Paradise News

Tag: Africa

  • The High Atlas Foundation’s Rapid Response to the Urgent Needs of Morocco Earthquake-Affected Communities

    By Ben Nsemo

    On September 8th, 2023 at 11:11 pm, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 occurred 71.8 km southwest of Marrakech in the High Atlas Mountain region of Ighil, in Al Haouz province.

    It was the largest earthquake in the country’s modern history creating a cascade of devastation, and loss but also, solidarity and opportunity for renewal.

    The High Atlas Foundation has been directly working with the people and communities most impacted by the earthquake for over twenty-two years. Because of HAF’s wide-ranging network of partners, associations, communities and cooperatives, HAF has been able to respond rapidly to the urgent and developing needs of the communities. This wide-ranging network allowed HAF to connect the critical needs of its communities with donors who are already familiar with the work and the community HAF serves.

    Not only was HAF able to assess and then supply the essential goods necessary, but distribution was also critical. Every year HAF delivers thousands of tons of agricultural supplies to all regions of Morocco, so HAF had a network of trucks and drivers ready to respond when the crisis occurred. This became a crucial asset when it came to distributing essential goods to communities otherwise hard to reach.

    READ ALSO: Soccer Success: How Media And Money Help Grow The Global Game

    “We were able to move high quantities of goods quickly which was critical for high impact,” remarked Yossef Ben-Meir, President of HAF.

    Since Sunday, September 10th, the High Atlas Foundation has provided 118 tons of supplies to 80 villages, in 50 municipalities, serving 4,257 families.

    “One main reason we’ve been able to do this is because we already had the organizational structure in place. We’ve been developing it over the last twenty-two years,” Ben-Meir continued.

    Over HAF’s years of sustainable development work in Morocco, it has cultivated and maintained a mutually trusting relationship with the Ministry of the Interior. HAF believes it essential to work in tandem with all related agencies of the government to achieve long-lasting success.

    Hassan, a HAF Volunteer working with communities, spoke with a mother who had lost her home and all her possessions. She was lucky enough to escape with her child in her arms. She said, “It is our faith that protects us from despair. We say, Alhamdulillah, which means “Thank God”. We feel lucky to have what we have left. There is always something to be grateful for.”

    HAF is grateful to be in a position to serve.

  • Magnet Rumours Put People Off the COVID-19 Vaccine

    By Ogar Monday and Sekyen Dadik (Nigeria), Cece Siago (Kenya)

    Samuel Edem said he will not take the COVID-19 vaccine because of the claims 9n social media that it makes people magnetic.

    Referring to a video shared in a WhatsApp group; the media practitioner based in Abuja, the Nigerian capital said “I saw the video of people who took the vaccine becoming magnetic. I don’t think I want to take that risk now. I will wait for a while before I submit myself for vaccination.”

    This form of misinformation and disinformation spread by some social media users continue to act as a clog on the wheel of progress being made by authorities in both Nigeria and Kenya to curb the spread of the Coronavirus in the countries.

    In one of such viral video, a group of people claimed they took the vaccine and the injected spot is magnetic and attracts spoons, keys, phones and could also light a bulb.

    Also amplifying the false claim, Nigerian based preacher, Evangelist Ebube Joseph Ezeaguba in a five-minute, thirty-eight seconds long video shared on WhatsApp, said that those who took the vaccine become magnetic, with items like metals sticking to their arms.

    Videos with those false claims are now causing fear, not only to those unvaccinated but to those vaccinated too.

    The video has scared me

    While many people laughed at and brushed off the magnet videos, they were others who believed the fake claim leaving themselves and their loved ones to the mercies of contracting the virus.

    Despite being one of the few persons eligible for the limited dose of the vaccine, Farhiya Hussein, a journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya said she has not turned up at any of the vaccination sites due to some of the side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine she has seen in videos shared on social media, claims that have all been false.

    “I am waiting for a different type of vaccine. Maybe, Pfizer or Sputnik, this is because I have read so much about AstraZeneca and its effects that I cannot put my life on the line anymore,” she said.

