You asked for it...

I promised a few posts ago to do a post on the NCCF nicknames. So, here we go:

In most NCCF houses, every member of the executive committee (ExCo) of the fellowship has a nickname for his/her post. In fact, at the Iwo family house, it is prohibited to address ExCos by their real names; you are required to use their nicknames. The reason for this is to reinforce that 'family' vibe. However it is important to note also that using these nicknames during official ExCo meetings is prohibited. In scenarios of that sort, we have to keep it official.

Co-ordinator - Papa

Secretary- Uncle

Asst. Secretary - Aunty

Sisters' Coordinator/Welfare Secretary- Mama

Asst. Sisters' Coordinator/Asst. Welfare Secretary - A.Mama

Bible Study Secretary- Rabbi

Evangelism Secretary- Rugged (before you ask, we use 'Rugged' because our evangelism 

programme is called 'Rural Rugged')

Prayer Secretary- Prayo

Publicity Secretary- Publo

Financial Secretary- Finsec

Treasurer- C.B.N.

Musical Director- M.D.

Drama Director- D.D.

Transport and Organising Secretary- Landlord

Chief Medical Director- C.M.D.

Asst. Medical Director- A.M.D. 

Chief Usher- Chiefo

Whenever there's a post of an assistant, 'A-' would be added to the original title. As you'll see is the case in 'A.Mama' and 'A.M.D.'. There are some posts that never have 'A's, though, like 'Papa' and 'Uncle'. Every other post is 'A-able'. Also, while you might find some of these posts occupied in some other NCCF zones/sub-zones, they may not exist in others. For example, here at NCCF Iwo, we don't have a 'Chiefo', and our 'Aunty' is also the 'D.D.', while our 'A.Mama' is also the C.B.N.

You're allowed to laugh. We all found the names hilarious too when we first got here. Now, everyone's gotten used to it. It's crazy, I bet you some of our Batch B (June intake) corpers don't even know most of the ExCos' real names. Lol.

PS: It's a town, not a village! :P

'Abia - Umuahia, Abamola - Yola...'

A JSS1 class. Behind it is another. No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That is all for demarcation. BTW, because we have insufficient chairs, you'll almost always find two people sharing one of these chairs.

BEFORE
The other day, I went to get my hair plaited at Mary's mom's salon just a few blocks from mine. Luckily for me, Mary and Barakat were present to keep me entertained throughout the couple of hours I spent there. 

Something happened in that time: 7-year old Mary started reciting her 'states and capitals', something the JS3 students at my school can't successfully do. It was so coincidental because earlier that day I had called a few of these JS3 students to the staff room and asked them questions about countries and continents and states and capitals. They all agree on 'Abia-Umuahia'. The problem starts however from what comes after. One said, "Abamola-Yola" (Abamola quickly translated in my head to 'We met Mallam', lol) and I responded half-jokingly, half-angrily saying, "Nibo?" (to say, 'Where did you meet the mola?')

Okay, Okay, Mary is a primary 3 student at a private school and my JS3 students are from a public school. I considered this huge gap of knowledge between Mary and the JS3 students and in that moment, I made the decision to visit a private school and attend one of their classes just to see where public schools are getting it wrong. Maybe there's some sort of 'agbo' the private school students drink that makes them more book-smart. You find that the brighter students at my school are the ones who have at one time or another been enrolled in a private school. 

There are obviously huge differences between both school structures that have contributed and will continue to contribute to this gap (for example, the public school structure's disorganisation, the strikes, the lack of strictness and things like that alone can place public schools behind private schools by a number of years so much so that primary 3 students would be ahead of JS3 students). And let's not forget the obvious fact that private schools are more expensive than public schools. So, maybe I can't bridge this gap but I would still to like to go see what lessons we can learn from them. You know, see the things they are doing differently, with regards the method of teaching, that I can possibly incorporate into my own teaching style. 

AFTER
I wrote the above weeks before I paid a visit two weeks ago to a nearby private school, Alma Rohm Group of Schools. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the difference in 'board system'. Here, they use white boards and markers while we at Anwar-ul Islam School still use chalks and blackboards. Myself and the students spoke in English. Turns out the only time they are allowed to speak Yoruba is in Yoruba class. Go figure! Looks like it's paying off because in this class of 19, only one student had some problems properly expressing himself in English.

By the way, the students' uniforms were clean and there was enough space in the classroom for walking as each student had a table and a chair to him/herself. My JSS1 students are 70 in a stuffy class. Good luck trying to walk in between them.

