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  • Money Is Actually Important

    Money Is Actually Important

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    “If you think that money is not important, you don’t have any”

    After hearing the panelist make this comment, I immediately looked around the room to see who he just offended. Although I agree with him, I was surprised to hear him make such a strong comment in such a public forum. The truth is, this type of belief makes people without money, and no plans to get it, feel better. I have heard this a thousand times from family and friends when the topic of money comes up.

    I remember growing up and watching the movie “Can’t Buy Me Love” in school. The basic idea of the movie is that an unpopular male high schooler is desperate for approval and pays the lead cheerleader to date him for a month; or to at least make it look as though they are dating. This way he will become popular, which was a guarantee of his happiness. The result was that she starts to fall for him and he does in fact become popular. The popularity however, does not make him happy. In fact, the lesson was that money cannot buy you happiness. He was much happier with his original relationships than he was with the new ones from the “cool crowd”. I was in elementary school when this movie was shown to my class and I still remember it.

    I have always believed that money cannot buy happiness and that I could honestly be fulfilled without it, but I still wanted it and I still pursued it. I focused a huge part of my life to attain it and now, after all the years of hard work and struggle, I am glad I did. I live a very happy and fulfilled life, and money enhances it.

    I relate money to alcohol. Alcohol, when consumed responsibly, can enhance an experience. It can make challenging situations easier and it can bond people together. It can also ruin your life! A difference of course, is that alcohol is much easier to get, but outside of that, there are a lot of similarities. They both are enhancers and they both can be addictive. They both can ease stress, but they both can create stress too. I know rich people that are miserable, and I know rich people that are happy. The money does not create one or the other.

    There was a time as I was trying to create wealth that I lost almost everything financially. I went through an extremely challenging time in my business and my personal financial life. I stopped answering the phone because I knew it was debt collectors on the other end. I learned a great deal with this experience. One thing I know for sure is that I never want to be broke again. Although I believe having money is not a guarantee to happiness, not having money is a guarantee of at least some stress and pain. It is possible to be happy without money, but it is a hell of a lot easier with it. Money is important.

    From my experience, the only sure-fire way to happiness is through solid relationships. These days I spend a lot more energy strengthening relationships with friends and family that make me happy. I also focus on limiting time and energy into relationships that drain me or do not make me happy. This is tough to do, but the results are positive. Over the years in business, my circle of friends has shifted to more supportive and positive people. This happened organically, but now that I am aware of it, I can focus on it. The real estate industry has been good to me in many ways, but the most important is the people that I have met and that I now spend time with. Some of the most generous, supportive, and amazing people in the world are real estate investors. It is helpful to have a little extra cash to have amazing experiences with people I want to be around.

    It is true money alone will not make you happy, but it sure helps. Money is important.

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    Source by Kevin Amolsch

    Views: 1

  • How Changing Your Mindset Can Change Your Life

    How Changing Your Mindset Can Change Your Life

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    If you have been struggling to lose weight, improve a relationship, find a new job or just have more fun, the answer may be in your mindset. Mindset is a concept developed over a decade ago by Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck through her research to understand how people cope with failures. Dweck defines mindset as the view we adopt of ourselves and proved that it can profoundly affect how we live our lives. She found that people generally fall into two categories, those with a fixed mindset and those with a growth mindset. A “fixed” mindset suggests that our intelligence, ability and personality are carved in stone and do not change much over our lifetime. An example of this mindset might be “I am not athletic”” or “I am a math person” which suggest that these traits can’t change. The downside to a “fixed” mindset is these kinds of beliefs limit personal growth. By contrast, a “growth” mindset suggests that individuals have basic abilities but can develop and cultivate these and other abilities or intelligence and talents through effort and strategies. This view allows for potential to grow and opens us to greater possibility and success. Adopting a growth mindset can improve all areas of life from personal to professional. Changing from a fixed mindset to a growth can be accomplished through three steps.

    Three Steps to Grow Your Mindset

    According to Dweck, a growth mindset is based on the belief that we can change throughout our lifetime. While changing our beliefs can be challenging, the growth mindset can be developed in small steps.