    Dispelling the claims

    To debunk the claims, we spoke to people who had taken the vaccines and some medical experts in Nigeria and Kenya.

    Frank Uche, a student at the University of Calabar, South-South Nigeria said he had taken 2 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with no effect of any such as portrayed in the video.

    “I have tried following the videos I was seeing on social media about the magnetic capacity of the vaccine at the site of injection. I tried the experiment with metals like spoons, needles and bottle covers on my left hand. But there was no magnetic effect,” Uche said.

    A real estate developer, Timothy Makama in Kaduna, North-West Nigeria on his part said “all those claims on the injected site being magnetic are false claims, it is not true because I took the first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine in march 2021 and about to take the second dose. When these videos came out, my wife placed a spoon on my arm but it did not magnet, they are not true”.

    “Though I had fears that something could happen but when I took it there was no any reaction sincerely and until now I have not experienced any Adverse effect”, he said.

    For Joyce Musa Mato, a teacher with the Kaduna State Primary Education Board who has taken the first and second jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine, she has not experienced any magnetic impact on the vaccine spot.

    There is no scientific backing to the claim that the vaccine makes you magnetic – experts

    Experts in Nigeria and Kenya have advised those still sitting on the fence to quickly visit the nearest vaccination centre and get vaccinated so as to protect themselves and their loved ones from the virus.

    Responding to the electromagnetic claims on the vaccines, Dr Simji Gomerep, said these claims are fictitious as no one has presented such a case to the COVID-19 Case Management Team in Plateau State Nigeria.

    According to him, “There are quite a number of people that have taken the vaccines, these people should try it to see if this is true. These claims are fictitious as we have not seen any case like that. People just produce videos and begin to post such fake news just to dissuade people from accepting the vaccination.”

    Gomerep, a Consultant Physician and the Case Management Lead for COVID-19 in Plateau State, in North Central Nigeria, said, “I have taken the two doses of the vaccine and my body is normal and does not magnetize anything. These videos are fictitious and people should disregard them completely, there is no truth in that.

    “There is no medical explanation for such claims. Those videos are just produced with the aim of deceiving people from accepting these vaccines which have been scientifically proven to be efficacious and we have seen it in developed countries and with the third wave of the pandemic; those coming down with severe symptoms are unvaccinated people. It further tells us that these vaccines are helping in the control of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

    “I am a case manager but I have not seen one person that is experiencing any of those claims, not at all, so these things are not true”, he said.

    An Epidemiologist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, the largest research institute in Kenya, Francis Angira on his part said: “The vaccines have taken so long to be studied and developed. Several trials have also been done to ensure that they have no negative effects on humans.”

    He encouraged everyone to receive these vaccines as they have been scientifically proven and are not wishful products that someone woke up to produce, there is a scientific process from pre-clinical to clinical studies to ascertain that it has value in preventing this disease.

    Conclusion

    From conversations with those who have taken the vaccines and medical experts in both Nigeria and Kenya, it becomes clear that these claims are not true, as such the COVID-19 Vaccine does not make its recipients magnetic.

    This publication was produced as part of IWPR’s Africa Resilience Network (ARN) programme, administered in partnership with the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), and Africa Uncensored. For more information on ARN, please visit the ARN site: https://africaresiliencenetwork.com/

  • TRENDING: LendNG, online rental and borrowing platform hits C/River cyberspace

    Lend.Ng Logo
    Efio-Ita Nyok|13 June 2017 
    An online tech product that creates the connect for a renter of a property(ies) with an anticipated borrower did hit Cross River cyberspace recently and virtually everybody is wowed by its potential NegroidHaven has gathered. This publication is about sampling the various expressed perspectives that opinion leaders in Cross River have had about the product. 
    It’s simply called Lend.ng., that is, ‘Lend Nigeria’. It’s an indigenous innovation by a group of tech-savvy young Nigerians who have decided to make a difference in the tech industry in Nigeria nay Africa and the world by extension. It resembles such platforms like OLX and Jiji. 
    Simon Utsu 
    MY LEND.NG REVIEW
    When I went through Lend.ng, the first thing I looked out for was it’s mission statement and vision —they were both very unique, impressive and futuristic.

