Welcome to the month of September! Before I dive into the exciting things to come in this issue of Nigerian Parents Magazine (NPM), allow me to remind you of Blue September. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of America has designated September as prostate cancer awareness month and people are encouraged to wear the color blue to show their support. This is why we have changed the color of our site banner to blue and added a blue ribbon. These will remain blue throughout September.
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in men. When you consider that an estimated 34,130 men will die in the United States this year alone due to prostate cancer, changing our color to blue for the month is the least we can do to support the research efforts towards finding a cure. It is important to remember that early detection of prostate cancer is the key to recovery. You must endeavor to make testing for prostate cancer a part of your annual physical examination – for yourself and your family.
With that said, allow me to tell you what is coming up on NPM this month. Over the past few weeks, we have created a star-studded columnist lineup made up of award-winning writers. Through the columns Candid Pen, Tribes and Tongues, Encounters, Spirit Man, Periscope, and Seekers Corner, we aim to bring you fresh insights to spark meaningful conversations. The task of building a strong community is a very important one. We cannot afford to be divided. Therefore, I also ask you to join us by commenting and sharing our website.
In the past few weeks, many of you have written to inquire about the condition of Chinonye Omeje (Chichi), the burn victim whose story we brought you a month ago. Your letters are clear evidence that we have not forgotten the Nigerian wisdom that teaches us to care for each other as no one knows what tomorrow will bring. Chichi is an incredibly courageous young woman. She has just undergone another round of surgery but is in high spirits.
Let me use this opportunity to remind you that our fundraising campaign for Chichi is still active at https://gofund.me/098432e5. NPM will always be grateful for your generosity towards this incredible lady. Please leave a comment or message for Chichi on our site.
Finally, I never end my editorial without asking you to join us on this exciting journey of building a stronger Nigerian diaspora community. You can do this by sharing our link, making donations, or simply suggesting what you would like to see on our website.
Hamilton Odunze