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The cat, regarded by some as an animal that nature had made perfect from the outset, has undergone only the subtlest of changes, in evolutionary terms, over the last 30-odd million years. It is Africa’s three great cats, the Lion, Cheetah and Leopard that inspire the most passionate legends the world over. Each of these cats is an icon in their own right.
The Power and Majesty of the Lion Often called, “King of the Beasts”, the lion has an iconic reputation as a cat of great strength and beauty. The largest of Africa’s big cats, its regal legacy is enhanced by the male’s magnificent mane, which ranges from a rich golden colour to a darker brown hue as the animal ages.
Of course, the dominant male lion seldom does its own hunting, preferring instead to allow the females and adolescent males of the pride do the hard work before coming along and claiming its share of the kill. Weighing in at well over 200 kg in the wild, and standing at up to 2 metres at the shoulder, this huge animal cuts a formidable figure.
The most socially co-operative of all the big cats, their real strength lies in their ability to work together as a pride, using group hunting tactics to make the kill.
While they are primarily nocturnal, they are easily found during the day, conserving energy and resting in shady areas. The unwary tourist, enjoying the sight of these listless and “tame” animals while out on a safari game drive, would be well advised to note that lions are quick to become active if ever an easy meal opportunity may present itself.
The Cheetah a Symbol of Speed and Grace Renowned as the fastest animal on land, the cheetah has a slender body, long legs and semi-retractable claws, with a short, coarse coat dotted with small, round, black spots. It stands with a shoulder height of about 70cm, has a body length of 112-135 cm, a tail length 66-84 cm and weighs in around 34-54 kg, with males being slightly larger than females.
Far more slightly built that either the lion or the leopard, its strategic hunting advantage is its well-known ability to accelerate to incredible speeds over short distances. While not particularly adept at covering long distances, it can reach its maximum speed of around 110km/h (70mph) in mere seconds. Using careful stalking techniques, it tracks prey and approaches to within 20 -30 metres before unleashing its pace weapon, leading to successful kills in about 50% of chases.
Decline in prey, loss of habitat, poaching, and its reputation as a livestock predator threaten the survival of the cheetah throughout its range.
The Ruthless Efficiency of the Lone-Hunting Leopard Leopards, sometimes called the “quintessential cat” are the most elusive of the three big cats of Africa. Standing at around 80cm at the shoulder, and weighing between 40 and 70kg, these cats are more powerful but slower than cheetahs, and substantially smaller than lions. Solitary hunters, leopards seek company only to mate, and are constantly in danger of losing their kill to lions. For this reason, they use their supreme climbing ability to drag their prey into trees for safekeeping. While the more substantial kills are cached in this way, with the cat returning later to feed, leopards are opportunistic animals with an extremely flexible diet. They are happy to consume protein in almost any form, from beetles to animals almost twice its own weight and will readily eat carrion.
To observe these big cats in their natural habitat is a privilege not to be missed. Reading about them, or seeing them on TV often gives an interesting insight into their lives, but getting up close to these magnificent beasts when on a game drive, will leave you inspired.
Big Cats Facts
The cheetah is the world’s fastest land mammal. It can run at speeds of up to 70 miles an hour (113 kilometers an hour).
An adult lion’s roar can be heard up to five miles (eight kilometers) away.
Long, muscular hind legs enable snow leopards to leap seven times their own body length in a single bound.
A tiger’s stripes are like fingerprints—no two animals have the same pattern.
The strongest climber among the big cats, a leopard can carry prey twice its weight up a tree.
The Amur leopard is one of the most endangered animals in the world.
In one stride, a cheetah can cover 23 to 26 feet (7 to 8 meters).
The name “jaguar” comes from a Native American word meaning “he who kills with one leap.”
In the wild, lions live for an average of 12 years and up to 16 years. They live up to 25 years in captivity.
The mountain lion and the cheetah share an ancestor.
Cheetahs do not roar, as the other big cats do. Instead, they purr.
Tigers are excellent swimmers and do not avoid water.
A female Amur leopard gives birth to one to four cubs in each litter.
Fossil records from two million years ago show evidence of jaguars.
Lions are the only cats that live in groups, called prides. Every female within the pride is usually related.
The leopard is the most widespread of all big cats.
Mountain lions are strong jumpers, thanks to muscular hind legs that are longer than their front legs.
Tigers have been hunted for their skin, bones, and other body parts, used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Unlike other cats, lions have a tuft of hair at the end of their tails.
After humans, mountain lions have the largest range of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere.
Atheism in the UK has reached record levels, so why are people losing faith?.
“Only church leaders possess states without defending them and subjects without governing them.” So said Renaissance philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli in his historical treatise The Prince. Religion, he suggests, is a political necessity, the tool of a ruling class unable to rationally legitimise the massive social inequality of feudal society.
You wouldn’t believe it… but having no religious affiliation is now world’s third biggest ‘faith’ after Christianity and IslamChristianity is the largest faith with 2.2 billion adherents or 31.5 per cent of the world’s population There are about 1.6 billion Muslims around the world - or 23 per cent of the global population
Whilst such a system might seem positively medieval to us now, in the age of the 1 and the 99% and lease-only housing in the capital, it seems that the legacy of ye olde, aristocratic Britannia might not be so remote. Religious states still exist also – Saudi ‘women can’t drive’ Arabia, for instance – and ‘secular’ Britain must count itself as one of only two sovereign states in the world to theocratically maintain the presence of unelected bishops within their political system (the House of Lords). The other is Iran.
But the times they are a-changing, and if the world wars of the 20th century began to erode religious faith in the west, then the proliferation of the world wide web has only exacerbated that process. “Religions have depended on the relative isolation and ignorance of their flocks, forever, and this is all breaking down,” asserts Daniel C. Dennett, the co-director of Tufts’ Centre for Cognitive Studies.
Dennett’s theory is certainly lent support by a recent YouGov poll, which found that “the place of religion in the lives of young Britons is smaller than ever.” Asked by YouGov which figures had any influence whatsoever on their lives, only 12% of British 18-24 year olds said religious leaders influenced them, less than half the number influenced by brands (32%) and politicians (38%), and significantly lower than those influenced by celebrities (21%).
So why are we losing our religion? The global economic collapse certainly seems to have triggered a collective loss of faith in figures of authority in every sector of society, and the process of globalization also sped up the process of ‘atheisisation’. Perhaps we have also reached saturation point with regard to the scale and number of sectarian civil wars, religiously sanctioned, if not encouraged, violence and politico-religious corruption. Atheism UK President Mark Embleton shares this view. Asked why increasing numbers of young people are claiming atheism, he answers:
“Because they’ve thought about it. There’s much more information available through the internet now than there was for older generations, so young people can easily access opinions for and against religion. Also, the more recent publicity and reporting of such things as child abuse by clergy, Islamic terrorism, religious resistance to equality for women or homosexuals, etc., has turned many people away from religion, not just young people.”
Embleton says he became an “active” atheist when he received jural disapproval for taking the affirmation in the witness box, rather than swearing on the Bible (yes, that is still a British practice).
The Dangote Group is one of the most diversified business conglomerates in Africa. The group’s activities encompass cement manufacturing, sugar and salt refining, flour and semolina milling, pasta and noodle manufacturing, poly products manufacturing, port management and haulage logistics, real estate and the Dangote Foundation.
How confident are you about growth prospects going forward, in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa? Our business strategy has really paid off. The year 2012 was particularly good for us in terms of our record of excellent performance. In 2012, we launched a number of projects, including a fertiliser plant and an oil refinery. These are big-ticket projects. We are also looking at establishing more cement plants and expanding our sugar business in line with the new federal government backward integration policy. Our business strategy has been to look at the country’s imports and invest in critical areas of need. By so doing, we have helped to make Nigeria self sufficient in some commodities such as cement, and also a net exporter of these products, specifically within the Economic Community Of West African States. There are a lot of investment opportunities in Nigeria and Africa. Discerning investors know this and are trooping in to have a piece of the pie. The only thing keeping others back is the issue of the negative perception that some people have about the continent. But things are changing fast. Africa is one of the fastest growing regions in the world. The return on investment in Africa is also one of the highest. So, the potential for growth is there. We need to transform this potential into reality. In addition, you have to be innovative in this market. If you bring a textbook solution and try to apply it here, it won’t work. To tell you the truth, the best market today is sub-Saharan Africa and I have not seen any country where you can make money like in Nigeria and I say it to anyone who cares to listen. The opportunities here are so tremendous.
