Rays of light shone through the gap in the mountains, illuminating the camp and enveloping it in a warm glow. A young man, just 21, woke from underneath the primitive shelter, the sun’s rays forcing him to shield his eyes with a scarred hand. His face, once full of life, was now devoid of colour
Elpis
I can still remember when the bad humans killed my mother. I was only 6, and my tusks were only a few centimetres long, not fit for selling, but Mother’s were already one point five meters, and they were what the humans were after. We were running from the lion pride of Gomondwane, an all-male
A Glimmer of Hope
My eyes flutter open. I was lying on my stomach on a boat, and I’m drenched in salt water. I don’t know where I am, or how I ended up here. Then it hit me- I remember everything. The crash, our screams of agony, our hands flailing around trying to stay afloat. I remember reaching
Words and wordsmiths
This may appear vaster that it seems or deepen past the social darkening of the content, we should all observe this as a political, psychological and sociological problem in this discourse as I strongly agree “most people don’t listen with the intent to understand..” Stephen R.Covey. It’s a phenomenal tantrum common amid youths or people
The Right To Life
For the millions who call the streets their home, there is no ‘second chance’. No take two. No kingdom come. There is an eternity of today and tomorrow and very little hope in between. For the little more fortunate, there is the humdrum- cleaning our toilets and making our beds; wasting away. Devising complicated, intricate,
Is education a right or a privilege?
In today’s modern society, people have portrayed education as a right, a human right. From young, individual advocates like Malala Yousafzai, to international, well-known organizations like UNESCO, more and more people believe that everyone should be granted and equipped with skills and knowledge and deserves the right to education. The International Covenant on Economic, Social
Education: the possible antidote for the scourge of crime
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.” – Victor Hugo Education. It is the backbone of civilization. It is what has helped humanity to successfully transition from the stone age to the present industrial and technological age. It is what can take a young boy from simply playing the board game ‘Operation’ with
For all the wrong reasons
I look at the above quote and see surmised, with pin point accuracy, the underlying theme of a century besotted with rhetoric and opinions. The strength of human society is, without doubt, in its diversity. And nothing has quite driven its evolution to what it is today than its formidable will to pit rhetoric, ideals
Global Migrant Crisis: A Rallying Call for a More Compassionate World
The entirety of Warsan Shire’s poem “Home” is a commentary, reflecting on the humanitarian horror that most immigrants have gone through in their native place, which leaves them with no option other than to flee for succour in foreign territories. The poem also offers justification for the deluge of Europe and America by Asian and African migrants. It paints
The Battle walks
Injustice is like a battle that is never won but worn on the shoulders of its emissaries to infect justice. It walks everywhere to distract justice from achieving its purpose if empowered. I write this as a victim of a fallen system. This is a system that has shattered the tentacles of justice. I live
Education, the Best Security for Our Dignity!
The great Nelson Mandela once said that education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to change the world. We live in a world with an ever-burgeoning evolution ensured by most educated people with quality intellectual and innovative prowess. Then, what happens to the “uneducated”, especially the less-privileged ones? Apparently, they are being
Hope Is Where The Heart Is
Thousands and thousands of years ago a mother placed her baby in a woven boat of papyrus to escape the atrocities occurring on land and prayed that her child would withstand the dangers of the Nile and make it to a safer shore. Countless mothers today place their children on seafaring vessels and hope their
All for the Sake of Responding
It is a strikingly common and presumably frustrating phenomenon that in course of a conversation, the nature, tone, and apparent meaning of your interlocutor’s response will make you scratch your head and wonder:- ‘What has this got to do with what I am saying?’ OR ‘Of course you are right, but how is this different
Towards A Better World, A Better Self
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.”- Victor Hugo Long ago, a rather inept wizard who failed all his exams at magic university and had a rather pointed aversion to being even remotely heroic made a somewhat profound statement about creating social change: “If you want to help people, build a big library
The Art of Listening
“Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” Stephen R. Covey. When I was a child, I lived two lives. The first in the daytime, a life of, “Good Morning, rise and shine! It’s time to get up! Bacon and eggs and pancakes downstairs! Who can get
A Listening Ear
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. I read a very interesting Igbo (one of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria) poem sometime ago. Part of it
Shipwreck
As the young boy washed from the ocean onto the shore of the hidden tropical island with beautiful white sands, a group of natives came up to him. ‘‘This boy is alone!’’ said a man with a feather hat and long staff covered with deep marks and burns. As the Chief came from the village
Critical thinking: The essential app
For how long has humanity been mistaken the strength of the sword for the skill of the wielder? True power rests not on the weapon, but on the hand that handles it: How could we otherwise explain the fact that even when given the same opportunities, some people thrive, and some people don’t? How could
The importance of using resources meaningfully
Sometimes it seems genuinely surprising and fascinating how accurately one sentence can reflect the essence of our life. When looking more closely at the expression of Muhammad Yunus, it becomes clear that it is not so much about technology as about us, people. And if you find this idea hard to believe, let’s try to
Is education a right or a privilege?
Education is the process or art of imparting knowledge, skill and judgment. Right according to the Meriam Webster dictionary is something that a person is or should be morally or legally allowed to have, get or do while privilege on the other hand is a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favour; a right not ENJOYED by