The Availabilityof Safe and Clean Water in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

The Availabilityof Safe and Clean Water in Nigeria Essay One would agree that something so basic and necessary should readily be available but that has not been the case with Africa. Africa is home to most of the poorest people in the world. It is a continent faced with numerous conflicts, trials and challenges; and a severe lack of access to safe water is amongst its biggest. An estimated eight hundred and eighty-four million people do not have access to safe drinking water, while some one and a half million children under five died each year from sickness caused by water-borne diseases. In Sub-Sahara Africa in general, there is no water shortage, but there is a lack of storage capacity and distribution systems. Nigeria is Africas most populous nation and is home to an estimated one hundred and sixty-seven million people. It is a country that receives a relatively high level of annual rainfall which is not distributed evenly through time or space. Because of these variations in time and space, people in different parts of Nigeria use water in different ways. For example, in the drier northern parts of Nigeria where rainfall is lower and less evenly distributed throughout the year, efforts have been made to develop irrigation. Down south, the rainfall is more abundant and supplies the teeming population who use it as a source of portable water. While irrigation is important in a few parts of the country, the vast majority of people use water mainly for day-to-day household activities like cooking, drinking, and washing. In a relatively well-watered country like Nigeria, one would think that acquiring water would not be a problem. Providing safe, abundant supplies of household water, has been an immense challenge however. Unfortunately, access to safe drinking water is far less than thirty percent on the aggregate. In a poor country like Nigeria, gaining access to safe, continuous water supplies is an ongoing struggle for many. Human wastes and pollution make many water supplies unsafe for many people. In addition, the state has been unable to provide safe, affordable water. This is particularly true in rural areas. In many rural areas, where the majority of the population live, women and girls are forced to walk long distances to acquire household water. In extreme cases, women and children may spend from two to three hours per day gathering water. It goes without saying that most rural households do not have their own pipe-borne water supply. In the best of circumstances, small villages or neighborhoods will have their own wells. While water supply is somewhat better in urban areas, major challenges still remain. In cities without a functioning public water system, individual households and groups of households must either drill their own well or purchase their water. The proliferation of small urban wells and boreholes is not a thorough end to the problem, however. There is no guarantee that the water drawn from the wells especially is safe for drinking. Due to a lack of sanitation facilities, household wastes filter into the cities underground water supplies. Furthermore, with an eighty-five percent increase in urban population from 1990 to 2004, the number of urban dwellers unserved with either safe drinking water or basic sanitation doubled from 1990 to 2004. In addition to rapid urbanization, ineffective governance and persistent poverty remain the root cause of water infrastructure associated problems. Access to safe water is also a critical factor in Nigerian public health. The most damaging drinking water-borne illnesses are typhoid, cholera, and diarrhea. Other human diseases are spread merely through contact with contaminated water. Bathing water illnesses include schistosomiasis (formerly known as bilharziasis), dracunculiasis (guinea worm infection), and roundworm infections. Drinking and bathing are not the only methods through which water-borne illnesses are spread. Contaminated water is often used to wash foods like fruits and vegetables. This often provides another channel for diseases to spread. Bad management of the water bodies too has led them to even becoming breeding sites for vectors of parasites that cause diseases such as malaira, river blindness, dengue fevers, sleeping sickness and so on. Nigeria is masked with challenges of coping with failing infrastructures, inadequate finance, poor legislation, lack of appropriate institutional capacity for regulation and control and often the political will to enforce control measures to bring about change. The position is complicated by the fact that governments have been at a loss on how to set standards to improve the water situation. Consequently, they resort to dependence on adopted standards, policies and guidelines as presented by international organizations. But in the midst of these seemingly insurmountable challenges efforts, are being made to bring about a shift in the status quo but they have not been enough. The theoretical and practical knowledge of water, sanitation and hygiene are of relevance in overcoming this water crisis and providing safe and clean water to Nigerians. The practical aspect may be undertaken in the form of a community development project. Objectives of such water supply projects will involve the following: †¢ Assessing community needs in relation to water supply. †¢ Developing a joint plan of action with the government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and community members for the supply of water and romotion of environmental hygiene and health. †¢ To promote the adoption of safe hygienic practices within the project communities in order to limit the occurrence and effects of water and sanitation related diseases. To assist in empowering the communities for behavioural changes through participatory approaches. †¢ To establish a powerful network with international organizations working on water, the environment and health in order to provi de technical assistance for the project, especially as regards training of trainers. Establishment of a joint planning committee including all the stakeholders and community members is very necessary for the project. This is important in order to have active participation and a sense of ownership of the project; such multisectoral committee will enhance the sustainability of the programme. The second stage of the planning involves the determination of a hierarchy of the project goals, objectives and targets which is to provide clean and safe water to members of the community. Going further, a generation and assessment of the various options available for achieving the set objectives and targets, as there are usually several ways of reaching a target. This will result in preferred options or a combination of approaches, which will then form part of the plan to bring safe and clean water to Nigerians. The programming stage translates the results of the option appraisal into a series of programmes, each with a budget, over the plan period. The penultimate stage involves the implementation of the plan, bearing in mind the various dynamics of the Nigerian poplulation. This involves transforming the broad programmes drafted to suit the smaller rural communities, into more specific timed and budgeted sets of tasks and activities, and involves the drawing up of a more operational plan or a work plan to service the bigger cities and the nation at large. The work plan is closely monitored during the implementation stage. This is to see that the corruption so frequently encountered in the system does not hamper the progress being made in providing clean and safe water to Nigerians. Simple behavioural changes have complex repercussions. However, such changes will not occur unless they are appropriate, affordable and acceptable, considering the complex web of socio-cultural and economic factors impacting at the individual and the community level in Nigeria; ultimately determining whether or not people are willing or able to make basic changes in their lifestyles in order to help serve them clean and safe water. These changes are geared towards safeguarding public health and delivering a better life to Nigerians, and must involve each and every one of us. Countless lives will be saved, and the attending socio-economic advancement would be rewarding to every Nigerian.

