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 Welcome to the new KWENU newsletter, gathering Igbo related news, culture and activities. I am very excited at the launch of this much anticipated quarterly Kwenu Newsletter. Let me start by introducing myself briefly, I am Edel Obianuju Meremikwu and I proudly come from Imo State, Orlu but I grew up in North West London where I currently live. I have been a member of ICSN since October 2007, and in May I was elected as an executive to develop, write and edit a newsletter for ICSN.
For those of you who do not know about ICSN |
OCTOBER 2008 |
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and have never been to a meeting before, ICSN is about young Igbo people and non- Igbos socialising and building up relationships to support one another in every aspect of life. We meet every second Sunday of the month at 6pm.
ICSN has grown considerably since its inception by it’s founder Umunne Olie in August 1998.What started out as a small group of five people is now well over a thousand members on our database! This year 2008 marks ICSN’s ten year anniversary and we plan to mark this occasion in a memorable way. Watch this space for The Ten Year Anniversary celebration announcement.
As the co-ordinator and editor of this newsletter, I welcome ICSN members to get involved and make a contribution. Hopefully this newsletter will be an opportunity for members to play more of an active role in the development of ICSN. To become a contributor please follow the contributor’s guidelines at icsn.co.uk. I hope that you can contribute in some way.
In everything you do, believe that all things are possible and God will direct your steps.
Edel Obianuju Meremikwu
Kwenu Newsletter Editor
World Igbo Congress Foundation 14th Annual Convention Tampa Florida
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Brothas and Sistas, I recently had the pleasure of basking in the sunshine state of Florida with its incredible Southern hospitality in one of the finest hotels in town, whilst I attended the World Igbo Congress Convention 2008.This was not my first time in the US, but this was a holiday with a difference.
When I left the conference, I now had a new perspective...  |
HEALTH: Ten Easy Steps to a Nollywood Smile
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Regular check up appointments as advised by your dentist is essential. This is often every 6 months. This will allow your dentist to keep an eye on your oral health so that any problems can be detected early. Remember prevention is better (and cheaper) than cure! A gum health check should also be done because the gums are just as important as teeth! They form part of the support network that holds your teeth stable in your jaws. So if the gums became diseased, the teeth could eventually fall out, affecting your smile... |
Famous Igbos
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Cyprian Ekwensi was one of Africa’s foremost writers, his works encompassed novels, non-fiction, radio scripts and television scripts. He was also at various times a teacher, pharmacist, broadcaster and film-maker. Ekwensi was one of the first Nigerians to publish a major novel, paving the way for a whole generation of African writers. His first book, People of the City (1954) was about a young crime reporter in Lagos “this said more about West Africa than 50 government reports” according to one British critic... |
Naija Travelogue
In the far West of what used to be known as Africa’s gold coast, lies one of the most oil rich countries of the world. Surrounded by its neighbours, Cameroon and Ghana. It’s river, the Niger ebbs effortlessly across this fertile land en route to join the River Benue which bends towards the Atlantic Ocean. This most Southern edge is known as the Niger Delta. Located between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer, Nigeria is pretty hot with an average temperature of 34 degrees all year round. It was here, right here on this continent of Africa, where human life as we know it first began.
Dance to your hearts content!
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African contemporary dance is a great way to meet new people, stay fit and tone the body. The class is a fusion of authentic African movements combined with a contemporary dance style, fused with Afro dance beats and the best of HighLife. This class is taught by Christina Oshunniyi who is a trained dancer, teacher and choreographer in African dance. In this class the basic principles of African dance are taught, in particular the common elements of rhythm and movement that are found in African dancing.
Each class begins with a light, warm up to work all the muscles of ... |
Asusu Igbo ana-anwu-anwu -Is Igbo Language Dying?
The year is 2053 and the news headline reads: “Obituary: The glorious passing away of Igbo Language. With deep heart felt sadness Ndi-Igbo announce the death of the Igbo language after a protracted illness caused by daughters and sons of Igbo land. Igbo language left behind, a multitude of professionals, celebrities, able bodied men and ladies of calibre. The passing away of the highly respected legend and statesman was not a sudden death but by negligence of sons and daughters of Ndi-Igbo...”
‘Against All Odds- Back from the Point of No Return’ (Book Preview)
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Our gang was now involved in drug dealing, just saying no was not an option for us. Did we know that drugs could kill people? YES, did we care? NO. Every man for himself, if you decided you wanted to take drugs, it’s not my job to judge, knock yourself out. Drugs and violence started to become a given and we needed to do some other things to keep us going. And then the new craze was born, less... |
Edel’s Egusi Soup
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This soup is a special delicacy enjoyed all over West Africa, especially amongst Nigerians anywhere they live. It is a thick and spicy soup cooked with or without vegetables and with fish or meat. It is highly nutritious, and very tasty. Thank God we don’t have to fly to Naija every time we want to eat this delicious soup, all the ingredients can be obtained from most African food shops in London... | |
