Part 4 - Black History Month = Yoruba History Month

*This special moment in Yoruba History was brought to us courtesy of Dr Adediji, our association president. I think I know the answer here but it would be an unfair advantage on my part as I got to see the quiz first. Anyway. Have a go at it!

So Who am I? 

I was a powerful woman of the early 19^th century Yoruba land. I was rich, famous and greatly influential perhaps only second in status to the traditional head of my city himself.

I was a strict disciplinarian and I ruled my household and businesses with an iron fist. Sometimes the measure of judgment and punishment I meted out was inconsistent with the customs of the land.

You crossed my path, and you were swiftly executed!

By executing one too many, I went too far and finally fell from Grace to Grass. I was confronted and finally died in the hand of the great traditional leader of my city where I was a chieftain.

Do you know my name?

The first correct entry wins a prize!

 Note also: Identifying the Traditional ruler by name would also earn a special prize.

Funke Abolade, M.D.

Social Secretary.

Part 3 - Black History Month = Yoruba History Month!

Ta lo mo mi - Kini oruko mi?

*This yoruba heroes story comes curtesy of Engineer Simons Latunde - Addey, thank you very much sir! It is an excerpt on black history month from the website www.abeokuta.org and is written in Yoruba and modified for our quiz by this blog editor. God bless you if you can read and understand it completely. Good luck solving this one...

Oṣù fún ìtàn adúláwọ̀ ní Amẹ́ríkà - february 2012

Oṣù kéjì ọdún ní orílẹ̀-èdè Amẹ́ríkà (USA) jẹ́ àsìkò ti wọn máa ṣe ìrántí ìtàn àwọn adúláwọ̀ ti o jẹ́ ọmọ orílẹ̀-èdè Amẹ́ríkà. Nínú oṣù yìí, ní àwọn ará ilẹ̀ Amẹ́ríkà máa bojúwo ẹ̀hìn láti rántí onírúurú ohun ti o ṣẹlẹ̀ si ènìyàn aláwọ̀-dúdú ni ilẹ̀ Amẹ́ríkà ni sáà kan. Iṣe ribiribi ti Martin Lurther King àti àwọn aṣíwájú òmìrán, ṣe láti jà fún ẹ̀tọ́ (àti ìgbélarugẹ ipò) àwọn adúláwọ̀ ni ilẹ̀ Amẹ́ríkà pẹ̀lú ọ̀nà látí pèsè idọ́gbandọ́gba nípa:

- ẹ̀tọ́ fún adúláwọ̀ lati dìbò,

- àyípadà àwọn òfin ti o ya ọmọ aláwọ̀-dúdú sọ́tọ̀ ni ilé-ìwé,

- iyawó láti ra ile,

- àti àwọn ètò ìrànlọ́wọ́ míràn,

O jẹ́ nkan ìwuri nlá fún gbogbo ènìyàn aláwọ̀-dúdú káàkiri àgbáyé.

Nítọrí àṣeyọrí ìjà fún ẹ̀tọ́ àwọn adúláwọ̀ ní ilẹ̀ Amerika, ní àwọn ọmọ bíbí ilẹ̀ Yorùbá fi pọ̀ ka kiri àwọn ìpínlẹ̀ àti ìlú Amerika. Ko si ìlú pàtàkì ní Amerika, ti ẹ ti ní ri ọ̀pọ̀lọ́pọ̀ àwọn ọmọ Yorùbá, bo jẹ ìlú Atlanta (ní ìpínlẹ̀ Georgia) tàbí ìlú Houston (ní ìpínlẹ̀ Texas) tàbí ìlú nlá New York.

Gégébí ẹ ti mọ̀, ọ̀pọ̀lọ́pọ̀ àwọn baba-nlá àwọn adúláwọ̀ ti o jẹ́ ọmọ bíbí orílẹ̀-èdè Amẹ́ríkà ní wọn kó lẹrú láti ilẹ̀ Yorùbá ní ayé àtijọ́.

Kini oruko mi?

