Imala Report

November, 2020

I just returned from the King’s Palace in Imala, Ogun State, where we were ushered into the throne room, Dr. James Rose invited to sit at the right of the King’s throne and I to sit on his left! (Hmmm, so I’m the goat??) The rest of our group was asked to sit on the couches lining the three sides of the room.   

In Nigeria the custom is to bow very low when you are in the presence of a king all the while chanting the king’s local traditional name.  In Ogun State, the name is ‘Kabiyesi’.  So, the group, (except for James and me,) bowed to the ground crying “Kaaahbiyesi, Kaaahbiyesi!”  I had been following James’ lead – and was so greatly relieved when he didn’t do the bowing and chanting thing!  

The meeting with Kabiyesi was to inform him of our findings of the past three days and request land for the first Fulani family’s rotational grazing project.  

The first family that will receive land from Kabiyesi is Alhaji Bature, brother to my long-time colleague, Alhaji Mogodi Musa! Amazing! 

I first met Alhaji Bature at a meeting yesterday of several area Fulani, a meeting in which I informed them that Kabiyesi wanted to give land across the dam where the Fulani could live in peace, raise their families and cattle, have schools and clinics for their families. I began the session by telling the story of meeting Mogodi in Akwa Ibom State and working with him to open the first school for Fulani in Emiworo, Kogi State.  The moment I mentioned Mogodi’s name, this tall Fulani man jumped up and shouted, “Mogodi is my brother!  I know Emiworo, I know Hope Academy, I know all about rotational grazing!”  

We visited Alhaji Bature’s village today – I should say - villages! He has an enormous, extended family!  In his immediate family there are one hundred adults, three hundred children and eight hundred cows!  Can you imagine!  During our visit, we talked over the very serious commitment he would be making by accepting to change from the traditional mode of grazing cattle to managed, intensive rotational grazing.  We talked for a long time at the end of which Alhaji stood and promised, in front of the large group of witnesses before him, that he would do this grazing project, would never disappoint me or his brother Mogodi.  

So, at five this evening we went to Kabiyesi’s palace to request land, land which would be sufficiently large to accommodate Alhaji Bature’s family and a rotational grazing project for eight hundred cows!  

Kabiyesi granted Alhaji Bature one thousand acres of land!  

And this is just the beginning!  Kabiyesi is ready to give land to at least two other prominent Fulani families for the same purpose!  We hope to position the three parcels in such a way that a community farm and teachers’ quarters will be convenient to all three locations.  

It’s all about peace.  Giving land to Fulani who have previously never been landowners gives them the sense of being real Nigerians for the first time.  Providing a school for their children, training their women to be healthcare providers – these things have never been done for them before!  They now have such hope, such joy, a completely new lease on life.  They are cared for, they are loved.  They are recognized and valued as people, as Nigerians.  So wonderful!  And as they are recognized as real Nigerians, they put off their former anger and resentment and begin to live as equals with their neighbors.  

We, in Schools for Africa, now have a massive work ahead of us!  The process of resettling these Fulani families is our responsibility!  

Here is how we’ll proceed, by God’s grace.  Between now and January, James will work with Kabiyesi to identify and locate the one thousand acres, which by the way is on the other side of a dam, (with no bridge,) and pass the information on to me.  As soon as this is done, I and my team, Lawal, Sani, our two police officers and Wada, (the mason we’ve been working with,) will go to Imala, along with Alhaji Bature and locate the area on his newly acquired acreage where he would like to create a small village for himself and his family. We’ll help the family move across the dam and settle in, along with all their cattle and sheep. Staying temporarily in tents within that village, we will begin by building the teachers and visitors quarters, then build the school.  We will work with Zainab to hire teachers, enroll children and start school.  

After that, I’ll work with Alhaji Bello Mahmud and Haruna Ali to do a one week’s training on rotational grazing for all local herdsmen.  We’ll then do a GPS survey of the thousand acres, separating it into paddocks. The community farm will have to be identified as well, which Alhaji Bature’s family will share with at least two other families that will settle there in the future.  

And there’s still the health care issue to address.  In partnership with James Rose, we’ll build a clinic and train Fulani women to be community health workers.  I’m praying for a strong, capable nurse to come to help with this training and set up the program properly.  

We visited the Queen’s school in Imala.  After all I’ve seen of schools in Nigeria, I thought of myself as immune to the worst conditions.  This school however really shook me.  

Not that the facilities weren’t clean, or that the children weren’t nicely dressed in beautiful uniforms, seated at their desks with paper and pencils in hand!  Just that, for all of the classes, from Nursery, through the primary, junior high and high school grades, there was only one teacher!  For ALL of them!  

She had written lessons on the boards, which the children copied into their notebooks, then sat quietly for hours until it was time to go home.  

Zainab, my assistant, has promised the Queen to contact the government and get teachers for that school, whether graduates, or from the two programs, Empower and Nigeria Youth Services, she will find teachers.  I’m so thankful we can be of help in this terrible situation.  

In summary, in Imala, Christian Development Foundation is developing vocational training in various fields, West Africa Theological Seminary is planning the building of a large Christian university while we in SFA are working with the thousands of Fulani to ensure that they also feel loved and cared for.  It’s a great partnership and a great ministry.  

I hope we can work together to make this project a lasting monument to the faithfulness, grace and goodness of God to ALL His people, whatever their tribe and language.

