Weekly Review
There is only one reality but it is a plastic phenomenon. Where do you spend most of your time? What do you care about? Who do you communicate with? These are your “realities” and they are ever-changing over the course of life in countless ways. The imagination has an enormous ability to construct and reconstruct what we call our “worldview,” a word with specific focus on the visual component of consciousness. The more we communicate with others about agreed upon avenues of meeting and exchange, the more we can begin to claim that what we are experiencing is a dominant consensus reality, even if much of it is within our computers. In fact, a hybrid situation seems to be perhaps the healthiest version of reality emerging, one where we are able to exercise our bodies in physical ways and also exercise our minds, going back and forth between external and internal worlds.
What we are experiencing today at Community DAO is a type of international collaboration in the internal world of digitally constructed paths. And this is exciting! Curators here are now spending most of their time actually curating content created by people from around the globe. Instead of, or perhaps, better said, in addition to knowing people down the street in our physical neighborhood, we are also teleporting through space mentally and building new things at a planetary level. It makes no difference if we are using brick and mortar to construct a home or digital pixels. This wave of international community building has the power to reconfigure our civilization peacefully.
Editor Alina Okun, DBA, has done a fantastic job in creating a database tracking the stories of our African marketing design squad here: https://www.notion.so/pulsar-innovation/Community-DAO-ebaaa160c93040dd8c85b88af7a1ade0
For two weeks straight, we have received over 15 1000+ word essays for our weekly publication Commlink. We believe this is a significant demonstration of member engagement and that it will only continue to grow. Africa is a big continent! And we have staked the Ravencoin claim effectively there and believe in time, it may catch like wildfire.
This week we are featuring a combination of works produced on last week’s theme “3 Favorite Memories” as well as works from this week’s theme “3 Memories of Technology.” Because we are receiving so much content, we will continue to parse it out selectively over time, in digestible portions.
In addition to the original writings, we witnessed the production of 60+ designs from 13 different creators participating in our weekly design theme contest this time about “Metaverse Games.” Here are the results: Metaverse Game Design - Weekly Theme Contest-8/20/22
This has led to more speculation about various ways to bolster, promote, and encourage this squad’s further growth and participation as a protocol generating incubator. Currently, we are stimulating and incentivizing the project with Ravencoin and our native C0MMtoken at an experimental level. Is it possible for us to develop 100 active workers by year’s end? Possibly. But these things will depend on the investment potential in Community DAO for long term survival. And that will be contingent on our ability to build marketable protocols that can sustain the organization perpetually.
The Commtower project with Alterverse is our opportunity to do just that, to build a working business by providing services and selling goods. Things we will sell at the Commtower initially are access, ownership, and control of a unique digital property in a popular rising metaverse ecosystem called Sky City. We may use the space to license and mint various NFTs for artists and businesses thru the C0MM Main Asset Token on the Ravencoin blockchain. The base unit or product that we will feature, however, will be a C0MM/DAO token worth approximately $50, with a locked, non-reissuable supply of 8,000,000 tokens, the present population of planet Earth. The token will deliver access to the Commtower, as well as voting and communication privileges in the DAO. Holding multiple tokens will increase opportunities within the tower towards private ownership of floors.
Next to gaming and meeting, I view the NFT virtual art gallery as a predominant feature of probable activity within the CommTower. Available walls will be adorned with every creative project we can convince to join us and develop a presence in the tower.
I was able to view one version of a virtual art gallery done by Ravencoin artist named IndyBows here: https://beta.roomful.net/room/9hn9hv3kd2vtd6
A couple stills from that space:
The space takes a while to load and is somewhat cumbersome in moving around. However, it is a fantastic effort and vision of how these types of spaces could look in a digital city.
Unreal Engine 5 developers often comment on how being able to operate in an immersive space with elaborate physics has an electric effect on consciousness. Being able to walk around or fly thru a design space adds an entire new element of consideration. We agree and view the opportunity to develop within this environment to be valuable. For not only could you view an artwork in the Commtower, you could also go outside or fly around town or go into other businesses down the street. These are exciting prospects and we are happy to be early “guinea pigs” in the lab on the scene.
Hope you enjoy the rest of the show in this our 26th week of publication!