Emi je Ọ̀kan nínú wọn ní. Mo si jẹ́ ọmọ bíbí Ẹgba, ti wọn bí ní ọdún 1738. Wọn kó mi l’eru láti ilẹ̀ Yorùbá ni ọdún 1760. Mo jẹ́ ọ̀kan lará àwọn jagunjagun ti o jà nínú Ogun Òmìnira fún orílẹ̀-èdè Amẹ́ríkà ní ọdún 1775 – 1783. 

L'ehin ogun, won ni won o fun wa ni ile (land) ti ara wa sugbon ni igba ti won o fun wa ni ile yen bi won ti wi, awa omo adulawo ko ra wa jo lati lo da ibi ti a o gbe sile ni ibi ti a npe ni Nova Scotia.

Igbati o se di e, mo se irin ajo lo si ilu oke (England) lati lo bere fun eto fun awon adulawo ti won ko l'eru tele. A bere pe ki won je ki a pada si ile Africa ni ilu ti a npe ni Freetown l'eni, ni Sierra Leone. Won gba fun wa. Won si fun wa ni oko oju omi (ship) ti yio gbe wa de 'be ati awon ohun ti a o lo n'ibe. Awa bi egberun meta si gbe'ra dide l'ati lo da ile Freetown s'ile. Ko pe ti a pada de Freetown ti iba (malaria) fi ba mi, ki n' to se alaisi.












Ta ni mo je? Ki l'oruko mi?


Ire o!

Funke Abolade, M.D.

Akowe Faaji.

A First Year Anniversary, a Gele tying competition and a surprise birthday celebration!

Another fine 1st anniversary Yodaai meeting, even if I say so myself!

A fun and festive time, with vigorous discussions was had by all last night in Hoover, despite the stormy weather, under the auspices of our host family, Dr and Mrs Dawodu. E se gan ni o, a dupe. Rice, soup, meat, cake very plenty indeed!

Anniversary Cake, curtesy of the Dawodus...

And how about our first anniversary? From humble beginnings with just 5 people to the fine association we have today, functioning constitution and all - who would have imagined this? This anniversary was aptly dedicated to the children, as we really are doing this to culturally enrich their lives and give them a sense of rootedness in our traditions.

Dedicated to our children

Did you see our young ladies demonstrating an ancient, time honored tradition of fine gele tying? They made us all proud! - winning prizes and money along the way, thank you Dr Adediji and Mrs Lawal for the monetary gifts.

And thank you to our judges Mrs Sodeke and Mrs Ayanwale

We celebrated a late valentine with gifts to our children...

And somebody was surprised with a birthday cake and an impromptu belated birthday celebration ensued - I really enjoyed that! It's not easy being 27 - again...

FROM (L) Mrs Adagunodo, Mrs lawal and Mrs Babatunde

Awon Alagba, Mr Simons Latunde Addey and Mr Adenrele Odutola

Contestants and their geles...beautiful smile, Moni!

Mother of winner, Mrs Adediji beaming proudly.

Contestants, proud Parents and judges...

Yori Adagunodo and the gele battling it out...you did good!

Miss Badewa and her winning smile...Your gele is ga o! 

Congratulations to Bisola Adediji, our Gele tying champion! You did your mother proud...

Our judges for the gele tying competition, Mrs Ayanwale and Mrs Sodeke.

Did you get a chance to meet and warmly welcome our newest member, Mr Ayanwale? He is originally from Fiditi in the Oyo area ...

Mr Ayanwale, You are welcome, sir!

Mrs Alabi won for the first correct entry for part 1 of the yoruba heroes quiz.

Dr Adediji won for the february proverb of the month. Phew. A busy month  so far and there is more to come for black history month.

Consenting for new board members... Dr Abolade, Dr Fadamiro, Mr Thomas and Dr Badewa

Mr Adenrele, Mr Simons Latunde Addey, Mr and Mrs Lawal all saying aye..

Mrs Adagunodo won two prizes for proverb of the month - January, and for the first correct entry on part 2 of the yoruba heroes entries.

Mrs Sodeke, Mrs Babatunde and Mrs Adagunodo

Submit your proverbs to be entered on the blog for proverb of the month and for the monthly drawing of fabulous prizes for who ever wins and has their proverb published for a month.

Funke Abolade, M.D. 

Secretary of fun and Faaji.