Remember I wrote sometime ago that we would be starting after-school lessons at our school? Yeah, that didn't happen. Here at Alma Rohm, school closes at 2PM, after which lessons hold from 2-3.30PM.

The students at this school dream. I asked them what their dream jobs were and about 4 people said 'I want to be an aeronautic engineer'. I asked them which universities they had been looking at for the course. One said Ghana, another said England. We had three people who expressed interest in journalism. One of which wanted to go to Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). The students at my school dream but I don't think many of them attach any serious plans of pursuit to the dream. 

What I found most interesting was that none of the Alma Rohm students I spoke with expressed interest in Bowen University, a pretty reputable university that just happens to be situated in the town of Iwo lol. I asked why, and they explained that having spent their entire lives in Iwo, they would like to live outside the town for a change. I don't even think university is in the cards for most of the students at my school. Which sadly isn't their fault.

From the Alma Rohm students' choice of course of study to university, I wondered whether the reason these students could have dreams this big and mine can't is because they can afford to; as in they have options. Knowing that you have parents who can afford to send you to Ghana for university can allow your imagination go that far. So, I guess money counts as a factor. I also considered the private school environment as a factor. Being surrounded by intelligent people who look smart and neat makes one strive to be like that also. A positive environment rubs off on you positively, but a negative one will most likely leae you the same or worsen things. Maybe also the exposure of the people they live with? Having parents and siblings one can look up to? The OAU girl says her dad talks about OAU being the best university in Nigeria (I smiled at this and then rolled my eyes. OAU and University of Ibadan (UI) alumni will never quit). A dad who went through university might more than likely make his child see the importance of education. I don't know. Thoughts are needed. Why do private school students turn out better than public school students in most cases? And is there anything that can be done by teachers to correct it?

PS: I'm constantly learning something new from and about my students.
They can be such a delight when they are not being naughty and as the end of my service draws near, I'm starting to realise how much of an impact they've had on me. I'm starting to focus more on making these last days count.

And yeah, it's a town, not a village! :P

How beautiful are our feet - Follow-up

L-R: Eniang, Kenny, Me, G-Prayo, Christy, Rugged.

Kenny

Saturday was a really good day. I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the ZRR evangelism programme we held at Iwo-Oke. Well, it hasn't ended. The main programme has ended but the follow-up which is equally important, continues. Asides winning souls, part of the ZRRE plan is also to start a project in the chosen evangelism site, whether it's building or constructing something. For ours, we decided to do a borehole project.

In the past two weeks following the programme, we've kept in touch with the villagers of Iwo-Oke. We call it 'Rural Rugged follow-up', the aim is to ensure that now that they are newly borns in Christ, we put them on the right track, encouraging them and guiding them on how to grow their faith.

I missed the one that happened two Saturdays ago but I was fortunate to be at Saturday's. Our evangelism secretary emphasized the need for Yoruba speakers in counselling the villagers. In my head I'm like, "erm, it's one thing to be able to speak Yoruba, it's another to be able to preach in the language o!" but I went for it. 

We arrived at the village at about 4.30PM. Armed with our 'korope' (a mini-bus), drugs (the villagers had requested for), Yoruba Bibles, and a megaphone, we kicked off with a town cry which was led by an ex-corper and important member of the fellowship, Ondo-bred 'G-Prayo' (Don't ask. I will do a post on our nicknames one day, I promise!). He urged the villagers who had decided to give their lives to Christ two weeks ago, when we first held the programme, to meet us at the same venue as we had 'something' for them. Some of our corpers had gone ahead of us to the venue to welcome those who would show up.

After the town cry, the four of us: Myself, Kenny, G-Prayo and Patrick, went to join the other corpers. 

To my surprise, quite a few people did show up. I thought, 'OK, they are just showing up for free drugs', but after speaking to them, I realised that they were serious about their decision to follow Christ.

Counselling began. I started by asking my 'clients' what 'following Christ' meant to them, why they made the decision, what some ways of worshiping God were. I explained the importance of a relationship with the Trinity, which far supersedes religion.

Then I spotted a group of four girls. I'd say they were about 9-ish years old. I sat them down and asked if they were part of those who had given their lives to Christ, seeing as they had shown up at the venue, and that was the criterion for attendance we had provided. Nafisat was a believer, the other 3 weren't. So, I sat them down. I asked if they knew who Jesus was, only Nafisat did. Then I asked if they knew Adam, they said no. I'm thinking 'Whaaat? who doesn't know Adam' ? lol, so I had to go over the creation story, through to Adam's sin and then God's sacrifice, Jesus. We discussed how to become 'Jesus' child' through faith and what being one means; and being a new creature and letting go of old things. The girls were very attentive and intrigued. Idayat especially. It showed on her face.

