JULY 2012

DeltaWomen Magazine

Free Issue

Editors Note

DeltaWomen Magazine
DeltaWomen Magazine is now 6 months old. This issue is a free-themed collection of everything DeltaWomen staff want to say to the world. Anything that comes from the heart will nd a way to the heart.

Ill Have My Social Innovation With A Spin Of Art, Please

KATHERINE VASQUEZ TARAZONA

Social innovation is challenging to dene due to its multiple and overlapping meanings. Hence, it may refer to innovations with a social purpose; social entrepreneurship; innovation in public policy; or the social process of innovation itself. In international relations, far from the days of Westphalia and the constitution of the League of Nations, we often talk about soft power and the need for other actors to intervene in modern conicts. Likewise, in development, we take a look at alternative solutions to common yet deep problems of developing and emerging nations. The great discussion on foreign aid sets academics on the side of giving (including the so called the pop culture of aid) or on the side of forgetting (as in we shouldnt support hopeless causes). NGO's and International Organizations debate on the silver bullet that will change things once and for all and provide a better life for future generations.

Attorney at law Associate Researcher Writer at YOUTH LEADER MAGAZINE Associate Editor at A38 Journal of International Law Online Volunteer at United Nations Volunteers

The issue, as I see it, is that both NGO's and International Organizations tend to get involved in so many or so little, and fail to provide last-longing solutions. It is true that not everything is rotten and that it is better to get something done than nothing at all. But is it? Is investing in band-aids really worth it?

I guess I understand those who support that idea. Though, it irritates me to see them proclaiming their solutions as it when others (based on the same grounds) would have worked out. And it does because of the lack of commitment on thinking outside the box. Long has been the discussion on a social approach to hindered economies. Societies need to face their ghosts and change history. Thats the bottom line.

If social innovation refers to new strategies (some of them are not so new but newly applied), concepts, ideas, and organizations that meet social needs (a.k.a. working conditions, education, community development, health, governability, and so on), then the real components of change are civil participation, will, and innovating ideas.

And this the main reason why I believe it works better than other Here is where social innovation should take place. forms of aid. Assistance toward long-lasting solutions, yes! Assistance to put out the re, no! Not so long ago, I read about the relevance of focusing on real impact and not just something A few examples; in India, women go to schools to learn how to bring energy to their communities and manage that technology once back in their communities. They pass that knowledge onto other members (such as how to repair solar panels and so on). In the Andes of Peru, communities are taught international commerce strategies, market price, and IT (commerce, marketing, and buying channels). In one town in particular, every son and daughter must attend college classes in their specialty: crafting, textile, and painting arts. During their senior year, they compete against each other and the one who gets the highest honors is sent (on the entire communitys expenses) abroad to learn from the best schools in Europe. Afterwards, they come back and teach younger generations. This population lives entirely from Art.
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that sounds good and does some good. Better explained, humans are as resourceful as their imagination lets them be. The use of such resources requires incredible amounts of energy and investments in time and money. Then, as rational and real as our needs are, the use of all of those must be provided with efcient means and results. It is useless to give a community the schools and computers it needs without providing them with learning tools and well-trained professors (or to build brand hospitals that look brilliant and modern on pictures in a town lacking lighting or potable water). It just makes sense.

Thus, social innovation causes impact. And through it, citizens feel like they have upgraded their lives style. Impact becomes one of the greatest elements of innovation. It is the ultimate goal, after all.

Picasso decomposed every image in his head, owning its elements, re-inventing them in different textures and colors (as we saw in the movie The mystery of Picasso when he transforms a ower into a sh and then into a chicken, while shifting colors).

How to cause impact? As seen before, there are several strategies, concepts, and ideas that could twist things up in the communities and even achieve such goal. Then, we meet impressive minds and entrepreneurs working directly with people on the grounds of new technology, governability, education, health, and arts.

Maybe, he had synaesthesia; perhaps, he maintained his inner child and never grew up. Both way, he remained extraordinary and for those who love his art, his impact is real.

Art has changed lives. Street artists and poets, whose entire life tastes different to them, have added a particular quality to their blood and to their way of living (theres a great project going on

Ill have my social innovation with a spin of art, please.

Youtube on street poets). Most of them have chosen Art over violence and killings. The Inside Out Project by JR (a French artist) is an artistic approach to the heart of some of the most

By using our eyes, we are able to enter fascinating (and perhaps parallel) worlds. Coyles dear Sherlock used the arts of staring and intuition. He catalogued every experience to be able to connect them brilliantly in his criminal cases. Too ctional for you?

dangerous towns but also a refreshing look at misconceptions. His portraits are the faces of some average local villagers (women, men, and children with no discrimination), in such way they become visible to the world and humanized.

Youth have a particular way with Art. I've seen marvelous In a recent publication on Picassos genius, some of his friends literally described his passion to observe. Writers taste words. programs that involved teenagersand channeled their anger through their talent. In Lima, a renowned dancer returned to Peru
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after building a promising career in Europe. She decided to open a dance studio for young and untrained dancers. Literally, she took them out of the streets. Her technique is simple: she gives them one meal along with the classes and once they graduate, the top ranked students become teachers in their own communities, spreading the web, making art available to others and changing the culture of violence before present in them.

we get older we lose sight and enter a square world where white and black (yes or no) are the answers.

The way I see and understand it, Art has a great impact on those who create and on those who are welcome to their world. Emotional windows are open and we enter to places where our brains and societies have long set an interdiction. But Art is linked to social innovation not only in these extremes but also in the

Is betting on Art worth it?

arena of awareness. That is part of the social change. This week, I read about a popular campaign on Pinterest. Gender NGOs are taking on this social platform to increase awareness by using

Wilde said that Art is a reection on societies. He also said that we can't measure beauty on the grounds of civilized living. To him, in a way, art had to be brought to people to make them react, to awaken them, and shouldn't be judged by social standards which were also based on morality rather than free spirit.

graphics and images. Art has its way to connect with people. This might be something we would like to follow through, at the time of considering how to step up social innovation.

Art is and always has been provocative. A world of unspoken realities! Children are spectacular because of that. They tell you stories about great battles and clever solutions from looking at a single spot on the white paper. To them, elephants might be pink and dance on the air. Creativity comes to them as breathing. As

My First Pair of Manolo Blahnik Shoes

DENISE FALCONE

Once upon a time I had a rich husband so it was every year a ball. The big event was the following weekend, so I set off on a mission in and out of one hot crowded store to another to nd something to wear. With no success, thirsty and empty-handed, and with dusk approaching, I began to limp my way back home. Suddenly the yowl of a police siren caused me to look up to see in the lighted window of a small candy box boutique the most bewitching, exquisite pair of shoes. As the saleswoman carefully slipped each darling on my foot,tres jolie, mademoiselle, I knew in a magic second that not only were these shoes the most beautiful ever, but just owning them would change my life.

Would you like to see what I bought for the ball? I said as soon as I arrived home to my husband who was sitting on the couch reading a favorite book. Sure, he said, but I could feel him more interested in what his pal Raskolnikov was doing.

