Keeping yourself hydrated with water throughout strenuous exercise is absolutely necessary. Water is essential for preventing dehydration and ensuring that the body contains the appropriate amount of fluid at all times.

As you sweat during your workout, water will help keep you from overheating. When you perspire, the extra heat from your body is lost to the atmosphere through the process of evaporation. This keeps the temperature of your body where it should be, which is optimal. Additionally, drinking water before, during, and after exercise helps your muscles recover more quickly and reduces the rate at which they become fatigued. Your muscles produce lactic acid as you exercise, which is what causes them to become sore. Maintaining a healthy level of hydration helps your body get rid of the lactic acid that builds up in your muscles at a faster rate.

The degree to which you are hydrated has a direct bearing on the amount of mental energy that you have available. Your brain cells are just like the rest of the cells in your body in that they require water to function properly. For optimal mental function, the brain needs a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients, which water helps to deliver. Dehydration of any severity can have a significant impact on a person’s mental energy levels. Memory loss and impaired cognitive function are two symptoms that can result from not drinking enough water.

Dehydration is one of the most common factors that can bring on headaches. The brain undergoes a momentary shrinkage due to the loss of fluid when a person is dehydrated. A headache is the result of the brain pulling away from the lining of the skull as a result of this condition. Next time you have a headache, give some thought to the possibility that you are simply dehydrated and that’s all it is.

When the stools in your colon do not receive an adequate amount of water, you may experience constipation. When you are dehydrated, water that would normally go to your large intestine will instead be used to rehydrate the rest of your body. If you drink less water, you may notice that your stools become dry, inflexible, and more difficult to move through your bowels. For the sake of your digestive health, be sure to drink plenty of water.

Stones in the kidney are solid deposits of salt and minerals that can form anywhere in the urinary tract or in the kidneys themselves. To prevent the formation of these stones, your system needs a sufficient amount of fluids so that the mineral concentration can be diluted. The color of your urine can be used as a useful indicator of how well hydrated you are. If you are dehydrated, your urine may have a darker color than normal. If your urine is a light yellow or clear color, this indicates that your body is receiving the proper amount of fluids.

HACEY is aware of the many positive effects that water can have on people, which is why, as part of our clean water project, we work to support local communities and schools by supplying them with clean water source. Visit hacey.org for further information.

Written By:

Michael Adegboye

The post Water as an Essential Element In Preventing Dehydration appeared first on HACEY.

Lack of quality information, capacity building, counseling, and mentoring often resort in poor development for the girl child, which in turn hampers development in many countries, leaving them with less access to opportunities and less power over their own destiny. Restrictions on access to education and opportunities for women’s health and well-being perpetuate a generational cycle of poverty. It is imperative that we invest in the girl child by conceiving and implementing strategic programs that promote their growth, health, and well-being.

Safe space is a place where people can be themselves without fear of being harassed, bullied, or otherwise harmed, and where they can express themselves without fear of being judged or ridiculed. For girls, safe spaces are especially important because they provide a welcoming and empowering setting to develop the necessary knowledge and skills for a bright future.

Our PAVE for Girls program which is to be implemented in two local government areas (LGAs) in Lagos state: Ikorodu and Lekki, will engage and empower the girl child. Due to the fact that the primary health facilities in the project locations are most times not youth-friendly, this may create a barrier to access sexual and reproductive health care services and may lead to increased unfavorable outcomes such as pregnancy at a young age. We solicit the participation and cooperation of girls, educational institutions, and other important community organizations (including community leaders).

viding access to resources (human and information) on mental, sexual, and reproductive health and rights for adolescent girls is one of our project’s main goals. It also aims to empower girls to make their own decisions and take advantage of opportunities by providing life-skills training, mentorship, and information on financial literacy and vocational training.

Please visit our website, hacey.org, for additional information on the PAVE for Girls Project.

Written By:

Michael Adegboye

The post PAVE For Girls Project: Empowering And Amplifying The Voices Of The Girl Child Copy appeared first on HACEY.

Lack of quality information, capacity building, counseling, and mentoring often resort in poor development for the girl child, which in turn hampers development in many countries, leaving them with less access to opportunities and less power over their own destiny. Restrictions on access to education and opportunities for women’s health and well-being perpetuate a generational cycle of poverty. It is imperative that we invest in the girl child by conceiving and implementing strategic programs that promote their growth, health, and well-being.

Safe space is a place where people can be themselves without fear of being harassed, bullied, or otherwise harmed, and where they can express themselves without fear of being judged or ridiculed. For girls, safe spaces are especially important because they provide a welcoming and empowering setting to develop the necessary knowledge and skills for a bright future.