After talking, I asked if they had any prayer requests we could pray about as a group, and they mentioned a couple, but before this I had asked if they were willing to become believers, explaining the importance of believing in the God one prays to. They said that they wanted to but their fear was in the danger of serving more than one God as they would still have to be at the mosque later that evening. I told them I understood. So we prayed about school; protection from danger; and for a better understanding of who God truly is. Then I asked them if they needed drugs medication for anything and referred them to where the doctor corpers were seated. I think what made me smile the most about my conversation with this particular group was their willingness to listen.

There was another group that got me excited. The one that showed keen interest in taking their journey to the next level by owning a Bible. They begged us not to forget to bring them Bibles next week. I assured them that we won't.

I went into these counselling sessions reluctant from feeling unqualified, to be honest, but I came out feeling good. 

Yo, preaching in pure Yoruba- not Lagos Yoruba that permits the addition of English terms here and there- is not beans, but it went really well. Far better than I had expected. God was present. God is real. God is faithful.

PS: This one is a village.

The N10 fine

After teaching my students 'Speech work', I was packing my notes to leave when I noticed some hesitation. I asked them what the problem was and they expressed that they wanted me to continue the lesson. I was surprised because not only was my time up but it was also break time. And I know these kids don't play with break time/food.

It was either they enjoyed getting fascinated by my pronunciation of the English words I was teaching them or they were actually interested in some more learning. Judging from how they'd chuckle whenever I pronounced what they'd usually call 'os-pi-tah' as 'hos-pi-tul', I'll go with the former. Whatever the reason was, I decided to stay and play some games with them. During the course of this, I realised how horrible their sentence construction was, so I asked for suggestions on how we could tackle this problem. Some suggested break-time lesson, others suggested more reading. Then I heard someone say something about enforcing a N20 fine on anyone who speaks Yoruba in class. And it hit me! THIS IS IT! THIS WILL BE IT! This was the idea we were going to adopt but with a little tweaking. 

In that moment, a new rule was born: Anyone who speaks Yoruba in English class will be fined N10. You won't be fined if you attempt to speak English and end up 'tabon'-ing, the rule would only apply to you if you did decide to speak and it was in Yoruba.

This happened just yesterday, and because I haven't been at school since 'cause today was my day off, the plan won't officially kick off until tomorrow. I'm looking forward to that and just seeing how it pans out as time goes on. I think if we adhere strictly to it, it will make a difference. We've also appointed a "financial secretary" who will be in charge of collecting the funds, lol.

OyaNa! LezzGoDiyeh!


PS: It's a town, not a village! :P

PSS: My camera is temporarily faulty, hence why I've been slacking on sharing pictures. But I'll soon have that sorted out. 
Thanks for understanding :)

Baby steps

I have been wanting to do this post. Not only so you'd know what I've been up to this term but also to serve as a reminder for me, of my goals for the term.

It's been over two weeks since teaching resumed and I'm already enjoying it. A little more than I did last term, I'll add. This is because with now being more familiar with the students, and having a clearer understanding of the areas in which they struggle, I find that so far, teaching this term has been easier and less stressful. As some of you who have been following my journey might know, teaching my kind of students can at times be very difficult and frustrating for several reasons I've mentioned in previous posts. The mistake I made last term was that I focused on trying to strictly follow my lesson note plan. However, I have decided that this term, I will throw caution to the wind and just "freestyle". 

The long break helped me realise that as long as I keep trying to tackle their problem from the top, I will keep getting frustrated, so I've decided to start from the root, as one should with any problem. The problem my students have has eaten so deeply into their system that one can only/must fix it by tackling it from the bottom. For example, if essay writing is scheduled in the syllabus, it would be pointless teaching that when the students aren't even confident enough in their understanding of the basics of constructing a sentence, or of when to use verbs, nouns and pronouns. I realise that I must start by making them understand the smaller things before we can proceed to the more complex things, and we may never even get there seeing as I have about four months left here, but we can still make progress.