    I further navigated the site and was even more impressed with the high level of technical input made by the site creator and designer(s). 

    Going by the above observation, lend.ng pretty much reminds me of wonga.com. 

    Wonga is the British lending company that revolutionised online lending and became a world leader in that sector around 2010 when they came up with new strategies that made them become the premium online destination for short loan seekers. This sudden mass appeal was made possible due to the concept and strategy that they brought to the table. 

    Lend.ng has come in with a similar style, though they’re into full-fledged e-commerce and NOT money lending. The proprietor Efio-Ita Nyok (including his colleagues) is a man of proven integrity and a very hardworking and versatile entrepreneur. I see the online revolution that happened in Europe repeating itself with Lend.ng. Lend.ng has come to stay. 


    Ekeng Inyang 
    The initiative by Efio-Ita Nyok and his brainy colleagues is really recommended.


    A site you can rent or buy and also sell anything you want within and outside Cross River State.

    I call it Calabar Ebay. 
    Comfort Onyaga Ogon
    Way to go! Let’s lend and rent @ www.lend.ng 

    In the face of the present harsh economic realities that up until now mystifies Nigerians and the concomitant dash hopes for the promising change that suddenly turned against the tides of hopes, young Nigerians like Efio-Ita Nyok keep pushing through as he ceased the opportunity to launch a platform lend.ng that not only meets the needs of the people by giving them a plethora of options to rent items such as furniture, kitchen wares, gadgets, automobiles, etc. but gives you and me the platform to rent out our properties as well. 

    What are you waiting for? Kindly visit www.lend.ng and see for yourself how you can take advantage of this platform to either rent items you are not able to own due to financial constraints or make money from the comfort of your bedroom by renting out your gadgets, furniture, and other household utensils rather than have them depreciate. You too can make some cool cash you know!

    Joseph Odok 
    Social Change Agent
    One of my student that have not let me in doubt of his ingenuity, creativity and integrity is Efio-Ita Nyok. I was so elated when he and his colleagues came up with a new initiative lend.ng —a new business initiative for renting and borrowing. I feel so elated by this ingenuity and urge friends and followers to key into the business, more so because of how the young Nyok has defined himself as one to be trusted. lend.ng is a platform that allows for anyone to rent anything at anytime at affordable prices. 

    It also helps professional lenders or any other person to rent their property to anticipated ‘lendees’, by creating an account and uploading properties. 

    LendNG is the new way to buy. Why buy when you may not need it again? Why buy when you may end up using at long intervals say six months? Why continue servicing a property when you hardly use it? Why not just rent it? 

    In lend.ng, both the professional rental company and the ordinary individual who has rentable properties can make money. LendNG is a demonstration of the authenticity in the trending movement referred to as the Sharing Economy. 

    to stay!
    Edward Ntebri Egbelo 
    My friend Efio-Ita Nyok just innovated a better version of Konga and Jumia! The guy is good but he likes arguing politics with me. 

    Please get all your stuffs here. And oh….you can also rent! Economic recession no affect this business o!!!
    Didi Etta 
    One of our very own Efio-Ita Nyok has this to offer and for me it’s incredible. 

    Lend what ever you want right here and the good news is…. for very affordable rates. Support our own. 

    If Na oyibo bring this one now una for don dey rush… Oya make we rush this one o!

    Well-done my dear friend Efio Ita Nyok. More grease.
    Frankie Ifop 
    I’ve soared the Internet and try to know the communications between users, especially trading, but only few interrelationships were drawn… Until I came across Lend.Ng, a growing market that suits every interests.

    Most times, I’ve been faced with carrying out a task where I don’t have the necessary tools, and you know what? I lost it all out, when trying to get to a shop to rent the needed tools. What I mean is that, the job was given to someone with the available materials. Aw! That really hurts, for a job of 150k was drawn away like that, just because of a tool. I kept beating my boots, and over the time, I’d have to buy equipments I don’t actually need after a first use.

