by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Apr 9, 2018 | Articles, Empowerement, Events |
If you haven’t seen a truly hopeless situation, I tell you what, you can find a few at an AUTISM center. Yet in the midst of this hopeless situation, a young autistic girl, by name Leah was conspicuously high-spirited, whether voluntarily or as a result of the intellectual derailment, I can’t tell but I know she was happy and yet hopeless.
Afflicted from the age of 6, a man remains a living corpse at the age of 67. For 61 years he’s not aware of his identity and he continues to exist as a senseless 2 year old boy. And then another woman, sapped of life and wellness. I bet, you won’t believe she’s 50 but she exists in a 5 year old paper-weight skeleton-like body.
As part of our social service, the Yes We Are Winning team made a visit to Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care & Treatment Home School, a government owned autistic centre in Lagos. Established in 1960, by Late Mrs. Modupe Cole, it has since 1980 been adopted and funded by the government, with supports and donations from NGOs, families and individuals.
Until I surfed the Internet to search for autism center in Lagos, I didn’t know about this home, so does many of my team members, and I believe many Lagosians do not know as well. Housing over 300 children and adults with over 150 day students, all categorized as totally dependent, trainable and educable, the school facility is definitely not sufficient to cater for this indigents. The Government and NGOs certainly need to do more in terms of support and creating awareness.
YWAW team with Some of the Autistic children
What you should know about Autism
1. World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day on 2 April every year, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about people with autism throughout the world. http://www.un.org/en/events/autismday/
2. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution “62/139. World Autism Awareness Day”, passed in council on 1 November 2007, and adopted on 18 December 2007. It was proposed by the United Nations representative from Qatar.
3. World Autism Day is one of only four official health-specific UN Days.[5] The day itself brings individual autism organizations together all around the world to aid in things like research, diagnoses, treatment, and overall acceptance for those with this neurological variance.
4. World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) aims to put a spotlight on the hurdles that people with autism – and others living with autism – face every day. As a growing global health issue owing to its increasing exposure in the press and common knowledge, autism is an issue that is only gaining more understanding – and WAAD activities are planned every year to further increase and develop world knowledge of children and adults who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
5. World Autism Awareness Day goes one step further to celebrate the unique talents of those with autism, while putting a huge focus on the warm embrace and welcome that these skills deserve through community events around the globe. Gladly, some of the disabled children have been trained on skills acquisitions, and they made lovely beads, and beautiful art work.
The Government needs to do more in terms of funding and providing quality educational facilities, training equipments and professional care givers. Also, more awareness need to be created to enable more people to donate to the school.
Trust me, some situations look very hopeless, and looking at these intellectual impaired people, you will but thank God for who you where you. Some of them have been in this deplorable state for over for as much as 60 years and they can only wait for their death, that is if they even know if they are living.
If you are normal, and able, and have a sound reasoning capacity, you should be grateful even if you have don’t know where the next mean will come from. There’s certainly no hopeless situation with God because there is no impossibility with Him.
You should be thankful for the little things, and do render help to those who are needy. Everyone is precious in God’s sight, whether able or disable. Therefore, show some love to all men. You are winning! Yes, we are winning!
http://www.un.org/en/events/autismday/
https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-autism-awareness-day-2018/
For more read
https://www.google.com.ng/amp/s/doctor.ndtv.com/living-healthy/world-autism-awareness-day-2018-focuses-on-empowering-women-and-girls-with-autism-1831663%3famp=1
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Apr 1, 2018 | Uncategorized |
Anyone who dies is naturally buried in a tomb where his body is left to decay and return to the dust from which he was formed. Likewise, this man died but was buried in a tomb he hired only for few days.
Some old persons approaching their life’s end would usually chose their final abode, and possibly the type of burial they prefer. Some would specifically give instructions about how and where or when they should be buried. Some others would build their own tomb in anticipation of death.
But this was not the case of this man who borrowed his own tomb because he knew he was only going to be buried for a few days. It wasn’t because he could nor afford a tomb, rather he chose to hire for He had already planned that his death was only temporarily.
He offered to die for a purpose and he was buried for the purpose of achieving a task which he was going to accomplish within three days. He subjected himself to death in order to liberate those who were bound by sin and death; and those constantly living with the fear of death. And when he was done; he exited the tomb and rose to life to offer salvation to anyone who would appropriate his grace.
In reality, everyman who dies, dies for resurrection. I mean, death is only a temporary phenomenon after all, although it is the event that ends man’s existence here on earth, but it is his transition to eternity. In essence, all who dies physically shall shall resurrect either to life or to eternal death.
When He raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26).
Christ’s resurrection saves us from eternal separation from our creator. If Christ never took another breath, never left the tomb, never appeared to his disciples, and never ascended into heaven — if he never lived again — then we would never stop dying.
If he had remained in the grave like other men who died, then we would carry our sin, our shame, and our pain through the grave into something far worse than death — if Jesus had not risen from his grave. If his final breath on the cross had been his final breath. And if we never stopped dying, fear would rule our short and hopeless lives.
But death could not stifle his breath. “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Our King borrowed the tomb for three short days before securing his victory over death forever. And his victory is our victory if we are willing to die with him into everlasting life.
His life, death, and resurrection may never cease to be a controversy till the end of this age. But like a hymn writer wrote, “I need no other argument, I need no other plea; It is enough that Jesus died, And that He died for me. Enough for me that Jesus save, This ends my feat and doubt; A sinful soul I come to Him, He’ll never cast me out.”
Provisions for salvation from eternal judgment is completed. It’s now up to you what you chose! You are winning! Ye, we are winning!
Greatmark
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Mar 31, 2018 | Uncategorized |
“I survive because the fire inside me burn brighter than the fire around me.” -Joshua Graham. There will always be challenges and difficulties, but those who stand out are those who have inculcated the attitude of surviving against all odds.
To survive the economic hardship in our country, it behoves on us to be resourceful and explore every legitimate opportunities that would make us financially independent. For this, The Inverter Foundation is providing an empowerment platform through skills acquisition program.
Skills acquisition is the ability to learn or acquire skills. It involves the development of a new skill, practice of a way of doing things usually gained through training or experience. It can also be defined as the ability to be trained on a particular task or function and become an expert in it.
What I have come to realize is that if individuals are given the opportunity to acquire relevant skills needed for self sustenance in the economy, it will promote their charisma in any work environment, it will boost their self esteem, it will enhance their ability to achieve success, and it will help in improving their overall quality of general life performance.
Skill Acquisition is a leeway to tackle unemployment especially among the young ones, and that is why a reasonable and serious government will make Human Capacity Development a top priority in her agenda and NOT road patching, bridge construction, borehole construction etc!
Will you like to learn how to make any of these (Duvet, TyeDye, Groundnut, Zobo, Snacks, Bead Making, Headgear and Makeover) for free.
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Date: April 16th-20th
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Check flier for more details!
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by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Mar 31, 2018 | Uncategorized |
It was the day after the most devastating eclipse. It was still very dark, and everyone filled with bewilderment.
And so everything went quite, dead silence everywhere! For the masterminds, it was another great achievement, a riddance to blasphemy and political threats.
The Hopeless and fearful disciples and believers hid in shame, wondering how their savior was so humiliated and killed. What becomes of his promises -the freedom, the peace, the positive changes and his kingdom reign, they bitterly queried.
So, it was still dark, gloomy and devastating Saturday because no one seemed to remember Easter Sunday, when he said he would defeat death forever. They were hopeless and confused!
Oh you too? You feel suspended like the disciples, just hang in there, there’s always Easter Sunday. The darkest part of the day is the closest to the morning.
There’s hope for your tomorrow. Hope in God can never be disappointed! This too shall come to pass. Wait, You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
Greatmark
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Mar 30, 2018 | Uncategorized |
“It was initially a smooth ride; we were gisting, jesting and enjoying the company of each other, as we began what is supposed to be an adventurous journey. That I’m alive to write my experience on how we narrowly escaped death is simply incredible!
We had lots of snacks and drinks to share while we anticipated the ecstasy of spending some quality time with our host. Traveling in the woods was such a beautiful sight, the lush gardens, the beautiful trees, the sparse vegetation and several solitary hamlets adorned with distinct farm lands along our transverse were amazing sights to capture.
As a lover of photographs, I was prepared to take shots of every scintillating images, and really I had more than enough pictures of captivating sights. I was determined to capture every moment, and I think I did, even after the accident.
We were sure prepared for the long journey until the excitement began to diminish and one after the other we all slept off, save the driver I presume. I guess he lost concentration at some point and dozed off when the silence in the bus became unbearable.
Suddenly, we woke up to the squeaking of the tires, followed by the cry of despair by the driver as he struggles to stabilize the car. Suddenly, one of the tires pulled out and we were headed for a very deep valley. I’d thought that it was for the fear of perishing that the driver applied the break and we got tumbling.
The thought of survival was impossible here going by the sight of what lied ahead of us. Did we eventually plunged into the valley of death? Yes, we did but we were suspended by a tree, a strong and mighty tree with an inconceivable height.
Thankfully, we were cut in between the road and the closest branch. We were later literarily plucked off the branch in somewhat a miraculous manner. This was how we escape death! It sure wouldn’t have been possible without a supernatural intervention. We were condemned to die but it was averted by an unseen hand, I believe!”
The way these sojourners were saved from the certainty of death is the way the entire human race was saved from a deserving death. The human is condemned to death and eternal separation from God by virtue of the sin and disobedience of our antecedents, Adam. And the death punishment hanging on every man was a certainty until a sacrifice was made. Yes, “The wages of sin is death…” (Rom.6:23).
However, by the unmerited of God, we narrowly escape this death because Christ took all of our sins upon himself, all of them, having offered himself as the sacrificial passover lamb. He bore the sins of the world upon himself and for this he took our punishment in order to emancipate us from the debt we owe but could not pay.
He suffered the wrath we deserved. He was Every ounce. We deserved no mercy but while still in our lost estate, God offered us redemption through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ. He became the propitiation for our sins, so that we being fred from sin should be reconcile back to God.
He was crucified for us, buried for us, and then on the third day he was raised for us. This is how we escaped death! By his resurrection we were positioned to befriend God, worship him in truth and live eternally with Him (I Corinthians 15:3-4).
It was a perfect finish! Yes, his death and resurrection was a complete work of salvation; a sacrificial act that transformed us from enemies to friends of God. Nothing more is needed; no more sacrifice is necessary to restore our broken relationship with God. That Christ died and rise again all for our sake is enough!
Jesus came alive again. He is alive for us now. We have no more guilt. No more shame. No more fear. We have peace with God. We are not under this wrath, not destined for his judgment, not awaiting his fury. We are now, and forever, the objects of his love.
We are the recipients of his unending favor. We are the gathered sons and daughters who will spend eternity in the riches of their Father’s glory. All through Jesus Christ, the one who washed our sins away, the one who will cause us to never be the same.
It is Good Friday; the darkest yet the greatest day in history. The day that death was the greatest day in history. Death was beaten and our rescue secured. This is how we escaped death; Christ died for us and this is just enough!
Like I noted in my article, WE’VE GOT THE RAM;LET US GO HOME FOR EID AL-ADHA!; It is no longer a news that the plan of salvation is clear: “For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in him should not die but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
It was a good Friday because of the Easter Sunday. Yes, it is a happy day, after all. Even when you go through the darkest period of your life, don’t despair, there will always be a happy day. You are winning! Yes, we are winning!
Greatmark