How do you balance growth trajectories with profitability? We are currently diversifying our business. Some businesses will have greater or lesser profitability, depending on the industry. In petrochemicals or refining, for instance, the refining margin is low, perhaps no more than 10%-12%, but what we are doing is not just refining, we are also extracting a lot of high-value items out of the import pool. That requires a huge investment. For example, today, I don’t control all of the costs in my sugar business because I don’t grow my own sugar. I only add value. If the cost of raw sugar goes up too high, I can’t make much money, but if it falls, I can make more money. By producing sugar, you end up with excess capacity. When you crush the byproduct, you end up with a shell which can power high-pressure boilers to produce power, which you can pass through the national grid. You produce ethanol which you can mix with diesel for fuel and other byproducts can be used for animal feed. So there is no waste and it is about value distribution and putting things back into the economy, including employment.
What are some of the risks to growth that worry you? The biggest issue that we have that really worries me is the lack of infrastructure. Our leaders are beginning to understand this. Without infrastructure, no one will come to your country to invest. I also have a phobia about debt. The way we operate the company is this: we take on debt and we go through our trajectory to deliver what we promised to deliver. We accumulate cash and after two years or so we have more money to invest. Once you do your numbers right and know what you are doing, everything falls into place. There is risk in anything. What you need to do is make sure that you minimise those risks and that they are calculated risks. Corruption and oil theft in Nigeria are two other areas that I am more worried about. When you create jobs and people have disposable income, there is less restlessness, particularly among the youth. It is very simple. We have abundant resources, but we need the right attitude to get there.
My male friends and I were talking the other day about marriage. We don’t talk about it the way women do, fantasizing and getting all excited about our wedding day. Instead, we talk about it like picking a career – you know you’re going to be stuck with it, it can be enjoyable, but you had better tread lightly or it could end up in disaster.
I thought I’d share with women a few things that my friends said we did NOT want in a wife. Take it or leave it, but here’s what most of us really do dislike:
1) A high-maintenance woman. It might be okay to be a little bit of a gold digger, but high maintenance means that nothing is ever good enough. You buy her something that costs $1,000 dollars, she barely says thank you. She might also be the kind of emotional black hole who is never satisfied or happy no matter what he says or does to make things better. That’s draining for men, and flat out horrible.
2) A woman who is bad with kids. A woman’s beauty is captured in her ability to nurture. The woman who says “I hate kids” is seen as less of a woman in the eyes of a lot of men. It also makes her look selfish.
3) A woman who doesn’t support you. If a man is going through things, he wants to believe his woman has his back through thick and thin. You want to feel beautiful, he wants to feel like a king. If he’s ridiculed or his dreams aren’t supported, then he will probably gravitate toward the woman who helps boost his ego, listens to him and encourages him, just like his mother used to do.
4) A woman who emasculates you or doesn’t respect gender roles: Feminism is nice, but a lot of hardcore feminists are either gay or single. You can have power in your household and still allow the man to be a man. If you’re constantly ordering him around or not respecting his manhood, then he will feel that you don’t need him. So, the strong, independent woman who “don’t need no man” may lose her man because he is convinced that she “don’t need him” just like she said.
5) Bad in the bedroom. If you ask a man what time it is, he’s probably going to say, “It’s sexx o’clock.” Men are physical creatures, and good loving can make a man do pretty much whatever you want. But being frigid, disinterested, unenthusiastic or not concerned about his physical needs will make other women look that much more inviting. He definitely won’t want to lock himself into a relationship with you, that’s for sure. It would be miserable for him.
6) Doesn’t get along with your family. No man wants to bring home a woman that his family hates; she becomes like a virus. Smile, be nice, be helpful, try to get along with everyone if you can and that makes him envision you as a regular visitor to his family gatherings. If you can’t do that, then find another man with a better family.
7) Really mean and overly moody/b*tchy. Most of my friends hate women who don’t smile or are always mad about everything. It sucks. A smiling woman who listens to his problems, tells him that he’s special, has his back and drops it ferociously in the bedroom can get him hooked. You want to be that woman.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) has its roots in African tradition. There are different types of FGM ranging from partial to complete removal of the clitoris as well as other procedures including “pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area”. The removal of healthy tissue not only interferes with the natural functions of girls' and women's bodies but often results in immediate acute pain, shock, severe bleeding, and bacterial infection as well long term recurrent urinary tract and bladder infections, complications in childbirth and often leads to painful sexual intercourse. UNICEF estimates that “at least 120 million girls and women have undergone FGM in Africa and the Middle East”.
Thankfully the popularity of FGM is declining however, up to 30 million girls may still be at risk, with “more than 90 per cent of women aged 15–49 years having been ‘cut’ in Djibouti, Egypt, Guinea and Somalia.” Although FGM is illegal in the UK, it is difficult to ensure that families don’t encourage the tradition especially as it is common among migrants from the aforementioned areas to send young girls back to their ancestral homelands to undergo the procedure, usually over the duration of the summer holidays. According to Human rights organization Equality Now it is estimated that “66,000 women and girls have undergone FGM in England and Wales” and up to “24,000 girls under the age of 11 are at risk of undergoing it”. The Evening Standard carried out a Freedom of Information request which found that “over 2,100 women and girls in London have sought medical treatment for female genital mutilation since 2006, with 708 of those needing to be admitted or have surgery.”
Zarah Hassan a devout Muslim living in the UK believes that the barbaric tradition continues to be perpetuated because of the mistaken belief that the practice is rooted in the Koran. She says “sometimes you cannot differentiate what is culture and what is religion: you might think this is the way you have to live.” Zarah actively works with Christian-based charity Initiatives of Change in re-educating her community by encouraging families in the Diaspora not to cave in to immense pressure they face from family members back home who demand they conform and continue the practice.
Pointing out the power exerted by grandparents she says “we have this culture that even if you are a parent, your mother and father are your decision-makers. But if that is the case, don’t take the children out there (to stay with the family over the holidays)”... “I know some grannies who are very powerful, and they will do it (have the girls circumcised) with or without the parents’ consent.” Speaking of some of women she works she says “often, they tell me: ‘My mother is phoning me from back home, telling me it is good to have my daughter circumcised while she is young, under five. She is forcing me.’” As a 51 year old woman who has also been ‘cut’, she believes it is an age old method of controlling women “...it was a form of power-gaining. Men wanted to show the power they have, because when (the vagina) is stitched together, a very narrow gap is left and the man shows his power when he presses there.” She speaks of the ongoing pain suffered during intercourse. Horrifyingly this agony is often relived by some women, who are subjected to “re-infibulation”. Re-infibulation is the process of sewing up the vagina again following childbirth, thus exposing the woman to further pain, health risks and undue complications which may result from repeated interfering with the vagina. This is often carried out by the older women, challenging the notion that it is only men who are the perpetrators of this cruel tradition.
It is commonly believed that removing the clitoris controls women’s sexual desire and behavior. It supposedly protects her honour and virginity however; it has no credible health benefit or religious basis. In countries such as Egypt where it is banned and indeed condemned by the Christian Coptic Church together with the leading Muslim authority Al-Azhar, prevalence remains high with a rate of 91% of 15 – 49 year old women having undergone the procedure according to UNICEF, indicating that attitudes are still to change. Indeed until the 1950s, FGM was even performed in England and the United States as a common "treatment" for lesbianism, masturbation, hysteria, epilepsy, and other so-called "female deviances" according to KosoThomas. Clearly this method of chastity is effective because a study carried out in Sudan in 1981 found that 50% of 1,545 women who had undergone the operation said “they did not enjoy sex at all and only accepted it as a duty...” a clear indicator that FGM may have a detrimental effect on women’s sexuality.
Hardly surprisingly when FGM oftentimes involves complete removal of the clitoral hood, clitoris, labia minora, and labia majora and/or stitching/narrowing of the vaginal opening. Ill-founded claims that it ensures cleanliness, preserves virginity, prevents promiscuity and excessive clitoral growth need to be challenged. It can hardly enhance male sexuality as it commonly thought when the vaginal opening is often so narrow as to prevent penetration altogether! “5.5 percent of women experienced painful intercourse while 9.3 percent of them reported having difficult or impossible penetration.” And far from facilitating childbirth by widening the birth canal “the highest maternal and infant mortality rates are in FGMpracticing regions” thus detreminentally affecting the lives of even the unborn.