Best,
Dow
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My Jewel in the Crown Echoes
In a functional context, memories can be described in terms of valuable constructs of human existence that not only play a vital role in enforcing our humanity but also in the wider aspect of keeping us in check and in remembrance of key events within our lives. Growing up as a kid and now as an adult in the 21st century, it is undeniable that there has been a marked surge in technology all around the globe. This surge seemingly climaxed with the innovation of key gadgets in the 19th and 20th centuries but the trend has continued well into the 21st century. It is at once important to point out that over the past few decades, only rich Africans had access to state-of-the-art technology and science. However, the dynamic has taken an egalitarian tilt over the past few years, thereby affording Africans of the middle or indeed lower social strata access to technology. This was informed by the fact that there has also been an upsurge in awareness levels due to education.
First: My Memory of Mobile Phone Technology
My close to three decades of existence on earth is replete with a plethora of use of technology. On the one hand, is what is considered mobile technology in the western world. Put differently, this type of technology is not unconnected with the 21st century preponderance of mobile phone technology and, to a very large extent, its ability to aid in often untold capacities that can be practical at times. My first encounter with mobile phones dates far back over a decade. However, this initial contact with mobile phone technology was somewhat marred by the fact that it didn't afford me a first-hand experience as these mobile phones belonged either to parents or to visitors and teachers. I placed the better part of my experience of mobile phone technology in escrow until maturity was attained, hence a coming of age.
Unlike current trends, my initial contact with mobile phone technology didn't strike me as awe-inspiring as the innovations of the present day. Yet, it remained highly captivating and memorable even in the twilight moments of my teenage years. Specifically speaking, my first mobile phone was Nokia X2. It was not rare to find young people in possession of this phone back then. It is because, for regular people, this represented their best chance at having a shot at the mobile phone technology cake. The jury is still out on whether this initial contact left me affected in counterproductive ways due to a marked propensity to while away valuable hours watching videos. However, it is axiomatic that it did help in numerous areas, particularly in the aspect of school work and study. The internet afforded me the leeway to fetch data and information faster than before, thereby granting exemption from the hassle of checking through a stockpile of books for valid information in the school library. Indeed, it is impossible to undermine the role mobile phone technology played as I climbed higher on the academic ladder.
Second: My Memory of Aircraft
Traveling by air is something I had always fantasized about since my teenage years. Call it naive, but it had sentimental value, and I knew no peace until I finally traveled by airplane. Specifically, this happened during a trip from Uyo to Abuja some years ago. As someone who had made a habit of traveling short distances by road, I didn't hop on the bandwagon of those who develop cold feet in the build-up to their first flight.
A journey from Uyo to Abuja would take hours by road, but I was amazed at how quickly we arrived at our destination. This short travel duration gave me the incentive to take care of things that I would have postponed for the next day had I traveled by road. My experience flying in an airplane ranks second on my list of fantastic experiences engendered by state-of-the-art technology and science.
Third: My Memory of Camera Technology
My life so far has been replete with an inundation of reasons to cherish the camera as a form of technology in the modern world. This is mainly because of the fact that not only does the camera give us a hand in preserving valuable moments, but it also goes a step further by capturing, with relative exactitude, the aura of the event. As earlier stated, my experiences with cameras are almost too numerous to attempt a headcount.
However, this means little when the topic of discourse is a phone camera. It's not far-fetched to think that before we were ushered into the era of a preponderance of mobile phones, camera technology was often costly and accompanied by distinct hardware. Nonetheless, this technology has helped preserve valuable memories of friends, family, and events. For instance, there are a wide variety of pictures taken during my school days that I hope to look back in decades to come and appreciate just how far I have scaled the ladder of life.
In all, I'd like to point out a quote from one of my favorite mentors. It was R.J. Palacio who once said:
“The things we do outlast our mortality. The things we do are like monuments that people build to honor heroes after they’ve died. They’re like the pyramids that the Egyptians built to honor the pharaohs. Only instead of being made of stone, they’re made out of the memories people have of you.”
Due to the diverse definitions of memory by different scholars and dictionaries, I have been made aware of how life brings tears, smiles, and memories. The tears dry, the smiles fade, but the memories last forever.