Phyllis 

SFA Article in Light + Life Magazine

Be sure to check out SFA in this article online or in the December issue of Light + Life Magazine.

HARD BEGINNING, HAPPY ENDING…BELLO BELLO!

At the PTA meeting yesterday at Big Dam Primary School, we heard about the boy Bello Bello for the first time.  He was twelve years old we were told and absolutely brilliant – undoubtedly the best student in the school. Both his uncle and the Head Teacher stood and complained to us that they were on the verge of losing Bello Bello, as his helpless old mother needed him desperately at her home, a home which was far from Big Dam.  Formerly, he had been living close to Big Dam with his uncle and sister, and so was able to attend school there. But as his helpless, widowed mother needed him desperately, he was relocated home, the relocation happening this past March.  In Nigeria, schools were locked down from March until early June.  

When schools reopened in June, Bello Bello resumed his studies at Big Dam Primary but arriving very late every day.  Although scolded and disciplined for his tardy arrivals, he never told the teachers he was walking 15 kilometers to school every day.  The uncle and Head Teacher asked us to visit the home and talk to the mother about releasing Bello Bello back into his uncle’s care, but it was a big dilemma.  To keep Bello Bello in school at Big Dam was cruel.  No twelve-year-old should be made to walk fifteen kilometers to school every day and fifteen kilometers back home again!  But sending him back to live with his uncle close to the school would hurt the old mother!  What to do?  What to do? 

Eventually, the PTA meeting ended and the crowd of over one hundred parents and staff dispersed to their various homes, the Bello Bello matter still very much up in the air.

Sani, Jacob, Zainab, and I got into the Sequoia, left Big Dam, and began the long drive back to Alhaji Buba’s compound, where we live.  After we’d driven about 3 kilometers, we came across this small boy trudging along the main road all alone, wearing a rather ragged SFA uniform with a school bag over his shoulder.  We stopped and asked where he was coming from and where he was going.  He said he was coming from school, Big Dam, and going home.  Where was home, we asked?  He mentioned an area very far from where we were, past Alhaji Buba’s compound, past the Friesland Campina milk collection center – at least 15 kilometers away.    

“Hop in,” we said, “we’ll give you a ride home.”  I fished an unopened bottle of water out of my backpack and gave it to him.  He immediately opened it and drank thirstily.  

“What’s your name?” asked Zainab.

“My name is Bello Bello,” he answered.

Zainab looked at me.  “What?” she exclaimed!  “TWO Bello Bello’s in the same day?  What are the chances of that happening?”  

“I don’t know,” I answered, “Bello is rather a common name, after all.  It’s not beyond reason that there could be two Bello Bellos!”  

We began to discuss his school situation.  This Bello Bello said he was in Primary 2. Zainab asked to see his school books and saw that his work was amazing.  Beautiful handwriting, illustrations, and full marks on each assignment.  We told him that it made no sense for him to attend Big Dam as it was so far away from his home, that we would transfer him to Bobi 1 Primary School, although, as we continued the long drive to his home, we realized that even Bobi 1 was very far from his home.  

Finally, we turned off the dirt road onto a little path, following it to a very poor compound deep in the forest. In the distance, we had seen a woman pounding corn, but she must have run away when she saw us coming because, by the time we entered the compound, she was gone.  Bello Bello searched for her in the various huts but she was nowhere to be found.  

Zainab gave Bello Bello N2,000, about $4.50, for a new uniform, we said goodbye and drove away.  Along the way I decided to buy this Bello Bello a bike, so he could at least get to Bobi 1 Primary School more easily.  We asked our driver, Sani, to pick him up at his house the following morning and drive him to Bobi 1, taking him to the Head Teacher’s office for enrollment.  

That evening, sitting around the fire, we were talking about this Bello Bello we had met on the road.  Then Josephine, the Head Teacher at Big Dam, (who was visiting us at the time,) said, “But that’s the Bello Bello!  He’s the one the uncle and I were talking about!  That was him, that you met on the road, walking home!”

Of course.  How unusual would it be to discuss than actually meet two different Bello Bellos on the same day!   

And the solution to the dilemma of how Bello Bello could live at home with his mother and still attend school had already been provided! He would transfer to Bobi 1 Primary and ride a bike to school! 

Today, Sani took Bello Bello to Bobi 1 and watched as he was formally enrolled in Primary 2.  After school, he came over to Alhaji Buba’s compound where Okon gave him a big serving of rice with red sauce and fried plantain!  Then Lawal arrived in the pick-up, bringing a shiny new bike for Bello Bello.   

And Bello Bello happily rode his bike home to his mama! 

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I will never forget the story my first ICCM Director, Ann Van Valin, used to tell - the story of the starfish.

Early one morning a man walked down to the seashore near his house.  During the night the tide had washed up and stranded thousands of starfish onto the beach, where they were dying in great numbers.  

The man observed a small boy running back and forth from the beach to the water’s edge, gathering starfish and throwing them back into the water.

The man approached the boy and said, “What are you doing, Son?  There are thousands of starfish on this beach; you cannot possibly save them all!”

“No,” panted the boy, still running back and forth, throwing starfish into the water, “but I can save this one, and I can save this one, and this one!”  

Think about it.  We CAN save children in Nigeria – not all – but we can save this one, and this one, and this one.  With God’s help and your support, we will save the children, one child at a time.