The American Corner Bauchi in collaboration with the PAS and in conjunction with
InspLIFT Trainers has organized a two days Young Leadership Training for 40 pupils of
senior secondary schools in Bauchi.

The training is specifically tailored towards developing leadership skills among youth and
strengthening their understanding of the fundamentals of development and human right,
creating a personal and social vision as well as leadership abilities.
During a brain storming session where the participants were split into five groups to discuss
and offer solutions to the following issues bedeviling our society, the issues discussed
are:-
• Education
• Social problems
• Security problems
• Politics
• Economic

Leadership and visionary examples were sighted using Late U.S. President Kennedy, Bill
Clinton, Nelson Mandela, China’s Chairman Mao, India’a Mahatma Ghandi and finally
Martin Luther King Jr. all of whom are visionary leaders that make a difference. This was
followed by a film show on “Eyes on the Price in Remembrance of MLK.
Participants were very happy with the program and have pleaded for the continuation of
such a good gesture.
Result: at the end of the event, participants have gained some leadership skills that will
help them in the pursuit of their various dream and aspirations. The same program will be
repeated for another 40 students the coming week therefore making the total beneficiaries
to 80 students.

Media: the program was covered by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

World Tuberculosis Day 2012

American Corner Bauchi in collaboration with PAS of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has today observed the World TB Day with an awareness creation program

World Tuberculosis Day is a worldwide event that aims to raise public awareness of tuberculosis and the efforts made to prevent and treat this disease. This event is held on March 24 each year and is promoted by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO).

Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycrobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the disease. WHO estimates that the largest number of new TB cases in 2005 occurred in south-east Asia, which accounted for 34 percent of incident cases globally. However, the estimated incidence rate in sub-Saharan Africa is nearly twice that of south-east Asia. During an interactive discussion, the resource person Dr. Balogun Israel Adekunle of the infectious Disease Hospital in Bauchi said that TB was the number 1 killer disease before it was discovered and still remains a major challenge despite the enormous awareness campaign. He enumerated some of the risk factors of TB to smoking and poverty. Although he says TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to
become infected. But one-third of the world’s population has latent TB, which means people have been infected by TB bacteria but are not (yet) ill with disease and cannot transmit the disease. But luckily he said the disease is cureable and the treatment is free.

He urged the participants at the program to be peer educators and advise those that have a persisting cough of more than two weeks to go and have a sputum test as a preventive major.
Questions: some participants asked the Doctor some question about the possibility of contacting the disease through sneezing as well as wither one can get the disease from eating Cola nut of excessive coffee drinking? all of which the doctor clarify to some extent.

Reading (Catching them young)
Learning to read is an important skill every child must develop to be successful in school. Regardless of the subject matter taught, a child must be able to read and comprehend what they are reading. Good reading skills are the foundation for a proper education. These days instead of reading books, many children spend their time playing computer games or browsing the Internet. It is often difficult for parents to entice their children to read a book. Reading requires practice and developing excellent reading comprehension requires children to read books. In order for children to comprehend other subject matters, they must have good reading comprehension.

I t is in the light of the afore mentioned that the American Corner Bauchi host 21 JS1 students of Sunshine International Secondary School on a two hour reading session with a view to catching them young by inculcating the love of reading.

The students concentration was on scholastic for children where they read books such as Children Encyclopedia, National Geographic Atlas, United States of America (Enchantment of the World), the Statue of Liberty, scholastic Atlas of Weather and Ocean as well as the Lewis and Clark expedition etc.

The American Corner Bauchi in collaboration with the PAS has today the joint hands
with RTI/LEAD, the State Ministry of Water Resources, Rural & Water Sanitation and
other stake holders to celebrate the World Water Day 2012.
International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing
attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management
of freshwater resources.

An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General
Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.
Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater and this year’s
theme is; Water & Food Security. The two hour celebration begins with goodwill message
by the representative of UNICEF ‘D’ Field office and was followed by a welcome address
by the Commissioner of Water Resources. After observing these protocols, a paper
presentation titled “Advocating for multiple use water services approach as pancea to
unemployment, hunger and increasing poverty in Bauchi State was delivered by Engr.
Yusuf Mailadi of RTI/LEAD.

Many of the participants are of the opinion that the government needs to redouble their
effort in the provision of drinking water to the populace because lack of portable water
contributed a lot to the issue of poor sanitation which causes death from cholera and
other related illness.

During the occasion, the American Corner stand distrubutes copies of World Water Day
brochure to all participants courtesy of; http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/downloads/
WWD2012_BROCHURE_EN.pdf. It was also an oppurtunity for the Corner to showcase it’s
service & social activities through the display of American Corner FAQ sheet and copies cross
Roads.

The American Corner Bauchi in collaboration with the PAS has today the 21st of March
commemorate The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination as
observed annually with a documentary series on the civil rights movement that brilliantly
illuminates the struggle for racial equality and social justice . Proclaiming the Day in
1966, the UN General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its
efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

The documentary is titled “Awakenings and Fighting Back” a potion from the six hour
award winning Eyes on the Prize which is a compelling human stories that seeks to
engage viewers into discussing the landmark event that took place far back 1954-1962.

The whole audience 28 were very surprised as well as emotional to the kind of struggle
they saw on the video and thus their perspective on the struggle for freedom was changed
especially the idea of peaceful and non violence protest taking into consideration the bus
boycott. They unanimously appreciate the effort of these brave men/women on their effort
and fight for racial equality of which we all enjoy today.