The memories I've shared above are my favorite, and I will tell my younger generation and my unborn generation about them. This is because memories teach life lessons.
Technology and I
I grew up loving technology for so many reasons. It has really made life easy for my family and me. It all started when we first packed into Johnson Avenue in New York City. Rumors were flying that it was a center for all sorts of crimes. People said there was a serial killer on the loose who has been killing people in the neighborhood. Several times, when my brother and I walked to school or back, or even at school, we would meet a bunch of kids talking about this killer. Some even made it sound like they were the killer themselves when they started to demonstrate how he operates. They could readily pass off as pros or people who have inborn murdering talent.
On one Saturday morning, while we were clearing the lawn, a neighbor of ours, Mr. Haley, walked up to our lawn to talk to my parents. As the ever-curious child I was, I came closer to them to hear better what he was saying. Then his words hit hard. He was talking about a woman who lived across the street and was murdered in cold blood in her bathtub. This frightened me, and everything the kids at school had been saying came ringing in my head. I got so scared, and later in the day, I asked my parents if we could move out. They said no. We moved here in the first place because of my dad's work transfer. At that moment, I wish I didn't come here with them. I would have preferred to stay at Grandpa's.
After dad and mum thought hard about how to keep us safe and out of harm's way, they asked us to take the bus to school and back home, and we weren't permitted to keep late nights. Dad finally had the perfect plan. He had some tech guys install security cameras in and out of the house, which helped monitor the activities going on inside and outside the house. I never liked the device until the evening I was home alone. I had come down with the flu the day the whole family had dinner at Grandpa's. Since I couldn't sleep, I was playing my favorite video game when I heard someone ring the front doorbell. I was curious and as well perplexed as to who that might be since we weren't expecting any visitors at that time. So I snuck to the living room and made my way to the CCTV control room, where I was able to ascertain who it was. It was a complete stranger who looked suspicious and kept looking out the lawn to see if anybody was around. From the way he was dressed, he looked like a delivery guy, but I never ordered takeouts. I noticed this guy looked like someone who didn't want the neighbors to notice his presence, so he wore a faz cap to protect his identity. Luckily for me, I could spot his face with the CCTV cams. He started trying to fiddle with the door knob, which quickly sparked the thought that he was the serial killer who has come to kill me. I quickly dialed 112 with my shaky hands and fast-beating heart while I observed him closely. I noticed he left the front porch and made for the back of the house, where he then tried to break into the house. The cops arrived just in time to stop him, though his activities had triggered the burglary-proof alarm. The suspect was apprehended and after much questioning, he admitted that he was the famous serial killer everybody was talking about.
Thankfully, dad had installed the CCTV cameras for security purposes, and they indeed saved me from harm's way. From then onward, my love and admiration for technology grew like Flash on the run. It didn't just save me from the cruel hands of death by a serial killer, but it has also saved Johnson's Avenue from the horror that plagued them for years.
Later my family returned with smiles on their faces, glad that I was safe, and thanks to modern technology, the serial killer was finally apprehended. Otherwise, it would have been just another tragedy and I would have been reported dead. After that day, I could not stop talking about the goodness of technology.
Another instance was when mum's only brother, Uncle Jade, got into a major accident that left him without a limb. You see, the problem was that Uncle Jade was a talented basketball player. He was part of the NBA until he had an accident and lost a leg. Our family was told that he could be given an artificial leg, one which is as flexible as a human leg, only that it's better and stronger than a human leg. When I sat next to my uncle on the bed, listening to his conversation with my grandparents and parents about this device, I wondered what the world would have been like if there was no technology. I was happy I lived in a technologically advanced world. The doctor made sure to make it clear that getting the humanoid leg would cost a lot, and also, the surgical implanting of the leg would be expensive. My family was ready to do whatever they could to get him back to his feet. The doctor was asked to commence preparations for the surgical procedure after getting my uncle's approval. My uncle's surgical procedure was over and it was a success. Today, my uncle is one of the NBA's top players. He plays forward for the team.