    Sometime ago, I needed to show my tourist friends around Calabar but how did I end up that day; paying more than 50k for a cab we had to push sometimes along the way. I hid my head in shame that day, upon the hyping I gave to my city – I vowed to get a car soon, but would that stop my business? Nope, I still have to hang in there until all is finally settled.

    If there was a vibrant online market like LendNg, that experience couldn’t had occurred and the lost could’ve been accrued for something big.

    With LendNG, you can hire your wedding wears, a car, truck, electronic, media equipment like camera, lamp, etc. Others including tent for events, jewelries, bicycles, sporting equipments, mobile and computer gadgets, and lots more.

    I would’ve said, LendNg, why coming this later, but it’s better late than never.

    Try Lend.Ng today, your number 1 store for buying and lending. You can shop/lend anywhere you are in Nigeria. You’d love it! I bet you to try it! 
    Ambo, Ekpenyong 
    Director General, De-Mandate Advocate
    Wow LendNG is a very spontaneous market place.

    I was so elated when Efio-Ita Nyok and his colleagues came out with a new initiative lend.ng a new business initiative for renting and borrowing. I feel so glad by this simple act of thinking business and urge all to key into the business, more so because of how lend.ng is a platform that allows for anyone to rent anything at anytime at affordable prices. 

    LendNG is the new marketing tool for progressive buyers and lenders to do trade in a more conducive and trust worthy environment without so much epioms.
    ******************************************
    It’s commonly said that seeing is believing. Why not visit lend.ng and see things for yourself. Begin with creating a user account and upload that textbook and see if you won’t make money off it. Give lend.ng that try! 

    Efio-Ita Nyok
    Is a Blogger, the Editor & Publisher of NegroidHaven.org 

  • TRENDING: LendNG, online rental and borrowing platform hits C/River cyberspace

    Lend.Ng Logo
    Efio-Ita Nyok|13 June 2017 
    An online tech product that creates the connect for a renter of a property(ies) with an anticipated borrower did hit Cross River cyberspace recently and virtually everybody is wowed by its potential NegroidHaven has gathered. This publication is about sampling the various expressed perspectives that opinion leaders in Cross River have had about the product. 
    It’s simply called Lend.ng., that is, ‘Lend Nigeria’. It’s an indigenous innovation by a group of tech-savvy young Nigerians who have decided to make a difference in the tech industry in Nigeria nay Africa and the world by extension. It resembles such platforms like OLX and Jiji. 
    Simon Utsu 
    MY LEND.NG REVIEW
    When I went through Lend.ng, the first thing I looked out for was it’s mission statement and vision —they were both very unique, impressive and futuristic.

    I further navigated the site and was even more impressed with the high level of technical input made by the site creator and designer(s). 

    Going by the above observation, lend.ng pretty much reminds me of wonga.com. 

    Wonga is the British lending company that revolutionised online lending and became a world leader in that sector around 2010 when they came up with new strategies that made them become the premium online destination for short loan seekers. This sudden mass appeal was made possible due to the concept and strategy that they brought to the table. 

    Lend.ng has come in with a similar style, though they’re into full-fledged e-commerce and NOT money lending. The proprietor Efio-Ita Nyok (including his colleagues) is a man of proven integrity and a very hardworking and versatile entrepreneur. I see the online revolution that happened in Europe repeating itself with Lend.ng. Lend.ng has come to stay. 


    Ekeng Inyang 
    The initiative by Efio-Ita Nyok and his brainy colleagues is really recommended.


    A site you can rent or buy and also sell anything you want within and outside Cross River State.

    I call it Calabar Ebay. 
    Comfort Onyaga Ogon
    Way to go! Let’s lend and rent @ www.lend.ng 

    In the face of the present harsh economic realities that up until now mystifies Nigerians and the concomitant dash hopes for the promising change that suddenly turned against the tides of hopes, young Nigerians like Efio-Ita Nyok keep pushing through as he ceased the opportunity to launch a platform lend.ng that not only meets the needs of the people by giving them a plethora of options to rent items such as furniture, kitchen wares, gadgets, automobiles, etc. but gives you and me the platform to rent out our properties as well. 