To get his attention, I went into the bedroom, took off all my clothes and put on the shoes. Look, I said smiling as I walked towards him like Miss America in the nude. I couldnt nd a dress so I bought these to wear with my old one. Look at them, honey. Dont you love them? I love them! How much? Four hundred and twenty-ve... FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS! Not including tax, I said. FOR A PAIR OF SHOES! he hollered, stricken. It a matter of principle, he went on to say while dismally wringing out his mental reasoning like one of those characters from his sobby old Russian novel. How could you spend that much on shoes? How could you? he said, shaking his head and blanketing himself in righteousness while I stood there stark naked before him. It was past midnight when we got home from the ball. I tucked the shoes back into their tissue lined box and buried it in the back of my closet.

The power I felt from them to change my life must have been very strong because after a time I felt entitled to leave him. And sadly the shoes, which I never wore again, went to auction on eBay.

WHEN THE WINDMILLS BECOME RADIOACTIVE GIANTS

ANA MARTNEZ MOLINA

Somewhere in La Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived long ago: Don Quixote. His wanderings across this land of windmills which he confused with giants and his idealistic if not disturbed mind brought him worldwide fame. Nowadays, the landscapes he used to travel around have changed, today there are mills to produce wind energy where there used to be windmills to grind wheat. But these territories are about to suffer a more drastic change: the creation of a nuclear cemetery.

The Spanish energetic production Spain is historically a country with high rates of energy dependence on foreign imports due to its shortage of fossil deposits in the national territory. According to the Institute for energy diversication and saving IDAE Spain imports almost a 80% of the total energy consumed. The REE Spanish Electricity Net pointed out that 33% of the national Spanish production of energy was covered in 2011 by renewal energy, while a 21% was provided by nuclear energy. The fossil fuel energy production, specially the coal, grew producing 73 million tons of CO2 emissions, 25% more than in 2010.

Renewal energies are innite and clean, but they require great investments in their early stages. Spain is one of the countries more punished by the economic crisis, and the recently elected Spanish government leaded by Mariano Rajoy president of the conservative Popular Party is exercising a constant and harsh policy of economic cuts to try to reduce Spanish decit. One of the rst measures they have taken is to eliminate the funds dedicated for the development of alternative energies at the same time that they prompt nuclear power by trying to lengthen the life of the nuclear power plants. When the Spanish nuclear power was born The Spanish nuclear development began during Franco's fascist regime, ofcially for a civil use of the nuclear energy, but the isolated dictatorship also took into account the possibilities that nuclear power offered in a military eld, cherishing the idea of the atomic bomb although it never came into being. The rst Nuclear Power Station, known as Zorita because of its location, started operating in 1968. From then until 1984 the rest of the plants were built, when the socialist government of that moment enacted a moratorium and it stopped the building of new nuclear power plants. Today there are 8 nuclear reactors spread over 6 nuclear power plants, and two inoperative units in Spain: the oldest one, Zorita

was shut down on 2006 after operating for almost 40 years, and the plant of Vandells I is in process of dismantlement since October 1989, when a re took place on the plant, fortunately not having more repercussions than its closure. The danger of nuclear Nuclear plants do not emit greenhouse gases to the atmosphere; however they have different and not negligible dangers. Nuclear power is characterized by producing waste at every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium mining and enrichment, to reactor operation and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. The nuclear waste needs to be stored in insulated tanks and monitored for years, and some of it will remain hazardous for hundreds of decades. As Julio Gutierrez, doctor on atomic, molecular and nuclear physics argues the dangers of nuclear waste management, as well as the ones of nuclear power, remain in the risk of accidents. If there are no accidents or malfunctioning, there is no problem. But in case of accident, the dangers of radioactivity can last for decades. The effects of an exposure to radioactivity, depending on its intensity, can vary from cancer to genetic mutation and can remain for various generations. There are epidemiological researches about it, but curiously only concerning the explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For example, there are not clear studies about the disaster in Chernobyl; it is a very hidden issue for investigations.
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Spanish neglect on managing nuclear waste Spain produces a 95% of low and intermediate level radioactive waste, and a 5% of high level radioactive waste. The rst ones are stored in pools in each nuclear plant and in the low and intermediate level waste storage of El Cabriel. The other ones, due to the lack of an appropriate place to keep them, were temporally sent to facilities in the United Kingdom that dumped the radioactive waste in the Atlantic Ocean and to France. The waste in France was supposed to be returned to Spain as from the year 2010, but as this never happened, Spain is paying a ne of 60.000 per day since the 1st of January 2011. 90% of the money will be given back when the waste will be brought back, but to return it there must be found a place where to storage it. Here it comes the governmental decision of building a centralized temporary storage (CTS) facility to house the some 12.000 m3 of spent fuel and high level waste produced in Spain at a single location where they would remain isolated for 60 years. The price of taking responsibility for the waste One of the rst decisions of the new popular government was to nd a location for the CTS. Eight villages were candidates, and although it was in 4th position until the last moment, Villar de Caas was announced as the elected one to lodge the nuclear cemetery due to the high consensus towards it, according to the declarations of Carmen Riolobos, spokesperson of the Popular Party.

Villar de Caas is a municipality with less than 500 inhabitants, located in Cuenca, a province with an aging and sparse population of 210.000 people spread among 17.000 km2. The decision was published the 30th of December 2011 on the State's Ofcial Bulletin, and in the same moment the debate began. The Spanish television showed the neighbors from Villar de Caas beaming with happiness, an image that contrasted with the demonstrations that few days later started taking place all over the region. Mara Dolores de Cospedal, the general secretary of the Popular Party and president of Castilla-La Mancha Community where Villar de Caas and Cuenca belong to , celebrated immediately the decision arguing that it will help to develop one of the most depressed Communities in Spain. So did the major of Villar de Caas, Jos Mara Saiz, who acclaimed the sudden interest that the village generated when the resolution was announced, he declared that his goal is to prevent the village from disappearance. 60 New people have been registered in the census, young people that have family here and come back to work. The CTS is going to attract people from all over the world that will come to see it and the best scientists will come to investigate in the Technology Park that will be also built.

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A total amount of 700 million of Euros will be invested in the creation of a CTS, a Technology Park and a Business Center. The City Hall of Villar de Caas will also receive and manage a subvention of 6 million of Euros every year. It is expected that 300 temporary jobs will be created during the 3 to 5 years that the CTS will be built, and 50 permanent jobs when it will start working. These seem positive data, but not everyone look at the story from the same angle. Carlos Villeta, press coordinator of the Anti-CTS Platform and president of Ecologist in Action, declared that some media manipulated the information, the major and the City Hall of Villar de Caas don't have any authority on the employment that the CTS will generate in case of being built. The permanent jobs require high qualication and therefore the people employed will not be necessary from the region. He also argued that the public opinion in the area is divided and there is not at all the consensus that according to the government tipped the balance in favor of this candidate, there is a clear division, the high opposition has been proven by the several participants in the demonstrations against the CTS, with 5.000 people in the most numerous one, the 12.000 signatures collected, and the survey that the digital newspaper Voces de Cuenca made