I cannot stop appreciating the goodness of technology. It has in many ways been beneficial to humanity, and we cannot be grateful enough. There was also this other time when tech had been of advantage to my family and me. Mum soon had a third child, a girl. Mum had parked her car in the parking lot to grab one or two things at the supermarket. Since baby Maya was fast asleep, mum decided to leave her in the car and go inside the supermarket to get food for breakfast. When she got out and opened the car to get in and go home, a masked robber attacked her and stole both the car and baby Maya inside it. Mum cried her eyes out in the parking lot, ran back into the supermarket, and used the public phone to call dad.
Once again, technology came through for us. Soon the police were on the robber's trail and tracked the vehicle to an abandoned neighborhood, where they caught the criminal and saved baby Maya.
With these sweet memories, I can indeed say that technology has won a greater part of my heart.
A New World
Technology is like a new world that has come to stay with us. As humans, we have passed through different phases and stages in life. Particularly in Africa, we have come a long way. From the precolonial era to the colonial era and now, the information age. From different systems of government to what many would consider a modern system of government. Our standard of living has improved and we are fortunate to be a part of this age. It would be fair to say that technology is a new age. The new age that evolves daily with inventions.
Many people wonder if the different schools of thought as propounded by various authors have already occurred or if we are still on a journey of globalization. Whatever the case may be, one thing is certain, technology has made life easier and better.
In Africa today, people see technology skills as a necessity, just like acquiring formal education has become a necessity for Africans.
I am not left out. It would be safe to say that I am experiencing technology, and I am a part of this new age. This is because the journey to acquiring digital skills seems to be a never-ending journey. It is my pleasure to take you through my journey in technology. I will focus on three memories.
My Digital and Portable Device.
You might be wondering what my digital and portable device is. Well, growing up, the easiest way to communicate with others was by going to the post office to either send or receive a letter from a friend or loved one. However, the manufacturing of phones changed everything.
At a tender age, I remember that the only thing I did was take the phone to my aunty whenever she had a call from someone. At that time, the phone in use was really big and heavy. Africans called it "TOKUNBO."
On one faithful day, my birthday precisely, while I was about to enter secondary school, a relative visited me and gave me a birthday gift. When I opened it, guess what? It was a phone. An Itel phone that came with a sim card from the popular network providers Zain, now Airtel.
Can I put the excitement of owning a phone into words? No. I guess you may not understand that feeling. I did a lot of things with my phone. One of my favorite things to do was play the snake game on my phone, and I also enjoyed setting the ringtone and dancing to it. These were the only things I could do with the phone apart from answering phone calls.
After a couple of years, my parents bought Nokia C3, which was trending at that time. I opened a 2go account and would always chat with my friends on it. That's something I had never seen before. Trust me, I never knew anything about social media platforms until 2go came. 2go had certain ranks that appeared on the profile of every user. As a teenager, I felt a level of accomplishment when the expert rank appeared on my 2go handle profile.
Then came another advanced version of phones. It was called "blackberry". I had a blackberry pin and would chat with loved ones. Almost everyone wanted a blackberry phone as it was the trending phone.
Today, different brands of Android phones and smartphones have been developed. It has become easy to surf the internet in the comfort of our homes with our smartphones.
I no longer go to ICT centers to buy time and space to surf the internet. More phones with new features are evolving, and I look forward to being a part of this.
My Ride To The Top
I have always seen elevators but only in movies. One day, I decided to go out with my sister. We visited the popular Ibom Market square, Tropicana in Africa. Wow, that place seemed to be another world on its own.
We wanted to go to another section of the market where we could buy what we wanted. I quickly suggested that we should use the staircase. I had seen the escalator already, but I was scared of riding it. I mean, you wouldn't want me to fall in a public place such as market square. So, I insisted on using the staircase but my sister refused. She noticed that I was afraid and offered to help.
I counted from 1 to 10 and gave it a try.
First, I stretched my right leg forward and maintained balance. Wow, it was an awesome experience. I could not help but try it over and over again. Today, I prefer using an escalator to the stairs.
A Clearer Vision
One thing technology has given us is the ability to see and appreciate visuals. Having a radio was one of the most important assets every home needed. When I came back from school, I turned on my radio and listened to songs and the news.
This was always enjoyable to do as we had no television back then. I only watched television when I ran errands for my mother. There was a shop that sold movies close to my house. Whenever I was sent on an errand, I'd stop by that shop to watch television.