    1. Awareness of how we think. The first step is to become aware of our behavior. When we tune into our thoughts and start to notice our reaction to challenges, criticism and setbacks, we can notice patterns where we are stuck. Challenges, criticism and setbacks are roadblocks with a fixed mindset. For example, a fixed mindset reaction to a difficult challenge is to question whether we can succeed. If we don’t think we can, why would we try only to fail. For instance, the thought “I am not going to volunteer to help my boss with that project because I am not sure I have all the skills. If I fail, I will look like a fool in front of my co-workers” is limiting the possibility for growth. In addition, constructive criticism is taken as an affront and a typical “fixed” mindset response is to become defensive and feel like a failure. “I can’t believe she told me my paper needed work. I am a horrible writer.” Setbacks can be a reason to give up because they reinforce our belief that we did not have the ability in the first place. “I auditioned and didn’t get a part. I knew I wasn’t a good singer.”

    2. Choice, The second step is to take this awareness and begin to see each of these is a choice. While it is comfortable to stay with our habitual responses, growth occurs when we make choices to change our limiting beliefs. A limiting belief keeps us in a safe zone but also keeps us from growth. For example, if my limiting belief is “I can never lose weight because my parents were overweight”, why try at all? This choice is to default to limiting thoughts. Or in the setback example of not being selected because of lack of natural ability, the response is a choice to give up because I “failed” and my ability is fixed. The growth choice requires more effort to stretch our abilities or maybe change the strategy.

    3. Challenge the belief. The final step is to challenge the belief as it comes up. To challenge these beliefs, it is important to see challenges, criticism or setbacks as opportunity for growth. For instance, in the above example of the audition “although I did not get this part, I learned about the audition process and I will continue to take voice lessons because it is important to me and I enjoy it. I might not get a part the next time I will keep trying new strategies. I can ask for feedback and see how I might improve.” The shift from focusing solely on the result to enjoying the process to critical with a growth mindset. In addition, being open to feedback helps us develop much more than seeing it as a failure. Dweck suggests incorporating the phrase “I am not there yet” instead of “I failed” to stay encouraged to keep trying. As Henry Ford said “whether you think you can or think you can’t – you are right!”

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    Source by Liz Brown

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  • How, Many, LIMIT, Their Health Possibilities?

    How, Many, LIMIT, Their Health Possibilities?

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    If you hope to, and desire / want, the best, possible health, and well – being, doesn't it make sense, to, consistently, proceed, with an open – mind, and take advantage of the many, various, possibilities ? Those, who refuse to do so, for whatever reason, especially, when it's based on refusing to proceed, without bias and prejudgment, or to expand the self – imposed limitations of their personal comfort zone, almost, always, LIMIT their possibilities, and potential. With that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, using the mnemonic approach, why, it is wise, to do, everything possible, to use, possible remedies, and treatments, to become a healthier, happier individual.

    1. Listen; learn: Smart ways to proceed, begin with opening, one's mind, and effectively listening, to the options, available, fully considering risks and benefits, as well as learning the differences, indications, and challenges, of each. How can you make a wise decision, unless you fully investigate the options and possibilities, but, before proceeding, always discuss these, with your trusted health professional?

    2. Imagination; ideas; interest; investigate: Have the imagination, to proceed, with a positive, can – do, attitude, and investigate, as thoroughly as possible, to determine, which ideas, may be, most appropriate, and interesting to you! The more you learn, and expose yourself to, the best questions, you will become capable, of asking!

    3. Mental; medical: When one proceeds, with a balance between, using a mental focus, with a medical one, he becomes, far more capable of, making a quality difference, for the better, in his overall health, and well – being. This is often referred to, as using a head / heart balance, or balancing one's emotional and logical components, to the finest personal benefit!

    4. Insights: Instead of limiting your options, and / or consideration, it is wise, to think, thoroughly, and, consistently, proceed, with the finest insights, so you might thoroughly, address your best options! The wiser, you proceed, the better your personal possibilities!

    5. Trends; teachings; timely: Concepts, possibilities, procedures, and options, are constantly evolving. One should become familiar with the current trends, etc. For example, the current trend, which many believe, may be most beneficial, is CBD , which some, feel, may be useful, for a variety of symptoms, ailments, and conditions. However, there may be a somewhat, fine – line, between benefits, and hype , so, beware of these differences, with an open – mind. Use the teachings, and proceed, in a well – considered, timely manner!