resulting in a 68% of people voting against the establishment of the CTS in the region.. Inmaculada Cruz, deputy of the Socialist Party in Cuenca said that the decision of bringing a nuclear cemetery is a curse for the province. We, from the socialist party, had a completely different development plan based on renewable energies. 38 windmills that would have involved more investment and the creation of more jobs than the CTS were to be built in the region. Now the project is paralyzed. The Popular Party is despising our Community. We think that the CTS will damage some local activities such as the agricultural production and the rural tourism. Mikel Simn, member and coordinator of the youth area of United Left, made emphasis on the lack of information and transparency that characterized all the process to decide the location of the CTS, the whole procedure has being tainted, obscured and undemocratic. People are misinformed, the debate has been avoided and the propaganda constantly present. An example is the religious music festival that every year takes place in Cuenca in Easter, this year it was sponsored by ENRESA the National Company for the Nuclear Waste to advertise them and clean their image. Villeta also made references to disinformation, the risks of the CTS and the negative effects it could have on the health have not been explained, the words plutonium or uranium have not been
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mentioned at all. From the Anti-CTS Platform we are organizing and encouraging experts to give informative talks, for example Doctor Julio Gutierrez came to Cuenca and explained some of the possible dangers that the nuclear cemetery would pose. He offered to give another talk in Villar de Caas, but the major Jos Mara Saiz disallowed it. Julio Gutierrez declared that I offered the major of Villar de Caas the possibility to give a talk and solve people's doubts, but he told me not to do it. He didn't forbid me to give a conference, but I would not do it without his permission. He also pointed out one of the main problems of the nuclear storage model proposed, there is something I really don't like about the proposed CTS: the waste will arrive in special drums for transport, but once in the storage facility the waste must be taken out from these containers and put in the denitive canisters. This transfer of radioactive waste represents a higher risk of accidents. The logic procedure would be to transport the waste in the denite containers, but the transport protocols are very strict and the drums for it are of special design to resist in case of accident, and therefore they are very expensive. To make new barrels now would involve an expenditure that the State cannot afford because it is the State and the citizens through their taxes who pay for the nuclear waste management, not the electricity companies.

The waste management is a pending issue of the nuclear power, when nuclear plants started being built nobody thought what to do later with the waste. But even nowadays, decades later, there has not been found a real and permanent solution. All the members of the Anti-CTS Platform the Socialist Party, United Left, Greenpeace, Ecologists in Action... among other 45 more coincide in pointing out that the only way to accept the creation of a CTS would be establishing rst a plan and a date to close all nuclear plants, as Germany for example has done. They also draw attention on the need of a more transparent and democratic process, in which all the people affected would have a voice, be consulted and able to participate.

Somewhere in La Mancha, in a place named Cuenca, many people congregated last Saturday 12th of May to commemorate the Indignados movement that started in the Spanish streets one year ago. Many of them carried banners against nuclear power. On one of the banners it could be read: To change the World, my friend Sancho, is neither madness nor utopia. It is justice. As well as about Don Quixote, some will argue that they are disturbed, some that they are

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ideologist dreamers... The only clear thing is that now the danger of a windmill switching into a ferocious giant is true:

a gigantic nuclear cemetery.

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Realities Of Life
LYLIN AGUAS

Maaaa, its them not me! That was my daughters exasperated reply to me when in one of our bonding moments, I once more reminded her to be careful when shes out with friends. Id often remind her never to leave her drink unattended if shes out drinking with friends, or if she does, not to drink it anymore. She would either not respond or just say that she knows. I suppose a mothers worries never ends where her kids are concerned. Years ago, a colleague told us about a neighbors teenage daughter who experienced a tragic misfortune with 3 or 4 other female friends. It was a story I could never forget and whenever I recall her story, I always have a tight feeling of suffocation in my heart. It always feels harder to breathe then. I know it can happen to anyone. The story was about 4 or 5 teenage girls who decided to go out to a disco to celebrate their high school graduation. They danced the night away mixing with the crowd, drinking and eating...just enjoying themselves. Whether they left their drinks unattended or some guys connived with the waiter, they could never tell. All they could remember was waking up in a motel room. They had no recollection of what happened, how they got there, or who and how many brought them there. To say that they were molested is not a strong enough word. They were all minors. It was statutory rape. But no one could or would pinpoint who the culprits were. There were just no witnesses.
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To add further to the tragic fate that had befallen the girls, the neighbors daughter got pregnant. In a generally very religious country, especially in towns, abortion was just not an option. So she bore a son...father unknown. Her own father had difculty accepting the child...the child of a rapist. But is the child to blame? How does one deal with it? I personally dont know if I can. To this day, I cant imagine how the victims and their families must feel...or the child when he nds out how he was born. I think its inevitable. Such tragedies are never kept a secret forever. My fears as a mother grow whenever I recall this teenagers story. I shudder at the thought that there can be people just around us, probably even people we know or have met on the street who can be so heartless and without conscience that they would callously destroy a persons future. As a mother I worry for my daughter, typical teenager that she is who acts like she knows it all with the ways of the world. But I know I cannot keep her under my wings all her life. She has much to learn about life but Im condent that her strong personality and independence will guide her through challenges she may face as she matures.

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The Untitled Song

SUPREET KAUR

Once there was a little girl With innocence sparkling in her eyes Her smile spread vibrant colors around Her heart was pure and divine She danced away to the peak of happiness She sang with all her delight She had the love she always wanted She had her friends by her side She wanted to y high in the sky Spreading all her wings She wanted to see the world from her eyes She wanted all the good things When the girl became a woman She was ready to y away But there was something that pulled her down She could not help but stay

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The little girl with innocent smile Lost the will to play She no more laughed, she no more smiled Colors around her turned to grey Even though she had lost so much Her heart was still crystal clear There was no more innocence in her eyes There was only pain and fear She got up to dance, but she could not Happiness was beyond her reach She tried to sing, but she could not And she could not even speak She had no love in her life It had disappeared into the thin air Her friends had all gone away Because no one even cared

The lonely nights were spent on bed The tears became her company She became so weak and cold Her joys were in jeopardy She wanted the vibrant colors back To ll up her empty life But she knew it was not so easy, so She decided to wait and ght One day she heard a voice from within It asked her to be strong The night will pass, the day will come You will get where you belong The girl has now nally realized Nothing is what it seems Joys will pass, sorrows will stay But always do what you believe in

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The Benets Of Using Emu Oil For Hair Loss

DONNA L. PALMER

Emu oil is one of the best topical treatments for hair loss. It has constantly produced positive results for men and women experiencing hair loss of all types. Some have even reported small amounts of new growth within weeks. What is Emu Oil? Emu oil is produced from the native Australian bird, the Emu. The oil has been used for many years by Aboriginal Australians for many different purposes including to soothe dry and burnt skin and to treat other skin problems. The oil comes from the thick padding of fat on the back of the emu. Almost 100% of the oil, when rendered correctly, is made up of triglycerides. For this reason, it is much more permeable on the skin, as compared to other oils. Which means, that besides it's other benecial properties, the oil can be used as a carrier for other hair growth medicinal substances. Properties of Emu Oil for Hair Loss We've already discussed the important property of permeability. Another interesting property of the oil, which makes it key for hair loss, is that it is an antiinammatory. It has been accepted that hair loss is probably in large part due to an