As part of the 'baby steps' plan, I've incorporated frequent dictation exercises into the syllabus. Last week was the first of many to come. It was with the JS3s. I dictated 20 words, one of which was 'uniform' and when the time for corrections came, I asked a student to step up and share with us how he had spelt the word. He wrote 'yulifomu'. His mates laughed and before I could even tell them to stop, I found myself chuckling a bit, not because he misspelt it but because he spelt it the exact same way their strong Yoruba accent permits them to pronounce the word. Anyway, I showed him the correct spelling. Knowing my lazy students, I had imagined that they would have forgotten what they had learnt, so the next day, I went to their class and asked the same boy to come to the board like he had done the day before, and spell the same word. What put a smile on my face was not only the fact that he spelt it correctly but the confidence with which he wrote the word on the board. It was a proud moment for me. I repeated the same test a week later (today), and he still didn't disappoint :)

I foresee this new method I've adopted being very time-consuming and putting me behind on lesson notes because topics which should normally be exhausted in one period would now require three periods. But the aim of teaching is less about sticking to lesson notes and more about ensuring the students learn, right?

A fellow corper, Jane, and I got talking the other day about what these students need. We decided that it isn't just about caning them but also about our patience and tolerance as teachers. We've weighed the results of caning them versus speaking sense into them. While the former might be effective in making them see in that moment that they've done something wrong, a lot of times, the latter is how one can truly get through to them. I've had to realise that I have to go easier on them as it's not always a laziness issue that holds them back; that it's not their fault that no matter how hard they try, their background will always reflect in their inability to pronounce the 'sh' sound, and that as much as they'd like to write lovely essays, the reality is that they don't even know how to construct simple sentences. Some of these are things you learn in primary school, which I'm sure for one reason or another, some of them skipped.

The system isn't helping either. Don't even get me started on the fact that 30% was the pass mark last term. I came back this term to discover that the students who were supposed to repeat a class, i.e. the ones who didn't meet the pass mark, have been put through to the next class. Why? Then, our public schools are filled with teachers with questionable qualifications. If their teachers are "tabon-ing", how won't the students do the same?

Like I stated earlier, we might not get through the syllabus this term and that's fine. I'd feel fulfilled leaving here knowing that Suli in JS3 can hold a 5-minute conversation in English. It won't be easy; a lot praying, caning, sweating, yelling will be involved. I've already started cutting into other teachers' periods sef, but oh well, lol.

I've gotten a couple of really good ideas from people on how I can do more with the students. Thanks ID and KK.

Jane and I have taken these ideas into consideration and added a few of our own too and with these, we have some helpful projects planned for the next few months. I'll share them here as time goes on.

Evenings are my fave here in Iwo. Since I love LOVE LOVE!!! evening breeze so much-and today's was exceptional btw-, I decided to type up this post outside. So calm, so yummy.

PS: It's a town, not a village! :P

We're back!…and we're leaving again

Written: 02/10/13

"Aunty! Aunty"

"Oya, lo gba bag won", whispered one to the other. 

"Ma worry", I said to her, as I saw her making her way towards me. "Ye! O wo le!", one of her friends present yelled, covering one eye, as we'd do to mean 'ela oju kan' or 'ela' for short. This they do whenever I refuse to indulge kind gestures such as this one.

Yup, I'm definitely back at Anwar-ul Islam. As I stepped on school soil, the first thing I noticed was that the grasses had grown really bushy. It was clear that we had been away for too long and the environment had been starved of naughty students (since we are surrounded by mass grass coverage, you can imagine that cutting grass/mowing the lawn is a popular punishment for the kids who misbehave).

As I moved closer to the staffroom, I met other students on the way who prostrated themselves with excitement to 'hail' me, to which I responded with a smile. "I have missed these children!", I thought to myself. 

The teachers in the staffroom welcomed me with news about a relocation. Our holiday had lasted so long because Governor Aregbe had been working on merging schools. For us, Anwar-ul Islam would join Islahudeen High School. the latter would be our school for the next school year. This surprised me because when we were first posted here, we had cause to believe that Anwar-ul would be our permanent Place of Primary Assignment (PPA) for the service year. The teachers, however, didn't seem bothered. I guess as a public school teacher, you learn not to get too comfortable anywhere as change is constant and transfers can happen anytime.

We were also told that school time for junior schools would change from 2pm to 3.30pm, and from 2pm to 5pm for the seniors, as afternoon prep would be introduced into the public school system. 

My initial reaction was to grumble but after being enlightened on the intention behind the adjustments, I embraced the idea. I wrote in my 'Last day of school' post about revision being a big problem of the students', so to have heard that they would be getting some supervised after-school prep time was good news.

More time in school would mean less time for their after-school hustle which though it keeps their hands and minds busy, usually doesn't give them time for revision. (Though I won't entirely blame this on their after-school jobs because if they cared about school as much as they did their jobs, then they would squeeze out time to revise). This change in times could go either way but I'm hoping the fact that there'll be supervision will make it an effective 1hr30mins/3hours.