    Be smart, enough, to expand, rather than LIMIT , your health possibilities! Will you do, all you can, to be happier, and healthier, by proceeding, with an open – mind?

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    Source by Richard Brody

    Views: 0

  • Destroying Limiting Money Beliefs With Subliminal Audios

    Destroying Limiting Money Beliefs With Subliminal Audios

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    When we have decided to let go of lingering past beliefs about our finances that literally hold us back, we might have to take action on changing the way we think and live.

    This is actually a pretty simple thing to deal with because most people do not know that subliminal audios can be made strong enough to change your life and mind for the better.

    The audios work by changing and replacing old past and current limiting and negative beliefs and replaces them with better and stronger ideas, beliefs and habits that can help you long term.

    If you seriously want deep and resonating changes to happen in your life we ​​first have to drill deep into your conscious and subconscious mind.

    When those initial changes to your thought patterns and general beliefs happen you will feel very different, and some experience a mild sensation of discomfort and an almost awkward feeling. This comes from the old bad and negative beliefs from the past being lifted from the subconscious mind.

    Though sometimes it can take weeks and months to fully remove some ideas and beliefs, it is always beneficial to keep listening because this means that we are completely ready and willing to move on.

    Some might not easily be able to fathom how this could positively affect our money and finances, but it just begins and ends with our mental worlds.

    Using subliminals helps to change your mind and thoughts almost over night, and that means that you can change out old money related habits and negative thought patterns for something more positive and beneficial.

    That is exactly what we are reaching for here, and it is not a problem for our brains and minds to change and radically shift over the coming weeks and months but we have to be initially open to accepting that massive and drastic life change.

    Nothing about listening to subliminals is a negative experience because we know that regardless of what happens we will always get better over time.

    Even if it takes weeks and possibly several months to fully assimilate the changes that the subliminals help cause, we just need to keep the listening habit consistent so that everything flows together smoothly over time.

    Creating deep and lasting change in your life is as simple as listening to a few audios for several hours a day to enact intense and prolonged change in your life that can last into the years to come.

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    Source by Donald B. Johnson

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  • Hard fought gains in immunization coverage at risk without critical health services, warns WHO

    Hard fought gains in immunization coverage at risk without critical health services, warns WHO

    Shutting down immunization services in the COVID-19 pandemic risks triggering a resurgence of diseases that can be prevented with safe and effective vaccines, warns WHO in the lead-up to World Immunization Week (24-30 April). 

    When immunization services are disrupted, even for brief periods during emergencies, the risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, such as measles and polio, increase. Last year’s deadly measles outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the
    Congo, which took more than 6000 lives in a country already facing its largest Ebola outbreak, highlights the importance of maintaining essential health services, such as immunization in times of emergency. Further disease outbreaks will also overwhelm
    health systems already battling the impacts of COVID-19.

    “Disease outbreaks must not remain a threat when we have safe and effective vaccines to protect us,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “While the world strives to develop a new vaccine for COVID-19 at record speed,
    we must not risk losing the fight to protect everyone, everywhere against vaccine-preventable diseases. These diseases will come roaring back if we do not vaccinate.”

    WHO is working with partners all over the world to accelerate research and development of a safe and effective vaccine and ensure equitable access for the billions of people who will need it.

    But even with an expedited process, development of a vaccine for COVID-19 will take time. Precautionary measures are essential now to help keep us safe from disease, including diseases for which vaccines already protect children and adults.

    Too many people are still excluded from the benefits of vaccines

    Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world had made immense progress in ensuring that children are vaccinated. In 2018, 86 percent of children under the age of five globally were vaccinated with three doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3) and
    one dose of the measles vaccine, up from 72 percent in 2000 and 20 percent in 1980. The number of children paralyzed by polio has been reduced by 99.9 percent worldwide. 

    Yet, global vaccination coverage is still far from the 95 per cent coverage needed to fully protect communities against outbreaks of this vaccine-preventable disease. 

    In 2018 nearly 20 million children worldwide – more than 1 in 10 – missed out on lifesaving vaccines, such as measles, diphtheria and tetanus. Roughly, 13 million of the children have never received any vaccines, putting them and their communities
    at risk of disease and death. The majority of these children live in countries with already fragile health systems, further limiting their access to essential health services when they fall sick.