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inammatory process. Anything that decreases inammation on the scalp, in theory, should help stop hair loss. Research on the anti-inammatory property of emu oil is ongoing. There is a lot of evidence supporting the anti-inammatory ability of the oil as it is also has been successfully used to ease pain resulting from arthritis, reduce muscle pain related to sports injuries, and reduce bruising. Even more signicantly, emu oil has been shown to inhibit 5alpha-reductase, the enzyme that metabolizes testosterone into DHT. DHT is known to attack hair follicles and leads to balding. This pathway is thought to be the reason for male pattern balding, and probably plays a role in some female alopecia. The take away here: stop 5-alpha-reductase, stop DHT, and you will probably be helping to stop some kinds of hair loss. Unlike other types of oils, emu oil will not irritate your scalp or your skin. It is also non comedogenic, which is why many women are also able to use it on the face as a moisturizer and to combat wrinkles. Additionally, women have noted that they thicker skin after use (which coincidentally tends to be thinner in those suffering from hair loss). List of the Benecial Properties of Emu Oil for Hair Loss - Anti-inammatory - Anti-bacterial

- Anti-fungal - Highly permeable - Hypo-allergenic - No side effects - No odor or staining - Non-comedogenic - Speeds wound healing Where's The Proof? Well to be perfectly honest, we don't have "proof"... but we denitely have evidence. There have been many clinical studies that support the above-mentioned properties. We'll review one couple below but for more information you can visit website of The American Emu Association. There you'll nd several white papers available for review. Dr. Michael Holick, MD, Ph.D. conducted a study at Boston University school of Medicine, which looked at hair growth in shaved mice. The double blind study topically applied the oil to shaved mice, and use corn oil as the control. Dr. Holick found that where emu oil was applied, DNA synthesis (growth activity) increased by as much as twenty percent. He also found that the dormant hair follicles had been "woken up and began growing
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hair." It seems that in the emu oil was responsible for stimulating the hair follicles on these mice. What Kind of Emu Oil Should You Buy Not all oils are the same. You want to buy the most potent and effective oil. This means that the oil must be processed correctly, or else the product can be almost useless. Here are some tips you should keep in mind when you are considering which emu oil you should buy: - Make sure that you buy oil that has not been contaminated by hormones, blood, or emu meat. You can do this by purchasing from a company that ensures that the bird has been handled properly. - One of the most important things about emu oil is that is entirely made up of trans fatty acids. If the oil has been incorrectly processed (under high heat), the trans fatty acids will not be produced. - Solvents, degummers, sodium hydroxides, should not be used in processing the oil. Top quality oils will not have been rened with these as they can remove other important substances. - No preservatives should be added. As mentioned earlier emu oil is an antibacterial- so preservatives should not be necessary.

The How To Stop Hair Loss for Women site is dedicated to providing women everywhere hair loss information. There you can learn what to do to stop hair loss immediately. Learn what you should be doing to grow thicker, healthier hair now and forever.

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Ambidextrous Aime
GLORIA ADERO

There have been a few who have dared to ask me why I do what I do. This to me is a stupid question though I do not bother to tell them so. If I asked them the same, I am not sure they would have answers they wish to share either. Nevertheless, my response is always the same polite one; all that I do is done because I enjoy it. I consider our chats to be after sales service. A term I learned while at Joyeux. The place that led me here. The place at which I learned almost all that I know. I remember when I was younger, my mother told me that when she named me Aime, the skies opened up to cement their agreement. The rain did not stop for two whole days. Upon sharing this exciting fact with the class at Joyeux, I learned that this was a normal occurrence. After all, living next to a rain forest meant that one should expect quite a bit of rain. Yes, I only have Joyeux to thank for almost all I know. I say almost because there were other places I had been to before, and places I went to after. Though where I would be without it, I am not sure. Probably taking care of mother who should be very old now, if not dead. During my pre-Joyeux phase, I set out to fulll the expectations that a name such as mine would carry. This was easily done by all children. So I laughed, I played, I ate, I shat and I cried as needed. For almost seven years I lived up to my name, until the day all other verbs were replaced by the last. The day I stopped crying only when exhaustion overcame me, was the day mother must have considered

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the aws of giving me the perfect name. My fever and crying went on for two weeks. This time she did not bother with the village medicine man, who though never was ofcially accepted, got his fair share of visits. We went to the overwhelmed and young French medic who would constantly sweat. Both from the strain and the humidity. After this visit which was just in time, and yet too late my right leg slowly lost its form. As time went by I became what I should be, a happy child. But now I had a companion, a thick wooden stick that Yves smoothed down just for me. I still cried at times, but could not play as before. As I child, I quickly got used to it. Mother though would at times look at me and say, Yves, Eric and Emmanuel also did not take injections, why only you Aime, why you? I did not ask myself these whys. Edith, Clarisse and Flore had sticks too. As did Alexia. She, I felt sorry for her because her mother had bothered to take her for the injections. I knew this because we sat in the same class. We learnt the same as the rest. Talked the same as the rest, ate and slept. The same as the rest. Yes, we could not run, skip rope or play hide and seek, but that was no problem. Because that is how life was and still is. With our wooden sticks we could go wherever we needed to go. Home and school and back again. I soon discovered that there were better places that others wanted me to go.

After six years when I had learned all there was to learn at the village school, Yves asked mother who was to take care of her when she could not dig any more. They were busy at the logging company as well as with their wives and children. Obviously I, Aimee could not do it. She was the one who took care of me. Cooking, cleaning and begging, he said those were not for me. My brothers love was known by all. Their commitment to ensuring that I did not end up like our grandmother, hating herself for a disease that randomly chose whether or not to maim its victims, honourable. Yves told her I would need Skills for the Future. I liked the sound of that phrase, I liked even more that they agreed with what I thought of as I lay down to sleep every night. I had a future. Mother on the other hand, had trouble envisioning me with any skills, much less a future. She turned to me, and this time it was her eyes that said, Why you. Eric, Emmanuel and to mothers surprise, myself agreed with Yves. The skills would take me far. Further than home with mother and school with Edith, Clarisse, Flore and the less fortunate Alexia. And thanks to my brothers, that was my next destination. My presence at Lcole Joyeux -Douala would now be a feature in my future whenever I was pestered enough to speak about my past. My mother in all her wisdom had taught me how to weave baskets. A skill she had thought would be sufcient, but Yves, Eric, Emmanuel and eventually I, disagreed with. However this
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skill automatically meant, according to Mr. Ojong-the stern deputy principal, that I could sew. I proved him right and spent the rst years honing my craft. I sewed, embroidered, and crotcheted. This impressed Mr. Ojong enough to baptize me Ambidextrous. He dragged the word as he said it, and looked deep into my eyes. He held my gaze for a second too long or so I imagined. I could only wonder what he searched for. Perhaps he was trying to locate the hidden source of my ambidexterity. After graciously acknowledging receipt of this praise, I sort to nd out its meaning. When I think back, maybe I should not have done so as the only image that came into my mind were the monkeys by Mothers hut that could pick their noses with their right hands, and proceed to do the same adeptly with their left. This not being important, I Ambidextrous Aime was pleased. Mr. Ojong took pleasure in the works of few. Very few. I progressed well at Joyeux as we who were there preferred to call it. Only amongst ourselves of course. Madam Njoume, Principal and woman of only high repute would insist on the full name in her presence. My new Edith, Clarisse and Flore, that is Pascale, Agnes and Gaelle also thrived at Joyeux. Here we all learnt skills for the future. Mother and my brothers hardly came to see me. They had their farms, families and logging. Between that and my fees at Joyeux, their visits became rare. The few times they did come, Mr. Ojong set their minds at ease. You made the best decision for Aime. She works hard. And uses all she has. If she had legs, she could have gone very far.

