Rural Integrated Development by Empowering Smallholder Farmers (RIDES Project)
gefördert von Ministerium für Bildung und Kultur Saarland und Interkulturelles Haus e. V.

“Eine lebenswerte Zukunft braucht gesunde Ernährung” sagt Frau Omonyi Ogodo-Bach

Der Besuch der Präsidentin des „Interkulturelles Haus e. V. „Frau Omoniyi Ogodo-Bach in Omi Adio, Bezirk in „Ido Local Government“ in Vorbereitung des Projekts: Rural Integrated Development by Empowering Smallholder Farmers (RIDES Project). Das Projekt wird durch das Kultusministerium des Saarlandes und Interturelles Haus e.V. gefördert. Unsere Parnerorganisationen sind Starting Point Empowerment Foundation und Hedia Global Services

Die dringendste Herausforderung der nigerianischen Landwirtschaft im neuen Jahrtausend besteht darin, den Nahrungsmittelbedarf einer immer größer werdenden Bevölkerung angesichts der Myriaden sozialer, kultureller und wirtschaftlicher Probleme zu decken, die eine nachhaltige Landbewirtschaftung negieren.
Die Landwirtschaft in nigerianischen ländlichen Gemeinden wird von kleinbäuerlicher Landwirtschaft, veralteten Methoden, geringen Erträgen, geringer Wertschöpfung, Verschwendung, schlechter Lagerung und unzureichender Marktanbindung dominiert. Es ist bekannt, dass ländliche Landwirte mehrere traditionelle landwirtschaftliche Techniken anwenden, wie einfache agronomische Verfahren, jahrhundertelange Bodenverbesserungspraktiken sowie veraltete mechanische Methoden der Bodenbewirtschaftung.
Ein durch Regen gespeistes landwirtschaftliches Produktionssystem hat unter Berücksichtigung klimatischer Veränderungen eine begrenzte langfristige Nachhaltigkeit. Das durch Regen gespeiste Landwirtschaftssystem ist anfällig für die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels. Diese Auswirkungen können jedoch auch je nach aggregiertem und subsektoralem Niveau der landwirtschaftlichen Produktion variieren. Die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels und der Variabilität auf die landwirtschaftliche Produktion würden geeignete Strategien und Praktiken für ein nachhaltiges landwirtschaftliches Produktionssystem hervorbringen.

Fighting the virus does more harm than the virus itself. The situation is still the same and it’s getting worse.

The current situation in Africa: In too short a time, the virus has overloaded the health system in Africa. The Coronavirus have continued to grow even faster and that means that the health system is saturated. Many diseases such as Tuberculosis and Malaria are multiplying and other diseases like Measles, Diarrhea, Pneumonia and chronic diseases cannot be treated. In addition, the economy has collapsed: There are, capital outflow, devaluation of the currency, collapse in raw material prices and tourism and transportation costs has risen. Basic foods have also become more expensive during the Corona crisis.

Photo from Omoniy Ogodo-Bach, the President of Interkulturelles Haus e. V. and IKH Saar e. V.

The Prognosis is that more than 100,000 people will lose their lives due to the indirect effects of the pandemic. „Eating and drinking keep body and soul together“, as the saying goes. These are basic human needs every day. Unfortunately, basic Foodstuffs have become more expensive during the Corona crisis.

The most hardest questions are: What happens next? „When will the Corona Crisis finally end? The questions nobody can specifically answer! The population do not know what to do next.

“There is an urgent need for the rehabilitation, medical and psychological assistance for the victims of the terror group Boko Haram, who are now displaced, homeless, traumatic and psychological affected.” (Omoniyi Ogodo-Bach)

Omoniyi Ogodo-Bach, the President of Interkulturelles Haus Saar e. V., in cooperation with the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC).

Boko Haram Islamists have killed and attacked hundreds of people since 2009. Most targeted are schools, churches and students. The Islamist group has said its aim is to impose a stricter form of Sharia law across Nigeria and the creation of an Islamic state by purging the country from all western influences.

Most western countries like France, the UK and US, pledged assistance to Nigeria by training the Nigerian military and joint efforts to create a regional counter-terrorism strategy. Despite the promise from the western countries, this radical Islamist group continues their blood shed raids and attacks.

It is sad that the world watch while innocent people are been slaughtered like animals in Nigeria.

The project intends to tackle the high level of violation against human rights especially against women and children. Through the numerous attacks by the Boko Haram terror group, many people lost their lives, homes and means of livelihood. Many people became orphans, widows/widowers etc. Many schools, homes, churches, public and private institutions were completely destroyed.

Considering the deteriorating emotional, mental and psychological states of the victims’ health, there is an urgent need for intervention of psycho therapists, sociologist, psychologist, doctors and nurses.  These set of people need to be professional trained to meet the standard of treatment for the victims.

One need not to be a clinical psychologist to be able to envisage the likely psychological effects of all these on the victims regardless of whether they are benefited or not from the government or any other cooperate individuals.

Instructively, I have diligently observed and noted that agencies or organisations, be it public or private that rendered services of this nature (clinical psychology) are visually nonexistent in Nigeria.

More disturbingly, the intervention of the regional governments such as ECOWAS, European Union and other western countries seems to be exclusively focused on arresting the ugly trend of the act of terrorism while neglecting the rehabilitation of the victims whose plight have a downright potential of manifesting itself into another issue or crisis in the nearest future

The Federal government of Nigeria awarded 6 Million Naira Fund for the victims of Boko Haram attacks. Unfortunately, there was religious bias which constrained the proper distribution of the fund.

Moreover, the Nigeria Baptist Convention allocated 25 Million Naira Fund for the victims and the fund was used to rebuild schools, churches, financial assistance, distribution of food and clothing and the establishment of shelters (refugee camps) for the victims in southern part of Nigeria.

In order to tackle these problems, it is necessary to develop and establish medical and psychological centers to assist the victims.  The federal government of Nigeria only provided funds for the immediate needs of the victims but neglected to eradicate fears, psychological and traumatic problems of the victims. There is an urgent need to assist the victims in their fearful and traumatic situations. No fund has been allocated for medical and psychological assistance.