    Measles continues to remain an ever-present threat, especially if vaccination rates drops. Current projections indicate that the number of reported measles cases for 2019 will be at least 800 000. In 2020 there are increasing concerns about another
    resurgence, especially if vaccination rates fall due to delay or suspension of scheduled immunization activities as a result of COVID-19. 

    Outbreaks of polio, diphtheria and yellow fever are also of high concern, especially in the countries least able to respond quickly and decisively to address an emerging outbreak, as seen in previous emergencies such as the polio outbreak in Syria in
    2013. 

    Maintaining immunization services during COVID-19

    As the response to COVID-19 continues, countries must act now protect immunization services, in order to further minimize disease outbreaks and loss of life. This includes, facilitating urgent catch up programmes in places where
    services have been disrupted, ensuring strong supply chains, disease surveillance and trained health workers. Caregivers should also make sure they continue to vaccinate their children in line with national policies.

    New WHO guidelines on immunization and COVID-19 recommend that governments temporarily pause preventive immunization
    campaigns where there is no active outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease. But it urges countries prioritize the continuation of routine immunization of children in essential service delivery, as well as adult vaccinations such as influenza
    for groups most at risk. If immunization services must be suspended, urgent catch-up vaccinations should be rescheduled as soon as possible, prioritizing those most at risk.

    Hard fought gains in immunization coverage at risk without critical health services, warns WHO
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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/23-04-2020-hard-fought-gains-in-immunization-coverage-at-risk-without-critical-health-services-warns-who

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  • OHCHR, IOM, UNHCR and WHO joint press release: the rights and health of refugees, migrants and stateless must be protected in COVID-19 response

    In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, we are all vulnerable. The virus has shown that it does not discriminate – but many refugees, those forcibly displaced, the stateless and migrants are at heightened risk. 

    Three-quarters of the world’s refugees and many migrants are hosted in developing regions where health systems are already overwhelmed and under-capacitated.  Many live in overcrowded camps, settlements, makeshift shelters or reception centers, where they lack adequate access to health services, clean water and sanitation. 

    The situation for refugees and migrants held in formal and informal places of detention, in cramped and unsanitary conditions, is particularly worrying. Considering the lethal consequences a COVID-19 outbreak would have, they should be released without delay. Migrant children and their families and those detained without a sufficient legal basis should be immediately released.

    This disease can be controlled only if there is an inclusive approach which protects every individual’s rights to life and health.  Migrants and refugees are disproportionately vulnerable to exclusion, stigma and discrimination, particulary when undocumented.  To avert a catastrophe, governments must do all they can to protect the rights and the health of everyone. Protecting the rights and the health of all people will in fact help control the spread of the virus.

    It is vital that everyone, including all migrants and refugees, are ensured equal access to health services and are effectively included in national responses to COVID-19, including prevention, testing and treatment. Inclusion will help not only to protect the rights of refugees and migrants, but will also serve to protect public health and stem the global spread of COVID-19.  While many nations protect and host refugee and migrant populations, they are often not equipped to respond to crises such as Covid-19. To ensure refugees and migrants have adequate access to national health services, States may need additional financial support. This is where the world’s financial institutions can play a leading role in making funds available. 

    While countries are closing their borders and limiting cross-border movements, there are ways to manage border restrictions in a manner which respects international human rights and refugee protection standards, including the principle of non-refoulement, through quarantine and health checks. 

    More than ever, as COVID-19 poses a global threat to our collective humanity, our primary focus should be on the preservation of life, regardless of status.  This crisis demands a coherent, effective international approach that leaves no-one behind.  At this crucial moment we all need to rally around a common objective, fighting this deadly virus. Many refugees, displaced, stateless people and migrants have skills and resources that can also be part of the solution.

    We cannot allow fear or intolerance to undermine rights or compromise the effectiveness of responses to the global pandemic. We are all in this together. We can only defeat this virus when each and every one of us is protected. 

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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/31-03-2020-ohchr-iom-unhcr-and-who-joint-press-release-the-rights-and-health-of-refugees-migrants-and-stateless-must-be-protected-in-covid-19-response

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  • WHO releases guidelines to help countries maintain essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic

    WHO releases guidelines to help countries maintain essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic

    The COVID-19 pandemic is straining health systems worldwide. The rapidly increasing demand on health facilities and health care workers threatens to leave some health systems overstretched and unable to operate effectively.