More education is needed to alert men as to the severity and consequences of the practice. Some think it is comparable to male circumcision, not so. FGM is far more drastic as it “destroys much or all of the vulva nerve endings.” Male circumcision involves removal only of foreskin, albeit the part with the highest concentration of nerve endings. Some argue that if female circumcision were done in a sterile hospital room, it would be very much the same as that of a male child however, that argument is a non starter as even male circumcision has already been proven to have long-term physical and psychological effects. So circumcision as a whole leaves a sour taste in everybody’s mouth. However a lot more needs to be done to stop the lives of young girls and women being put at risk.
In 2007 two girls died post operation, followed by 13-year old Nermine El-Haddad who bled to death in a hospital room following the procedure, in 2010. The issue has again risen to the fore following the recent death of Sohair al Bata a 13 year old Egyptian girl who suffered “a sharp drop in blood pressure resulting from shock trauma” and subsequently never woke up. As data is not readily available it is difficult to determine actual death rates and according to Koso-Thomas “where medical facilities are ill-equipped, emergencies arising from the practice cannot be treated... a child who develops uncontrolled bleeding or infection after FGM may die within hours.” According to Path studies carried out “in areas in the Sudan where antibiotics are not available, it is estimated that one-third of the girls undergoing FGM will die.” Furthermore, “conservative estimates suggest that more than one million women in Centrafrican Republic (CAR), Egypt, and Eritrea, the only countries where such data is available, experienced adverse health effects from FGM”. Path also found that “there is a direct correlation between a woman's attitude towards FGM and her place of residence, educational background, and work status” Research indicated that urban and employed women with secondary or higher education are less likely than their rural counterparts to support FGM. Meaning that the way to bring about change is to educate and empower these women.
Wrong ideology needs to addressed and challenged. FGM needs to be taken out of the religious and cultural context and treated as a human rights and child protection issue in order to make perpetrators fully accountable. It is worrying that even though it is illegal in several countries not a single perpetrator has ever been brought to justice. A number of countries ratified or at least adopted The Maputo Protocol (TMP) following the “Assembly of the African Union”.
TMP promoted women’s rights and called for an end to FGM as well as right to abortions. Fast forward to today and the UN has introduced a Global Ban on FGM. Furthermore in the UK Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) now considers it to be a child protection issue.
Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP), QC, recently published an Action Plan aimed tackling the problem in the UK.
But it is still very much an exploratory plan rather a provision of concrete solutions because data is very limited. It will throw further light on the issue to enable us to come up with more direct, conclusive solutions, such as demanding greater accountability from parents who send their children abroad for the procedure. Initiatives such as the ‘health passport’ offer a glimmer of hope however they are yet to be tested fully and rely too heavily on cooperation from distant relatives who have been shown to be uncooperative. Thankfully, awareness is increasing.
If you are worried about a child affected or in danger of being affected by FGM please contact NSPCC 0800 028 3550 for information and support.
Alternatively, contact Women's Aid on 0117 944 4411
Female genital mutilation (sometimes referred to as female circumcision) refers to procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice is illegal in the UK.
It has been estimated that over 20,000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK each year, and that 66,000 women in the UK are living with the consequences of FGM. However, the true extent is unknown due to the 'hidden' nature of the crime.
The girls may be taken to their countries of origin so that FGM can be carried out during the summer holidays, allowing them time to 'heal' before they return to school. There are also worries that some girls may have FGM performed in the UK.
Forms of mutilation
FGM is usually carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15, most commonly before puberty starts.
The procedure is traditionally carried out by a woman with no medical training. Anaesthetics and antiseptic treatments are not generally used and the practice is usually carried out using knives, scissors, scalpels, pieces of glass or razor blades. Girls may have to be forcibly restrained.
There are four main types of FGM:
Type 1 – clitoridectomy – removing part or all of the clitoris.
Type 2 – excision – removing part or all of the clitoris and the inner labia (lips that surround the vagina), with or without removal of the labia majora (larger outer lips).
Type 3 – infibulation – narrowing of the vaginal opening by creating a seal, formed by cutting and repositioning the labia.
Other harmful procedures to the female genitals, which include pricking, piercing, cutting, scraping and burning the area.
Effects of FGM
There are no health benefits to FGM. Removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue interferes with the natural functions of girls' and women's bodies.
injury to vulval tissues surrounding the entrance to the vagina
damage to other organs nearby, such as the urethra (where urine passes) and the bowel
FGM can sometimes cause death.
Long-term consequences
chronic vaginal and pelvic infections
abnormal periods
difficulties passing urine and persistent urine infections
kidney impairment and possible kidney failure
damage to the reproductive system, including infertility
cysts and the formation of scar tissue
complications in pregnancy and newborn deaths
pain during sex and lack of pleasurable sensation
psychological damage, including low libido, depression and anxiety (see below)
flashbacks during pregnancy and childbirth
the need for later surgery to open the lower vagina for sexual intercourse and childbirth
Psychological and mental health problems
Case histories and personal accounts taken from women indicate that FGM is an extremely traumatic experience for girls and women, which stays with them for the rest of their lives.
Young women receiving psychological counselling in the UK report feelings of betrayal by parents, regret and anger.
The legal situation
FGM is illegal in the UK. It is also illegal to arrange for a child to be taken abroad for FGM. If caught, offenders face a large fine and a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
What you can do
If you are worried about someone who is at risk of FGM or has had FGM, you must share this information with social care or the police. It is then their responsibility to investigate and protect any girls or women involved.
See the Useful links, right, for contact information.
These guidelines contain detailed advice and guidance in relation to the protection of girls who may be at risk of FGM, as well as the care and treatment of women who have already undergone FGM.
Other useful resources are listed in the Useful links, right.
Surgical "reversal"
Surgery can be performed to open up the lower vagina. This is sometimes called "reversal", although it cannot restore sensitive tissue that has been removed.
Surgery may be necessary for women who are unable to have intercourse as the vagina is too narrow. In addition, some pregnant women who have had FGM will need to have their lower vagina opened up before labour to allow a safer birth.
FGM increases the risk of the vagina tearing during delivery, which causes damage and can lead to heavy bleeding. It can also increase the risk of the baby dying during, or just after birth.
Surgery is best performed before pregnancy, or at least within the second trimester of pregnancy (between about 12 and 36 weeks).
Surgery involves making a careful incision along the scar tissue that has closed up the entrance to the vagina, to expose the underlying vagina.
Adequate pain relief is essential – the procedure is usually performed under local anaesthetic in the outpatient clinic. However, a small number of women will need either a general or spinal anaesthetic (injection in the back), which would normally involve a one-day stay in hospital.
Where does FGM happen?
FGM is prevalent in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
In the UK, FGM tends to occur in areas with larger populations of communities who practice FGM, such as first-generation immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. These areas include London, Cardiff, Manchester, Sheffield, Northampton, Birmingham, Oxford, Crawley, Reading, Slough and Milton Keynes.
Why is it done?
FGM is carried out for cultural, religious and social reasons within families and communities.
For example, it is often considered a necessary part of raising a girl properly, and as a way to prepare her for adulthood and marriage. FGM is often motivated by the belief that it is beneficial for the girl or woman. Many communities believe it will reduce a woman's libido and discourage sexual activity before marriage.
Key points
Over 66,000 women and girls living in Britain have experienced female genital mutilation (FGM).
FGM is illegal – it is an offence for anyone to perform FGM in the UK or to arrange for a girl to be taken abroad for it.
FGM causes long-lasting physical and psychological damage.
There are 15 specialist clinics in the NHS that offer a range of healthcare services for women and girls who have been subjected to FGM, including reversal surgery. In some areas women can attend without referral, but in other areas a GP referral letter is required.
Statement opposing female genital mutilation
The school summer holidays in particular are when many young girls are taken abroad, often to their family's birth country, to have FGM performed. The FGM statement highlights the fact that FGM is a serious criminal offence in the UK with a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
If you're worried about FGM, print out this statement, take it with you abroad and show it to your family. Keep the declaration in your passport, purse or bag and carry it with you all the time.
If you work with FGM-practising communities, you may wish to order printed copies for your healthcare setting, youth club or community group. Please e-mail: Alison.Humphreys3@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk stating the number of copies required and a postal address for them to be sent to.
