One evening many months ago when I got a call from Uzodinma Iweala asking if I would guest edit an issue of
Farafina with a health theme, I did not hesitate in saying yes, in spite of the other commitments I had at the time. I said yes because the offer pulled together two themes close to my heart—African writing and African health.
I am pleased to finally present this edition of
Farafina with several thoughtful and impassioned pieces from some of my favourite writers, loosely themed around health.
African health matters, and not necessarily in the simple way that we are most used to seeing African health issues portrayed in the media.
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Jadum would qualify as one of Nigeria's most famous madmen. So famous that he makes appearances in Christopher Okigbo's poetry and in Chinua Achebe's fiction. Jadum was the "commander-in-chief" of the popular Ekwulobia market in present-day Anambra State, and was known for his wise and witty sayings and observations on life. He was named from the trademark prefix he attached to his wise sayings: "Jam Jam Dum Dum."
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When the offer was made to me to write a column for
Farafina, two things immediately came to mind. The first was a question: what would I write about? The second, even more important as it contained the answer to the first, was a decision: my column would be called 'Tea with Mrs. Bojubari'.
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