SHORT STORY OF MAMMY MARKET: MAMMY OCHEFU

SHORT STORY OF MAMMY MARKET: MAMMY OCHEFU

It was in 1959. Mammy Ode, a young girl from Jericho-Ugboju in the present Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, was married to Anthony Aboki Ochefu, a young Non-Commissioned military officer who had just been posted to Enugu from Abeokuta. 

They were quartered at the Army Barracks, Abakpa, Enugu. To beat idleness and perhaps earn some money to support her young family, Mrs. Mammy Ochefu established a soft drinks business. She prepared gruel, which is called umu or enyi in Idoma, or kunu in Hausa, for sale to soldiers. She soon became popular with her delicacy as soldiers trooped to her house to buy enyi. Some of her best customers were officers, who always sent their batmen to buy some of the gruel for them, Monday through Friday.

 

Somehow, one of the Non-Commissioned Officers, the RSM, did not flow with the enthusiasm which Mammy’s gruel generated among other military men in the barracks. He complained that Mrs. Ochefu's popular foodstuff attracted flies into the barracks, and ordered Mrs. Mammy Ochefu to stop its production and sale. Though surprised and disappointed at the order of the RSM, she stopped the production and sale of enyi. 

Her husband, not being an officer at the time, could not challenge the order of the RSM. For weeks, Mrs. Mammy Ochefu agonized over the fate of her business, just as officers and men of the Nigerian Army who enjoyed her enyi because of its freshness and nutritional value lamented the situation. From several quarters, pressure mounted on the RSM for a reversal of the order. After a while, he succumbed to the pressures and directed that a section of the barracks be reserved for Mrs. Mammy Ochefu to produce and sell her enyi. Her joy knew no bounds.

 

Few days after, a section of the barracks was given to her. She built a small shop and soon, her business began to boom. Most of her customers booked for their shares in advance.

Source: Nigerian Military Cruise

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A Dreamer-Doer-Thinker:Professor Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua

NIGERIAN PROF ROSE-MARGARET EKENG-ITUA EMERGES WORLD’S FIRST BLACK WOMAN PH.D HOLDER IN CYBERNETICS

Nigerian female scholar, Professor Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua, has become the first black woman to earn a doctorate degree (Ph.D) in Cybernetics in the world.

Cybernetics is the scientific study of how information is communicated in machines and pieces of electronic equipment in comparison with how information is communicated in the brain and nervous system.

Ekeng-Itua is a pioneer educator, administrator and engineer championing leading roles in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) challenges in Africa, and paving the way for the African youth, especially girls. 

She earned the premiering degree from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom under the supervision of her first Ph.D supervisor Prof. Kevin Warwick and the first human Cyborg in the world.

Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua is a multi-award-winning professor of engineering with over 20 years of experience in Engineering and STEM Education cutting across the USA, Europe and Africa, leading the creation of innovative programmes in STEM, whose fascination with technology took root in her childhood in Nigeria. 

Surrounded by a culture that often-discouraged girls from pursuing scientific fields, she found her passion in understanding how things worked and the potential for innovation. 

Her thirst for knowledge led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, followed by a master’s degree in Mobile and Satellite Communications Engineering in the United Kingdom. 

Driven by ambition and a relentless desire to break boundaries, she went on to make history by earning her doctorate in Cybernetics.

Despite facing extra-layered challenges as a woman of color in a male-dominated field, gender biases and a lack of readily available role models, she refused to let these obstacles define her. 

Speaking about challenges encountered in achieving success in a recent interview, Ekeng-Itua said, “Every challenge became fuel for my determination. I realised that my success would not only open doors for myself but would serve as an example for other women and girls who might otherwise doubt their capabilities.”

“I am a Dreamer-Doer-Thinker, so I always had dreams, but my dreams were not necessarily focused on being ‘great’, but more on how I could be a positive change agent, and how to create initiatives, programs and technologies that will impact the world positively. I am human-centric in my approach to making positive change hence, the field of Cybernetics gave me that opportunity as Cybernetics is centered on purposeful design of technologies for society and humans. 