Efua Dorkenoo, head of Equality Now's FGM policy: 'This is the first time we have ever seen FGM addressed at the very highest level.' Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian
A major inquiry has been launched into female genital mutilation (FGM) to uncover why there has not been a single prosecution in the UK since it was made a criminal offence, and to try to bring an end to the illegal practice.
After sustained pressure from campaigners who have called for the the government to take action, the home affairs select committee will examine if the current legal framework is fit for purpose and look at why there has not been a prosecution in three decades.
A petition from campaigner Leyla Hussein states that the battle to elimate FGM is failing because "multi-agency guidelines are not statutory, implementation at local authority and NHS level is disjointed, funding is minimal, and nobody is monitoring or holding anyone to account". It has garnered more than 94,000 signatures following her programme The Cruel Cut.
Efua Dorkenoo, head of Equality Now's FGM policy and a long-time campaigner, hailed the news as a significant breakthrough.
"It is brilliant news and I very much welcome the inquiry from the home affairs select committee," she said. "This is a significant move as it is the first time we have ever seen FGM addressed at the very highest level."
She called on the committee to take on board the recommendations made by the Royal College of Midwives report, which called for NHS workers to gather information on FGM and share it with police, education and social care workers as well as treating FGM as child abuse. It asked that health workers who detect evidence of FGM treat it as a crime and inform the police.
"We need a joined-up system with a focus on protection, prevention and prosecution with real leadership and accountability," said Dorkenoo. "If we do not get that then girls will continue to be mutilated. Without leadership from the top it will just be a talking shop."
Nimco Ali, who founded the anti-FGM charity Daughters of Eve, welcomed the news but said without the backing of the Department for Education the issue could not be effectively tackled. "The DfE is refusing to engage with this issue at all, and I would call on Michael Gove to speak to young people affected and make the issue of FGM and violence against women and girls part of the curriculum."
The committee will look at current awareness-raising efforts, the barriers to intervention, and how police, health, education and social care professionals work together. It will also look at the services that are available to girls and women who have suffered FGM and how they can be improved.
The chair of the committee, Keith Vaz, said: "It is shocking that 28 years on from female genital mutilation first being made a criminal offence, there has not yet been a successful prosecution in the UK. The committee's inquiry will seek to find out why this is the case, as well as considering what more needs to be done to protect at-risk girls.
"We would welcome evidence from those affected by this hideous crime as well as those whose responsibility it is to protect them."
The minister for crime prevention, Norman Baker, said the government was taking a firm line on FGM and was working with charities on on awareness-raising and with the DPP to secure convictions: "There is no justification for female genital mutilation – it is child abuse and it is illegal. I am determined we do all we can to bring perpetrators to justice," he said. "The law in this country applies to absolutely everyone and political or cultural sensitivities must not get in the way of preventing, uncovering and prosecuting FGM.
"Nor is there any religion which condones FGM so it's important that we get to the hard-to-reach communities who believe that their religion demands, or sanctions, FGM."
Uganda is at cross roads with respect to the sort of foreign investor it should attract. Europe and Britain in particular has historical ties with Uganda and makes it a natural choice as an investment partner. But is Britain, or Europe sufficiently interested in Uganda as an investment destination?
China, the new kid on the block, has substantial cash reserves, is ready to splash out on shiny new building and roads in Africa in return for rights to Africa’s resources. Moreover, China doesn’t ask those awkward questions about human rights and corruption in the same way that the West does. But I understand that something about the Chinese is making Museveni nervous. I suspect it is the “unknown quantity” that is the Chinese agenda.
With that in mind, Museveni is keen to attract the Ugandan Asian Diaspora back to Uganda. These are sons and daughters of Uganda and should have sufficient interest in the economic growth and development of their mother country.
One such Ugandan Asian is Lord Sheikh whom I had the opportunity to meet in June 2013 at the invitation of Willy Mutenza, Chairman of Ugandan Convention in the UK. Willy had just returned from Uganda and whilst in Uganda he was tasked to hand deliver a message to Lord Sheikh about investment opportunities in Uganda.
We met Lord and Lady Sheikh at the House of Lords and spoke over cream tea. Lord and Lady Sheikh are impeccable hosts with fond memories of Uganda and still speak fluent Swahili after several years in the Diaspora. Lord Sheikh was born in Mbale, a point he was quick to mention, as well as the beauty of Sipi falls.
The conversation centered on investment in Uganda. What should Uganda do in order to attract British based companies to invest in Uganda including those owned by Ugandan Asians?
Lord Sheikh acknowledged the work Museveni has done to stabilize Uganda and in particular praised Museveni for dealing with the HIV epidemic in an open manner that allowed the country to reduce the incidence of HIV and AIDS where Uganda’s peers had failed.
He further cited the high literacy levels in Uganda, the fact that English is widely spoken. He said that there is a good range of qualified managers as attractive qualities to would-be investors. Lord Sheikh added that this commonality of language with Britain is a big asset, however Uganda needs to “sell it” to potential investors.
He however lamented the fact that Uganda is not doing enough to promote itself. He cited Uganda’s tourism as an example, saying that it has the potential to attract investment and generate jobs for local people, but that it is not capitalizing on this, leave the whole job to patriotic people like Mutenza who are just doing it out of love for their country.
He advised that Uganda should organize a regular trade mission from the UK to Uganda to show potential investors what Uganda has to offer, in addition to regular publications to provide information and/or statistics on tourism, infrastructure, energy sector and the precise sectors that offer investment opportunities as well as areas of growth.
Lord Sheikh also shared his concerns that Arab countries in particular are not investing in Uganda’s agriculture and yet there are ample opportunities for them to do so. On agriculture generally, Lord Sheikh said that very little Ugandan tea, coffee and flowers make it to the Arab and European markets in sufficient quantities.
Does Uganda have what it takes to rise up and take advantage of the opportunities that are out there? The future investment statistics and results will speak for themselves.
Modern-day missionaries from the US, amurdered LGBTrights activist and a firebrand pastor who shows gay pornography to his church congregation,are among the key protagonists in God Loves Uganda. The documentary feature film, tipped for a 2014 Oscar nomination, follows the progress of America’s well-funded right-wing Evangelical movement as it exports its values – and bigotry – to the east African country.
While God Loves Uganda does not use explicit narration to link the Evangelical missionaries with rising anti-gay hatred, the obvious connections are laid bare for all to see. In one of the film’s most telling scenes would-be missionaries, flanked by maps of Africa and strategic plans, discuss their tactics once they get to Uganda. They talk primarily of orphanages and children, clearly cognisant of the likelihood that the vulnerable groups within society will be the most receptive to the imposition of their values.
Gratuitously, Uganda is often labelled the worst place in the world to be gay, largely as a result of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that is under considered by its parliament. The ‘Kill the Gays Bill’, as it is known due to provision to impose the death penalty contained within it, has widespread support in Uganda and is reflective of growing hostility, even hatred, towards homosexuals in the country.
“It hasn’t always been like that,”says Frank Mugisha, Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), “when I was growing up people were known as different and there was some talk [of homosexuality] but it was not so intense.”
Frank’s friend and colleague David Kato, who features in God Love Uganda, was bludgeoned to death in 2011 by an unknown assailant, many believeas a result of his sexuality. The documentary also shows David’s funeral, during which the pastor who conducts the initial ceremony condemns homosexuality, and fervent anti-LGBT protesters harangue the mourners.
Frank also receives death threats, but continues to promote SMUG, which is currently bringing a case against another of the film’s featured hate-peddlers, Scott Lively. The civil lawsuit, which is going through the US courts, accuses the self-styled preacher of ‘crimes against humanity’, relating to his role in the Ugandan Government’s aggressive attack on LGBT identity.
Overall, however, Frank believes the solution lies within Uganda itself. He says: ‘”We have to take responsibility because this is where [the Evangelicals] are, so Ugandans have to wake up and see that not all the messages they bring are good messages.”
God Loves Uganda was screened most recently in the UKat St Paul’s Cathedral by the Human Dignity Trust (HDT), an organisation that provides legal support to groups and individuals in countries where it is still a crime to be gay, in order to challenge the laws which persecute them. Jonathan Cooper, CEO of HDT, makes the point that 50 years ago,the worst place in the world to be gay was in fact Britain. Indeed, in the 1950s at any one time there were up to 1,000 gay men languishing in UK prisons for nothing more than consensual, private sexual acts between adults. “And yet in the UK today, being gay is unremarkable,” he adds.
