Africa We Care

03/26/2026

01/15/2026

You will have to watch the movie "Blood Diamond" to see where he is coming from.

12/01/2025

TODAY IS 1ST SUNDAY IN ADVENT OF THE LITURGICAL YEAR A

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, of the liturgical year A.
We all desire peace because it is necessary for our spiritual and material progress, and wellbeing.
We pray for this peace and expect Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, to bring it to our hearts, families, and world at the end of this season.

Advent comes from two Latin words Ad-Ventus, which means
“to arrive,” or
Ad-venire, meaning
“to come.”
For Christians, particularly Catholics, it means expecting the coming of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Advent marks the beginning of Our Holy Mother Church’s new Liturgical Calendar.
It is a four-week preparation period leading up to Christmas.

So, on this First Sunday of Advent, Our Holy Mother Church urges us to rejoice because that night of long pilgrimage to God’s eternal city of peace will soon be fruitful.
The Reign of Peace is close at hand.
Therefore, we must wake up and be ready to receive Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ in our lives, families, and nation.
In the First Reading, the Prophet Isaiah says:
“We see the Mountain of the Temple of the Lord, already etched against the Eastern Sky.”
The Prophet uplifts our spirits with his vision of the imminent Reign of Peace which the Messiah will initiate.

The Messiah whom we expect this season comes to us with peace.
Though
“He will wield authority,”
He will not oppress or exploit us.
Instead, He shall transform our culture of war into that of peace:
“…They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

Unfortunately, this verse decorates the wall of the United Nations building in New York, yet peace has eluded our world under its own leadership.
Instead of living together in harmony, we see more divisions and breakups of unions and friendships.
The reason is quite simple,
“international morality, which is the basis of secularism and humanism,”
alone without spirituality does not work.
Only the Reign of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in every heart and nation, can bring lasting peace.

To usher in this reign of peace successfully, the Second Reading and the Gospel call us to be ready and awake.
St. Paul announces the closeness of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace:
“Our salvation is even nearer than it was when we were converted.”
He also reminds us that:
“The time has come.”

The time he means here is not earthly time (Chronos) but God’s time (Kairos).
God’s appointed time is to save His people and restore peace to all troubled hearts, families, businesses, and nations.
Hence, St. Paul advises:
“Let us live decently, as people do in the daytime, with no warning or jealousy.
Let your amour be Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

Finally, the Gospel is a wake-up call to all of us Christians.
The Evangelist admonishes us to:
“Stay awake!”
It is crucial because this is a season of great awakening, preparation, and expectation of the Birth of the Messiah.
It is a season that will culminate in an outburst of great joy.
It is a season of prayer when all Christians must turn to God in prayer.
Therefore, with the Psalmist, Iet us pray for all our dear friends, companions, and people of God:
“Peace be to your homes!
May peace reign in your hearts!”

TO GOD BE THE GREATEST GLORY!
Forever.
Amen.

08/31/2025

AI Overview:
THE STATE OF WOMEN’S HEALTH IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Women's health in Sub-Saharan Africa faces challenges including high maternal mortality, with 448 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births as of 2023, and high adolescent fertility rates. Key issues are poverty, lack of access to healthcare, gender discrimination, and harmful traditional practices like Female Ge***al Mutilation (FGM). Addressing these requires promoting women's empowerment, investing in quality health services, and tackling sociocultural barriers through education and policy changes.

Maternal and Reproductive Health

High Mortality Rates:
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of maternal mortality globally, despite some decline since the 1990s.

Adolescent Fertility:

The rate of adolescent births in the region is significantly higher than the world average.

Barriers to Care:

Women face difficulties accessing healthcare due to factors like lack of money, distance to facilities, and lack of transport.

Social and Cultural Factors

Poverty and Inequality:

Poverty, economic dependence, and limited decision-making power contribute to poor health outcomes.

Gender Discrimination:

Systemic discrimination and the lack of women's empowerment are key factors in health disparities.

Harmful Traditional Practices:

Practices like FGM cause severe long-term pain and health problems for millions of women and girls.
Systemic Challenges

Health System Strain:

Resource-limited settings in the region are vulnerable to health crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affects women's health outcomes.

Underrepresentation in Healthcare:

Women are underrepresented in the private health sector, limiting their capacity to contribute to health system development.

Addressing the Issues

Policy and Empowerment:

There is a call to rethink approaches to women's health by developing women-sensitive policies and focusing on women's empowerment.

Improved Healthcare Access:

Efforts are needed to improve access to quality and responsive health services for all women.

Community Engagement:

Broad-based efforts are necessary, including public education and community involvement, to address the cultural reasons behind practices like FGM.

08/31/2025

Northeast Nigeria struggles with maternal mortality as hospitals remain out of reach.
Life is already tough for pregnant women anywhere in Nigeria, where one in every 100 women dies giving birth, and at least 75,000 annually, the highest in the world according to the World Health Organization. But for women living in Nigeria’s northeastern region, a hotspot for multi-pronged militant groups, the reality is grimmer than the numbers.

Life is already tough for pregnant women anywhere in Nigeria, where one in every 100 women dies giving birth, and at least 75,000 annually, the highest in the world according to the World Health Organization.

06/13/2025

Malaria for centuries has posed a significant public health challenge in West Africa, with the region carrying a disproportionately high share of the global and African malaria burden. Countries like Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Liberia (Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, and and Benin to a lesser extent) experience some of the highest malaria rates per capita. The rainy season, typically between July and September, leads to peak malaria transmission, with the malaria season lasting for a few months afterward.

Key Aspects of Malaria in West Africa:

* High Burden:�West Africa is a major epicenter for malaria cases and deaths, with a significant impact on children and pregnant women. �
* Seasonal Transmission:�The rainy season fuels mosquito breeding and peak malaria transmission, with the disease season lasting from September to November.
*
* Vulnerability:�Children under 5 years of age are disproportionately affected, accounting for a large percentage of malaria deaths in the region. �
* Challenges:�Drug resistance and insecticide resistance pose increasing threats to malaria control efforts, requiring ongoing innovation and strategic approaches. �
* Control Efforts:�National Malaria Control Programs (NMCPs) are actively involved in implementing various interventions, including insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying (IRS), and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). �
* Emerging Strategies:�Genomic surveillance hubs are being established to better understand the malaria parasite and vector landscape, enabling more targeted responses. �
* Vaccination:�The development and deployment of malaria vaccines, such as RTS,S and R21, are promising new approaches to reduce malaria incidence. �
* Elimination Efforts:�Some West African countries, like Cabo Verde, have successfully eliminated malaria, demonstrating the potential for regional elimination through comprehensive strategies. �
* International Collaboration:�Initiatives like the Sahel Malaria Elimination Initiative and the E-2025 Initiative, supported by organizations like WHO, are working to eliminate malaria in the region.

04/11/2025

I wonder!
And yet there are so much affluence and waste in the world.