Mother repeated his words while she gave me her 10 year perfected why you Aimee eyes. I did not feel sad about this fact. After all, Madam Njoumes nephew had arms and legs that functioned fully and yet all he did was sell sweets and telephone cards when he was not sweeping the leaves into tiny heaps at Joyeux. I told mother this in an effort to make her feel better. She stood up, held my face and replied, I will come back if one of your brothers buys me a ticket. It may not be soon. She then turned to leave but before she said her last goodbye she let out a deep sigh as if to exhale the burden of the comments that I would one day categorize as immature. This was followed by her thoughts on the relatively unsuccessful yet fully able man. Fabrice is selling those sweets and cards because he wants something that is his own. Do not despise those who search for their own, no matter how low you may think it is. As I had no tting retort, we parted ways. That was the last time I saw my mother.

The closeness between Pascale, Agnes, Gaelle and myself was brought about due to our barely won battle with polio, and most importantly, our infatuation with Mr. Ojong. It involved our every waking moment when we were not sewing, embroidering, and crotcheting.

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He can have any woman he wants, so handsome and strong. Gaelle would say while holding her chest as if to soothe the pain of discovering his handsomeness and strength. Pascale would speak of her ever growing feelings and the smell of his French cologne. Agnes, being one of few words would smile and gaze into the distance. We tired from asking of her hidden thoughts as her response would always be silence accompanied by a few giggles. As for me, I revelled in the secret of my ambidexterity wondering what the future could hold for one with such an extraordinary talent. To protect my secret I also indulged them with my thoughts on the shape of his hair, the leather elbow patches on his corduory jacket, and his ability to ride a bicycle in a manner that made bicycle riding look dignied. A difcult task if one considers the state of our roads.

I looked up startled, wondering how long he had been there. Yes Sir, my embroidary. One day I will make agbadas for many great men. I actually believed that I would. How, I do not know. The teachers sometimes said all you need is to believe. Who was I to counter them. Come, lets go to my ofce. I think I know how to help you with your dream. This was very exciting, though I wondered whether any great person associated with teachers who rode bicycles and patched their jacket elbows. When I nally reached his ofce, he was already seated, his expression pensive. I silently wondered if he had just realized that contacting the big men would be harder than he had imagined. Sit down Aime. He gestured to the wooden chair in front of his

One day I was sitting in the classroom perfecting my skills. The pattern was a replica of one I had seen in the Nigerian magazines that Madam Njuome placed in the library on the arts and crafts shelf. From the rst day I saw them, I decided that I would embroider until mine resembled the agbadas on display. I concentrated only on this, and chose not to go for my lunch break. My concentration also led me not to hear Mr. Ojongs faint footsteps when he joined me in the classroom. Aime, such a hard worker. Is it still your embroidary?

equally basic wooden desk,. He then walked to the door and quietly shut it. The light in my ofce is so bright. The sun shines directly through my window. He closed the louvres, and drew the curtains as I eagerly waited to lay the initial foundation that would help exploit my skills for the future. Mr. Ojong cleared his throat lightly then slowly walk towards me. Finally, he stood between my crutches and said, Did you nd out the meaning of ambidextrous Aime?
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I lifted my head, and met his deep stare. Yes Sir, the dictionary said it is the ability to use your right and left hands equally well. If I can be honest, I do not see how this can be used to describe me. I sew, embroider and crotchet only with my right hand. No man had been this close to me before. His body covered the few rays that made it past the curtain. He responded to my puzzlement by telling me to be quiet and unzipping his trousers. He then guided my hands to him and helped me understand his denition of ambidexterity. That night and many after that, I did not contribute to the conversation about Mr. Ojongs looks, actions, and smell. Had I wanted to I could have given them current and detailed information on his touch and taste. I did not. He made me swear that I would not tell anyone. This was then followed with an expression of pleasure at my ambidexterity. He also said that he wished to continue with these lessons and would tell me where and when they would be carried out. I only nodded, what else could I do but nod. I had now been in Joyeux for three and a half years.

years. The Joyeux teachers all taught the same skills. That would mean there would soon be 27 of us who could sew, embroider and crotchet. Most of us, preferred Douala. What good would our skills be in the village where there was no money to be made. And with that I chose to concentrate equally as hard on the additional skills, which Mr. Ojong was more than happy to provide. I probably should have chosen not to, but as any other teenager I felt that I could trust my own decisions. As time went on and mothers visits dwindled to nothingness I began to look forward to my only other option, Justine. She would visit Gaelle mostly on Wednesdays. She once said, I dont work alot on week days, so why not visit my favourite cousin and her best friends. I wished I was someones favourite cousin, but was glad to share Gaelles with her. We asked her what she did. If they accepted people like us at her workplace. Her answer was always the same. When you leave Joyeux, and run out of money, come to me. I will help you help yourself, just like it says in the Bible. She always laughed when she said this. I still have never found this phrase in the Bible. My extra lessons with Mr. Ojong continued, and developed to a level that even I never imagined it would

You have to earn your keep, perfect what you learn here. Lcolires Joyeux does not provide burdens to society. That was Mrs. Njuomas mantra. She said it at the end of every Friday assembly. I thought about what I would do after the next two

reach. I hid the lessons from Pascale, Agnes and Gaelle quite well. After all, these were now specialized skills that I did not want everyone to have, least of all know about.

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They noticed my absence and often questioned it, to which I responded, We are discussing how to market my embroidery, he calls it brainstorming. Why doesnt he brainstorm with all of us? Arent we all graduating next year? Agnes had become quite irritating, I wondered what prompted her to nd her voice. Why dont you ask him? He came to me after he saw my work, show him yours and tell him what you want. This they could never do. Their reverence for Mr. Ojong had reached the extent of visualising halos around his perfectly rounded afro. I believed that they wished it to remain so though when I think back I will always remember Agnes intense stares which she thought I never noticed.

was soon on the oor. Braces, accid leg and crutches all tangled in an unrighteous heap. Fabrice, the discoverer of Mr. Ojongs and my passionate trysts, stood above me and smiled with malice. He had received justice for the laughter I constantly directed his way while he tried to search for his own. Madame Njuome expelled me immediately. She was a good Catholic and offered to call someone, but I knew no one would come. Joyeux was too far and my embarrassment, overwhelming. I left without saying goodbye to Pascale, Agnes and Gaelle. As I stood outside the Joyeux gates across the dusty road, I did not believe that I had acquired all my skills for the future. And I knew that I could never get the certicate that showed I partly had. Perhaps I could get it at Mr. Ojongs house. Never mind the wife and the twins that he had been pleading about earlier. Or the self-respect he lacked while begging to keep his job. Madame Njuome had instructed the watchman to help me and my few belongings across the road. I heard her as she loudly briefed him of my ill repute that she would not associate with, as well as the fear of its viral spread. I waited for Mr. Ojuong with the humidity and frustration causing rivers of sweat that ran down my back and chest. He nally appeared, several papers in his bicycle basket. I tried to catch his attention with a loud, Mr Ojuong. A second Mr. Ojuong, was soon needed. At this, he looked at me, lifted his right hand to signal his direction and proceeded down the road without looking back. The third
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The day Madam Njoume burst into the room and hit me continuously with her Bible while casting out the demons that I possesed, was the day I nally admitted to myself Mr. Ojong had no Obasanjo or Biya or any contacts. He knelt down before her and begged for leniency and mercy. My wife, the twins, please, please. He did not even have enough pride to pull up his trousers. At least some dignity while he begged. While he sharpened his newly acquired skill, I struggled to look decent. In my haste, I

