DOES A GOOD NAME WORTH MORE THAN SILVER AND GOLD?

Gold bars

The name given to a child after birth is very important. Parents are the best people to tell you the reason they chose that name for the child. In the African culture, a country like Ghana names a child according to the day he or she was born.


Others too are named after someone due to the good things or what the person achieved before finally leaving the earth.

Many names are taken from the Bible by Christians all over the world. You often see someone called Joseph, because, in the Holy Bible, Jesus’ father was Joseph and also Mary because Jesus’ mother was Mary, 

In the Christian life, these two people were good. But no one likes to name her daughter Jezebel, Athaliah, etc because they were very bad people in the Holy Bible.

Like superstition, many keep away from names that had a bad history or record from Biblical history to our present human history. 

I am yet to meet someone called Jezebel anywhere. Due to what Adolph Hitler did, the family name Hitler had completely disappeared, evidently letting people know that a good name worth than gold.

I have never heard someone called Judas until I read of a boxer in Ghana called Judas Clottey. Judas, everyone knew betrayed Jesus, therefore, this has been a name not often used for a child, yet Mr. Clottey named his beloved son Judas because he probably doesn’t follow superstition or one inheriting the bad ways or character of others named after.

My question is “Does a bad name influence people?” According to research made, badly chosen names for babies could influence them when growing. But in what way? Low esteem? 

Underestimation, low education, and smoking. Imagine naming your son Ananias and daughter Sapphira.  Ananias means “Jehovah is gracious” but he wasn’t faithful to himself. He and his wife sold a plot, gave part of the money and concealed part of it. When the truth was discovered both died tragically.

However; if names influence people, what about those with good names but are thieves, armed robbers? and mafias? In my opinion, a name given to someone doesn’t matter much than the upbringing of the person. 

Bringing up a child to be a responsible person in the future is a very difficult responsibility, yet it's the parents that have to give him or her the best educational, shape and pattern of life to the child, to be a responsible person in the society.

56 DAYS FOR LIAM STACEY'S RACIAL TWEET ISN'T ENOUGH

The symbol of white power


In regard to racism, offenders must be severely punished in the sense that they know what they are doing and what the outcome would be. Racism has caused so much bloodshed, unrest and violence globally that it is time for the world to realize that enough is enough. 


Yet it is the desire of others to call for bloodshed and violence, thus; when such people are arrested they must face a tougher sentence than 56 days given to Liam Stacey for insulting someone in a coma. 

Bolton player Fabrice Muamba collapsed while playing. If Liam wasn't ready to wish him a speedy recovery, then he must shut up. Instead, he posted stupid racial remarks against someone at the point of death on Twitter. 

What is the significance of this? Calling or supporting racism in football? These stupid comments he made were uncalled for. Surprisingly he was given only 56 days. 

According to the district judge, John Charles he took into account the student's early guilty plea and the fact that he had been "in drink" at the time but he said the comments were "vile and offensive" and his sentence had to "reflect public abhorrence." 

Judge John Charles should have fined him too for drinking and losing his mind. People do terrible things and blame it on alcohol.

His school, Swansea University, did well by suspending him from his biology course over the case.

Even though 56 days behind bars isn't enough, Judge John Charles did well for taking this matter into consideration. Liam Stacey's jail will serve as a deterrent to others that want to stir hatred and bloodshed through football.

MORY KANTE COMES TO MANO MUNDO FESTIVAL

Mory Kante


Mano Mundo, a nice and interesting festival, taking place yearly under the umbrella of the Antwerp Province, kicks off on the 12 and 13 May 2012, respectively. 


In the past, the festival had hosted famous musicians from different countries globally, including Tutu Puoane, Manu Dibango and a host of many others to entertain the people at Schorre in Boom.

This year, among other musicians to perform at the festival, is the great Guinean musician known as Mory Kanté.   Mory was born in Guinea on May 29, 1950. As a vocalist, player of Kora, a traditional harp, his golden voice and skills on the kora made him a genius among other traditional musicians from Africa.

In 1987, Kanté became internationally known for his hit "Yeke yeke", which was one of Africa's best-ever selling hits as well as being a European Number One in 1988, making it the first-ever African single to sell over one million copies. It was in Munich 1988, I heard this great song pulling everyone to the dance floor.

In 1994, his international stardom excelled when the German techno duo Hardfloor created a dance remix of "Yéké Yéké." He also appeared in 2006 as a vocalist on British DJ Darren Tate's release, "Narama". On 16 October 2001, Mory Kanté was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

CHILDREN KILLED ON BUS

Killed Belgian children




They just went on a ski trip, happy to see their parents back but then an unthinkable thing just happened. The bus the children were travelling on crashed in Switzerland, killing 28 Belgian and Dutch tourists, including 22 children.