Mrs B., one of the teachers present in the staffroom at the time I received the news, said, "Aregbe knows what he's doing. It's just that we lack structure". I'm pleased that we are taking a step in this direction. Since being here and having a better understanding of how the public school system works, I've felt that our schools could use more attention from the government. After all, public schools are the government's property. What I mean is, more can be done to excite these kids about school and make the environment more conducive to learning. I had expected the worst before I got here and was surprised upon my arrival, to discover that we had sufficient textbooks and stationery and even hold mid-week quizzes for the students. 

Furnished buildings, a better structured timetable (that includes educative games, more sports and visual learning; the other day, I supervised a P.H.E. exam where they were asked to draw a handball court. I smiled because I knew they didn't know what one looked like. They could only draw it not as something they were familiar with or had ever seen, but as something they had been shown in their textbooks in class), more (well-educated) teachers, electricity (there are no bulbs or fans or even a connection to light for us to know when there IS light), doors, school buses (with this new merging system, students are having to spend more on transportation) and the likes could really make a difference.

My father speaks well of the public school structure that existed back in his time and how it was so well organised that private schools weren't even popular because everyone preferred public schools. How nice would it be to have some of that excitement revived? 

Any ideas on what else I can do in my remaining four months here to motivate/help these kids? Bear in mind though, that we are dealing with unmotivated and lazy people so your idea has to be super great and continuous even after my time here is up. I was and still am very enthusiastic about bringing change here. The after-school lesson plan I came up with last term eventually failed 'cause the students lost interest. 

Anyway, glad to be back. Two months is too long for a holiday!

PS: It's a town, not a village! :P

House of the family by Ephraim O.

Yes, the guys help out...every now and then

I've been meaning to dedicate a post to the NCCF family house, my second home in Iwo, but I keep procrastinating 'cause it feels like one of those posts which would require a day or two to put together. I fear omitting important details as there are endless things to write about. One day, though. One day.

In the meantime, Ephraim, a former housemate, has put one together. Check it out:

Stolen times could be pleasurable especially when it is from the thick of a headache-inducing chore. On this particular day at my workplace, it wasn't a classical case of increased workload but boredom from the routine. Immediately the call came, I didn't bother getting the details from the caller. "Excuse me Ma'am, I've got an emergency situation to handle," I muttered hurriedly, creating an atmosphere of urgency.

Ten minutes later, I was done. It only required penciling down my name and signature. I gazed at the bare floor like an old man afterwards, submerged in thoughts of what to do with the next thirty minutes. Returning immediately to work wasn't an option. The atmosphere of angst still needed to be retained at work by a little delay. Then the thought hit me like a hardball, 'House of the Family!'

When we first got to this town, it was the only place we could call home. And even after most of us have found our various houses, it's still the place we can call home outside our home. The NCCF (Nigerian Christian Corpers' Fellowship) family house. The place Housemate Emma Blu nicknamed 'house of the family', and it stuck like glue. 

And true to my expectations, the house bubbled with excitement and pomp of corpers, not a few. We had 'Bobo' or OmoBOLANLE, as she prefers to be called. Despite her lively nature, she has the knack for defending her beliefs with relentless passion. You want to see the full glare of her gesticulations? Engage her in a debate or argument.

Also present in the house was the cake making trio of DiDi, Rabbi (in trousers) and Kenny. This DiDi guy teaches ladies cake making and other wedding accessories. Though Iwo may not boast of a single fast food joint, a well baked cake from this trio combined with one chilled Chivita. . .who needs Tantalizers or Sizzlers?

The ever conventional Nonso, popularly referred to as 'Uncle' was also present. Hmmm! I can say volumes of him and not be bored. He is a passionate fellow. You may not fancy his persona at first, but you can't deny his importance. I'll describe him as a bone that can neither be chewed nor swallowed.

Emmanuel AKA 'Emma Blu' was also present. Hilarious, principled, unassuming, give him a pair of drum sticks and you have won a spot in his heart. 

What can I say of this enigmatic icon. Folz, Dele, 'Aunty', the names are endless. I'm still yet to find a razzer LADY (note the adjectives and the emphasis) than this. Hardworking, caring, sharing, a good cook, playful, serious (Folz, don't edit any part of this article). She's been a wonderful friend since our first step on Iwo soil. 

