Immunization in Esanland: a myth or a reality
Immunization in Esanland: a myth or a reality
By Prof. Matthew Izibili - a renowned African Philosopher
"That it may not get to me, is the insurance of a right thinking Esan man''; being proactive. You ought not to wait until your teeth are off their gum, before you resort to treatment of acheing tooth. (Be na-akon ribhunu, ole ada kpeebo akon).
At birth, the bathing water for the baby is specifically prepared in an earthen pot with herbs: back of tree, leaves from different trees, roots, etc. For the first about 14 days, the baby takes his or her bath with the seriously concentrated warm water. After bathing, some drops from the water goes to the child ' mouth. Improvised towel cleans up the body & special cream, home made is used on the body.
Uncivilized people you may be quick to call the parents. You missed it... The breast milk was valued. No nursing mother would breast feed the baby without washing the nipple if she has not taken her bath. Hygiene - the lesson that teaches us how to be clean in anything we do. Thank God for you who sucked your Mama's breast. Hmmmmm.
The said prepared water serves dua purpose. It helps to fight against skin disease & it clears the infant's stomach of any discomfort. If the child is having difficulty in passing feaces, there is a particular leaf the mother squeezes the water into the child's mouth, & such challenge is settled. (Ugbobhie leaf).
Immunization against convulsion & the like, was part of our people. When you see marks on the faces of most Esan people, they are not simply for beautification, identity purpose, etc. They were meant to attend to 'the unseen' in 'the seen'. They are not simply tribal marks or tattoos as some are tempted to call it today. Ask those who treated 'Ude', Spleen, you call it in English medical term?
This practice continued on till the Oyibos came & fought us to a standstill by calling our method & approach, fetish, evil & uncivilized. This is not unexpected since they discovered that we value anything foreign much more than our own. It has always been there style of taking over even the thought system of a people they wish to subdue. They first of all demonize the people's culture & tradition. How I wish our people knew...
Do you know that there were men who were saddled with the responsibility of stepping up the duty of immunization even the one against accident from gun shot, cutlass cut, etc. They deceived our people to do away with such defensive / immunization techniques & got cheap entrance to our communities with their own immunization drugs, their prepared guns, & other weapons of destruction.
They hand the drugs to us in cartons & give us niddles to inject our people by ourselves. Why do you frawn at being immunized via incision but prefer injection? What's the difference? Crude & refined... I hear you. Meanwhile, we don't really know what those vaccinations are made of. Don't laugh oooo. But I can tell you that when a baby is experiencing hikup, you simply get a piece of cotton or broom stick on the baby's hair, with a drop of water into his mouth, it will stop! You call this a myth abi?
Do you remember that if you have an injury on your toe, for example & you wish to protect it from hitting it against objects as you move, you simply tie a piece of tred ( kpelebe) on the toe, & you are insured against any wahala on the foot? The list is such a long one oooo.
Will you also call it a myth for our fathers who said that they forbid eating dinner once the sun sets? Their explanation is that they don't want the spirit to put hands in their food if they eat late. Hello, they were simply practicing the today's best way of ensuring that digestion is made easier for them as well as other advantages in order to have a peaceful sleep.
What about the myth of a woman must not make fire in the morning in her kitchen without scrubbing the kitchen especially the spot where she's to make the fire? If you know, you know!
The traditional sterilization of our earthen pot for drinking water, I still miss the water from that "Thermocool refrigirator" with a single cup for the family. We jumped at everything Oyibo & look at where it has landed us? We all have our roots. Back to nature is the call. We may have our bad side, but let's revive the aspects you think is good. Just like it is not everything Oyibo that is good, the same applies to our people.
Immunization on my mind in times like this when strange faces occupies our land & we are gripped with fear. No one seems to be talking! Happy weekend.
May God bless Esan land.
Prof. Matthew Izibili is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria
By Prof. Matthew Izibili - a renowned African Philosopher
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| Prof. Matthew Izibili |
At birth, the bathing water for the baby is specifically prepared in an earthen pot with herbs: back of tree, leaves from different trees, roots, etc. For the first about 14 days, the baby takes his or her bath with the seriously concentrated warm water. After bathing, some drops from the water goes to the child ' mouth. Improvised towel cleans up the body & special cream, home made is used on the body.
Uncivilized people you may be quick to call the parents. You missed it... The breast milk was valued. No nursing mother would breast feed the baby without washing the nipple if she has not taken her bath. Hygiene - the lesson that teaches us how to be clean in anything we do. Thank God for you who sucked your Mama's breast. Hmmmmm.
The said prepared water serves dua purpose. It helps to fight against skin disease & it clears the infant's stomach of any discomfort. If the child is having difficulty in passing feaces, there is a particular leaf the mother squeezes the water into the child's mouth, & such challenge is settled. (Ugbobhie leaf).
Immunization against convulsion & the like, was part of our people. When you see marks on the faces of most Esan people, they are not simply for beautification, identity purpose, etc. They were meant to attend to 'the unseen' in 'the seen'. They are not simply tribal marks or tattoos as some are tempted to call it today. Ask those who treated 'Ude', Spleen, you call it in English medical term?
This practice continued on till the Oyibos came & fought us to a standstill by calling our method & approach, fetish, evil & uncivilized. This is not unexpected since they discovered that we value anything foreign much more than our own. It has always been there style of taking over even the thought system of a people they wish to subdue. They first of all demonize the people's culture & tradition. How I wish our people knew...
Do you know that there were men who were saddled with the responsibility of stepping up the duty of immunization even the one against accident from gun shot, cutlass cut, etc. They deceived our people to do away with such defensive / immunization techniques & got cheap entrance to our communities with their own immunization drugs, their prepared guns, & other weapons of destruction.
They hand the drugs to us in cartons & give us niddles to inject our people by ourselves. Why do you frawn at being immunized via incision but prefer injection? What's the difference? Crude & refined... I hear you. Meanwhile, we don't really know what those vaccinations are made of. Don't laugh oooo. But I can tell you that when a baby is experiencing hikup, you simply get a piece of cotton or broom stick on the baby's hair, with a drop of water into his mouth, it will stop! You call this a myth abi?
Do you remember that if you have an injury on your toe, for example & you wish to protect it from hitting it against objects as you move, you simply tie a piece of tred ( kpelebe) on the toe, & you are insured against any wahala on the foot? The list is such a long one oooo.
Will you also call it a myth for our fathers who said that they forbid eating dinner once the sun sets? Their explanation is that they don't want the spirit to put hands in their food if they eat late. Hello, they were simply practicing the today's best way of ensuring that digestion is made easier for them as well as other advantages in order to have a peaceful sleep.
What about the myth of a woman must not make fire in the morning in her kitchen without scrubbing the kitchen especially the spot where she's to make the fire? If you know, you know!
The traditional sterilization of our earthen pot for drinking water, I still miss the water from that "Thermocool refrigirator" with a single cup for the family. We jumped at everything Oyibo & look at where it has landed us? We all have our roots. Back to nature is the call. We may have our bad side, but let's revive the aspects you think is good. Just like it is not everything Oyibo that is good, the same applies to our people.
Immunization on my mind in times like this when strange faces occupies our land & we are gripped with fear. No one seems to be talking! Happy weekend.
May God bless Esan land.
Prof. Matthew Izibili is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria
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