This could be the worst tragedy in the history of Belgium concerning the number of children killed in a bus accident. According to sources, the bus was travelling to Sion, when it veered off the road hitting a concrete wall of a tunnel in the Swiss Alps, near Italy.

The impact of the accident was so severe that six adults, including two drivers of the coach, died on the spot. 24 other children sustained injuries in the crash. Most of the children were aged around 12.

Belgium's Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo,  who went to the crash scene, in a press conference, said this is "an extremely sad day for all Belgians." As a result of the accident, families of the victims were being flown to Switzerland to identify the bodies of the children at a local hospital.

Swiss president Eveline Widmer-Schumpf also visited the site, while an investigation to determine the cause of the crash is underway. This tragedy has plundered Belgium into total darkness.

Around 200 police, firefighters and paramedics worked throughout the night on board the bus, which front ripped open and broken glass and debris strewn across the road. It was even a shock that despite the condition of the bus after the accident some cheated death. The number of people on board was 52.

My sympathy or condolence to the grieving family after this tragic loss of their loved ones. May the Lord give you the strength to stand firm in this difficult time. Everyone is touched. Both children and adults are sad. We pray for the affected family through this process of grief and mourning.

AFRICA AND THE MYSTERY OF WITCHCRAFT

The tools of African witchdoctor

A witch is one that practices witchcraft. In many parts of Africa, it is often said "Only a witch could know or see her fellow witch", yet in Africa, anyone could be called a witch, when the person looks strange and doing abnormal things. 

Such abnormal behaviors could be symptoms of probably a sickness, but the one had already been classified as a witch.

Poverty, hardships, and suffering are common in life, yet an innocent old woman sitting quietly at her compound could be called a witch and be blamed for someone's suffering. In Africa, witchcraft matters are dealt with cruelty, after consulting witch doctors. 

A man brutally murdered his own mother after a witch doctor told him that his suffering is caused by his own mother. This sounds strange but in many cases, mothers had confessed to being the one causing all havocs to their children.

Many simply forget that there is a punishment for every evil thing done on this earth. Some people don't even believe that there is any punishment at all. 

In the life of cruel people, when they start reaping what they had sown, the only thing left for them is to accuse someone as a witch. 

"I believe when I left Africa to Europe, a witch sat by me in the airplane, I have been living in Europe for over ten years but I am always penniless." This was what an African was telling his friend. I don't believe in such statements.

I believe in witchcraft because I have seen the attack of these unseen forces on people many times in Africa. I  have seen a woman confessing of killing her own child. 

I have seen a woman confessing of blocking the womb of her daughter making her barren. The stories are many without end. Some of these stories are genuine while others are just fabricated.

In Europe, I have seen an old woman between the ages of seventy and seventy-five riding a bicycle. In Africa, any woman of that age riding a bicycle will be called a witch. 

There was time, a child preacher came on the scene in Ghana. He preached with passion, giving quotations and references from the Bible. At long last, he was called a witch.

 It is time for Africans to eliminate the slavery mentality of accusing people as a witch for their own failures.

A BEGGAR HAS CHOICE IN THIS TIME OF CRISIS

A beggar



A beggar is someone who can't help himself. He or she is financially handicapped. Therefore to fight for his survival means to beg for a living. Beggars are all over the world, but much more in Third World Countries. 

They are often seen in busy places, such as shopping centers, train stations, and markets.

I first thought due to poverty that is the reason a lot of beggars were mostly seen in Third World Countries, but now in advanced countries, beggars are now commonly seen everywhere. 

The craving to satisfy drug demand by junkies and other social problems have brought so many people on the streets in Europe as beggars.

I wasn't expecting to see someone opening a trash container in Europe, to look for bread or any food which could satisfy him and eat. But I have seen it a couple of times. 

Roofless people, dejected and rejected by the society, live on food thrown into refuse containers at the supermarkets.

A beggar has no choice they say but sometimes circumstances beyond their control force them to reject or accept. Another point is since a beggar has no choice doesn't mean that anyone can give them something bad as a gift.

At the central train station in Antwerp, a beggar asked for money and he was given 70 cents, right in front of the one who gave him the money he said, "This is nothing, a cup of coffee costs 2 euros". 

Then he walked away. The man who gave him the money wasn't happy over the statement the beggar made.

However, in this time of crisis, people must understand the plight of beggars. The beauty part of life is not only going on holidays, drinking and eating, or visiting families. 

There is also joy in helping others. Giving more than receiving doesn't only give comfort but also a blessing.