On speaking up and Chimamanda Adichie’s personal sexual harassment story
During a keynote address at the just concluded Stockholm Forum for Gender Equality, Adichie disclosed that she was sexually harassed at the age of 17 by a ‘big man in the media.’
About Nigerian federal schools and maybe opportunity really knocks on my door once?
There was a lot of struggle and students had to push each other. The university surveillance had to intervene and who is at fault here? Should hundreds and hundreds of university students have to queue up only to be attended to by just a few staff? Should students also be hit with big sticks so as to control them?
Cold weather, and the home of Harry Potter: What one Nigerian student thought of Gloucestershire – Park Life
Nigerian student and BlankPaperz Editor, Mirabelle Morah gives us her take on her experience at The University of Gloucestershire while being sponsored by the British Council Nigeria as well as the University of Gloucestershire to study Media and Journalism.
What Exactly is Wrong With Mentees?
Here’s a guide for mentees and mentor seekers on how to work with mentors. Dear mentee stop waiting for your mentor to call you please. These people are busy! Sometimes they don’t even remember you. Life is such a hectic thing. Pursue your mentor. Let them know you are alive but you had better not be a pest.
Do You Think Your School Environment Matters at All?
Do you really think the environment in which you school in matters a lot? I mean, they say learning is an intellectual thing, isn’t it? What if you’re learning in a classroom filled with lizard poop, broken desks, smelly agidi wraps and tons of sachets of ‘pure water’ littered around you. Do you think quality education can be achieved in such an environment? Do you think you or anyone else can properly learn in this kind of environment?
In your opinion, what actions do you think an educational institution should take to address such a learning environment as seen in this picture.
Concluded Social+Media Usage Share it Session
This session of BlankPaperz Share it Session was a very exciting one! This was a free knowledge sharing session to teach writers and creatives on how to maximize the powerful potentials of social media and media in general for their good
Writing Workshop With Teens at NICO Commercial School
Thanks so much to Godwin Ovat and Victor Eyo for volunteering to make this a success. The essence of this workshop was to inspire and encourage young teenagers who had writing skills to write better and to let them know that stories are powerful and they are not too young to accomplish anything in life. Books were given out as well. Thanks to the Sunrise Youth Intervention Organization for contributing a carton of Teenage Bibles, Reach 4 Life, which was distributed for free to the students and many thanks as well, to the management of NICO Commercial School for their reception and hospitality.
BlankPaperz Editor is a 2018 Global Teen Leader!
MIRABELLE MORAH NIGERIA, 19 Project: Blank Paperz Basic Human Needs: Education Growing up in Calabar, Nigeria, Mirabelle knew many girls who were victims of sexual abuse, and had witnessed gender-based violence regularly in her community. While these horrible injustices went on, few people acknowledged them. Mirabelle saw the power of influential writers in her nation to inspire citizens to fight for equality, and knew writing could be a tool to address the issues in her society. Mirabelle created Blank Paperz, an online platform for young writers to share their voices and advocate for social change. Since its inception, 100+ young people from more than 12 countries have been published on Blank Paperz, reaching 70,000 viewers online. With the strong belief that education is the way to improve society, Mirabelle has trained several other young people to use media for social change, and organized book giveaways for the public. Since coming to the United States with…
The Thing That Happened “Over Time”
Ask the black man to understand why he refused to cook for his seven-month pregnant wife simply because the kitchen isn’t meant for him but still found washing the underwear of the white woman as a prestigious job!
Two-o-eight
He became concerned on Wednesday when as he walked home with his best friend, Michael, he had kicked another piece of rock. Michael, who was a class clown had joked, “Oh boy, are you not the god of stone?”
I Had the Chance to Live Twice
Life is a journey of no return. There’s nothing like ‘let me try both paths’. The path you choose is what you must follow until the end. You have got to live once so live it well. It was then that I realized I nearly lost my life due to carelessness. And that’s probably why I then chose to live my life well.
Tears at a Funeral
The grass dances to the dirge, the solemn farewell songs of the birds, but for this and the tears of his one true lover, all was silent. As the story goes, he had slipped on his drunkenness, missed his footing and tumbled down the stairs, rolling down till he bled out his last at the foot of the stairs. They don’t know the truth, they know how his wickedness led him to his own grave. They don’t know the truth of his heart and the sins of his one true lover. It was a cold windy night when he stepped into the house, reeking of alcohol, smoke and a woman’s perfume. Every night was the same, painful grips and blows that left hate on her pretty face. She had to run from the one she loved, she could because she was afraid he might push her, she could not sing.…
Empty
Aminu Mohamed woke this morning agile and strong like he always prayed for at the mosque. He strode out of bed immediately he finished reciting Suratul Fathia, he made for the bathroom and did his usual thing. He didn’t leave, he took his bath as quickly and as best as the cold weather would allow. He came out and passed by the phone, he was surprised he didn’t receive any calls throughout the midnight. He strode to his bed and flung some clothing on, his stethoscope strapped around his neck. He went to the table and made some tea quickly and thinly. But the more he saw that telephone on that table, he grew nervous that he could not read through the papers he had prepared last night like he had planned. He grabbed them and knocked off his almost empty cup of tea but he didn’t wait to pick…