Osun Part 2

Hello All-
Sorry for the delay in posting, but the internet has been really slow or nonexistent lately. Now I will tell you about my visit to Iwo, Osun State.

The purpose of the visit mainly to show an example of a successful state hospital the Foundation supports to members of our Global Team and to some funders. This site is not only exceptational in identifying new pediatric HIV patients, but also in keeping them on treatment.

One of the methods the Doctor uses is called Expert Patients. They are HIV patients themselves and actually go to people's houses to speak with them if they miss any appointments. The Doctor could do this herself, but this is often less effective and can cause stigma. Here is a picture of me with one of them while she is giving medication to her child:


Another part of the program is give small grants for projects than can assist with care and treatment or retention. This site won a grate and used it for 2 projects. The first is to buy five of these pepper grinding machines. The 5 women chosen to receive these machines are widows and are the most in need. They will use the money to eat healther with will make treatment more successful. Behind me you can see the playground that was public. This was to make the hospital more child friendly.


Wait, what is Fountion mean?

Hmmm. The Doctor at the site told me the playground was for the children, not himself!

By all accounts the site is a success. There are about 400 children on treatment and 97% have remained on treatment. The job now is to ensure a successful transition of support from the Clinton Foundation to the State Government. Also, to try to take success they have had there and duplicate it at other State Hospitals.

Currently I am making a workplan for 2009, but also for the last months this year. There will likely be many more visits to write about soon. Hope you liked the pictures.

Osun State

This week was a bit tough with preparation for 2009 and visitors to our office. So this week's bit with be another in a state in Nigeria. I have to learn more about the states so it helps me. There are so many states. Nigeria is much bigger than the other African countries I've been to.
On Tuesday, I will visit a site in Osun State. We will fly from Abuja to Lagos. There we will drive 2 hours to Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital in Ile Ife. I will return the same day. That will be a long one. So about Osun...

Osun State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria. Its capital is Osogbo. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east partly by Ekiti State and partly by Ondo State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west by Oyo State. The state's current governor is Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who was elected in 2003 along with his Deputy Governor, Erelu Olusola Obada.


Osun State is home to several of Nigeria's most famous landmarks, including the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria's pre-eminent institution of higher learning. The university is also located in the ancient town of Ile-If?, an important early center of political and religious development for Yoruba culture. Other important cities and towns include the ancient kingdom-capitals of Oke-Ila Orangun, Ila Orangun, Ede, and Ilesa.

The modern Osun State was created in 1991 from part of the old Oyo State.The state's name is derived from the River Osun, the venerated natural spring that is the manifestation of the Yoruba goddess of the same name. Oyinlola recently launched and laid the foundation for the groundbreaking of Osun State University with six campuses (Osogbo, Okuku, Ikire, Ejigbo, Ifetedo, and Ipetu-Ijesha) strategically located across the state.

Every year, adherents and non-adherents of Osun, one of the Orisa (the traditional deities of the Yoruba people), travel from all over the world to attend the annual Osun-Osogbo festival in August. Visitors include nationals of Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad, Grenada, and other nations in the Americas with a significant Yoruba cultural heritage. Annual traditional festivities and invocations of the Osun goddess are held along the banks of the river bearing her name into which she transformed.

Osun-Osogbo Grove, the shrine of the annual rites of the deity and an important artistic center, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2005.

So I will include pictures next week.

This weekend I just want to relax. I think I am going to borrow a bicycle and hang out at the pool if it actually doesn't rain for a few mins. ,I think I want to get satellite TV. There is too much funny national news which, includes Kwame Kilpatrick, that I am missing out on.

Ok, here are some random pictures:

I have been really tired!


When I was visiting Akwa Ibom, we stopped to look at the yet to be completed shopping and business center called Tiraba. It is huge!



You gotta be proud, I have been updating this regularly. The posting this week was late due to no internet for a while. More next week...

Another strange week in Nigeria...

Well, this week was filled with tedious proposal writing once again. Not very fun to live through or write about. Luckily, I did get to go to Kogi. I think I see Excel spreadsheets in my sleep... again.

