‘These girls needs to get educated.Nobody can steal from them’. http://www.raziasrayofhope.org/

Thulani Madondo of Kliptown, South Africa : Kliptown youth program. ‘I’m helping to educate the children so that we can help change clip town together’ http://www.kliptownyouthprogram.org.za/

Leo McCarthy of Montana, USA: Mariahs challenge. 'I give kids tools to stay away from drinking. We save one child. We save a generation'. http://www.mariahschallenge.com/

Connie Siskowski of New Jersey, USA . American Association of care giving youths. ‘No child should have to drop out school to  take care of a family member’. Click here to know more about Connie’s work.  http://www.aacy.org/

Scott Strode of Colorado, USA: Phoenix multisport. ‘We are having fun and we are proud of being sober’. http://www.phoenixmultisport.org/

Malya Villard-Appolon of Madre, Haiti: KOFAVIV. ‘We tell people to come out of silence. Do not be afraid to say you have being victimised’. http://kofaviv.org/

CNN Young Wonders
Cassandra Lin, Project TGIF: Turn Grease Into Fuel
Will Lourcey, FROGS: Friends Reaching Our Goals
Jessica Rees, Jessie Rees Foundation

NEYO's song Heroes is one of new fave song. Nice song!!!

Have a blessed day and relish the joy of giving...

'No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another'- Charles Dickens.

Thanks a lot for reading. Hugs!!!!

UNSUNG HEROES

I've always admired heroism. I draw my inspiration from heroic acts. Growing up, I was a big fan of Hercules, John Smith (in Pocahontas), Troy, and all the Big hunky heroes that I hung out with in the TV world and in books. Even though some were merely fictitious, they seemed to do a lot of 'saving', and left their mark in the sands of time.

Image source: zobolove.com

I wanted to be a hero. I still want to be a hero. I always tell myself that no matter what the odds are, I would be some sort of Hero. I will leave my mark.

However, I admit that back then, as a kid, I had a stunted view of what a hero really is. Right now, my view has changed.

Some heroes are celebrated. They receive accolades and their stories linger on eternally. But what about the other heroes: the quiet ones; the ones behind the guys that are top-notch; the ones we never see; the ones in the background; the UNSUNG heroes? They don't receive accolades. NO. Their praises aren't sung and maybe, we may never know about them. But, in my heart, they are heroes. We might not find their footprint in the sands of time, we might not discuss them in history class, but they sure leave their mark in the hearts of those who love them. They may be zero to the world. The unimportant ones. But, they are heroes to those who truly understand their values. Life would be bitter without them.

I think we are all HEROES in some way. The only difference is that ‘we aren’t recognized by the world’. But, we are still heroes anyway, from the cleaning lady who cleans the office, to the single mother who works hard to provide for her 5 kids, to the doctors and nurses who save lives everyday and the teacher who ensures that we are educated well enough to communicate. Fathers- they work their hearts out as head of their home while making time to be friends to their kids. The friend who leaves everything to go babysit her best friend. The listener. The back-up singers and dancers and You, working hard in the name of blood, sweat and tears to be a hero to someone. Yes. We are all heroes. We all have super power abilities.

Mariah Carey- Hero

The dictionary defines a ‘Hero’ as a person who is admired for their courage and noble qualities. There are more than a billion people who have all of those 'noble' qualities and more. They are heroes. They live each day with courage and humility whether or not they are qualified to be on the world map. They live their lives without regrets and are happy, despite the outcome of tomorrow. 
These are the unsung heroes. The ones behind the scene. The ones who truly does the saving.

I’m excited to be a hero finally. What about you?

“Heroes didn't leap tall buildings or stop bullets with an outstretched hand; they didn't wear boots and capes. They bled, and they bruised, and their superpowers were as simple as listening, or loving. Heroes were ordinary people who knew that even if their own lives were impossibly knotted, they could untangle someone else's. And maybe that one act could lead someone to rescue you right back.” ― Jodi Picoult, Second Glance

How is your day so far?

Thanks a billion for reading J You made my day HERO. Hugs!!!

Sunitha Krishnan: My new HEROINE

Hi everyone,
How's your day so far?
I just listened to one of the greatest woman in the world speak and would like you to listen to her message as well...
Sunitha Krishnan- The fight against sex slavery

                                         Source: Ted.com
I learnt 3 lessons from her speech:
1. You can go past your bad experiences in life and make something good out of it.
2. Think of ways to help the less fortunate. Yeah, alms are important, but how else can you empower them? Just think of one way...
3. Be empathetic. I didn't say 'compassionate'. Be empathetic.

Here are some disturbing facts on human trafficking in the world:

Short Statistics Human Trafficking Worldwide (polarisproject.org)

• 27 million – Number of people in modern-day slavery across the world.

• 12.3 million – Number of adults and children in forced labor around the world

• 9.8 million – Number of these that are exploited by private agents for labor or commercial sex purposes.

• 800,000 – Number of people trafficked across international borders every year, as of 2007.

• 2 million – Number of children exploited by the global commercial sex trade.

• 1.2 million – Number of children trafficked globally in 2000.

• 80% – Percent of transnational victims who are women and girls.

• 50% – Percent of transnational victims who are minors.

• At least 56% – Percent of trafficking victims globally who are women.

• 161 – Countries identified as affected by human trafficking:

• 127 countries of origin; 98 transit countries; 137 destination countries.

• Note: Countries may be counted multiple times and categories are not mutually exclusive.

• 116 – Countries that have enacted legislation to prohibit all forms of [human] trafficking.

• 104 – Countries without laws, policies, or regulations to prevent victims’ deportations.

• 62 – Countries that have yet to convict a trafficker under laws in compliance with the Palermo Protocol.

• $32 billion – Total yearly profits, in U.S. dollars, generated by the human trafficking industry.

• $15.5 billion, half of the total, is made in industrialized countries.

• $9.7 billion, one-third of the total, is made in Asia.

• $13,000 per year, on average, generated by each trafficked laborer. This comes to $1,100 per month.

• $21 billion – A preliminary estimate of the total financial cost of being in a forced labor situation, rather than a free employment situation, to all workers in forced labor across the globe in U.S. dollars.

Hope you learnt a lot from her speech and please spread the message. The statistics above is SCARY.

Thank you so much for joining in Sunitha's fight and reading this post...

Oops!!! If you are in Nigeria, there is a stage play on child trafficking that will be shown on all of the Sundays in the month of AUGUST. It's called 'Batonga- A tale about Child trafficking'

The Venue is 'Terrakulture's freedom hall' and ticket is for N2,500.

Thanks again...Hugs :)