The list of housemates still includes the likes of Gerald, Pastor Patrick, Ogbeni of the Federal Republic of Family House AKA Olusegun, Super Shy Mama Eunice, A.Mama Grace, Favour, etc

I had to leave after sharing shouts, songs and teasings with folks present. House of the family…hmm! The only sane place in Iwo with many 'insane' people.

Go to Iwo by Ife A.

Last week was a really good week. My best here so thus far, I'd add. My good friend, Ife, came down from Lagos to spend a couple of days with me here in Iwo. While it seemed to me that she enjoyed her time here, I figured the best way to be sure would be to get her to write about the experience. Below is what she sent in:

‘Odo Ori’. ‘Odo Ori’. ‘Odo Ori’. If there’s one place I will never forget in Iwo, it is Odo Ori. Never mind that my pronunciation of it would interpret as ‘water of head’, which is a big fail. Anyways, if you can locate Odo Ori, you can probably navigate your way around Iwo. That’s what I think.

Five highlights of my trip to Iwo exist. 

Of course Odo Ori market features. The trip ended up dousing my eagerness to go to the market, but it was still a highlight. One can’t expect much from a village (sorry Foladele :p). It was interesting (because of the ‘apo kan’s and the ‘muri meta’s – it gets deeper than that o – rather than the boring N200 or N60 *yawn*), but more exhausting. Everyone and everything was everywhere and anywhere. So you keep asking where you can find an elero or elegusi or something. For some reason, they don’t congregate in one place in the market.  Fair enough, competition may be intense that way but mehn, the effort of asking and going round and round yo! If you're feeling brave and ever want to go to Odo Ori sha, market day is every four days.

Highlight number B. The NCCF Family House. As my friend plays a key role (she's called 'Aunty'. Don't get me started on the titles), we attended the prayer meeting that night. Might I add that it was yummy. I needed that session, I needed that presence, I needed that opportunity. It was a yay. Also got to meet other members of the NCCF family that were present. Generally cool peoples. :) 

Highlight letter 3. Iwo River. We walked to the river. It was a goofy journey. We got there and encountered a security guard whom, like many others in Nigeria, was power-hungry. Sometimes you're better off massaging their egos and moving on with your own life. Or the river, as was the case here. It was still, it was serene. The Psalmist knew what he was saying when he said 'He leads me beside the still waters'. I'd spend more time there if it weren't surrounded by bushes and insects. If you can handle both, go there, and stay there for a while :) Don't fall in sha o! #OYOsturvs

Highlight numero quatre. Random worship sesh with Ephraim and planned prayer sesh with Ola. God shows when He wants to show. Just be prepared and stay open. That's what I learned from these two encounters.  

Highlight number last (but not least). CDS. Just when I thought I had paid my own dues, I found myself at a secretariat for CDS again. Cos Foladele dragged me along. After, from 10am to about 1pm+, there was NCCF fellowship. I was like 'Lord I love you, but these guys are just taking the piss now, like!'. It was good, learned a few and was inspired, but kai, it was long and I was starved. People prolly didn't like me very much by the end of it. Or the other way around! ;) 

Go to Iwo though!!! Oranges are cheap, Okadas are cheaper and they have lots of kulikuli. If you know someone there, even better! Go visit! 

PS: It's a town, not a village! :P

"Aunty, ejo, e mu wa f'ona"

After fulfilling the CDS ritual on this lovely Thursday morning, I was heading home when I decided to make a quick detour to satisfy that morning's puff-puff craving. Going home to make the puff-puff myself was going to be a longer process that would first require a trip to the supermarket; one I wasn't 'gingered' for, so that was out of the question. So, I kept skimming the streets. With my keen eyes moving from left to right in search of guiding clues, like a woman covered in dough, a firewood spot or a big frying pan, anything! I just wanted some puff-puff! It felt as if they had chosen this day to strike or something, 'cause puff-puff is very popular in this town, so why couldn't I find any today? The craving was so strong that when I couldn't find the fresh-off-the-fire ones I'd usually go for, I settled for the hawked ones. 

No, this post isn't about puff-puff, I'm going somewhere with this, I promise.

Two girls had walked past me. They looked no more than 8-10 years of age. One was hawking puff-puff, the other, newspapers. After paying for my puff-puff, we exchanged goodbyes. Then something I found interesting followed. The girls said to me, "Aunty, ejo, e mu wa f'ona". They wanted to get to the other side of the road and needed my help doing so. 