    Previous outbreaks have demonstrated that when health systems are overwhelmed, mortality from vaccine-preventable and other treatable conditions can also increase dramatically. During the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, the increased number of deaths caused
    by measles, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis attributable to health system failures exceeded deaths from Ebola
    [1,2]. 

    “The best defense against any outbreak is a
    strong health system,” stressed WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
    “COVID-19 is revealing how fragile many of the world’s health systems and
    services are, forcing countries to make difficult choices on how to best meet
    the needs of their people.”

    To help countries navigate through these challenges, the World Health Organization (WHO) has updated operational planning guidelines in balancing the demands of responding directly to COVID-19 while maintaining essential health service delivery, and mitigating
    the risk of system collapse. This includes a set of targeted immediate actions that countries should consider at national, regional, and local level to reorganize and maintain access to high-quality essential health services for all.

    Countries should identify essential services that will be prioritized in their efforts to maintain continuity of service delivery and make strategic shifts to ensure that increasingly limited resources provide maximum benefit for the population. They
    also need to comply with the highest standard in precautions, especially in hygiene practices, and the provision of adequate supplies including personal protective equipment This requires robust planning and coordinated actions between governments
    and health facilities and their managers.

    Some examples of essential services include: routine vaccination; reproductive health services including care during pregnancy and childbirth; care of young infants and older adults; management of mental health conditions as well as noncommunicable diseases
    and infectious diseases like HIV, malaria and TB; critical inpatient therapies; management of emergency health conditions; auxiliary services like basic diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, and blood bank services, among others.

    Well-organized and prepared health systems can continue to provide equitable access to essential service delivery throughout an emergency, limiting direct mortality and avoiding increased indirect mortality. 
     

    The guidelines stress the importance of keeping up-to-date information. This requires frequent transparent communications with the public, and strong community engagements so the public   can maintain trust in the system to safely meet their
    essential needs and to control infection risk in health facilities. This will help ensure that people continue to seek care when appropriate, and adhere to public health advice.

    1. Elston, J. W. T., Cartwright, C., Ndumbi, P., & Wright, J. (2017). The health impact of the 2014–15 Ebola outbreak. Public Health, 143, 60-70.

    2. Parpia, A. S., Ndeffo-Mbah, M. L., Wenzel, N. S., & Galvani, A. P. (2016). Effects of response to 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak on deaths from malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis, West Africa. Emerging infectious diseases, 22(3), 433.

     

    For interviews please contact:  Tarik Jasarevic

    To access the full guidance please visit: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/maintaining-essential-health-services-and-systems

    For further information and guidance on COVID-19 please visit: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

     

     

    WHO releases guidelines to help countries maintain essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic
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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/30-03-2020-who-releases-guidelines-to-help-countries-maintain-essential-health-services-during-the-covid-19-pandemic

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  • COVID-19: Should Education Hit A Pause Or Are We Just Unprepared In Nigeria? By Olabisi Deji-Folutile

    COVID-19: Should Education Hit A Pause Or Are We Just Unprepared In Nigeria? By Olabisi Deji-Folutile

    Olabisi Deji-Folutile
    Olabisi Deji-Folutile

    COVID-19: Should Education Hit A Pause Or Are We Just Unprepared In Nigeria? By Olabisi Deji-Folutile 1Olabisi Deji-Folutile

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    The world is facing its most trying and unprecedented times as the last few weeks have been most challenging for almost everybody.  What started in Wuhan, China, as an epidemic, has put the entire world in disarray.  Major streets across the globes have become empty. Both the rich and the poor are being ravaged by the plague of COVID-19, which the World Health Organisation has rightly described as a pandemic. Work places have been shut; religious and social gatherings banned and many countries are on total lockdown, in a bid to curb the spread of this viral disease. Expectedly, schools are also affected across board.  Every day people are being told to embrace social distancing and suddenly things like human contacts, hitherto considered as free gifts of life, are becoming very expensive.

    No one knows when this whole chaos will end, so people are making different kinds of adjustments to cope with the situation while it lasts. Many companies have shifted their operations online. Likewise, many schools have opted for e-learning, making use of available technology for teaching and learning.