The first picture for you this time of me at the workshop I was at last week. It is pretty funny. That big white guy works for the German Leprosy Relief Association. His name is Klaus. Really. Santa Klaus. He cracked me up during the workshop:


Besides writing workplans and budgets, I did get to actually do what I like best: visiting villages. I visited 2 clinics in Erikirin-Ade in Lokoja state. Here is a picture of one:

I talked with the doctors and got some new ideas for community mobilization activities to get more children tested and on HIV treatment.

One reoccurring problem is that children who get put on Ready to Use Theraputic Food (RUTF) as treatment for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), often relapse to be malnurished after the 2 month treatment ends. This will have to be addressed by some type of secondary food supplement or something.

The reasons Clinton Foundation donates RUTF as part of their HIV treatment are:-HIV causes an increased metabolism, making kids who were having enough to eat become malnourished-Testing kids with malnutrition can lead to more HIV cases detected-Treating the malnutrition helps the ARVs to treat the HIV more effectively. Here is a kid at a clinic with some RUTF:


Here is a picture of me with a Doctor who we support in mentoring other doctors in pediatric HIV treatment and our contact with the State Ministry of Health:

The other pictures didn't turn out too good since it was raining the whole time, but here is one while driving home, you can see the Niger river and some canoers on the right:

So this proposal is due on Monday and I have been working the whole weekend and having meetings about it at the house. I better get a day off soon. I will tell more about it when it gets approved or rejected.


I am annoyed that the University of Michigan got spanked by Notre Dame.


I have been enjoying skyping with people the last couple weeks. I would love if other people could use it http://www.skype.com/.


Hope you enjoyed the pictures, more news next week...

Kogi State

This past week I was in a workshop all Wednesday and Thursday and a bunch of phone calls and meetings. Not too exciting to write about. Instead, I will tell you about where I am going this week. I am going to sign an MOU with the State government of a state close by called Kogi. Here is a bit about Kogi:

KOGI

Kogi is a state in the north-central zone of Nigeria. It is popularly called the Confluence State because the confluence of River Niger and River Benue is at its capital, Lokoja, which is the first administrative capital of modern-day Nigeria. It was in Lokoja, while gazing out at the river that stretched before her, that Lord Lugard's wife coined the name “Nigeria.” Lokoja is 2-hour drive from Abuja.

History and people

The state was formed in 1991 from parts of Kwara State and Benue State. The State as presently constituted comprises the peoples of the defunct Kabba Province of Northern Nigeria. There are four main ethnic groups and languages in Kogi: Igala, Ebira, Okun (similar to Yoruba), and Bassa.

Tourism

Kogi State, by virtue of its geography, offers tourists unique experience. These attractions include natural land features, fascinating sceneries, historic monuments and relics. Being only 2-hour drive from Abuja, tourists can plan day trips to the sites. Important tourist attractions in Kogi State include the colonial relics (such as Lord Lugard House), the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue, Ogidi (An African town with formations of Igneous Rock mountains and a traditional art & craft industry).

Agriculture and resources

Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy and the principal cash crops There are many Farm, produce from the state notably coffee, cocoa, palm oil, cashews, peanuts, maize, cassava, yam, rice and melon.Mineral resources include coal, limestone, iron, petroleum and tin. The state is home to the largest iron and steel industry in Nigeria and one the largest cement factories in Africa is currently being built there.

Sports

Kogi State has produced sprinters such as Sunday Bada and other sportsmen, who have contributed to the growth of sports worldwide. Kogi United and Babanawa F.C. are football teams based in the state. Other sports, such as swimming, handball, and table tennis are actively promoted in the state.

Here is where it is on the Nigerian map:

LANGUAGE

I have learned a few phases from another language, Efik:

Mesere= Good morning

Abariye= How are you?

Idioke= Fine

Also, in Yoruba i have been saying:

Bawo ni shey= How is work?

In Hausa I have added:
ina zaki tefi= Where are you going?

Zen je gida/aiki= I am going home/to work

OTHER NEWS

This weekend I went to the amusement park in Abuja, called Wonderland. It is pretty cool, never seen anything like it in Africa. Rode a log ride, bumper cars, and the pirate ship. Unfortunately I did not take pictures. I did take pictures last week though when I went to a wedding. Here is a good picture of me in my traditional outfit: