Together we can

Children and Young People Living for Peace aka CYPLP is a registered Not for Profit, open and voluntary membership organization in Nigeria. The organization have affiliation with Mission Del Caribe, USA. Please visit https://missiondelcaribe.org


CYPLP works with youth groups and through  local based community members to provide platforms of engagement where locales take local actions to solve local social problems in their communities. Please visit us at www.cyplp.net.ng
This year, we collectively touched and changed lives of 10,000 young people in hard to reach places while raising them as peace vanguards. We resolved 49 youth related gang conflicts and empowered 5,000 youths and women in skills acquisition including farming. We are able to have brought back 200 drop out of schools adolescent mothers back to school. Donated meals to orphanage homes, enlightened youths on drug abuse, radicalization among others. We say thank you for supporting us.



We will also like to do more, and ask for support on this GIVING TUESDAY if you could identify with us. And please give us a gift of one time donation of $10 to help us be of service to humanity. Your GIVING will help us do more programs; to reduce hate speech and comments online, buys schools books and bags to poorest of poor children, renovate leaking roofs of orphanages and provide clean water to those who need it most.

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Thank you for giving to save lives. You are because I am, I am because you are. We are part.

GENDER BASED VIOLATION SHOULD CONTINUE?

Being a woman in Africa is problematic from birth to death arising from complicating cycles of abuses to the extent that women’s status are belittled and discriminated wholly and nobody ever seems to care. This happens politically, socially, religiously and traditionally and is the rational motivation for doing so. Gender based violation is a crime against humanity. It starts small and gravitates uncontrollably. Stopping it at the small stage remains the best option still.

  

Poor and uneducated women are most vulnerable and will continue to be the horses even as advocacy goes on. So it is time to reflect and rethink about women’s rights treaties vis a vis in African context so that treaties and conventions are not allowed to be seen as paper work.

TELL ME THE RIGHTS

Gender violation has increased and in the last 100 years, nothing has really changed. Men still beat women and go free, children are still married out to older men, minors are raped and is on the increase, gang rape is also increasing, women are denied ownership to properties, women are still far behind in technology and so on and so on. So tell me, where are their rights gone?

I make bold that African women faces all sort of challenges and abuses in silence even to death. At homes, they are beaten, battered, bruised and killed. At schools and work place they are sexually harassed, raped and abused. At religions centers they are not to be heard, needless to mention traditional centers where genital mutilation is promoted and done. With law enforcement agencies, they are stranded when law enforcement sides societal attitudes and hinder justice.

Women rights are human rights, make no mistake about it. But the bigger issue is when women themselves refuse to push for implementation of their rights for redress; allowing emotions to override. Another is how can we make women rights rounded and more integrated as people’s agenda for men buy in. A situation where men begin to see women’s rights as empowerment than confrontation?

Men ought to be educated and enlightened about rights on a round table. We’ll need “men to men” dialogue and advocates. I tell you, this can change hearts of stones.

STANDING TALL ON WOMEN’S CONVENTIONS

It is critical to look again at the “Convention on the elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women”(CEDAW). To realize one or more reasons

Most African countries have not domesticated the conventions after signing and why they may never domesticate it? Could it be that they believe it is affront by tradition and culture that men and women are equal in all ramifications as clearly stated on the convention? My guess is as good as yours. This to me seems to be.

So don’t bother to know that 90% of legislators, policy makers and implementers in African countries are men. These people will do all to frustrate bills and efforts for gender equality, even as most of them could be guilty if I am to be a judge especially in rape and child marriage. But am not a judge so let say it again.

I know “Real men don’t beat women, but weak men do”. And according to 2015 women Beijing +20 reports, African have the highest physical and sexual violence at 45.6% in low to middle income countries. So I ask how can we break this cycle of violence and raise real men given the situation.

And I remember that globally every year, from 25^th Novvember-10^th December is 16days activism dedicated against gender based violation. And this year’ starts now forward, that I can count on you to add up voice that would break this cycle by doing any little program within you to educate and enlighten yourself and your neighbor about it. About girl' child education and not forgetting women too. Educating boys at schools about gender violation and what it is, is a deal. So we can prevent it in future.

But educating girls about their rights also is a bigger deal, so we can have better outcome, sustainable peace of mind, at home and to the world. If we are able to do this, then I can see the light raising real men from the boys and I know the sun will rise again in Africa; where women will be seen as solution and treated with respect, free and equal. Only then will Africa arise.

#genderbasedviolation #unwomen


www.cyplp.net.ng 

AGRICULTURE FOR YOUTHS, WHO CARES?

I remember when my grandpa told me how they used to go hunting, how they grew and collected fresh healthy foods without buying them. When meat, vegetables and fruits were scarce, they were still able to collect “survival foods” of roots, seeds, tree bark and small animals. That was then, and I wish I can turn the hands of times.

Naturally, Africa is conditioned for farming given its rich vegetation and soil. Africans are more energetic to manually cultivate lands for harvest right from the days of slavery in tobacco farms in America till tomorrow. But this energy has not been taken advantage of and we remain primitive. One would have presumed that things should be done differently by this time of age: for Africa to be able to feed Africa by itself. But is that a reality? It's still a long walk.

THE MIX

If there’s one good thing we have lost that you will see, it is the tradition of raising youthful farmers in Africa. Another is the tradition of eating healthy foods for lasting living. All that is gone out of our laziness. From the way things are, we’ll all go hungry tomorrow if we still don't really care about food security.

I ask again,  why are farm lands becoming scarce, why are soil not yielding bountifully any longer,  water is never available and streams are drying up,? seedlings are just too expensive to afford, food produce are affected by all newest kind of diseases, our climate is changing, more people are faced with difficult access or with no storage facilities, and youths are migrating to cities etc and etc? Imagine if there are no solutions to this questions what that means?  To my mind, these could be one or some of the reasons why agriculture is fading off in Africa speedily if I have to put lens into it. Is like we farm to feed and then feed to farm. This is the cycle we hace found ourselves year in, year out. Should we continue this way?

In reality, farming is becoming more and more unattractive to young people as I see. Farming age is rapidly overstretched with no transition to younger generation. Take a view when no African child grows up aspiring to be a farmer like pilots and doctors, and other professional careers. That’s bad news to many but is real. Few ones that would have aspired for career in farming have been rebuked by their parents and they have lost interest. Today, parents no longer wish their children to be farmers, as farmers as seen as laborers and failures in our societies by the societies. Children grow up, viewing farming as huge problem and suffering. They see it as poor and rural, a trade only meant for illiterates and  "old school"-  who made nothing out of it. It is farming that actually have greater image problem than the youths itself, yet our Government pretend there’s none and I wonder why farming has not been rebranded if that would be?

PICTURE THAT ONE AND SEE

All over Africa, Government is working hard to open agriculture up and attract teeming number of unemployed youths, and this has continued to fail. There are no clear farming policies by Government especially to small holder farmers, for instance- what policies are there that promotes the use of land for family farms? What protection is there against farmland pollution?  What of credit availability to small holder farmers? How is Government helping them solve problems? Why do they support big farms that produce only for export while we die of hunger? There are questions you may find it difficult to answer me of course .  

When Government can not offer subsidies as a way to improve food security? What do they mean? When Government loans and support is misused by giving it to corporation or rich associate (farmers) that owns large industrial farms, what do they mean? When we set Agriculture as options meant for the old and retirees, what picture are we painting to youths? When collateral for loans are made too difficult for small holder farmers to meet? Tell me, how would farming then be attractive to youths?If I think about it, it bothers my mind.

THE WAY FORWARD- hope rising

With or without Government support, there are many ways you and I can improve local food security. From planting a small garden in our backyards, to raring domestic animals for our use and for commercial purposes, there lies our hope for food security if they don't really care. In this economic drought and circumstance not to buy all the foods you eat, but to augment them.  A small garden by your backyard can help you lot : in saving cost and keeping you healthy like in the days of our grandpas to eat healthy living fresh food. Let's eat to stay alive, agriculture is life.    

 

Volunteering, the new spirit

Every year in the United States for instance, millions of people donate their time, effort and money to help make their communities and their country a better place to live. But this aspect is missing greatly in Africa. I mean spirit of patriotism. And hasn’t helped Africa go far. If there must be a change, then there must be a new kind of spirit igniting from Africa to the world. Young people are crucial in playing this new role as future leaders, and can't afford to ignore it. I mean volunteering, the new spirit.

Volunteering is giving service above self. Volunteer works can bring real change, change  you can be part of, change you can feel it, change you can see with your own eyes. That you don’t need any politicians or security personnel or law enforcement to tell you things to do.  You can see it and feel it for yourself and know you are part of it….. There’s pride involved in this kind.  Because we are involved, we‘re part of community.

FILLING THE GAP AND NEED

It is rather unfortunate that Africans rely on Government for everything from local police protection to national defense, from collecting household trash to ensuring clean water, electricity etc. But in all these among others, it is our shared responsibility for meeting community needs.  You may know that Government can not do everything nor respond timely to all our needs. That’s just the truth.

If I can remember in the word of John F. Kennedy “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”. So I ask what has been your contribution to your community. Have you joined others in your community to give service? I mean mobilizing youths like you to clean gutters, help children to cross road to schools, help out in an emergency situation, teach children who can not afford education, create website to offer free information etc. You can save a soul by offering your time. Serve others without payment. That's is the new spirit.

PAYBACK TIME

Even though Africa has not been known as a continent with spirit of volunteerism, but is never too young to learn. So let the spirit begins now.

When Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political writer, visited America in 1830s, He was amazed to see citizens pitching in to solve community problems rather than relying on the Government. He explained it as “self interest highly understood”. And I concur.

 In other words, by binding together to serve our community, we also serve ourselves. By volunteering, we make our community better places to live,  gain new opportunities to learn, make friends, and improve our teamwork, leadership, and problem solving skills. It is satisfying to know that you can make a difference in someone else life. Keep on keeping on, because that’s the new spirit of African youths. Say it loud!  

www.cyplp.net.ng

       

Football betting and youth empowerment scam

                

Africans love football more than any other sport, especially among the youths. Foot ball gambling or betting is old enough in developed world where the game is played. But not in Africa where it is watched. Betting was a taboo in those days according to Africa values and culture. People were hiding to play but not these days any more. If you check 10 youths trouser pockets, you will find 8 out of the 10 youths with long teller papers of betting in their pockets.

Gambling crept into Africa through football coupon or poll as it was called. In Africa, coupon or poll were played by those the society considered hopeless. These people were mostly old rogue poor men, who played and won at times, and then loose all the other times.  They followed the game through late or early morning listener-ship to BBC radio commentaries and forecast and perm. Some dreams scores and numbers out of high typhoid and malaria and hence play and loose their hard earned monies. This is simply a game of robbing Peter to pay Paul and nothing more, nothing less. 

Turned Table

Globalization has opened the game and is watched live on cable TV networks and online channels. As you know, youths have clubs they belong to as fans. They are so passionate about this clubs irrespective if  the club may knows they exist or not. They talk about their clubs every time and argue about it so much that they can fight and kill for this clubs.

Football gambling is no more coupons or poll. Today it is modernized with tech to attract younger generation and is referred to as betting. It is popular now in Africa and is no longer seen as taboo. High rate of unemployment has made it relieving to 70% population of youths that bets everyday to find hope in the game.  It embraces the educated and the uneducated, workers and jobless, skilled and unskilled, religious and faithless based people. They are all gamblers in the jungle.  “A gambler is a man who makes living out of hope” according to William Bolitho. But don’t ask me what kind of  hope?

Hope that one day his/her luck on betting will shine and make him/her a millionaire! I ask you again? How many millionaire gamblers you know. If not, I know how many THAT HAVE lost from betting and as a result attracted sadness, high BP, depression and madness, I tell you. I know of one that slumped and died, while we thought it was witchcraft from village? We only got to know that he had taken loan/ borrowed some amount of money to play the bet the other day. So which and where or how can that be witchcraft? It is the borrowing or betting that is rather witchcraft to  many.  

Sport betting companies are growing faster and are opening branches than banks and mobile telecom in Africa, everywhere you go.  In the morning, youths in thousands moves idly to sit in betting viewing centers to play betting games. This activity usually engages them and has only helped reduced petty theft in poor local communities. We see and say “boys are busy”.  But most worrisome, is that school children and women have joined in playing the game. Some women bet/play with household maintenance fees to keep the home hungry. This betting has made so many youths to quit their jobs into full time gambling.  If this betting if not tamed, it will promote laziness, blurred dreams, unwillingness for young people to work, dormancy  and quick money mentality which may not augur well for all.

The Other ones

"DO NOT INVEST YOUR LIFE SAVINGS" is what you will see once you log on to MMM website and yet people are lees concern of this warning. 

 

MMM is online social empowerment scheme in Nigeria that is driving so many crazy for wealth.  The scheme promises to return 30% interest on investment.  Whatever it is, is  really a scam no matter how it is colored. The scheme will only prove to be real by paying for sometimes and swindle many more when you had invested so much and least expected them to varnish like vapor.

They have done it before in Russia where it first started. Then in America where the scheme swindled Americans and  led its founder to be jail term. The scheme then moved to South Africa and was forced or pushed out of the country because of shadiness of the scheme.

Now it has moved into Nigeria and found it’s veritable because Nigeria is where many youths want to build castles in the air. By becoming a a multi millionaires without working for it. By trying luck to success.

 Despite past experience of similar scheme where people's  life’s saving, bank loans etc went away, people are yet learn. They jump at any, and you will begin to wonder why we forget so easily. I remember that central bank of Nigeria came out bold to announce that MMM is a scam, and yet people wouldn’t hear. Till they are scammed, they will then turn to blame Government for being careless.

Central Bank is the regulatory financial institution in Nigeria.  I learn that the National Assembly has moved that the Nigeria security agencies should arrest any one promoting MMM in Nigeria. But the people are kicking against it, challenging Government to provide jobs or empower them before clamping down on MMM. So I ask who is right and who is wrong? Give us your opinion now and save our souls.         

#footballbetting

 www.cyplp.net.ng