After watching God Loves Uganda it’s hard to imagine a similar change in the country’s public mood in just half a century. But for human rights to triumph, the general consensus of the post-screening discussion lays much responsibility with the church, which, it is felt, needs to do more to counteract the hateful messages propagated byits extreme factions. Frank tends to agree:“It is also up to other Christians to speak as loudly as the Evangelicals do, to show that theirs is not the only opinion.”
Please follow to explain to you that indeed, however nonsensical it sounds, people steal from themselves often and do not even know it, because their action of stealing looks like they are taking from another, and not from themselves.
Yet again, the publisher of The Promota and I had this discussion about lack of integrity in the African community in the UK, and in the heart of Africans back home, in the Motherland. Yet again, he tells me of people in the highest position of leadership and political circles regularly engaging in deceit, lies, deceptions and highjacking of ideas, projects and investors.
When I visited Uganda the first time, I thought Ugandans were like me, what they said was a fact, the truth, and I could believe every word, which I did! Did I fall from a great height the day I realised that nearly everything I was being told had to be inspected closely for questioning, lies sifted from the truth, a truth that was very scant indeed!!
Mr Mutenza told me that the majority of the people who come forward to help with his various community projects nearly always help him with a hidden agenda, ‘How can I use this man’s contacts for my own gain? How can I highjack his investors and make it look like they are investing in Uganda, thanks to me? This actually really did happen, coming from a diplomat who blatantly said this untruth to the President of Uganda, but was corrected in his track before he could finish spinning his web of lies!! And if this were not bad enough, people also indulge in character sabotaging, out of jealousy, maliciousness or envy.
Are such people really so ignorant that they do not how destructive these activities are for themselves? Are they so ignorant that they do not see how their lies and deceptions, once exposed, make people lose trust in them, thereby shutting doors of opportunities? Do they not see that they are stealing from themselves something very precious called integrity, and that without integrity, they will never be able to fully realise their potential? It may appear for a while, that the highjacked ideas and investors will have brought some benefit into their lives, but have they seen the massive tear in the very fabric of their character? And with such a tear, becoming bigger with further lies, deception and conniving , doors will shut, people will turn away, reputations go asunder, and jobs and positions get lost altogether.
Dear people, wake up to this universal truth, and let it stick in your mind as if your life depended on it: “what you do to another, you do it to yourself, what you steal from another, you steal from yourself, when you deceive another, you deceive yourself, when you lie to another or about another, you lie to or about yourself!
In addition, wake up to this Universal truth of Cause and Effect: what you produce and project out into the world ALWAYS looks like a boomerang: it WILL come back to you with interest, guaranteed! So if you put out there lies, deceit, highjacking, stealing , the same will come back to you, magnified, even worse than what you did. This is not at all some sort of Godly punishment, this is the foundation on which our Universe functions. You might be the only one to know you spread lies about another but the Universe knows it is you. At some point, the negative energies you put out will find you again. You may have completely forgotten about the lies, and will complain that someone has just said such terrible things about you, and made you lose the chance of getting your dream job, and how can they do this to you, because you are innocent of all wrong-doing bla bla bla!!
It is time for Africans to wake up to what they are doing to themselves. European investors, after witnessing such behaviour, and being a victim of it, turn their back on Africa for good. Have you, dear Africans, ever thought about the bad effects your behaviour leave in people’s minds? Do you know how awfully tiring it can be to always wonder how much of what you say is a lie, and how much is the truth?
I urge you all, reading this, for just 24hours, to monitor every one of your thoughts, words and actions, and to make sure that each of them is a full reflection of integrity and see how good you feel about yourself, and how people react to you. Then stretch it to two days, then three, and then make a habit of it until you become integrity personified, until you know that you have become incorruptible! Then and only then, will you start to really embark on the road to success, within yourself and with other people.
And if you decide not to embrace integrity, you are indeed your own worst enemy, stealing from yourself!
And if you decide not to embrace integrity, you are indeed your own worst enemy, stealing from yourself!
Inspired by his time teaching in British schools, Congolese Belvien has taken the lessons he has learnt back to his homeland, to help children in the Congo get the education they deserve.
When Belvien moved to London 11 years ago, he was impressed by the organisation and structure of the British education system, and yet, at the same time, it struck him how differently children learn in his native Congo.
From his own experiences, Belvien knew how scarce resources, combined with little training, mean that teachers in the Congo often struggle to deliver high quality education, which can make it difficult for children to thrive in school.
In 2002, Belvien set up a UK-based community organisation called African Future Development (AFD), to deliver Saturday schools and mentoring programmes to British Congolese children living in London.
Belvien secured funding for AFD from Comic Relief’s Common Ground Initiative (CGI), which is co-funded by the Department for International Development (DFID). The CGI works with African diaspora organisations in the UK, which are run by people of African heritage with strong emotional, cultural and political links to their country.
The new funding has allowed Belvien to expand AFD’s work to Africa. Alongside their established UK projects, AFD now also works to improve training and school facilities for teachers, parents and pupils living in the Congo.
In the Congo, Belvien’s view of education was shaped by the country’s underfunded schools, which are often without buildings and toilets. Crowds of pupils would sit outdoors under the guidance of just one volunteer educator.
He explains: “As teachers, we had no resources and no money. The kids were struggling but it was routine, it was normal to us.”
Difference
It wasn’t until he came to England in 2002 and founded AFD that Belvien realised he could make a difference.
In the Congo, children struggle to flourish without properly trained teachers and resources. Lesson plans can be outdated and opportunities for parents and children to voice their concerns are limited.
Training
With help from Comic Relief’s Common Ground Initiative, co-funded by DFID, AFD has been creating training programmes for parents and teachers.
They have formalised plans for school boards and child participation, to ensure that schools are meeting children’s needs. The programme has become so successful that it now encompasses 33 schools in six districts across the Congo.
Belvien says: “Parents and teachers listen to me because I’m from the Congo and, as a teacher, they are confident that I know the system. The Congolese in the UK have also responded very well.”
With the Common Ground Initiative’s support, AFD are helping more Congolese parents, children and teachers create a robust education system that will improve the quality of schooling for future generations.
If Magic Johnson had known just how well he could live with HIV, he wouldn't have retired from the Lakers on Nov. 7, 1991.
Johnson would never change what he did for the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic when he publicly revealed his diagnosis to a stunned world. His courage that day, along with two subsequent decades of vibrant living, forever altered attitudes about the virus and its effects.
Magic is simply glad the world knows such happy endings are possible with access to treatment and vigilance.
"At that time, it was the right decision," Johnson said Monday on the 20th anniversary of his stunning retirement. "If I knew what I knew today, that I could still play basketball and do my thing, I probably wouldn't have retired. But I'm a guy that doesn't have regrets. I don't look back. I'm happy, because I wanted to be here a long time. We made the right call at that time."
Johnson recognized the occasion at Staples Center on Monday with an upbeat celebration and a message of steadfastness. Dozens of politicians, celebrities and Lakers greats from Jerry West and Pat Riley to James Worthy and Michael Cooper joined Johnson and AIDS researcher David Ho for a luncheon, and the Magic Johnson Foundation announced a $1 million gift to continue its mission for worldwide HIV awareness and testing.
Two decades after his shocking admission and quick retirement at 32, Johnson's doctors say he's a 52-year-old specimen of health, comfortably managing HIV with a daily regimen of drugs and exercise.
While he once took upwards of 15 pills several times a day, he now requires just a few daily medications. He rises around 5 a.m. each day for a vigorous workout – everything from stretching and running to Tae Bo – before spending his days overseeing his large business empire.
Yet Johnson worries his strong health could encourage complacency, and he sees the anniversary of his historic announcement as a call to renew dedication to the cause.
"I often say I'm good for the virus, and bad for it," Johnson said. "Good because I'm doing well, and that I can go out and try and raise the awareness level, get people to go get tested ... but on the flip side of that, people see that I'm doing well, so they've kind of relaxed on HIV and AIDS. People think that now if they get the virus, they'll do well, but a couple million will die this year."
While Johnson mostly remembers a feeling of confidence derived from the unflinching support of his wife, Cookie, on the day of his announcement, his fellow Lakers have no trouble recalling the shock and confusion they felt 20 years ago.
"It stunned me, and I think I was only semi-conscious," Lakers owner Jerry Buss said. "The whole day is just like a blur in my mind. I remember Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) had to assist me. I don't think I had enough blood in the brain."