The day we bought a television was as if the light was restored in our lives. Wow, that is the power of technology. I had to learn how to operate the television. This gave me an opportunity to enjoy watching the popular Wale Adunuga Production series, "This is Super Story", "This Life," and my favorite series, "My Mum and I." Not too long after, we got the CD player known as DVD. With the DVD, I was able to watch movies and also listen to my favorite songs from Destined Kids - the trending singer at that time.
Sometimes I wondered how life would have been if I never watched or seen a television set. Things changed as we got the now trending flat screen television. The flat screen television came with another experience. I had to learn how to operate it. To use it effectively, we bought the popular decoder GOTV.
Today, the experience with flat screen television is magnificent. There is always something to watch. I can now listen to news within and outside Africa. GOTV provides updates at my fingertips through channels like CNN, Al Jazeera, BBC, and a host of others.
Did I tell you about phone-in programs on television? It was never like this. Modern technology has given me the opportunity to phone-in during live programs and share my opinion on any issue that is being talked about. It has afforded me the privilege to talk to a broadcaster while watching them on air. I remember when I won a package because I answered a question correctly in a phone-in program.
Just when I thought I had seen it all in the world of television, then came cinema. Before that, people gathered around their neighbourhoods and used projectors and watched movies displayed on a white cloth.
Today, religious centers and social gatherings have been modernized with the use of projectors and flat screen televisions. I can now see all sides of an event in a social gathering through the help of projectors and flat screen televisions.
I can boldly say that technology has made my life easier. Technology has given me the world at the tip of my finger. The technical experience is an experience of a lifetime. Somedays, I wonder if I could go through 24 hours without using technology. Indeed, technology has become a part of human existence. It is the new world that we all live in.
If I could return to my childhood, I wouldn't think twice about it.
I came from a family of three children, with my parents living together in marriage, which made things easier for me. They made my path so simple and clear to whatever they wanted me to do. Back then, my parents wished that I studied engineering at university.
Yes, I can say that unofficially they introduced me to the technology world where I have found myself today. I enjoyed all the goodies that were brought to me as a child until I turned 12. That became the beginning of my experience as a young man with lots of prospects.
I was sent to secondary school and lived in the dormitory throughout my days there. During my days in the dormitory, I had three great memories, a great record that life is yet to break to date.
When I was in secondary school, I was chosen among the best physics students out of 250 students in my Senior Secondary class 1, which was divided into SS1 A to E. It was a favor done by my Dad's friend, who registered my name in the SS1 B class list, a competitive science class. It was the best place to get the best performing student in any science subject. I was only very good at physics, biology, and agriculture, which made me appear among the least considered students.
Competitions came, and I was passed by the brightest students with perfect grades, but I knew my greatness was just waiting for the right moment.
One day, we embarked on an excursion with the school principal, who joined us on the big school bus. He felt very confident that the school bus would do the usual job without any issues, but the reverse was the case.
After about four hours on the road, the bus failed us by breaking down in the middle of nowhere. The school driver did all that he could think of in the process of getting the bus back to life, but none worked for him. He even used the bus manual to do some fixes, but still no positive news from down below the bus.
At that point, my friends began to point their hands at me in an honorable way of cheering someone up for a big job to be done.
I quickly got out of the bus and moved straight to the engine section of the bus alongside the drive. He was not really comfortable with the fact that an SS1 student was about to do what he was not able to do after 40 minutes on duty. I climbed the engine chamber with the help of our class master, who also believed in me. I was terrified to touch the batteries
I asked for a strong wood and it was given to me. I hit it many times on the two battery plugs that were loosened, and I checked for water before climbing down. The driver reluctantly went to his driving seat to start the bus.
Boom!!
The glory is mine and mine forever.
Dani!
"You've done a very great job."
People gave me praise for doing one of the simple things my father used to play with at home.
After we returned from the excursion, the principal awarded me an honorable medal for positively applying what I had learned in the engineering workshop.
Life went on.
I gained access to the most valuable student group using the event that took place outside the school premises. Being among those guys pulled me away from my friends who made me who I'd become. This became a challenge to overcome in order to move ahead.
It was so serious that I hardly read with my friends or played outside my study time. In fact, life became very boring without my lazy kind of friends. As one of the decision-makers in my class, I suggested that we organize a social day in order to mix the different categories of pupils and make them feel more comfortable with each other.
The students, which the class teacher and principal considered lazy, appeared to be the candles of the darkest night. They brightened up the entire event with their creativity. They sang songs and created great designs. In fact, they were the main reason why I began to learn how to make great designs, including making suitable color combinations. The event was one great experience that I will never forget.
At the end of the event, our school created different social clubs for everyone to join depending on their preferences and is still being supervised by some of the school teachers.
I progressed to the final class, Senior Secondary class 3, which is the examination class for the preparation for a tertiary institution. Before we were promoted to this class, all students of senior secondary class 2 were interviewed by the school in order to choose the best from the lot. The school made this process mandatory for students to occupy positions as head of student government to a timekeeper who rings the alarm at intervals.
Luckily for me, I was selected to represent my dormitory as the head. This gave me the opportunity to motivate, inspire, and make more friends while also meeting new people.
The influence obtained from being a leader at that level groomed me into who I am today. These people who were previously looked down upon are now celebrated by many Nigerians for their achievements. Truly, the rejected stone finally became the cornerstone.
These beautiful memories of mine were not just planted by my creator. They were ordained by my parents as they offered me the best learning environment and encouraged me to achieve my dreams as a child under their care. I am blessed to have the people I have in my life.
My Holiday In Ibibio Land
The Ibibio people are people of southeastern Nigeria. The tribe is the 4th largest ethnic group in Nigeria and is regarded as the most ancient of all the ethnic groups. According to the research by Robert McKeon, the Ibibio people are the indigenous natives from whom most small tribes of Qua Ibom and Calabar originated. The early settlement of the Ibibios in the area led to the development of a number of sub-clans, notably the Anang, the Efik, and the Oron. According to Talbot, by 7000 BC, permanent settlement of some of the ethnic groups in Ibibio land had already begun and it would be important to note that the Ibibio language is the most ancient of all the semi-Bantu languages.
My name is Akpan Isaiah, a native of Ibibio land. I was born and brought up in the popular city of Lagos in Nigeria, and I never visited my home in all my life up until that point. 'Akpan' is an Ibibio name meaning ''the first son". I am the first son of my father and a true Ibibio Akparawa (youth). I have been longing for years to visit the Ibibio land, knowing very well that "a person without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots’’ - Marcus Garvey.
I had waited all my life until this perfect time in the year 2016. It was the happiest thing that happened to me. It was a Christmas holiday in December 2016 when I heard a knock at the door. I rushed to open it, and lo and behold, it was my father. He smiled at me and said, “Guess what. We are traveling to Ibibio land.” I screamed! I had been waiting for this opportunity for the past 18 years. Tears of joy flowed down my chicks. Dad likes surprises. He had already told us to prepare our things and that we would be traveling for the Christmas holiday, but he did not mention the place.
The Journey
As early as 5:30 am the following day, we were already on the road as the journey took up to 12 hours from Lagos to Uyo, the capital city of Akwa Ibom State (the Ibibio land). We arrived UIyo, where we boarded an 18-seater bus named Akwa Ibom State Transport Corporation (AKTC).
I had never traveled that long distance in my life before. We passed through different states that I’ve never visited and I saw different kinds of forests that I never thought existed in Nigeria. Sitting down for hours was terrible. I remember standing up inside the bus for some time. My dad would look at me and smile. Then finally we came to this ancient city called the city of Benin after over 7 hours on the road. At first, I thought we were home. Then my dad said to me, “Son, we are stopping here for 15 – 25 minutes to relax and eat, and then the journey continues. This is the great city of Benin.” I tried to calm myself to be a man.
“Get in,” the driver shouted. My dad looked at me and smiled. “Son, be strong you’re an Ibibio man.” We got in and the journey continued.
Finally, we were home. Welcome to Akwa Ibom state (The Land of Promise), the land of the Ibibio people, flowing with milk and honey. I was already sleeping. My dad tapped my back and said, “Son, wake up, we are home.” Oh, what a great joy in my heart. “Thank God,” I said. “Sir eka uke?” the taxi man asked in Ibibio, meaning where are you people going? Wow! This is Ibibio land, Uyo, the capital of the state and my hometown. In my head, I thought Ibibio land was not developed, but I was shocked that it could compete with the popular city of Lagos and the Nigeria capital Abuja in terms of development. This is beautiful, my thought continued.