Part 2: Black History Month = Yoruba History Month

*Many thanks to Prof. Ayanwale for this week's submission of a"Yoruba History month" quiz. Ko ni tan ni be o. And congratutions to Mrs Alabi and all the other correct entrants for the last quiz. Enjoy solving this one.

Sooooo, Once again, Identify me by my name.... 


WHO AM I?
by
Prof. Lekan Ayanwale.

I am an Egba woman that studied in England. When I returned to Nigeria, I settled in Abeokuta with my husband who composed the “national anthem” entitled “Lori oke ati petele” for the Egbas.

Abeokuta was an Independent “state-country” within a country long before Nigerian Independence. And because I cannot stand injustice of the rulers over the ruled, I organized women folks especially traders and market women into pressure groups that demanded our rights.

First, our protest led to the building of maternity wards in our hospitals.

Second, my group succeeded in the exclusion of women from paying of undue market levies and taxes.

Third, I led another protest against the unpopular reign of the Alake of Abeokuta, Oba Ademola II. This particular protest resulted in his removal from office and his Ake palace. He was banished from Abeokuta and sent to Oshogbo where he spent some long time to atone for his bad reigns. He apologized to the Egba people and was pardoned by the governor before he was allowed to return to his palace.

My spirit to fight injustice led me to confront the illegitimate military governance of Nigeria by its armed forces. For this, because many Nigerians are timid or afraid of guns and therefore did not join me, I was man-handled by the military and punished for my bravery. The military caused me serious injuries when a contingent was sent to attack me in my house. The ordeals eventually led to my death.

My only joy is that all my four children, my loving 3 boys and a girl as well of my grand children have taken after me. They will continue to fight injustice any where it surfaces and the spirit will continue fighting until Nigeria rulers change their ways for better.

Who am I?

*The 1st correct response wins a prize to be given at this weekend's meeting in Birmingham.


Funke Abolade, M.D.

Social/publicity Secretary

Love is in the air...

To all our members:

You know Valentine's day is around the corner when you start seeing 'red hearts' and 'love' signs in the grocery stores in January and your email inbox is full of suggestions of what to get your loved ones for Valentine's...

February is an expensive month around here where I'm at -  my birthday follows valentines by 3 days and some people just spend the month grumbling around the house, I dont know why...I'm just saying. I have not asked for anything - yet.

Have you been buying candy for the kids' classmates for school this week?
Thinking of what Chocolate brand to buy for the love of your life
 (hint, hint: 'Godiva' never fails)?
Have you made the trip to Hallmark, the card store yet?
Got the "bling, bling" all lined up for Feb 14th?

I won't go into the history of the good ol' saint and why it is celebrated, but whether you celebrate this now heavily commercialized holiday or not, you can't escape it in this society.

 Culturally, this is an alien celebration for us Africans, declaring our love like this... but this is where we live now. Yoruba lo ni "ibi ti aiye ba ti ba eeyan, la ti nje"

We are going to get "some love" especially of the card, chocolate and candy variety, from all angles and from our children, from their school and co-workers etc all professing their love in various ways. Me? I say 'thank you' to them and take most of it with a pinch of salt.
Color me jaded...

One thing is for sure though - the care and affection that our association members are showing for each other. Ko ni tan nbe o. Ko ni su wa, ko si ni re wa o. Ajose wa o ni d'aru o. Amin.

Now accepting my Valentines....and for my wish list:

Good health
Long life
and prosperity

ahhh, who am I kidding??

A box of "bling" all tied up in ribbon,
2 dozen red roses,
Godiva chocolate, (liquid filled centers, variety kind)
Dinner and a movie to round out the day. 
Not asking for too much am I?

Go easy on the candy and chocolate...

Wishing you a very happy St Valentine's day & week ahead!

*"The greatest lesson I can share with aspiring writers is to "just sit down and write",  it will all come together in the end" - Prof. Wole Soyinka. 

And so, I write...

Funke Abolade, M.D

Secretary of Fun and Faaji.

Black History Month = Yoruba History Month!

What better way is there to celebrate Black History month in February than a game of identifying our own Yoruba Giants in History - our heroes? Prizes for the first correct identification of this original son of the soil below, another "one of us"...