Worthy remembers the Lakers being sent from practice at Loyola Marymount to the Forum, with no idea why. The power forward wondered whether West was retiring from his executive job, or perhaps Johnson was seriously injured after missing the previous week of practice.
"When he announced, it was a reality check, because at that time, it could have been anybody," Worthy said. "A lot of people started to wonder about themselves, especially people who had never been tested before. ... He's taught us all a valuable lesson. Back in the early `90s, you thought it was a death (sentence). You thought it was over. To see him put meaning on a disease that only had one meaning, that was great."
Ho, a pioneering researcher who grew up in Los Angeles idolizing West and Elgin Baylor, said he met Johnson "on one of his darkest days" after his diagnosis. Ho has always been impressed by Johnson's upbeat willingness to acknowledge his condition, using himself to raise funds for research and treatment.
Ho also shot down the long-held suspicion that Johnson easily managed the virus because his wealth and celebrity gave him access to preferential treatment. Johnson's condition is "quite typical" at this point in the virus' treatment, he said.
"All of us working in the field are grateful to him and his foundation for doing so, because this is a plague that continues to rage," Ho said. "Because of therapeutic success, there is too much complacency in this country about this pandemic. We still need to develop new and better drugs. We have drugs that control HIV, but we don't have a cure, so research must continue."
Johnson famously couldn't stay away from basketball after his retirement, spreading the truth about HIV transmission to players and fans who sometimes balked at his participation. He was the MVP of the 1992 All-Star game and won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics before briefly coaching the Lakers in 1994 and returning to the court for 32 games in 1996, finally retiring in uniform.
Johnson is now a hugely successful businessman, a basketball commentator, a doting husband and a grandfather to his son Andre's two children. Yet he's still raising money and awareness, always working to create the same limitless future for others.
"The only problem is, I would be happier if the numbers in the black and brown communities would go down," Johnson said, citing the majority of each year's 60,000 new U.S. cases of HIV in minority communities. "There's been millions of people that have died since I announced 20 years ago, and so this is a bittersweet day. Yes, I'm living, but people are still getting this virus even as we speak. We must change the mindset, and we must do a better job educating those who live in urban America about this disease."
Magic Johnson Net Worth Magic Johnson is the 4th richest black american with a net worth: $500 million As May 2009 Source of Wealth: Restaurants, real estate, investmentsThe retired professional basketball after announcing he had contracted HIV, became an entrepreneur. He introduced well-known brands to diverse neighborhoods via Magic Johnson Enterprises. With his several partnerships with companies like Starbucks, 24 Hour Fitness, T.G.I. Fridays, AMC Theatres, invested in urban real estate and companies catering to America’s underserved markets via his Canyon-Johnson and Yucaipa-Johnson funds. He has donated several millions to community-based organizations that focus on HIV/AIDS education and prevention. He now runs Magic Johnson Enterprises, a company that has a net worth of $700 million
Researchers from the University of Washington took a poll of 313 men on their $exual behavior, including their use of c0nd0ms or lack thereof. An astonishing 80% said that they will use excuses to avoid using a c0nd0m and not only that, will use several different ones over the years.
Here are the five most common excuses that men will give to avoid having to use a c0nd0m during sex. 1. “Don’t worry, I am clean” – 73.7% of men feel that if they have a clean bill of health on the STD front than they should have the all clear not to use protection. However, STDs can be asymptomatic and may not always be visible. There is also the problem of preventing pregnancy. Warn him about the chances of getting pregnant and open the c0nd0m before he can argue with you.
2. “I can’t wait, let’s just do it” – It doesn’t take that long to put protection on. 73.2% of men think that a little sweet talk is enough to get you to give in and let them fly free. Keep a few spares in your purse or within easy access near your bed so that he can’t use the excuse that there is no time.
3. “It feels so much better without it” – A little over 50% of men say they have tried this excuse. Some women have an easier time with climax when they don’t have to worry about pregnancy or STDs. There are a variety of c0nd0ms that enhance pleasure as well.
4. “Can I not wear a c0nd0m?” – Some men will come right out and ask without an actual excuse. Make sure he knows, no protection = no sex.
5. “What, you don’t trust me?” – More than 34% of men have tried this jerk move. Explain to him that it has nothing to do with him but you would like to protect yourself just in case.
Diet and exercise are the ways that you can lose weight and keep it off. Studies show that people who do one often neglect the other. Which is better for you to concentrate on if you are one of those people? According to six studies that were published in the journal Psychological Science, people who focused on their diet instead of exercise overall had lower BMIs. The study questioned 1,200 people in China, the US, Canada, France, and South Korea about which they thought was more important. They also took their height and weight measurements to figure out their BMI. The people who said that food management was more important had lower BMIs. Those who said that staying active is more important than eating right had higher BMIs and a higher percent of obesity. They also ate more than those who thought that food management was more important.
Our beliefs are what guide our actions, so if you believe that being more active is more important than being diligent about your diet, you will end up eating more because you are not as concerned with what you are putting in your body. Exercise can absolutely support weight loss and management, but it needs to be coupled with a good diet or it ends not being as beneficial as it could be. On the other hand if you believe that eating better is more important you may forget about exercise because you are so focused on what you are eating.
All of this research shows that a healthy diet is more important than exercise. If you sit down to a 3,000 calorie lunch, exercise is not going to help you lose weight because there is not enough time in the day to work it all off. Exercise should still be an important part of your day, but focus more on what you are putting into your body.
Many effects of a lack of sleep, such as feeling grumpy and not working at your best, are well known. But did you know that sleep deprivation can also have profound consequences for your physical health?
One in three Britons suffers from poor sleep, with stress, computers and taking work home often blamed for the lack of quality slumber.
However, the cost of all those sleepless nights is more than just bad moods and a lack of focus.
Regular poor sleep puts you at risk of serious medical conditions including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy.
It’s now clear that a solid night’s sleep is essential for a long and healthy life. How much sleep do we need? Most of us need around eight hours of good quality sleep a night to function properly – but some need more and some less. What matters is that you find out how much sleep you need and then try to achieve it.
As a general rule, if you wake up tired and spend the day longing for a chance to have a nap, it’s likely that you’re not getting enough sleep.
A variety of factors can cause poor sleep, including health conditions such as sleep apnoea. But in most cases it’s a matter of bad sleeping habits. What happens if I don’t sleep? Oversleeping
Although it isn’t as common as not getting enough sleep, sleeping too much can also cause problems.
Oversleeping has been linked to physical problems such as diabetes and heart disease.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, oversleeping can occur in 15-40% of people with depression.
Everyone’s experienced the fatigue, short temper and lack of focus that often follow a poor night’s sleep.
An occasional night without sleep makes you feel tired and irritable the next day, but it won’t harm your health.
It is summer time which means it is time to break out the grill! Most people tend to the typical stuff and grill hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken. Here are some healthy surprises that you can put on the grill for some great summer cookout meals.
1. When you think of lettuce, you think of a cold salad. But if you sprinkle some olive oil on it, a little salt and pepper or vinegar, and throw it on the grill until it is slightly charred it makes a great side dish with some cherry tomatoes and cucumbers.
2. Did you know that you can grill watermelon? Cut it into slices, sprinkle a small amount of salt on if you wish, and grill. It intensifies the sweetness of the watermelon and gives it a smoky hint of flavor.
3. Pizza can be great when it is grilled. Take some pizza dough, make sure the grill is really hot or the dough will stick, and roll it out with a rolling pin. Place it on the grill until it comes off easily and then add your favorite toppings to the grilled side and put it back on the grill to cook the other side.
4. Grill up some mango for a sweet addition to your burger.
5. Portobello mushrooms are great on the grill and taste great in a salad or on your burger. They contain some minerals that are good for you that are hard to find in other foods such as selenium.
6. If you are making kabobs, throw some grapes on the skewers. They have no fat or cholesterol and have vitamins C and K.