“This has always been my passion, and pursuing my passion and the dream to disrupt some societal misnomers propelled me to being the first black woman to earn a doctorate degree in Cybernetics. Being the first in anything is always retrospective, for me, the initial focus is always creating positively transformative impact.”

The female scholar further said her passion for Mathematics and Physics at an early age informed her choice of career.  

“I wanted to pursue a career that would give me the opportunity for creativity, innovation, collaboration, and positive impact in communities”, she added.

“It was also born from my wish at the age of nine to create platforms that connected the world to foster global unity for progress and appreciative understanding of global cultures. At that young age, I noticed a huge disconnect in what the Global North thought they knew about Africa which I call the Global South.”

©Vanguard News

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Honey-like Facts About Honey

 Proverbs 24:13 "Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste."(NIV)

1. Did you know that one of the world's first coins had a bee symbol?

2. Did you know that honey contains live enzymes?

3. Did you know that in contact with a metal spoon, these enzymes die? The best way to eat honey is with a wooden spoon; if you can't find one, use a plastic spoon.

4. Did you know that honey contains a substance that helps the brain work better?

5. Did you know that honey is one of the few foods on earth that alone can sustain human life?

6. Did you know that bees saved people from starvation in Africa?

7. That a spoonful of honey is enough to keep a man alive for 24 hours?

8. Did you know that propolis produced by bees is one of the most powerful natural antibiotics?

9. Did you know that honey has no expiry date?

10. Did you know that the bodies of the world's greatest emperors were buried in gold coffins, then covered in honey to prevent putrefaction?

11. Did you know that the term "Honeymoon" (honeymoon) comes from the fact that the bride and groom consumed honey for fertility after their marriage?

12. Did you know that a bee lives less than 40 days, visits at least 1000 flowers and produces less than a teaspoon of honey, but for her it is the work of a lifetime.

Thank you precious bees!

Thanks to God for this wonderful creature!

Credit: Heart Productions

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My Name Is Hase: I Don't Know Anything About Anything.

 

My Name Is Hase: I Don't Know Anything About Anything. 

In German, you can say "Mein Name ist Hase, ich weiß von nichts" (My name is "Hase" (hare), I don't know anything about anything) if you don't know anything or if you want to pretend you haven't got a clue.

This idiomatic phrase goes back to Victor Hase who used this as a defense in court. But let's start at the beginning.

Karl Victor Hase was studying law in Heidelberg in 1854. He had a friend who shot somebody during a duel (which was illegal) and had to leave the country. His plan was to go to France and join the Foreign Legion. But in order to cross the border, he needed ID. Victor coincidentally "lost" his student ID which his friend "found" and used to get into France where he then again "lost" Victor's ID card.

However, the card was found and send to the University in Heidelberg. The administration took notice of Hase and questioned him about the incident. He replied, "Mein Name ist Hase, ich verneine die Generalfragen, ich weiß von nichts." - My name is Hase, I negate/deny all general question, I know about nothing. Over time, the middle part was omitted, and the phrase consists only of the "Mein Name ist Hase, ich weiß von nichts." You can even only say the first part, and people will know what you are referring to.

Victor Hase wasn't charged with anything and became a lawyer. He also joined the military, practiced law but got sick with a typhoid, lung infection, and eventually died on April 30, 1860.

My name is Samuel. I don't know anything about anything 😂😹

The German idiomatic phrase sounds pitchy 💯

Credit:More Than Beer and Schnitzel

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From Filthy to Venerable: Short Piece About Khalil Gibran.

From Filthy to Venerable: Short Piece About Khalil Gibran

 He was called "filthy" because his skin was dark, unintelligent because he could barely speak English. When he arrived in this country, he was placed in a special class for immigrants. But, a few of his teachers saw something in the way he expressed himself, through his drawings, through his view of the world. He would soon master his new language.

His mother had made a difficult decision to take him, his two younger sisters and a half-brother to America, seeking a better life for their family. They settled in Boston's South End, at the time the second-largest Syrian-Lebanese-American community. The family would struggle and the young boy would lose one sister and his half-brother to tuberculosis. His mother would die of cancer.

He would write, “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”

He was born in poverty on January 6, 1883 in what is now modern day Lebanon.