     Universities around the world are making use of communication technology to ease the effects of the global pandemic on their academic calendars.   In China, universities are going for online teaching instead of in-class teaching; the ones in Australia have moved their classes online just as UK universities have suspended face-to-face teaching.  Turkey started its remote university classes on March 23. In Kenya, universities have activated communication between lecturers and students via social media platforms and emails while classes have gone totally online in the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan.  Teachers in France have been working with their students on Zoom.  

    Just a few days ago, Ghana’s President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, directed the ministry of education to collaborate with the ministry of communications in rolling out open learning programmes in response to the closure of all educational institutions in the country. In the same vein, Mount Kenya University’s Vice-Chancellor Peter Wanderi, has announced the extension of online teaching platforms for regular students to facilitate the learning process.  And to take care of the over six million students that have experienced disruption to their studies, ten North African and 12 Arab countries have begun work on an e-learning initiative to facilitate open and online education.

    These are some of the steps being taken across the globe to bridge the gap created by school closure in the wake of COVID-19.  Unfortunately, while all these activities are going on in other parts of the world, Nigerian government has not said anything about steps being taken to take care of its students’ community.  Rather, the only message from the Federal Government was a total closure of all tertiary institutions and FG-owned unity schools till further notice. A statement issued by the National Universities Commission simply said universities would remain   shut   for one month while the Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, said tertiary institutions would remain shut indefinitely.

     Assuming government has been overwhelmed by the burden of controlling the spread of COVID- 19, hence its silence on options for learning for its teeming student population, one would have expected the higher institutions themselves to at least say something, but as it is, they too are not helping matters. The silence in our universities has been deafening. To worsen the situation, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, decided to choose this time, of all times, to embark on an indefinite strike. One wonders how the academic body   manages to feel comfortable being on a strike at a time when researchers across the globe   are busy looking for solution to a pandemic that is ravaging the entire world.  This kind of action makes one query the essence of having Research and Development as a core component of tertiary education in Nigeria when researchers can be nowhere to be found at a critical time of societal needs.

    By now, our researchers should be adding their voices to the various efforts being made towards developing a vaccine or cure for COVID-19. After all, universities are expected to proffer solutions to societal problems.  This is a wrong time for ASUU to embark on an indefinite strike. This should be a time of strategising and proffering solutions. This is really the time for everyone to get involved. Besides, I think Nigerian universities should also be more forthcoming on their responses to the challenges posed to their students by COVID-19.

    As it is, religious organisations are doing far better in terms of their responses to the effects of this pandemic on their primary constituencies.  Many of them have devised other means of getting the attention of   their members following several government directives prohibiting either gatherings or limiting the number of people allowed to congregate at a time.   Almost all the churches have switched to online platforms for their services.  How come religious organisations are working hard to keep their flocks and both government and higher institutions in Nigeria are just moving on as if all is well?  No word on how to keep the students busy or keep them engaged using available online technology! Should teaching and learning be restricted to the classrooms alone in this 21st century?

     Nigeria has always been described as a religious society. Corona Virus has further exposed the smartness of our religious bodies and the dullness of those in charge of our public educational institutions.  This is not an attempt to blame any religious organisation for having the foresight to deploy technology in reaching their audiences. Instead, it is a wakeup call to managers of our educational institutions to adopt and use available technology to help their students at a time like this.

    Apart from the National Open University of Nigeria, which basically runs online, I doubt if there is any other public university in the country that has capacity for online teaching.  This is in spite of the launch of the Nigerian Communication Satellite known as NIGCOMSAT by the Nigerian Government first in 2007 and then NIGCOMSAT-IR in December 2011, to provide critical ICT backbone infrastructure to support e-learning, among others in the country. 

    What is the essence of investing so much money in a communication satellite if it cannot be deployed at a time of need?   Those in charge of NIGCOMSAT, the commercial arm of Nigeria’s space centre, have consistently claimed that the technology has the capacity to cover the entire Africa.  If that is the case, why is the country still struggling to deploy internet connectivity facilities to its schools to aide e-learning?  If we are truly a serious country, by now, all the schools in urban and rural areas should have been connected to the e-learning services.