    What are you waiting for? Kindly visit www.lend.ng and see for yourself how you can take advantage of this platform to either rent items you are not able to own due to financial constraints or make money from the comfort of your bedroom by renting out your gadgets, furniture, and other household utensils rather than have them depreciate. You too can make some cool cash you know!

    Joseph Odok 
    Social Change Agent
    One of my student that have not let me in doubt of his ingenuity, creativity and integrity is Efio-Ita Nyok. I was so elated when he and his colleagues came up with a new initiative lend.ng —a new business initiative for renting and borrowing. I feel so elated by this ingenuity and urge friends and followers to key into the business, more so because of how the young Nyok has defined himself as one to be trusted. lend.ng is a platform that allows for anyone to rent anything at anytime at affordable prices. 

    It also helps professional lenders or any other person to rent their property to anticipated ‘lendees’, by creating an account and uploading properties. 

    LendNG is the new way to buy. Why buy when you may not need it again? Why buy when you may end up using at long intervals say six months? Why continue servicing a property when you hardly use it? Why not just rent it? 

    In lend.ng, both the professional rental company and the ordinary individual who has rentable properties can make money. LendNG is a demonstration of the authenticity in the trending movement referred to as the Sharing Economy. 

    to stay!
    Edward Ntebri Egbelo 
    My friend Efio-Ita Nyok just innovated a better version of Konga and Jumia! The guy is good but he likes arguing politics with me. 

    Please get all your stuffs here. And oh….you can also rent! Economic recession no affect this business o!!!
    Didi Etta 
    One of our very own Efio-Ita Nyok has this to offer and for me it’s incredible. 

    Lend what ever you want right here and the good news is…. for very affordable rates. Support our own. 

    If Na oyibo bring this one now una for don dey rush… Oya make we rush this one o!

    Well-done my dear friend Efio Ita Nyok. More grease.
    Frankie Ifop 
    I’ve soared the Internet and try to know the communications between users, especially trading, but only few interrelationships were drawn… Until I came across Lend.Ng, a growing market that suits every interests.

    Most times, I’ve been faced with carrying out a task where I don’t have the necessary tools, and you know what? I lost it all out, when trying to get to a shop to rent the needed tools. What I mean is that, the job was given to someone with the available materials. Aw! That really hurts, for a job of 150k was drawn away like that, just because of a tool. I kept beating my boots, and over the time, I’d have to buy equipments I don’t actually need after a first use.

    Sometime ago, I needed to show my tourist friends around Calabar but how did I end up that day; paying more than 50k for a cab we had to push sometimes along the way. I hid my head in shame that day, upon the hyping I gave to my city – I vowed to get a car soon, but would that stop my business? Nope, I still have to hang in there until all is finally settled.

    If there was a vibrant online market like LendNg, that experience couldn’t had occurred and the lost could’ve been accrued for something big.

    With LendNG, you can hire your wedding wears, a car, truck, electronic, media equipment like camera, lamp, etc. Others including tent for events, jewelries, bicycles, sporting equipments, mobile and computer gadgets, and lots more.

    I would’ve said, LendNg, why coming this later, but it’s better late than never.

    Try Lend.Ng today, your number 1 store for buying and lending. You can shop/lend anywhere you are in Nigeria. You’d love it! I bet you to try it! 
    Ambo, Ekpenyong 
    Director General, De-Mandate Advocate
    Wow LendNG is a very spontaneous market place.

    I was so elated when Efio-Ita Nyok and his colleagues came out with a new initiative lend.ng a new business initiative for renting and borrowing. I feel so glad by this simple act of thinking business and urge all to key into the business, more so because of how lend.ng is a platform that allows for anyone to rent anything at anytime at affordable prices. 

    LendNG is the new marketing tool for progressive buyers and lenders to do trade in a more conducive and trust worthy environment without so much epioms.
    ******************************************
    It’s commonly said that seeing is believing. Why not visit lend.ng and see things for yourself. Begin with creating a user account and upload that textbook and see if you won’t make money off it. Give lend.ng that try! 

    Efio-Ita Nyok
    Is a Blogger, the Editor & Publisher of NegroidHaven.org