and last Mr. Ojuong from me was weak, and sounded more like a question. I watched his lanky body and apping jacket tails vanish down the road, suddenly realizing that his riding was not at all dignied. My pleas to stay for one more night as I knew no one in the city fell on Madame Njuomes recently gone deaf ears. Once again I stood across the road with Joyeuxs gates forever closed to me. As I weighed my options which was only one; sleeping on the street, I wondered what mother would say about my skills for the future having not being completed and no hope of it being so. But luck was on my side, for it was Wednesday. I saw Justine get out of the wornout yellow taxi that lumbered away with its four remaining occupants. When I called her name twice, she heard me, unlike Mr. Ojuong. She did not visit Gaelle that Wednesday. We went back to her cramped room, where I shared my predicament and my limited skills in all subjects. She smiled at me and said, Do not worry, tomorrow you will start working with me. I asked her whether the sewing, embroidering and crotcheting were sufcient as I did not consider them perfect. She laughed and assured me that I would be ne with the experience I had. After sufcient prodding, she informed me where she earned her daily bread. How she thought I was that kind of person I would never understand. She said if I could do it for Mr. Ojong, I could do it for anyone else. She laughed when I told her that he said I was special. She replied that the science teacher in her high school thought that she too had been special.

Listen Aimee, she said, to them, every young girl who agrees to be special is special. I told her I would look for something else. Something that could utilize the other skills that I already had. She did not mind, as long as I contributed equally to everything. The last words before she walked out that night spoke of what she knew, and what I was yet to discover. When you nd this something, please let me know and I will join you.

The post Joyeux phase was lled with walking and begging. But it was more begging than walking. I begged for jobs, and peoples time. I begged for a chance and I begged for strength. As the days passed, I even began to beg for Justines patience and understanding. These were the hours when I cursed my mother for not taking me for the injection, despite what I knew about Alexia. Everyone looked at my braces and crutches and said the same thing; they had nothing for people like me. These were also the days when I too joined my mother in asking numerous whys of which there was no answer. The day I gave up begging is the day that I learned my brothers and mother had already given up on me. With some more of Justines patience, and money I called home. It was nally time to go back and use my skills in the village where I had thought they would be of no use. They could send me money for a bus ticket, as well as Justines kindness, and nally my future though not bright would not be as dim as it was that day. I rst called Yves, then Eric, then Emmanuel.
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Unfortunately, Madame Nduome had got to them all rst. She told them of my evil ways and of my spirit of seduction. Of her embarrassment, and of course, my expulsion. They expressed their disgust for how I thanked them for their sacrices and their belief in me. They cursed themselves for not listening to their mother. She who taught me what was enough for me to know and survive in the village. A place they now realized I never should have left. After the curses and the name calling, that was the last I heard of them. They also kept me from reaching our mother in every way that they could. Their success rate was better than even they could have imagined though this expected since they dealt with me. I who had no means of any kind. The next morning was a busy one. One where my ever growing debt to Justine reached proportions that were hard to control. Our rst stop was Marche Central, where Justine bought four bracelets, two pairs of earrings and a chain from her regular plaqu person as she referred to him. You only wear enough plaqu, not too much. They do not like it when its too much. We then picked a box of strong relaxer for medium to coarse hair. This is all that works, you know our hair is stubborn. The other one is a waste of money. Justines wise explanation for her choice which I committed to memory.

The next stop was Marche Congo where we bought a few dresses from the intimidating piles of imported clothes that smelled not as new as their owners claimed. I questioned the colors but Justine assured me that was their main preference. Lastly we stopped for make up that the shop keeper swore was straight from Paris, and everybody who was anybody used. By the time night set in, I looked in the mirror and wondered whether I was still Aime. Hair straight, face pink, clothes gaudy. My leg conrmed all doubts I had. I was she. Justine then said, We have to leave early, I normally leave at eleven, but because Im with you. I hurried up and she helped me with my braces and crutches. The night was beautiful and pitch black except for the headlights of the many cars and a few working street lights. It will be fun, you wait and see. Justine said this thrice during the taxi ride to the place that she chose to remain unknown. When we arrived, I almost started to believe her. Almost. This would be a place worth talking about with Pascale, Agnes and Gaelle. We got out of the taxi and stood across the street. I kept wondering when we would go in and hoping that nothing would happen. That we would soon go home. Justine scolded me, saying that I should be grateful for the opportunity. She asked me to me check, and recheck her. She in turn checked and rechecked me. The night guard then checked and rechecked us and said he would let us know when it was time.
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The two well dressed men got out off different cars that drove to the entrance. They spoke to the guard, one after the other. He was very subtle, gesturing at us only once with his hand and nodding quickly while he listened. The men entered the hotel and vanished from our sight. The guard came over to us and said to Justine, You, 408. The one with the leg, 211. 35, 000 CFA each. You will leave half of it as you leave. Do not break anything. Do not be too loud. Justine thanked him, and we crossed the road, soon in the marble lobby of Hotel Marbres. I was certain that the metal under the heel of Justines high heels would annoy the receptionist and it would be the end. When nothing happened I was then certain that the heavy thump of my brace would provide an irritation of some kind. He did not look up. As we waited for the elevator, I turned to Justine. She looked at me then turned away, after she had repeated the rules on carefulness and noise levels. I then knew my skills for the future had found a place for perfection. They were not the skills that Mother, Yves, Emmanuel and Eric sent me to Joyeux for. But they were the skills that unfortunately, would be most appreciated. This story my clients will not appreciate and that is why my response to their question is always the same: all that is do is done because I enjoy it.

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SAVE WATER, SAVE EARTH

SREEJESH KAIPULLY

Water is a basic resource found on Earth and it is a necessity all living creatures need to live. Plants need water to photosynthesize and make food. Animals need water for drinking and some sea creatures live in the water. We humans need water for washing, drinking, bathing, industries, cooking? With so many uses who can deny that water is of utmost importance to life? But is water inexhaustible? NO! In the colossal tank of water that Earth provides us with, only a spoonful of it can be used. 70.8% of the Earths surface is covered with water. Out of this 70.8%, 97% is saltwater, which we can neither drink nor use. Out of the remaining 3% of freshwater, almost 70% of it is locked in glaciers and icecaps and most of the remaining is below your feet as groundwater. Of all the freshwater on Earth, only 0.3% can be used for our everyday lives. That is less than 1% of the worlds total water supply! Despite the fact that only less than 1% of the worlds water supply is suitable for usage, we do not have a shortage of water. However, the water distribution in countries is very unbalanced. About 65% of usable water is concentrated in 10 countries. 80 other countries that hold about 40% of the worlds population experience a serious lack of water. The way humans are using and polluting water has reached a critical stage. In the previous century, around the mid 1990s, the yearly disposal of waste water into

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rivers, lakes and seas all around the world is as much as 500,000,000,000 cubic meters, causing more than 3,550,000,000 cubic meters of water bodies to be polluted! At the worlds fteenth World Water Day, a shocking announcement was made. Around 1,300,000,000 people do not have access to clean water and 3,100,000 people die of diseases related consumption of dirty water every year. Water conservation can be dened as: Any benecial reduction in water loss, use or waste as well as the preservation of water quality. A reduction in water use accomplished by implementation of water conservation or water efciency measures; or, Improved water management practices that reduce or enhance the benecial use of water. A water conservation measure is an action, behavioral change, device, technology, or improved design or process implemented to reduce water loss, waste, or use.Water Efciency is a tool of water conservation that results in more efcient water use and thus reduces water demand. The value and cost-effectiveness of a water efciency measure must be evaluated in relation to its effects on the use and cost of other natural resources (e.g. energy or chemicals).