He believed in love, he believed in peace, and he believed in understanding.

His name was Kahlil Gibran, and he is primarily known for his book, "The Prophet." The book, published in 1923, would sell tens of millions of copies, making him the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Laozi.

Published in 108 languages around the world, passages from "The Prophet" are quoted at weddings, in political speeches and at funerals, inspiring influential figures such as John F. Kennedy, Indira Gandhi, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and David Bowie.

He was very outspoken, attacking hypocrisy and corruption. His books were burned in Beirut, and in America, he would receive death threats.

Gibran was the only member of his family to pursue scholastic education. His sisters were not allowed to enter school, primarily because of Middle Eastern traditions as well as financial difficulties. Gibran, however, was inspired by the strength of the women in his family, especially his mother. After one sister, his mother, and his half-brother died, his other sister, Mariana would support Gibran and herself by working at a dressmaker's shop.

Of his mother, he would write:

"The most beautiful word on the lips of mankind is the word 'Mother,' and the most beautiful call is the call of 'My mother.' It is a word full of hope and love, a sweet and kind word coming from the depths of the heart. The mother is everything – she is our consolation in sorrow, our hope in misery, and our strength in weakness. She is the source of love, mercy, sympathy, and forgiveness."

Gibran would later champion the cause of women’s emancipation and education.

He believed that “Safeguarding the rights of others is the most noble and beautiful end of a human being.”

In a poem to new immigrants, he would write, "I believe you can say to the founders of this great nation. 'Here I am. A youth. A young tree. Whose roots were plucked from the hills of Lebanon. Yet I am deeply rooted here. And I would be fruitful.'"

He would write in "The Prophet":

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.”

You can get Khalil Gibran books here 👉

https://amzn.to/3xOZxKI

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35 Reading Tips by Alex and Book on Twitter

35 Reading Tips by Alex and Book

In the words of Abraham Lincoln,"Is it not to get the books and read? Read, read , read and read". Below are the tips of reading by Alex and Book on Twitter. Enjoy !

35 Reading tips I've learned after reading 350+ books:

1) The hardest part of reading is sitting down to start.

2) Quit boring books to make room for brilliant ones.

3) Reading one book may not change your life but reading every day will change everything.

4) Read fewer books that have been around for days, read more books that have been around for decades.

5) If you ever say you don't have time to read books, just take a look at your phone's screen time.

6) All reading counts as reading–try print books, ebooks, and audiobooks to find the format that works best for you.

7) It's not about how many books you get through that matters, it's about how many books get through you that counts.

8) Put your phone on silent and leave it in another room before reading and you'll 10x your focus.

9) Read good books, reread great books, rebuy groundbreaking books.

10) You don't become a reader and then start reading books. You start reading books and then become a reader.

11) It's better to quit a book than to quit reading altogether.

12) If a book changed your life, aim to reread it once a year.

13) Return, regift, or recycle books you didn't enjoy.

14) Speedreading is reading twice as fast to remember half as much.

15) The best places to read are airplanes, beaches, and parks.

16) The rite of passage all readers must go through is learning how to pick books for themselves instead of waiting for others to pick books for them (like how parents, teachers, and professors did).

17) Reading book summaries and thinking you understand the book is like watching a movie trailer and thinking you understand the movie.

18) The irony of speedreading is that if you can speedread the book it isn't worth reading. The best books are impossible to speedread because they constantly make you stop and think.

19) The goal of reading is application, not memorization. Stop spending time trying to remember information and instead spend time trying to apply information.

20) If you want to build a reading habit set a goal to read for 2 minutes every day. The goal is so small that it's impossible to come up with a reasonable excuse to not do it.

21) The person who writes the book summary benefits 10x more than the person who reads the summary.

22) If you read a book but don't change your behavior or thinking in any way, either the book sucked or you learned nothing.

23) Just because you bought a book it doesn't mean it came with a binding contract to finish it.

24) Everyone who reads 100+ books a year is either getting paid to read (author, academic, podcaster, content creator) or reading fiction.

25) No man ever reads the same book twice, for it is not the same book and he is not the same man.

26) Books are an investment, not an expense. A $10 book can make you $100,000 or even $100 billion (look up Warren Buffett's comment about "The Intelligent Investor").