Running Training Essay -- Compare Contrast Papers

Running Training For the past several years runners all over the world have been trying to figure out and arguing over the simple question: â€Å"Is high mileage training better than low mileage, during training season?† Kenyan’s in Africa have been running unbelievable amounts of mileage for years, and tend to always be in the top field in any race over five thousand meters. While Africans have been leading the fields for years, where do the best US runners end up? Not in the lead pack! Perhaps they are training too hard to be like their Kenyan counterparts. I think a lot of runners believe that if they train like the runners from Kenya that they will have the same results. When in truth they end up running themselves into the ground. Perhaps that is why there are others that think that if they train light and more to their athletic ability level that they will have better results. Many runners think that less mileage is better for a runner during training season, as does George Sheehan who wrote the essay titled â€Å"Training: More or Less.† In his essay he claims that he believes the optimal distance for athletes is twenty to twenty-five miles per week, including speed work, and races. While his theory on training might be correct for his level of training, it may not be sufficient for other runners who are serious about training with all they have. Many believe that in order to get better they must put in the miles on the road, which will get their legs used to the stress put on their muscles and feet during the course of a race. As a distance runner for the Buena Vista University Cross Country and Track team, in Storm Lake, Iowa, my experience with low mileage training and high mileage training came out wit... ... further distances. Runners are entitled to their own opinion, because everybody’s bodies are different and are more fit for running different levels of mileage. While those runners are training with low mileage, others who are against running low mileage because they believe that getting the body used to running further distances will improve their running. The above research gave plenty of examples of how there is a rebuttal going on where some runners believe that less training means more output, as well as how some believe that more training means more output. Examples are given throughout the paper to support both ideas. Works Cited Hage, Jim. When Less Really is Less. 15 Apr. 2002 . Sheehan, George. Training: More or Less. 1991. 15 Apr. 2002 .