The six global meeting on water has got underway in Marseille France with high level speakers calling for concrete solutions to bring to an end water scarcity and wastage. We have been moving too slowly. We now need to accelerate, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said as he opened the sixth World Water Forum. The number of human beings who have no access to clean water is in the billions. Each year, we mourn millions of dead from the health risks that this causes. This situation is not acceptable the world community must rise and tackle it, he noted. Fillon further called for sustainable water management systems saying that in some cities around the world, 70 percent of water is wasted. He explored countries around the world to share scientic knowledge and expertise to end climate change and water wastage. Fillon also called for creation of an international agency that oversees environment which he named World Environment Organization, noting that if the world can have a World Trade Organization, why not have a World Environment organization also. Most countries not only have a serious water pollution problem, they also waste water at an alarming rate. In the recent years,
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water consumption has increased, and at the same time, the problem of water wastage has also worsened. China and America produce the same kind of food, but China uses twice the amount of water. Chinas Deputy Minister of Water Resource, Mr. Zhang Chunyuan said that agriculture is one of the main water consumers in China, using about 72% of the total amount of water used in China. However, out of massive amount of water used, only one-third is used effectively and efciently. More than half of the water is lost through transportation and ood irrigation. Industries use 225 cubic meters in China compared to around 100 cubic meters in other developed countries. Furthermore, even though water used in the cities may be much lesser than the amount used for agriculture and industrial purposes, but the wastage that occurs in cities do not lose out to the two previous users. The amount of water that car users use to wash their cars in a year is enough to ll up more than one Kunming Lake or six North Seas. Water wastage is not only prevalent in China, but all around the world. It is a crisis that cannot be ignored and must be attended to before things reach a point of no return.

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Sandwich Of Life
DANIELA SILVA By Lda Freire

Mass of the Bread 1 cup of joy and other of satisfaction 1 cup of concern 1 tablespoon of fear, anguish and other anxiety 1 tablespoon of dissatisfaction and other sadness 1 tablespoon of frustration Mix ingredients well, in order to have a grease, because it is what will form the structure of the sandwich.

Filling Pate: Professional Life An equal amount of interest and will be a cup. Beat in mixer until it can, but at a pace right not to lose it. Beat until light will need to reach. From there, go put the other ingredients, which are more or less the same proportion and the equivalent of one tablespoon of:
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Made a sandwich, enjoy each piece as it is made of pieces, then - Courage; - Organization; - Systematization; - Routine - 1 pinch, and do not pass this measure does not get that taste bitter. chew it well. Enjoy it every moment, gently is key, because that is what makes it so special!

After all these ingredients mixed, set aside. The predominant avor of the pate is the persistence and the courage.

After lling up and booked, check arranging a tray, and preferably colored to your liking, because it is what gives the look of the sandwich.

It is important concern with these details, because they are what training the whole sandwich. Arrange the dough and ll each layer. In the end, cover with 5 cups of love, but this must always be mixed with good amount of tolerance, understanding.
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Can Yeast Infection Cream Really Help Your Hair Grow?

DONNA L. PALMER

The active ingredients in yeast infection medications are usually miconazol nitrate (MN), trioconosol, or clotrimazole. Now, most people are using creams that contain miconazol nitrate (MN) as the active ingredient. I did nd some cases on different forums of people using clotrimazole cream for growth, but didn't nd much about the use of trioconosol creams for hair growth. Those that have used the creams are calling it a miracle hair cream. Many have noticed their hair is growing faster. Some people experience an additional 1-2 inches per month as well as thicker hair. There are some cons however. Some people have mentioned that they notice increased shedding of the hair, have experienced headaches, and some scalp irritation. Why yeast infection creams may work Now for those of you who have done extensive research on hair loss... using an anti-fungal for hair growth won't sound all that groundbreaking. As a matter of fact it is often recommended that an anti-fungal shampoo be added to your hair care regimen. Some of the popular recommendations include: Nizoral, Head & Shoulders, Selsun Blue, and T-Gel. Some dermatologists are even prescribing antifungal creams to those experiencing hair loss. There are two reasons why an anti-fungal cream may help those suffering from hair loss. These creams have anti-fungal properties as well as anti-androgen

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properties. Let's start with the anti-fungal properties. Hair loss can be caused by a number of different factors. One of them being fungal infections. One of the most well known fungal infection to cause hair loss is ringworm. Though, some health care practitioners believe that hair loss can also be caused by a chronic yeast (fungus) on the body and scalp also commonly called candida. If you browse through some different candida sites and forums and you'll see countless people stating that they have noticed a link between their candida infections and hair loss. When most candida sufferers talk about their yeast problem, they are talking about an overgrowth of the yeast that is normally found in the intestines. It would be hard to imagine that using yeast infection cream on the scalp could somehow help the overgrowth of candida in the gut. No, but it wouldn't be hard to imagine that if systemic (an all-over chronic infection) candida can cause hair loss, some yeast present on the scalp could certainly contribute to thinning over time. I won't go into the mechanism of how candida can cause hair loss in this article but I will simply state that candida can infect the hair follicle, cause folliculitis which can contribute to thinning hair. Some anti-fungals are known to also have anti-androgenic properties. Ketoconazole is one such anti-fungal. It is the active ingredient in a popular anti-dandruff shampoo, Nizoral, which has also gained some popularity in the hair loss world. There is an even a study that suggest that Nizoral might be as effective as

minoxidil, the active ingredient in Rogaine, at increasing the thickness of an individual strand of hair. For now, we can't be sure whether yeast infection creams also have some anti-androgenic properties. What we do know is that many women (and men) have been using the creams to successfully thicken their hair and speed up growth. Now, keep in mind the side effects that were mentioned earlier. If you're intrigued but still not keen on applying yeast infection cream on your scalp, you may be happy to know that some hair loss sufferers are using dandruff shampoos with similar results. Dandruff has been shown to be caused, in part, to Malassezia yeast- a type of fungus. Dandruff shampoos contain different antifungal medications that target yeast, decrease dandruff, and as a side effect may also help your hair grow. Before you run out and grab just any dandruff shampoo, read through the below list of dandruff shampoos that may promote growth; some have a better reputation than others Head & Shoulders:A study has shown that the active ingredient, zinc pyrithione, in Head & Shoulders can modestly increase hair growth. In the study, the anti-fungal was compared to ketoconazole and piroctone olamine. Those who used the zinc pyrithione shampoo saw a decrease in hair shedding and an increase in the amount of hairs in the growth phase; but the other users in the study had more of an improvement with the ketoconazole and piroctone olamine shampoos. Additionally,
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many have commented on forums that they've had negative reaction to Head & Shoulders. This may or may not be from an allergic reaction to the zinc pyrithione. In any case, there are better options out there and Head & Shoulders would not be my rst choice among this list of shampoos. Nizoral:The active ingredient in Nizoral is ketoconazole. It is probably the most popular of shampoos in this list to be used specically to help grow hair. Not many people complain of allergic reactions to the shampoo. In the study mentioned above, the ketoconazole shampoo outperformed the zinc pyrithione shampoo in decreasing the amount of shedding hair. If you have experienced hair loss, I would recommend adding Nizoral to your regimen to help slow any further shedding. Selsun Blue:The active ingredient in this shampoo is zinc pyrithione, which we've already covered, and selenium sulde. Selenium sulde has been documented to cause hair loss. Obviously, this shampoo is not one that I would recommend trying if you are experiencing hair loss. T-Gel Shampoo "Greasy Hair:This particular version of the shampoo contains piroctone olamine which has been shown to be even more effective than ketoconazole in increasing hair shaft diameter and about as effective in reducing hair shedding. Many users have also said that this shampoo is less drying than Nizoral. I would also recommend trying T-Gel, but only the version with