My Visit to Grandma
I was with my grandma that beautiful evening. She had already prepared for our homecoming. She cooked my favorite Edikang Ikong soup, an Ibibio soup. This is one of the best soups in West Africa, and it is very popular. I ate it and forgot how I suffered on the road to the town. The soup was so delicious, and my grandma is the best cook in the world.
It seemed the whole community knew about our arrival because the house was full in a few minutes. They all spoke the native language of Ibibio. Some thought I could not hear, but I was well trained. Like father like son, my dad taught me well. Then I had to sleep because I was really tired.
Early in the morning, grandma was the first to wake up. She woke everybody up, and I was the first whom she woke up. Akpan, as she usually called me, “I have something to show you, we are going to the farm.”
“Oh! Grandma. I had never been to the farm,” she laughed.
“We are going now,” she said.
Grandma had lots of goats and sheep. On the farm, she showed me the leaves to cut for the animals, medicinal herbs and leaves to cure all sorts of ailments. Grandma is full of ancient stories. She told me lots of stories that I will never forget: beautiful stories of the true origin of Akwa Ibom state and my town Uyo. This was one of the best moments of my life.
My Day at Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio (The Ibibio Youth Get Together)
I was with my grandma when my uncle drove in. He was dressed in a very unique way which I’d never seen him before. He was dressed in an attractive Ibibio attire. Then he called my native name Akpan Isaiah (first son of Isaiah). "Follow me, we are going to Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio (the Ibibio youth get-together).”
Oh my God! I was super excited because I had been longing to attend such a gathering for years. Behold, it was the 29th-anniversary celebration of the organization.
The Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio (the Ibibio youth get-together) is a socio-cultural group or an organization of Ibibio people who are the fourth ethnic majority in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the largest ethnic group in Akwa Ibom State.
According to my uncle, Mr. Inibehe James, the Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio (the Ibibio youth get-together) was founded on August 1st, 1987, for the preservation of Ibibio’s rich culture and heritage to foster education, economic freedom, and a better life for all. That’s the same year that the state (Akwa Ibom State) was created.
Over the years, the Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio has grown worldwide with the establishment of new zones and chapters all over Africa, Europe, and America.
There is also Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio NA. It is the High Commission of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio International that serves the whole of North America, with headquarters in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
The Commission has members all over the world. US and Canada inaugurated chapters in Houston, Philadelphia, and most recently, The Big Apple - New York - the cultural capital of the world.
Currently, Mboho International has:
Over 10,000 members worldwide (including past presidents and cabinet members)
Chapters in over 80% of the local government areas in Akwa Ibom State
Seven zones comprising: Nigeria (Five with Chapters), London (One), USA/CANADA (One)
Other zones: Cameroun, Israel, and Asia
Great Achievements by the organization include:
Mboho Unity School – A coeducational institution that was established in 2002
Mboho Micro-Finance Bank – started operations on January 1st, 2014
At the event, everyone was dressed in the same way, same attire, same style, wearing very unique Ibibio customized shoes and caps, including the state governor. The event started. Everything was done in Ibibio. Different Ibibio cultural groups came on and performed, and I saw different kinds of masquerade (Ekpo). It was one of the best days of my life. Thank God, I'm from Akwa Ibom, so I could really understand everything: the display of the beautiful tradition and culture, the amazing dance by the different unique dance groups, the opening prayer, and the reading of the Bible in the Ibibio language.
Ambassador Report
Go limitless with The Community DAO, as well said by @Dani_BeHive. We're the most decentralized platform next to Bitcoin, and we won't slumber in our mission to connect Web3 to the real world. Just within these past few weeks, some new, creative, and energized ambassadors joined the mission by creating great blog content for your reading pleasure. From the arena of great minds, we're presenting to you our leaderboard for week 26.
Leaderboard/Ranking
Rank Twitter username
Banacubana
Dani_BeeHive
Yhuddee111
Samuel_I_ni
Alochinonye
HappinessEshie
Inemsweet29
SAnieotu
Mkay_vic
Emediongekpemusic
IAM_KDS