Our PAVE for Girls program which is to be implemented in two local government areas (LGAs) in Lagos state: Ikorodu and Lekki, will engage and empower the girl child. Due to the fact that the primary health facilities in the project locations are most times not youth-friendly, this may create a barrier to access sexual and reproductive health care services and may lead to increased unfavorable outcomes such as pregnancy at a young age. We solicit the participation and cooperation of girls, educational institutions, and other important community organizations (including community leaders).

viding access to resources (human and information) on mental, sexual, and reproductive health and rights for adolescent girls is one of our project’s main goals. It also aims to empower girls to make their own decisions and take advantage of opportunities by providing life-skills training, mentorship, and information on financial literacy and vocational training.

Please visit our website, hacey.org, for additional information on the PAVE for Girls Project.

Written By:

Michael Adegboye

The post PAVE For Girls Project: Empowering And Amplifying The Voices Of The Girl Child appeared first on HACEY.

To understand postpartum depression, it is necessary to understand the chemical, social, and psychological changes that occur when a woman gives birth. The term refers to a variety of physical and emotional changes that many new mothers experience. Medications and counseling can be used to treat PPD.

After childbirth, hormone levels begin to fall rapidly. There’s no conclusive evidence that this decline contributes to depression. Pregnancy raises levels of estrogen and progesterone, the female reproductive hormones, by 10 times. After that, they begin to decline rapidly. The levels of these hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels within three days of childbirth.

It’s also possible to develop depression due to the social and psychological changes that accompany having a child.

Postpartum depression is a common occurrence for new mothers. Women who have given birth to a child are more likely to suffer from a more severe and long-lasting form of postpartum depression. It is estimated that one in a thousand women will suffer from postpartum psychosis.

Signs and Symptoms of Postpartum Depression.

When it comes to postpartum depression, the symptoms can be difficult to spot. Following childbirth, many women experience the following symptoms:

• Inability to fall asleep
• Food habits change
• Severe fatigue
• Lower libido
• Mood swings on a regular basis.

When you have Postpartum Depression, you may also experience other signs and symptoms of major depression that aren’t typical after childbirth, such as:

Feeling disinterested in your baby or a lack of connection with the baby.

 Constantly crying, often for no apparent reason.

• depressed mood
• Extreme rage and irritability
• Dissatisfaction
• A sense of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness 
• Suicidal or homicidal thoughts
• Thoughts of harming another person
• Inability to focus or make decisions

Hacey provides support for women, especially those who are expecting or nursing a baby. Our work in maternal health, has enabled us assist numerous women. Visit the website at hacey.org for more details.

Written By:

Michael Adegboye

The post The Symptoms of Postpartum Depression: What Is It? appeared first on HACEY.

A combination of genetic and environmental factors can increase an individual’s risk for anxiety disorders. You might be at increased risk if you have or have had:

• Certain personality traits, such as shyness or behavioral inhibition — feeling uneasy around unfamiliar people, situations, or environments and avoiding them.

• Stressful or traumatic experiences during infancy or adulthood.

• A family history of anxiety or other mental disorders.

• Specific physical conditions, such as thyroid issues and heart arrhythmias (unusual heart rhythms).

Types of Anxiety disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder: This is a chronic disorder involving excessive, long-lasting anxiety and worries about nonspecific life events, objects, and situations. It is the most prevalent anxiety disorder, and victims are not always able to pinpoint the source of their anxiety.

Panic disorder: Panic disorder is characterized by brief or sudden attacks of intense fear and apprehension. These attacks can cause trembling, confusion, vertigo, nausea, and difficulty breathing. Ten minutes after the onset of a panic attack, it typically reaches its peak. Nevertheless, a panic attack can last for hours. Typically, panic disorders are triggered by frightening experiences or prolonged stress, but they can also occur spontaneously. A person experiencing a panic attack may misinterpret it as a life-threatening illness and make drastic behavioral adjustments to prevent future attacks.

Specific phobia: This is an irrational fear and avoidance of a particular object or situation.   Phobias differ from other anxiety disorders because they are rooted in a specific cause. A person with a phobia may recognize that their fear is irrational or excessive, but they are unable to control their anxiety in response to the trigger. Situations and animals, as well as commonplace objects, can trigger a phobia.

Agoraphobi: It is a fear and avoidance of places, events, or situations from which it may be difficult to escape or from which help is unavailable if one becomes trapped. This condition is frequently misunderstood as a fear of open spaces and the outdoors, but this is not the case. A person with agoraphobia may be afraid to leave the house, use elevators, or take public transportation.