piroctone olamine as the active ingredient. Other versions of the T-Gel shampoo have different active ingredients. A Natural Alternative Some of you may be more interested in a "natural" product. There are many herbs and oils that have anti-fungal properties. One natural alternative would be to apply emu oil to the scalp 2 to 3 times per week. Emu oil is a natural anti-inammatory, anti-fungal, and antibacterial. So yes, you can use yeast infection and jock itch cream to help grow your hair. If you are hesitant, try Nizoral or T-Gel, they both can work. If you are looking for something natural, emu oil is a good option. The How To Stop Hair Loss for Women site is dedicated to providing women everywhere hair loss information. There you can learn what to do to stop hair loss immediately. Learn what you should be doing to grow thicker, healthier hair now and forever.

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Armor
DR. MARIE KEITH S. EPE

Shady spectacles on your peepers, Sturdy, in place. Looks ahead almost in tears, Blinked, stared in space.

Red gloves on your ngers, Lacy mittens on your skin. Abstract art on nails, Red, black, blue and green.

White umbrella above your head, Red cloth, your hair's shelter. Chin up, strictly clutched the shed, Wind discovered it never.

Leather sleeves on your arms, Glimmers, gem-studded. Readily extends warmth, Withdrawn abruptly, made sure it's unfolded.

Golden scarf around your neck, With breeze it gracefully sway. Upright, never bent, Right or left, carefully turning the other way.

Printed trousers on lower limbs, Baggy bottoms unattering. Slowly but condently you limp, Gait unsteady, unyielding.

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All by your self, you cry, Empty, you can't scream. Your man heartlessly punched your eye, Your man banged your head on the metal beam.

Bitter ironies in mind. A poignant smile you confess, Real joy is hard to nd.

Tomorrow an ancient routine, On your neck, hands imprinted in red, Denied to gasp for air to breathe. On your arms permanent marks that bled, Abrasions and cuts, extremities without a shield. How long must you hide? Gloves must go, sheared with scissors, He packed his bags, ready to leave. Hands between weighty car doors, Lost seven nails, instant nail paints to grieve. Or Pretend? And Lie? When will you start living? Or love your self? And love life? Another day of pretenses. Different clads you have been, Tactics and defenses.

On the couch sitting on one side, Wearily took off your pants. Hips fractured, lost a stride, Hit with the mower, when he rants.

Now with satin white dress,

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42

Treat Me Good Review

Treat Me Good by Bachelor Girl
Don't use me, don't tease me. Don't hurt me, don't mess with my head. Don't aunt me, don't laugh at me. Talk about me, or ignore what I said. But you can treat me good, anytime you like. Show me some kindness if I'm lucky tonight. You can treat me good, anytime at all. A little caring's all I'm asking for. Don't try me, lie to me. Patronize me, talk down to my friends. Don't neglect me, forget me. Be angry at me, say things to offend. But you can treat me good, anytime you like. Show me some kindness if I uke it right. You can treat me good, anytime at all. A little caring's all I'm asking for. Every time I get home, you're suspicious of where I've been, and who I've seen. You're so jealous of any little thing that takes up my time. It don't have to be that way, baby! Don't hit me, frighten me. Threaten me, and order me around. Don't guilt me, pressure me. Make demands on me, keep putting me down. Dr. Marie Keith S. Epe

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THE REVIEW Bridging gender differences, one of the best songs that clearly communicate what women really want is the song, Treat Me Good, by the Australian Pop Duo, Bachelor Girl. Men and women may have different needs and wants. Most often we hear people say, Men are difcult to understand, or Women are impossible to comprehend. Even with open communication, relationships fail. Abuse of any form, may be one of the reasons. One must always recognize when a relationship is abusive or not.

their partners to change the treatment towards them. In some cases, when the victims are fortunate, this change could take years. Unfortunately for most victims, the anticipated adjustment and improvement never happens.

Beginning the verses of the song with, Donts, the woman have had enough from an abusive relationship. The rst verse can be compared with the early stages of a relationship. Abuse is innocent. The second verse, as the relationship move along, abuse became more emotionally draining. Finally, the last verse, an epic giveaway on the possible outcome of the relationship. The Donts are not requests, they are the roadmap to the womans heart. The irony of the chorus begging the man to treat the woman with kindness and a little caring, depending on elusive luck to grant such request, even when abused and manipulated by the man, pierces any womans soul.

When women are hit, shouted at, put down or made fun with by the ones they love, honesty, respect, courage and strength, some of the factors that victims lack when dealing with abuse, reaches a critical point close to zero. Slowly, the womans self-esteem and self-worth diminishes, not recognizing what is real or what is right. The unpleasant acme is when women blame themselves for things they have not done. There are countless unwanted effects on the woman as a victim of abuse. And the most fearful truth about abuse is, it can be lethal. News about husbands killing their wives at gunpoint or wives scalded to death with boiling water by their husbands ood the internet, women groups journals and international periodicals. Ancient news, yet same victims and perpetrators.

Abuse may be subtle. When a woman can recognize earlier on that she is being abused, this can save her from a lot of heartaches, physical and emotional injuries. Victims of abuse admit that they recognized it at the very rst time they encountered their supposed prince, however, they chose to deny it for reasons they cannot point. This harmless denial led to a more theatrical life, requiring them to wear daily masks and act like nothing is wrong to project an image far from the truth of their current state. Many victims choose to stay, faithfully waiting for

Constant counseling, maintaining a reliable circle of friends and actively communicating with parents, may help alleviate the damages that the abuser had inicted in a womans well-being. But choosing to stop the abuse by getting ones self out of the picture as the recipient of uncaring blows and verbal assaults, is not only the best solution, it is the only way out! The decision to put a halt in being a victim is difcult. But it is more difcult when the victim does not even recognize that she is one.

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Contributions
Katherine Vasquez Tarazona Denise Falcone Ana Martnez Molina Lylin Aguas Supreet Kaur Donna L. Palmer Gloria Adero Sreejesh Kaipully Daniela Silva Dr. Marie Keith S. Epe

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Staff

Editor: Elaheh Zohrevandi Kirthi Jayakumar

Photography and Cover Art: Effat Allahyari Ana Martnez Molina Sreejesh Kaipully

CEO: Elsie Reed

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