Sooo who am I?

"Mine is an unusual story of a slave boy with a happier ending. I was born a free man in the earlier part of the 19th century, originally egba in my ethnicity. At the age of 12, I along with my mother, Uncle,  toddler brother and entire village was captured and sold into slavery.

As luck would have it, the British navy, who were trying to abolish slavery boarded our ship before it set sail. The ship was redirected up the coast of West Africa where I was later released in Freetown, Sierra Leone. I was converted there to Christianity and educated there by the missionaries who gave me a different first name. I learnt to speak english and was later sent to England to be further educated.  There I got another last name but I kept my original first name.

When I came back, I became one of those chosen to go on an expedition down the coast of West Africa spreading Christianity and seeing to it that slavery was abolished. I was ordained the first African Bishop of the Anglican church. It would take another 60 years to see another African so ordained.

I commissioned and later saw to completion, the translation of the Bible to Yoruba, "Bibeli Mimo" and also saw to completion, the first Yoruba Dictionary. Who am I?"

Happy Black History (or in our case, Yoruba Heroes) Month!

Funke Abolade, M.D


Social/Publicity Sec

"Ask the President!"

*All of these questions and answers will be in a "Frequently Asked Questions" tab, on top of the blog beside the "Proverbs" Tab for easy reference.


Congratulations once again to all of us on the first anniversary of our association. It was in the month of February 2011 that a few of the elders got together in Prof. Ayanwale's home to map a path forward for the association. The rest as they say is history...


For  Better For Worse...


In response to the recent constitution revision, I have received some feedback from our members whom I applaud for raising some of these questions below. As the president of the association, I have pondered over the questions raised and I am pleased to  submit my unbiased opinion to our highly esteemed members. I call upon our members to freely express their views collectively or individually in comments below, as we celebrate our one year anniversary.  Remember, it is more important that we continue to meet and support this association irrespective of its final or eventual legal / financial status.


Below are answers to some of the frequently asked questions about our association and our way forward:


1. Why are we set up as a non profit?


We set up as non- profit corporation in order to make our association a legal entity, enjoying all the privileges of a corporation. This move also gives some protection to the officers and members of the association.


2. Why are we incorporated?


 Being incorporated is not a requirement for forming an association, it just makes it more formal and authentic to the outsiders whom we might do business with in the future. Incorporating the association required the appointment of an initial Board of Directors pending the amendment of our constitution. We are under no pressure to remain incorporated


3. Why do we need a Board of Directors?


As above,  incorporating the association required the appointment of an initial Board of Directors pending the amendment of our constitution.


4. Why are we applying for tax exempt status?


 Tax exempt status in a charitable organization is based on the source of funding, governing structure  and activities of the organization. Managing such an organization is also complex and requires continuous meeting of the State and Federal laws as well as IRS regulations.  Any donations made to a tax exempt non profit makes it such that you can report that donation as a deductible charitable donation on your taxes. We are under no obligation to apply for the tax exempt status as long as we are not soliciting money from the public or grants from other nonprofits organizations . If we were not a tax exempt entity, those donors would have no way to report or claim their donations as a tax deductible expense.


5. Are we hoping to get involved in any public charitable activities?


 We are not obligated to do any public charity but we can if we want to - we just have to be appropriately registered. We can continue to operate in a less formal arrangement as we were doing and continue focusing on the cultural empowerment of our members and our children if we so wish.


6. How do we get funding for our activities?


We can continue to fund the associations from within the association using our dues and personal donations. Unless we are a registered charity, those fees and donations are not tax deductible. Also, unless we are a registered charity, we can not solicit donations from the public or from other organizations as described above. This is a conversation we will need to have with our members starting now with comments to this question - how do we fund our activities and how big is our vision and hence those activities?


7. Are we going to remain private with activities limited to our members and friends?


We can remain a privately funded association limiting our activities to our family and friends.
Some members have questioned why we have had to go this far with all the incorporation activities, constitutional revisions, trying for registration as a charity etc since the association is meant as a private forum for our people & for the benefit of our children and friends. Questions have also come up regarding the complexity of the constitution for an association meant to be run by volunteer members. These are all valid questions that we have to deliberate on as an association on which way to move forward.