7. Grilling pineapple is something that goes great with grilled teriyaki chicken kabobs.
8. Grilled asparagus is a perfect pairing with chicken and steak.
9. Put some strawberries on a skewer, coat them with cider vinegar and a little salt, and you have a new summer treat.
10. Peaches are a July superfood, so why not throw those on the grill too? They are packed with vitamins and minerals.
A taskforce of experts and scientists from 19 European countries have formed a International network called GENIEUR (Genes in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Europe), Led by Dr. Beate Niesler at Heidelberg University Hospital’s Institute of Human Genetics and Scientific teams from the Sahlgrenska Academy, Unversity of Gothenburg and Karolinska Instituet, (Sweden) they have formed an multidisciplinary network who are researching into the causes of IBS with the aim of better understanding the condition and improving diagnosis and treatment. Up to 1 in 5 people in the UK develop IBS during their life, it is one of the most common causes for being off work after the common cold and has a considerable impact on quality of life and the economy with 66% of IBS sufferers reporting in sick during the last six months.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is well known as a chronic and relapsing condition which is typically characterised by abdominal pain or discomfort associated with bloating and a change in bowel habit ie diarrhoea and or constipation. It is a functional disorder meaning that there is a problem with the gut function but there is no structural abnormality. As well as the above, sufferers may also have nausea, headaches, belching, loss of appetite, fatigue, muscular pains and heartburn.
IBS is thought to originate from an over activity in part or parts of the gut but the essential trigger factor is not always known.
However, there are several theories suggested:
Over activity of the nerves or muscles of the gut which may be due to stress or emotional upset. (A new study from the University of Michigan Health System showed that stress does not cause IBS but it does alter Brain Gut interactions and stimulates Intestinal inflammation leading to the familiar IBS symptoms.)
Intolerance to certain foods, but not very common.
After a Gastrointestinal infection about 1 in 6 cases develop into IBS.
There is no single defining test for IBS and diagnosis in Primary care is usually done via the History ,symptoms described earlier and by exclusion. Blood tests can help to rule out anaemia, and distinguish between an Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) such as Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, antibody testing for Coeliac disease is also recommended. This is all supported by the NICE guidelines and the British Society of Gastroenterology(BSG) .
Once a positive diagnosis of IBS has been made there is currently no known cure, symptomatic relief should be provided depending upon the presenting symptoms. Self management is regularly encouraged and advice on diet and lifestyle and stress management offered if appropriate. The initial approach in managing IBS is one of dietary modifications and the addition of fibre, probiotics plus pain relief using antispasmodics. Those suffering with constipation will benefit from a medication called Linaclotide. This relatively new medication to the market is useful for this symptom plus abdominal pain. If diarrhoea is the problem then Loperamide may be helpful. If all other treatments have not helped then antidepressants may be considered. A good patient Doctor relationship has been shown to help their IBS, this type of continuity will lead to improved outcomes especially in chronic conditions. Remember, IBS comes in a variety of guises and various subtypes have been identified over the years.
IBS sufferers should be referred to secondary care only if the following Alarm features are present: Rectal Bleeding, unexplained unintentional weight loss, a family history of bowel/ ovarian cancer, late onset >50 years old.
Ultimately the prognosis for IBS is good. Most sufferers will tend to have long term symptoms, but their severity will change from intense to mild and sometimes and there may be long periods without any symptoms at all. Treatment is usually very effective in “flare ups” and in a few cases the problem may resolve completely. IBS is not known to alter you expected lifespan does not lead to bowel cancer or cause intestinal blockage. Combining this with the new exciting research may finally lead to unravelling the puzzle that is IBS
References: NICE Guidelines, The British Society of Gastroenterologists,The IBS Network, The British Journal of General Practice,Gastroenterology, Family Practice. What’s the Best Diet for IBS?
The answer to that question is, it depends. I know many readers will not like that answer, but it’s IBS Banquet Tablethe truth. Each individual should journal and review their dietary intake for about 2 weeks, and see if they can find any discernible pattern to what causes an increase in IBS symptoms. In picking a diet for IBS there are foods that you should stay away from:
Dairy
Caffeine
Certain Sugars and Carbohydrates
The specifics are too many to list here, but there are great resources out there IBS Diet Menus. The most talked about and utilized diet for IBS is the FODMAP Diet, which concentrates on avoiding the items listed above.
Whatever your choice of diet for IBS, make sure you do your self-examination and homework on what causes you the most difficulties with your symptoms.
When to see your GP Visit your GP if you think you have IBS. They will want to rule out other illnesses, such as an infection, coeliac disease (a digestive condition where a person has an adverse reaction to gluten) or chronic inflammation of the gut.
They will ask about your symptoms and whether there is a pattern to them – for example, if they tend to come on when you are under more stress than usual or after eating certain foods. Your GP may suggest you keep a food diary to see whether your diet affects your symptoms.
Further tests will only be needed if you have certain "red flag" symptoms that indicate you may have another serious condition. These symptoms include:
unexplained weight loss a swelling or lump in your abdomen or back passage (bottom) anaemia (a lack of red blood cells)
Welcome to Juba, capital city of Africa’s newest country, South Sudan. Despite the sweltering heat, the locals love their suits and ties. And they have just celebrated their second independence anniversary this July. They proudly say their city is Africa’s largest village. The moniker, largest African village, comes from years of underdevelopment because of war.
Before 2005, this city was a garrison town full of grass thatched mud huts in the middle of a ravaging war zone. Today, flashy comfy air conditioned SUVs crisscross the streets, mobile phones have become play toys and trendy apartments are popping up at an unimaginable rate. Business people from all corners of the globe, including the Chinese and Brazilians have swarmed into town to have a bite of these new found opportunities. That means some businessmen both foreign and local have to carry three or four different cellphones, one for their personal use the rest for business. And they very proudly display them on the coffee tables. I was even surprised to meet a Guinean on my flight here. Dollars he said was the reason he was coming to Juba, a chance to make some good money. He said he could not find such opportunities in his home country. He even wondered why some Africans are risking all to go abroad when such opportunities abound right here in the middle of the continent. Here in Juba, they had to start from scratch and so they need anything and everything. Just think of anything that can be sold from bottled water, cement, to generators or the food on the dinner tables, all that have to be imported. That is the reason why Juba is listed as one of Africa’s boom cities. All that has been a crop of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement or CPA, signed in Nairobi Kenya in 2005 between the Sudanese government of Omar Al Bashir, who is wanted in the Hague by the International Criminal Court ICC for alleged war crimes in that country, and his arch nemesis, the late Dr. John Garang, leader of the rebel Sudan People Liberation Movement or SPLM, the current ruling party in South Sudan. The CPA agreement brought six years of a transitional period from 2005 to the subsequent referendum in 2011, when the region chose to secede from Sudan and became an independent republic. Decades of war had relegated this vast territory which can easily swallow both Kenya and Uganda, to an era comparable to the medieval times, lamented a fellow writer friend. But he says that elusive development which the locals have yawned for is slowly coming. Yet this city of about half a million or so people has no running water or sewage system and definitely no functional electricity grid because everybody relies on loud generators to power their electrical appliances. Even charging mobile phones is a booming business here. The lack of piped water is the reason water tank trucks manned by Ethiopians and Eritreans crisscross the city, selling water pumped from the Nile to the locals. And most companies are foreign owned, like the Chinese and Malaysian oil companies operating in the coveted oil fields. Crude oil exports are the source of over ninety per cent of the South Sudanese government revenues. But neighbouring Sudan which owns the pipeline and the port through which the oil is shipped to the world market has threatened yet again to close the pipeline and deprive the Juba government of their major source of revenue. Even the only tarmacked road extending south of Juba to the Ugandan border was completed less than two years ago through a United States government funded program. Within the city itself, there are not as many tarmacked streets. To move around one has to risk a bumpy ride on board crammed rickety passenger service vans or take the crazy motorcycles or bodabodas as they call them here. I saw four accidents here in two days with two fatalities. All involved these bodabodas. My writer friend very modestly says this is the period of rest. You see this country has been at war for a very long time. And now that peace has come, our people feel a need to rest and have a good time. But you have to be wise, because when the elephant has fallen, he who has no knife goes home without any meat. What he meant was, this is the time to make or break it in Juba. But some still prefer to take it real easy and have a very good time. Of course such good times mean blaring Afrobeat music while playing card and board games all day by roadside cafes or guzzling bottles of imported beer at midday, under the shaded mango trees by the banks of the Nile. Here is where the major foreign owned hotels and discothèques are located. Good times can also mean uneducated youths in flashy suits preferring to look for white collar jobs in government offices because nobody wants those sweaty blue collar jobs. Leave it to the Ugandans and the Kenyans they say. Also prostitution has become a common vice with most girls in the age old trade coming from the neighboring countries. The authorities are trying to stump out the vice by knocking down shacks and illicit brew joints. But the greatest rabble-rouser among the locals is the endemic corruption which they say has bedeviled their young nation. The president, Salva Kiir Mayardit had to send out letters to some of his ministers and top government officials whom he suspected of corruption, asking them to return the 4 billion dollars they stole from the government coffers. Although an investigation was carried out, not even one suspect has been brought to book to date. But in the past month, in a bid to fight corruption or perhaps brazing himself for a presidential election in 2015, the president has suspended his ministers of finance and cabinet affairs, pending another investigation. The two prominent ministers have been accused of trying to steal eight million dollars without authorization from the president. The government in Juba has also been accused by human rights groups of silencing critics, including torture and unfair imprisonment of journalists and government critics like the assassination of the late columnist Isaiah Abraham, killed for his views. Also for doing little about the escalating security situation and poverty in the country, especially in the volatile and restive Jonglei state, where a rebellion has been simmering for months now, and cattle rustling and ethnic clashes remain rampant. To the average Jubarian, life is not so rosy. Many live from hand to mouth and some survive by collecting water bottles and pop canes which litter the city streets, selling them for a pittance. Also brewing illicit liquor and hauling building rocks makes one get by. Some have even resorted to crime. The under paid security forces have been accused of lending their guns to criminals for a piece of the loot. Watch out and never keep a motorcycle in your house, advised my friend, unless you want to invite criminals to rob you. They also like brand new Toyotas and those other enviable brands of SUVs. You can make a million today here in Juba and lose it the next day if you are not careful. So as the sunsets over this dusty, hot and sunny city by the bank of the Nile, I feel a pervading sense of uncertainty blanketing it. I hope the dream of these Jubarians to see their city develop and prosper shall be fulfilled. Maybe tomorrow will be a better cooler day. Let’s hope so because today was too hot for my liking. I had to carry a bottle of water in my hand everywhere I went. One reason was to quench my thirst and the other was to stay free from any cholera or typhoid.
