We Are The Blessings Of Africa: Reshaping Our Greatness Together

By Dr. Queen Blessing Itua

"This book is endorsed by the First Lady of Nigeria, Her Excellency, Dr. (Mrs.) Buhari."

We Are The Blessings of Africa is a reawakening call on every African, home and abroad to unite in turning their diversity into a powerful solution for African issues.  When we see ourselves as the blessings of our commu

• Language: English
• Publisher: Global Win, LLC
• Release date: Mar 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9780986315459

Book preview

PREFACE

In a quest to developing the motherland, I visited many countries of Africa, including Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Nigeria recently. Like many Africans, I have been distressed to see the condition of many communities in Africa; the condition of the roads, the environment, the quality of air, the hill-size garbage piles in stagnant waters in the gutters and by the side of highways, the lack of utility infrastructure for water/sewer and electricity, etc. The list seems endless. I could not help but wonder why we can’t enjoy in Africa the things we experience in the United States of America or Europe. I have visited Europe, and I live in the USA. I have seen the beauty of the cities, the constant light supply, etc.

As we drove through the African Communities, I prayed to God for help to fulfil my vision of seeing a new face of Africa. Although I have no money yet, I can make a difference. I must live up to my name, Blessing. After all, if not me, who else? I am guilty of contributing to the problems if I do nothing within my power to contribute my quota. My vision for Africa appears too general, too complicated, and too unreal to solve. Then I received the insight; the solution is in our hands. We have the resources, the people, the talent, and what it takes to develop the motherland. Africa is blessed with everything that she needs to be where she needs to be. Africa has the men, and the women, and the youths who can make a difference. All we need is the desire to make the needed changes to the way we do things currently and the way we perceive our roles in rebuilding our motherland. We need empowerment education, we need to hold self and government accountable, we need to stop participating in the blame game, we need to stop thinking that someone else will develop the motherland and not us, and we must not depend on the government alone. If we truly desire a change and work towards doing what it takes, our vision of Africa will become a reality, but we must ensure that no one is left behind because all hands (men and women, rich or poor; young and old) are needed on deck. We are the Blessing of Africa. Together, in our various efforts, however small, we can transform our communities into the communities that we desire and deserve.

With this literary work, I am calling on all Africans, especially women, the Blessings of Africa, to step up and lead the development of Africa.

INTRODUCTION

UPLIFTING OUR PSYCHE

Irecognize that Africa has many successful stories worth telling and replicating. Many other areas are curtailing our achieving even far greater success than what we have been able to do. It is for this reason that in this book I will take up a surgeon’s position. A surgeon is concerned about your health but will not focus on the parts of your body that are well. A surgeon deals with the source of disease. They operate on the swollen knee, stitches it, and prescribes bitter and expensive medication. You never enjoy the process while going through it. Soon you get healed, and you love and respect the doctor for it.

Reading through parts of this book will feel like going under the surgeon’s knife. It will feel unpleasant, but I believe that on the other side of pain, you will love and respect me for what I will take you through.

The purpose of this literary work is to engage discussions on the issues that affect our progress and to come up with the solutions that will help us overcome the barriers that confound us. I hope that such an engagement will result in a positive impact for everyone involved. I believe that it would be beneficial to address the core issues that many of us hate to talk about openly and frankly. It is not about finger pointing and nor is it about playing the blame game.

The goal of this book is to emphasize the need to see ourselves as the solution and the Blessing of Africa. It is written to provoke you to consciously believe and act in ways that can impact our communities positively. We must have a paradigm shift. We are the solution. We cannot leave the government alone on the job, but we can demand safe, enabling environment from them. Women cannot leave the men on the job. We need to step up into leadership roles and take the bull by the horn for our communities’ sustainable development.

This book is a call for every African at home and abroad, especially women, to rise and take part in the building and renewal of Africa – our motherland - because a better Africa begins with us. We have a critical role to play. We all matter; our voices and actions matter.

Together, We Africans, at home and abroad, are the Blessings of Africa. We cannot afford to leave African people in Need (APIN) to continue to struggle in poverty, disease, and under-development; neither should we leave the governments alone to figure out what needs to be done to move ahead. Do your part. You don’t have to be a rich man to make a difference. Africa requires us to come together and contribute to her development.

We are the Blessings of Africa redefines who we are. You are a blessing to your community, family, and the world.

WE ARE THE BLESSINGS OF AFRICA REDEFINES WHO WE ARE. YOU ARE A BLESSING TO YOUR COMMUNITY, FAMILY, AND THE WORLD.

This book is for everyone. It empowers us to be custodial of our world. For the African descendants, this book refers to you as the blessings of Africa. If you are reading this book and you are of a different race, you are the blessing of your race. Collectively, we are the blessing of our world. We are all created, born as African descendants for a purpose, to be a Blessing. Both men and women, as well as boys and girls, are all born to be the blessing of their family, race, community, city, country, continent, and the world. We need to leave no one behind or out on the journey of sustainable development in our communities. This is how we can eradicate poverty. To eliminate poverty, you cannot leave anyone behind. To discriminate against anyone because of size, sex, stature, status, disability, religion, etc. is to ground yourself in poverty. If you alone are rich, then you are not rich. You will be plagued with issues, for example, unpleasant images of the poor, and unrest.

The attitude of marginalizing others because of their class and pocket is why many people see the ills of the world and turn a blind eye or a deaf ear. They feel they are not personally affected, or their family, community, city, or country is okay, but what about your race or your world?

We conclude that if you are okay, then you do not care how others in your world are doing. The careless attitude, dull conscience, greed, etc. is a polluted mentality that drives many to indulge in destructive behaviors, for example, lying, manipulating, abuse, intolerance, conflicts, wars, human trafficking, embezzlement, corruption, mismanagement, stealing, kidnapping, killing, etc. We become a curse, instead of being a blessing. The polluted perception of not caring for others or what they go through is the attitude of I am not my brother’s keeper. It is not a blessing attitude.

It is more blessed to give than to receive. See yourself as the blessing, and you will act as the blessing, thereby unlocking many unexpected blessings – exponential