27) Your reading environment is more important than your reading motivation. It's easier to read an average book at a library than an amazing book at a rock concert.

28) Carry a book with you everywhere you go. You never know when you'll find yourself with extra time you read.

29) Give a book 3 chances (chapters) to win you over. If you aren't into it by then, it's out and don't feel guilty about quitting it.

30) Easy reading hack: Download an ebook or audiobook to your phone so you always have something to read if you don't have a physical book with you.

31) The highest praise you can give an author is showing them that you wrote, highlighted, and devoured their book. If you show them a pristine book, they'll think you didn't even read it.

32) Spend more time reading short books. Some of the shortest books have the deepest lessons.

33) For timeless problems read timeless books. For modern problems read modern books.

34) Books are the ultimate life hack: For $10 you can download 10 years of wisdom in 10 hours or less.

35) The best time to start reading books was 10 years ago. The second best time to start is today.

Source: @Alex_and_Books (Twitter)

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Travel Bible: 𝟮𝟭 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮

Travel Bible: 𝟮𝟭 F𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 Y𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮.

1. Colombia is the only country in South America that has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, offering diverse beaches and ecosystems.

2. The country is named after Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer who led the expedition that brought the Americas to the attention of Europe, even though Columbus never actually set foot in Colombia.

3. Colombia is known as the world's leading producer of emeralds. The quality and color of Colombian emeralds set them apart from those found elsewhere.

4. It has the second highest level of biodiversity in the world, home to over 56,000 species of flora and fauna, including more species of birds than any other country.

5. The Amazon Rainforest covers approximately one-third of Colombia’s territory, making it a crucial area for global biodiversity and environmental conservation efforts.

6. Colombia’s cultural heritage is a blend of indigenous, Spanish, African, and Arab influences, reflected in its music, dance, festivals, and cuisine.

7. The country’s national sport is "tejo," a traditional sport where players throw metal discs at a target that explodes upon impact.

8. Colombia is the world's largest producer of coffee after Brazil, known especially for its high-quality Arabica beans grown in the Colombian coffee-growing axis region.

9. The Cano Cristales river, often referred to as the "River of Five Colors" or the "Liquid Rainbow," is famous for its vibrant hues caused by aquatic plants on the riverbed, visible during a brief period between the wet and dry seasons.

10. Bogotá, the capital and largest city of Colombia, is situated at an altitude of 2,640 meters (8,660 ft), making it one of the highest capital cities in the world.

11. The historic port city of Cartagena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its well-preserved colonial architecture and fortifications.

12. Colombia's national dish is "bandeja paisa," which includes beans, rice, ground beef, plantain, chorizo, arepa, avocado, and a fried egg.

13. Shakira, a globally renowned pop singer and songwriter, was born in Barranquilla, Colombia.

14. The Colombian Declaration of Independence from Spain was proclaimed on July 20, 1810, which is now celebrated as Colombia’s Independence Day.

15. Gabriel García Márquez, a Nobel Prize-winning author known for his masterpiece "One Hundred Years of Solitude," was born in Aracataca, Colombia. His work has brought worldwide attention to Colombian literature.

16. The Lost City, or "Ciudad Perdida," is an ancient city in Colombia's Sierra Nevada, believed to have been founded around 800 AD, some 650 years earlier than Machu Picchu.

17. Colombian music is diverse and includes popular genres such as Cumbia, Vallenato, Salsa, and Reggaeton, reflecting the country’s multicultural heritage.

18. Colombia is the second most populous country in South America, after Brazil, and the third-largest Spanish-speaking population in the world, after Mexico and the United States.

19. The country has a tradition of the "Christmas Novena" (Novena de Aguinaldos), a nine-day celebration leading up to Christmas, involving prayers, carols, and gatherings.

20. Medellín, once notorious for being one of the most dangerous cities in the world, has undergone significant transformation and is now known for its innovative public transportation system, cultural attractions, and festivals.

21. Colombia has recognized more than 102 indigenous groups and is committed to preserving their languages, territories, and traditions, showcasing the country's commitment to cultural diversity.r

Credit: Travel Bible

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