    No doubt, COVID-19 has exposed Nigeria’s unpreparedness for e-learning. But, we can’t afford to remain where we are. That is why it is important for every institution to start thinking of how to deploy available technology in the world for the good of their students at this critical period.   Universities should as a matter of urgency migrate online. This shouldn’t be another season of waiting and probably wasting for the Nigerian student.  There is no reason why any higher institution worth its name should suspend all academic activities until the end of Corona Virus with all the available resources and technology in the world today. The minimum expected of them is to upload teaching resources online for students to have access to them.  At least this will give the students the opportunity to learn on their own.

    This is also an opportunity for telecommunications companies like Glo, MTN and the rest of them to make a difference in Nigeria’s educational institutions. They can as part of their corporate social responsibility decide to boost internet facilities in universities and other educational institutions; or provide data at cheaper rates to help poor students have access to the internet for online learning.

    I know there are obvious stumbling blocks to digital learning in Nigeria. Many students don’t even have access to devices while the cost of buying data is still high. These challenges and others have provided    telecommunications companies a huge opportunity of making a difference in Nigerian higher institutions by providing e-learning solutions and broadband connectivity to universities and other higher institutions.

    They can as part of their corporate social responsibility decide to boost internet facilities in universities and other higher institutions; or help poor students who have limited or poor internet access to enhance online learning.

    Olabisi Deji-Folutile is the Editor-in-Chief of Franktalknow.com and member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. Email: bisideji@yahoo.co.uk

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    COVID-19: Should Education Hit A Pause Or Are We Just Unprepared In Nigeria? By Olabisi Deji-Folutile
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    http://saharareporters.com/2020/03/26/covid-19-should-education-hit-pause-or-are-we-just-unprepared-nigeria-olabisi-deji

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  • Adequate blood supply in the country: National Blood Centre

    Adequate blood supply in the country: National Blood Centre

    Adequate blood supply in the country: National Blood Centre 2

    KUALA LUMPUR: The supply of blood in the country is still sufficient at a safe level so far, said National Blood Centre (PDN) director Dr Noryati Abu Amin.

    However, she said PDN and other blood centres are still in need of blood donors to continue replenishing blood stock at an optimum level all the time.

    According to her, blood donation is still available during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period as the activity is considered an essential service under the Health Ministry for the treatment of patients.

    While it cannot be denied that blood donation throughout the country would be affected following Covid-19 and the enforcement of MCO, Dr Noryati said various efforts including stepping up promotions via social media as well as extending the operation hours at collection centres have been carried out.

    “So far, the supply of all types of blood is sufficient, however many blood donation campaigns were cancelled over fears that the people maybe infected with Covid-19 which also caused a drop in the number of donors,” she told Bernama.

    Dr Noryati added that several additional measures were taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 when individuals came to donate blood, among them was limiting the number of donors at a location at any one time.

    “Apart from that, measures such as social distancing and practice of good hygiene especially washing hands with soap and water as well as providing initial screening such as checking body temperature and inquiring the travel history of the donor, she said.

    In this regard, she urged the people to continue donating blood regularly to ensure the supply of blood is always at a safe level.

    “Having an adequate supply of blood at all time is very important to treat patients such as emergency victims, expecting mothers who may experience bleeding complications during delivery, cancer and thalassemia patients as well as patients undergoing major surgeries,” she said.

    Members of the public can donate blood at three locations in the Klang Valley namely PDN in Jalan Tun Razak on Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 8pm and on Saturday and Sunday, from 8am to 6pm.

    Besides that, the PDN Donation Suite in Midvalley Megamall starts daily from 10am to 5pm while the Puspanita Blood Donation Suite in Putrajaya operates from Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 7pm and on weekends from 9am to 6pm.

    Meanwhile, the blood supply at the Blood Centre of Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital Seremban (HTJS) is also sufficient, said Negri Sembilan Health acting director Dr Mohammad Faid Abd Rashid.

    Speaking to Bernama, he said the centre has enough blood for patients,

    “During the MOC period, the centre is still operating on Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 3pm and on Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4.30 pm.

    “The supply of blood however depends on healthy and non-risky donors who have to adhere to the regulations of the hospital,” he said.

    Dr Mohammad Faid said those who display Covid-19 symptoms or have just returned from abroad or have close contact with suspected Covid-19 cases would not be allowed to donate blood. — Bernama

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