It was this moment that helped me understand something I had noticed in months past. The culture here is a very 'learn-on-the-job' one, and age is indeed just a number. Parents don't care if their children are old enough to cross the streets, all they care about is that puff-puff and newspapers need to be sold. So, you must become old enough; you must find a way around it. Here, you'll see 8-year olds putting together the firewood, fetching from the well, holding down the family business in their parents' absence. The children learn to be tough at a very young age. What am I even saying writing? Half of the students at my school don't even know their age! That's how unconcerned with age Iwo-ites are. I discovered recently that each of these students has an after-school hustle. Today, I'm bumping into Kudirat at the market where she sells fufu in the evenings, tomorrow evening, I'm seeing Taiye helping his mechanic uncle out at his uncle's 'shobu'(shop). While on one hand, it surprises me, and maybe even worries me a little to see young children taking on huge responsibilities; on the other, I guess the good side to it is that it prepares these children for the future; you know, stimulates their mind. I reckon if the school thing doesn't work out in the future, they won't be completely stranded. 

Welcome to Iwo where whether young or old, the hustle must continue. 


PS: It's a town, not a village :P

Iwo; its pluses by Ephraim O.

Recently, my friend, Ephraim, who's also passionate about writing, and I were talking about the joys of Iwo. It was actually this conversation that birthed my last post, 10 things I like about Iwo. So, I asked him to write a post, sharing some of his favourite things about the town, too. Below is his piece:

We hopped from the bike cladded in our khaki pants and crested vest that showed we'd just been dispatched to discharge our national assignment, and offered him what we thought was fair for our short trip. A trip from the market to the place where we would call home for the next couple of weeks but with the most genuine smile, he kickstarted his bike and said, "Don't worry". 

"Amazing! Where in Naija does this ever happen?" In Benin, where I come from, you'd wait till your patience turns into longsuffering. We turned and looked at each other, trying to certify our disbelief before walking to our destination. This experience was our swan-song for the next couple of days that followed. This happened on my first day in Iwo. 

If one is a happenstance and two a coincidence, I wonder what name the dictionary would use to accomodate a more than three, four or five occasions of the goodwill and kindness these folks express on a regular basis. For instance, a friend told me of how one of their landlords offered them accomodation at no charge. This is a three-bedroom flat built to satisfy modern taste. How many landlords would do that in lagos or in Benin?

I wouldn't forget hastily that prices for goods and services are valley-deep cheap here. Yes! Some would argue that this is so because Iwo is a town but so what? In the town I am from, prices there would favourably compete with those of Enugu, Ibadan and Onitsha. A N50 trip on a bike here in Iwo is equivalent to N200 or N250 in lagos. Slippers that would cost N1400 in Benin was sold to me at N550 here.

One lasting impression Iwo leaves in my memory bank is the fact that folks here old or young, none stands to receive greetings. Both the greeter and the greeted go down when they exchange pleasantries. Respect being mutual and cordial. I hope my egotistic, money-conscious city fellas get to learn from these folks.

And like I had told a friend the first month we came here, "Iwo is not a mistake". It indeed has been a blessing. 

PS: It's a town, not a village

10 things I like about Iwo

I still can't believe that it's been 5 months since I moved to Iwo. Like I've not only implied in earlier posts but also stated, life here has been a very intriguing experience. 

1. Amidst all the experiences, one thing that has stood out for me here is what I call 'blissful backwardness'. Iwo is a town where you'd rediscover things you had thought had gone out of style. Coming from a city where we've moved on to biscuits like orange-blue-pack Cream Crackers, Hob-Nobs and Digestive (the N25 ones), it was exciting for me to rediscover 'Temitope' biscuit (pictured below) here some days ago. I remember them being tougher to chew but I find them softer and more enjoyable now. If you didn't eat this biscuit growing up, you are uncool. 

2. I've also rediscovered 'Kuli-kuli'. For a town located in the west, I find it surprising how popular they are here. Prior to the move to Iwo, I hadn't seen this snack in over a decade. Now, I find myself eating it every other day. Oh, you find 'Baba Dudu' out here, too.

3. I wear a genuine smile when random children on the streets bend their knees to greet me because they don't have to do so but they do. Out here, showing respect is a continuous act, even to people you don't know.

4. Evening walks; where some of my best thinking and dreaming is done. The cool evening breeze and greenness of the atmosphere make this very precious.

5. The toys the kids create (pictured below). Sometimes, an illusion is just enough.

An empty pack of sardines, 4 bottle tops, 2 lollipop sticks and a rope to pull

6. The cleanliness of the streets

7. The typographical errors on sign posts make me chuckle

8. Cheap cost of living. The distance an okada man or a keke-ist would charge N150-N200 for in Lagos, would be N50 here.

9. There's this bakery by my house, I look forward to going past it every morning and getting slapped in the face by the smell of fresh bakery bread. Not from Shoprite or Barcelos, but from Ise Oluwa bakery. 