8. How about hosting a meeting? What do we do for a venue?


Currently, meetings are held at our members' homes. Our members have been very generous in offering up their homes voluntarily and spontaneously and opening their doors to all that would come. It is up for discussion amongst our members what to do for a venue should there be no volunteers, a situation which has not occurred so far.


9. How about refreshments for the meeting? 


As of January of 2012, the suggestion for refreshments is that the association would offer the hosting family $100 towards the cost of hosting and in appreciation. If the host family declines the token, it will be counted as a donation from that family back to the association. We realize the expense in time and labor that goes towards hosting a large group and it is suggested that simple finger foods/snacks and drinks may be sufficient at a meeting. A host family of course can choose to host us in the manner they would prefer and prepare more or less according to their abilities.

10. Why do we need a blog or a presence on the internet?

Having the blog or a website brings us in line with the digital age in which we live and share our ideas. It allows a certain level of transparency where even the constitution is available for quick easy review. It allows us a public forum to continually showcase our culture. It allows easy online registration for our members and facilitates the sharing of ideas about our culture. It puts a face on what may otherwise be an impersonal association. It tells our guests more about us in a few minutes of browsing than any one of us can say in the same time. It's a virtual meeting point for exchange of ideas. You can just tell people: please visit the blog at www.yodaai.blogspot.com

11. Why do I need to comment on the blog?

Comments are welcomed and even encouraged on the site. It is what makes it a blog, the back and forth exchange of thoughts on an article. It makes for a more dynamic blog where people are genuinely interested and actively participating as opposed to a stagnant site with no traffic or comments. Vistors to the blog can see the active interchange that is going on. Without the comments, the blog appears lifeless and uninteresting to visitors. 

12. What happens to photographs taken at our events? What if I dont want my photo posted online?

This is a good question. By being a member of the association and participating in its activities publicly, there is an implicit permission given to the association for the use of any photography taken on behalf of the association at any association event. The association can post the pictures or use them in promotional material. Can you opt out of this? Certainly. If you do not want your pictures taken or posted on the internet, please feel free to let the blog editor know and your photo will not be published.

13. Can I opt out of participating in an association's event, either online or in reality? 

Yoruba l'oni "agbajo owo lo n'gberu d'ori. Eniyan kan o ki i je  Awade." We are an association because we chose to come together and work collectively towards the success of the association and therefore, the success of it's members. We all succeed when the association succeeds. So can anyone opt out of a particular association event? Of course. Sugbon, adura wa ni pe, ajose wa o ni tu ka. We need all the support we can get from every member to make this successful for the association

There are and will be other questions as we go along and we will try to answer them the best we can. The bottom line however is that it is more important that we continue to meet and support this association irrespective of its legal or financial status. The new year has given us an opportunity  to show the world that “YES WE CAN”. We are going to have a good time together, exploring our culture, impacting our children’s lives and bringing out the best in every one of us.


Ajose wa ko ni baje o - l'agbara Eledumare.


Oluyinka Adediji, MD

And the winner...

Of our Proverb of the month for February is Dr Adediji #24.

Congratulations! Your proverb has been chosen by the true random number generator for this month. See it published on the left hand corner on top of the flag? There! Your Prize will be presented at the February meeting in Birmingham at the Dawodus.

 In other news...Walking the talk...

As a reminder, and in my capacity as the secretary of fun and faaji, here's an idea for the February meeting similar to the one we had in our home in October where we all had to speak yoruba. For the February meeting, whilst we don't have to speak in yoruba, if we are all game, I suggest that in order to make any statement at the meeting, let us walk the talk and showcase our proverbs - you have to back up your statement with a proverb starting with "Yoruba l'oni ....." i.e it is the yorubas that say etc and you say your proverb to illustrate your point or pay a $1 fund raising fine. Maybe test drive one of these ones in the proverb section. Study up on your proverbs... See you on the 18th of Feb.

See the "comments" or "post a comment" section in green down here? Go on! Click on it and see what happens. Join the community. Leave a comment! Even anonymously. You don't have to have a google account to leave a comment.

Funke Abolade, M.D


Social/Publicity Secretary