Secrets and the Scarlet Letter

â€Å"A secret between two is God's secret, between three is all men’s. †-Spanish Proverb. Secrets are not meant for being told. Usually everyone is supposed to take secrets â€Å"to their grave. † In certain circumstances, they must be told. Even though you’re thwarting your own honor by telling a secret, sometimes it must be done. In most cases, secrets should be kept, but in The Scarlet Letter, there are some that need to be told. There's nothing more powerful than finding someone safe to tell â€Å"the secret† to. No one knows how hard it is, unless they've been there. Your heart pounds, your body is rock rigid, you grind your teeth, your mouth is dry. You think of all the excuses to keep your mouth shut. They'll get mad. They'll laugh. They'll reject you. They'll treat it like it was nothing and tell you to forget about it. Or worse: they'll be polite, nod their head like they understand, leave and not ever have anything to do with you again. Even then, the depth of doubt, self-hate, fear and insecurity is so strong, that even after you tell even to someone who's been through it too you leave and wonder, did I say too much? Did I do the right thing? Will they hate me? Only experience lets you know your trust wasn't for nothing. In the Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and Arthur Dimmesdale all have secrets. They will do whatever they can to keep their secrets a secret. Except for Hester, whose secret has been made public by her wearing the scarlet letter A. Arthur Dimmesdale’s secret is the most lethal. He is keeping his secret to protect his reputation even though it’s eating away at him and keeping him from what he wants most; Hester. For example, in chapter 17 page 182, we are told that Dimmesdale’s secret has taken hold of his life and made him a miserable man. â€Å"There is no substance in it! It is cold and dead, and can do nothing for me! Of penance I have had enough! Of penitence there has been none! Else, I should long ago have thrown off these garments of mock holiness, and have shown myself to mankind as they will see me at the judgment-seat. Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am! † Dimmesdale’s secret should be told because then he won’t feel so guilty and his shame and hypocrisy will not eat him alive. It also isn’t fair to Pearl that she has no father and won’t be able to have one because of Dimmesdale’s secret. She has no knowledge of him being her father because of what he had to do to protect his name. Girls should have a father figure in their lives, Pearl never had that opportunity. Roger Chillingworth also exhibits secrecy. He’s keeping his identity a secret because he wants to find out who Hester’s acquaintance was and he also wants to protect his high reputation as well. It isn’t right for him to keep his identity a secret because it’s putting other people in harm’s way which is a circumstance when secrets need to be told. The torture he’s doing to Dimmesdale isn’t dignified and un-puritan like. In chapter 14, Chillingworth says â€Å"I have left thee to the scarlet letter, if that have not avenged me I can do more! † This quote says that Chillingworth is willing to do more to Dimmesdale and make him suffer more which is making Chillingworth’s secret deeper because the more he does that Hester knows about, the more guilt she feels about keeping his identity a secret from Dimmesdale. His secret should be told because it goes against moral values of the puritans. In some cases, secrets shouldn’t be told. Those who keep a secret keep themselves moral. Keeping a secret and respecting the secrets of others, as opposed to prying into them, is a virtue of self discipline and sensitivity. The heart can be seen as a safe for keeping secrets. Intelligence is the lock, and will power is the key. Keeping secrets is important for your dignity, pride, and personal gain. In response to The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is the only one who knows the secrets that Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are hiding from the townsfolk. Hester has to control her desire to tell the truth and practices the art of deception to hide these secrets. When she will not reveal the father of Pearl, Reverend Dimmesdale says, â€Å"She will not speak. † It is ironic that the person who committed the sin with Hester is the one who announces publicly that she will not reveal the name of the other sinner. Later, Chillingworth wants to know who it is and he says, â€Å"Thou wilt not reveal his name? † Hester refuses and continues to hold her silence. Then, Chillingworth, still trying to find out the name of her lover, comments, â€Å". . . but Hester, the man lives who has wronged us both! Who is he? † When he says this, he is hinting that he is going to do something to Dimmesdale. This is why Hester makes Chillingworth promise not to kill her lover if he finds out his identity. Chillingworth deserves to know who slept with his wife, although Hester should not have had to tell him. I think that Dimmesdale should have admitted that he was Pearl's father. Today, if a priest admitted such a crime, he would probably be sent to jail. However, in the novel, had Dimmesdale confessed, the townsfolk would have liked him even more. Hester also has to live with, and conceal, the secret that Chillingworth is her husband. When he comes to visit her in jail he says, â€Å"Thou hast kept the secret of thy paramour. Keep, likewise, mine! There are none in this land that know me. Breathe not, to any soul, that thou didst ever call me husband. † Hester shows great strength of character by her ability to keep the secret identities of her lover and her husband. There must have been times when the temptation to reveal her secrets was overwhelming, but she managed to do so. There are times when secrets must stay secrets and times when they should be told. The Scarlet Letter is an allegory for secrets. Chillingworth and Dimmesdale’s secrets should be told because they’re doing things for the wrong reasons and hurting either themselves or those around them. It was right for Hester to keep secrets throughout the book because she was looking out for herself, Pearl, and Dimmesdale and would do anything to make sure they weren’t in harm’s way of Chillingworth’s wrath. When it comes to secrets, to each their own. With different situations comes different ways to handle the condition and decide whether or not a secret should be held in or expressed for the world to hear. In most cases, secrets should be kept, but in The Scarlet Letter, there are some that need to be told.

Asian American Identity Development Model - 886 Words

RCIDM and Multiculturalism Having knowledge of the Racial/Cultural Identity Development Model will help counselors to become more culturally competent. Although we know these phases, one must be aware of the cultures that counselors will be working with and how one’s beliefs can hinder the process. The five stages of the Asian-American Identity Development Model, developed by Sue and Sue, are: The ethnic awareness stage, White identification stage, the awakening to the social political consciousness stage, redirection stage, and the incorporation stage. Asian-Americans prefer crisis-oriented, brief, and solution oriented approaches, and they are influenced by their families and culture. The fear of losing face to their peers by seeking therapy will lead them to early termination of therapy. Asian cultures are typically high context cultures in which gesture, body language, eye contact, pitch, intonation, word stress, and the use of silence are as important as the actual words being spoken in convers ation. Asians are typically polite in social encounters whereas Americans, being very low context communicators, are comfortable with very direct questions and answers and often seem abrupt to people from high context cultures. The five stages of the Black Identity Development Model, originally developed by Cross, are: The pre-encounter stage, encounter stage, immersion-emersion, internalization, and internalization-commitment. 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