Carrying bottled water in the hand, that’s how they knew I was not from Juba. I was just another returnee.
by David Dedi
Born in a war torn African country, David Dedi found solace in books. This budding writer and poet, from South Sudan, Africa’s youngest nation is the author of an anthology of poetry and short stories called Borrowing Fire. As a child he grew up in refugee camps in Africa. Despite his predicament, he immersed himself into learning, seeking inspiration in works by literary greats like the late Chinua Achebe and Samuel Beckett.Through support from relatives and benefactors he was able to enrol into schools in Kenya. In 2006 after excelling in his final secondaryschool examination, he got a sponsorship at the prestigious University of British Columbia, where he graduated witha Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology and history in 2011. Although he lost his parents in 1995at the tender age of eight, his father to a soldier’s bullet and his mother to HIV/AIDS, his quest to better his life gave him the zeal and resilience to survive, and the passion to share his experiences, through poetry and storytelling. He now lives in Canada but has recently returned to South Sudan to help in development.For him it was a poignant experience, returning home after twenty one years and meeting a changed country.
Television personality, media mogul, actress and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey is always in the media for the right reasons. She is not only the richest black woman but also one of the top philanthropist.
She revealed how she was inspired by Mandela to change lives of South African girls. Initiated a $100 million-plus quest to build her ambitious school. The decision started out as a rather outlandish promise to a man who became her friend, confidante and mentor: Nelson Mandela, the late anti-Apartheid icon, who passed away at age 95.
The stunning campus just outside Johannesburg and the school’s rigorous academic programming are unprecedented, serving the best and brightest but also the most underprivileged South African girls, many of them AIDS orphans and all from households surviving on less than $950 a month.
In 2000 Winfrey and long-time boyfriend Stedman Graham were invited to stay at Mandela’s home on the country’s Western Cape for a vacation of sorts. “I was at first very intimidated,” Winfrey said of the event during our 2012 interview.
Unsure of what to talk about with the legendary Mandela for such a long stay, she probed Graham for input. His advice to a woman arguably more used to holding court: “Why don’t you try listening?”
For those 10 days Winfrey and the former South African president swapped stories, exchanged ideas and passed newspaper sections back and forth. When the topic turned to poverty, Winfrey spoke up. It was a subject she knew something about.
Growing up in Kosciusko, Miss., Winfrey’s childhood wasn’t far removed from the average South African. She lived on a farm without indoor plumbing and watched her grandmother, who largely raised her, hand-wash her clothes. At 9 she was raped by a cousin; at 14 she gave birth to a son, who died after childbirth.
Her way out came in the form of a federal program that gained her access to a rich suburban school, where she was one of only a handful of African-Americans. Each day she bounced between a home of poverty and a classroom of possibilities. Here she discovered a knack for public speaking and debate, which earned her a part-time radio gig and, later, a scholarship to Tennessee State University.
When she started making real money-millions, then billions, from her eponymous talk show and subsequent media empire-she vowed to pay for other poor black kids to go to college. And she has: To date she’s shelled out well over $400 million toward educational causes, including more than 400 scholarships to Atlanta’s Morehouse College.
Sitting on the floor at Mandela’s house, in thrall to her hero and saddened as he described the state of schooling in his country, she vowed to take her giving a step further. She pledged $10 million toward a South African school then and there. “When you go to Nelson Mandela’s house, what do you take?” she said, half-joking, of her gift that day. “You can’t bring a candle. I wanted to leave something that would be of value.”
When the school officially opened in January 2007, Winfrey’s celebrity friends including Diane Sawyer and Tina Turner flew in to see the magnificent campus and meet the inaugural classes of girls, many of whom are now at top U.S. universities including Wellesley and Mount Holyoke.
But the guest of honour? Winfrey’s inspiration, Madiba, of course.
Some extracts from a story published by www.forbes.com
One of the great myths of business (and cheesy old game shows) is that opportunity knocks. Opportunity does not knock on your door, you have to bang on the door yourself and keep knocking until you get in.
Another falsehood is that some obstacles are insurmountable. With the right attitude, application - and of course a bit of luck - anything is possible. An obstacle is defined as "a thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress." What if you flip that around and think of an obstacle as an opportunity waiting to be found?
Thomas Edison knew a thing or two about turning an obstacle into an opportunity. He showed this in all of his inventive genius, but also in how to recover from setbacks and push aside perceived obstacles. When he was in his late sixties, his huge West Orange New Jersey laboratory burnt to the ground. Rather than cursing his luck and panicking, he gathered his family and friends around to marvel at the fire and immediately began planning for the future.
Edison started rebuilding plans for a much improved lab, seeing the potential for improvement the disaster had presented. He said: "You can always make capital out of disaster. We've just cleared out a bunch of old rubbish! We'll build bigger and better on these ruins." There is good to be found in any situation - and usually a great opportunity hiding beneath the rubble.
Some obstacles can seem overwhelming. It helps to surround yourself with good people, who can help see things from a different perspective and shed light on the darkest of situations. What may seen impossible to you could be an exciting challenge for somebody else. Equally, you might be able to help them with a different problem. When the time is right, pool your skills, collaborate and you will achieve more.
Opportunities can be found in the most unlikely situations as well as on a larger scale. A good example that made me proud happened recently with our airline staff. A flight was delayed because of bad weather, which of course can be annoying for passengers. Rather than seeing the situation as an obstacle, some intrepid staff spotted the opportunity to have some fun. They quickly set up an 'Airport Olympics', encouraging our customers to join in a paper plane throwing contest rather than sit there bored. As well as stirring some competitive spirit, they jumped on the chance to put a smile on people's faces.
Getting over an obstacle is hard work. Especially when starting a business, difficulties can pile up incredibly quickly. It is crucial not to get downhearted and pick off each teething problem one by one, rather than being weighed down by them all. There is no substitute for hard graft, but you need to give yourself the time and space to have a long-term vision, too. If you're bogged down too much in the here and now of specific obstacles, opportunities will pass you by.
Grasping an opportunity is no picnic, either. They don't present themselves gift-wrapped and ready to pick off the shelf. To quote that man Edison again: "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." But there is nothing more satisfying than seizing a chance and turning an idea into reality. Most of the great achievements of mankind have started life as conundrums and been turned into triumphs by creative, determined people.
These people do not just overcome obstacles, they don't see them. They see the potential in every person and every situation. Once you start looking for opportunities, it's amazing how many you find. That's how Virgin has spread into so many different sectors and markets. Opportunities are out there, why don't you go grasp them?
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