10. Expanding my Yoruba vocabulary. Ex: 'ifa'mi', the thing with which you draw water from a well, is also called 'doro'.


PS: It's a town, not a village :P

'Inclusive City'

A few months ago, my friend, Gerald, started a project called 'Inclusive City'. A project designed to create awareness on children with special needs and how they can be identified. He enlisted myself and a couple of other friends as members of his team. Every month we go to 4-5 primary schools to speak (well, Gerald does most of the speaking since he is actually qualified) to teachers on how to identify children with mild or severe special needs; everything from visual impairment like longsightedness and short sightedness to intellectual deficiencies like dyslexia and autism. The dream is that with this knowledge, teachers can become sensitive to and considerate of students with such needs when teaching. Hence, 'Inclusive City'; an atmosphere where everyone is included and children with special needs aren't ignored or treated differently because of their disabilities. 

Thus far, the teachers have been responsive, and the experience, insightful. Knowledge, truly, is power. I'm excited to see what the future holds for Inclusive City. 

Below are a few pictures from last week's trip to Baptist Day School. I will share more posts and pictures on Inclusive City as time goes on.

L-R:
Gerald, Patrick, Uche

PS: It's a town, not a village! :P

They say, "when in Rome..."

Today, I wove my hair, something I hadn't done in over a decade. I initially did it to give my hair a break from hair extensions but I later realised that living in Iwo might have also had something to do with the decision. I think that being out here has allowed me comfortably embrace my inner villager and just be free. Sure, it was first about wanting to take care of my hair but also, the fact that I'm in Iwo and not Lagos, made it an easier thing to do. I find myself crossing the street with my wrapper and "dunlop slippers", and all sorts of funny things I wouldn't dare do in Lagos for fear of being called crazy. Things that are too "razz" for us city people. The other day, I saw my friend brushing his teeth with a 'pako' (pictured above). When I asked whatever happened to his toothbrush, his response was "I just felt like doing things this way today"; an idea he wouldn't dare explore if he were back home in Benin. 

My conclusion from all this was that, being out here is allowing us be free and explore a lifestyle we aren't used to, and what makes it easy is that we are around people who aren't exposed enough to find us uncool or "razz".

Rocking the 'shuku eyin'.

PS: It's a town, not a village! :P

"Daydream. I fell asleep beneath the flowers for a couple of hours..."

It was 2PM; which means only one thing at Anwar-Ul-Islam school: Closing time. The rain was so heavy this day, however, that I decided to wait a while in the staff room 'til it stopped. So, there I sat in my chair, doing one of my favourite things: getting lost in thoughts. As I thought about several things from memories to possibilities, I ended up thinking about thinking. Sounds weird? Check this:

I think that one of life's most beautiful gifts is the ability to think, daydream, imagine, call it whatever. I find that getting lost in thoughts sometimes puts me at my happiest. I enjoy that ability to reminisce on what has been-what we know as memories-, and the ability to consider what could be. What makes thinking so beautiful is the endless possibilities of how far the mind can go. I dare say that everyone enjoys fantasies, even realists. We know that those far-fetched imaginations might never actually materialize but oh, how beautiful it is to stretch one's mind so far!

Why I call it a gift is its mysterious factor. Thinking is OUR own thing. The fact that no one else can know what you're thinking, well, unless you tell them, makes it special. In a world where everyone is constantly trying to stick their nose in the next person's business, it's nice to have this one thing to hold on to. 

My happiest place goes beyond the seen. My happiest place is within. Alone, with my thoughts.

PS: It's a town, not a village! :P

Image source: Google

Welcome to Iwo :)

Earlier this year, in March, to be precise, I had to choose between living in either the city of Lagos or the town of Iwo (some would argue that it's a village) for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year. I chose Iwo-don't ask why. This is where the story begins…

A few friends thought I was crazy, others weren't surprised as they had always known me to be…erm…'a lover of adventure', as they put it.  Thus far, I've been here for about three months, and have met some of the funniest people and been met with some very funny encounters. So, I thought, 'why keep it all to myself? The world needs to hear about it!'. Besides, I've discovered that not very many people know where or even what Iwo is, so this blog will also serve as a light-shedder. On here, I will share everything from random Iwo-inspired thoughts to interesting experiences. Feel free to ask questions and share your NYSC experiences as well. Enjoy! :)

PS: It's a town, not a village! :p