Selective mutism: Some children experience selective mutism, a form of anxiety in which they are unable to speak in certain places or situations, such as school, despite having excellent verbal communication skills around familiar people. It could be an extreme case of social anxiety.

Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia is characterized by a fear of being negatively evaluated by others in social situations or by public humiliation. The symptoms of social anxiety disorder include stage fright, a fear of intimacy, and anxiety regarding humiliation and rejection.

These disorders can cause individuals to avoid social situations and human contact to the point where daily life becomes extremely challenging.

If you notice any of these anxiety disorder, please visit a proper Mental Health Consultant. For more on mental Health visit hacey.org.

Written By:

Michael Adegboye

The post Mental Health: Types Of Anxiety Disorder appeared first on HACEY.

The following are some strategies that can help in dealing with stigma:

• Seek medical attention: It’s possible that you’re hesitant to acknowledge that you require treatment. Do not let the worry that you will be diagnosed with a mental illness prevent you from getting the assistance that you require. The diagnosis and treatment of an illness can provide relief by determining what is wrong and reducing symptoms that cause disruption in one’s professional and personal life.

• Seek professional counseling: It’s not just other people’s opinions that contribute to stigma. It’s possible that you’ve come to the erroneous conclusion that your condition is an indication of your own personal weakness or that you ought to be able to control it without any outside assistance. Seeking professional counseling, educating yourself about your condition, and making connections with others who also struggle with mental illness are all things that can assist you in overcoming destructive forms of self-judgment and gaining self-esteem.

• Don’t keep to yourself all the time: If you suffer from a mental illness, you might feel uncomfortable discussing it with other people. If your family, friends, members of the clergy, or other members of your community are aware of your mental illness, they may be able to offer you support. Reach out to the people in your life whom you have faith in to receive the compassion, support, and understanding that you require.

• Refrain from equating who you are with your illness: You are not an illness. Therefore, it is preferable to say “I have bipolar disorder” rather than “I am bipolar.” Say “I have schizophrenia” to yourself rather than referring to yourself as “a schizophrenic.”

• Enroll in a peer-counseling program: Some local and national organizations, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), provide local programs and internet resources that help reduce stigma by educating people who have mental illness, their families, and the general public. Support is available for people struggling with mental illness through a variety of state and federal agencies and programs, including those that concentrate on vocational rehabilitation and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

• Speak out against stigma: Think about voicing your thoughts publicly by attending events, writing letters to the editor, or posting on the internet. It has the potential to educate the general public about mental illness and to instill courage in those who are coping with similar challenges. The judgments of others are almost never found on information that is based on facts, but rather on a fundamental lack of understanding. It can make a significant difference if you seek support, learn to accept your condition and identify what steps you need to take to treat it, and share your knowledge with others.

Hacey’s mental health project has been of great assistance to many, for more information, please visit hacey.org

This review was featured on Twinkl’s blog about Different ways to help keep your mental health in check.  

Written By:

Michael Adegboye

The post Dealing With Stigma Associated With Mental Illness appeared first on HACEY.

Education is the process by which an individual gains knowledge, comes to realize his or her potentialities, and makes use of those potentialities for the purpose of self-actualization, so that they can be useful to themselves and others. It is a method for keeping the culture of the society alive, passing it down to future generations, and enhancing it.

Providing mental, moral, and intellectual guidance to a young lady is what we mean when we talk about educating her. Education is a fundamental human right, and it should be made available to every girl child. It is impossible to place enough emphasis on how essential education is for the development of a young lady. Education is of the utmost importance in both the ethereal and the more material aspects of the human experience. It is the light that reveals the path by dispelling the shadows cast by ignorance. It is the salt that imparts the flavor of life. It is the medicine that heals. And it is the key that unlocks doors. The greatest gifts that can be bestowed upon a girl child are the opportunities to “be educated” and “to educate others.”

  According to the native traditional philosophy, a woman’s place is in the kitchen of her husband, and the primary focus of her role is within the confines of her own home. This belief has prevented a great number of young women from pursuing an education.

When a girl is forced into marriage at a very young age, her right as a human being is violated, and she is also deprived of her right to education. If a girl’s husband does not give her the opportunity to go to school, she is doomed to spend the rest of her life illiterate. Researchers have found that increasing access to education for women is essential for the growth of nations, and that the importance of women’s participation in society cannot be overstated. There is a common saying that goes: “When you educate a man, you educate one; when you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” This is the case due to the fact that the education of every child begins within the family, and the mother is the child’s first teacher. Girls who receive education are more likely to become educated mothers who, in turn, are more likely to educate their own children, care for their families, and provide for their children.

Therefore, educating the girl child translates to better health for the future generations, a reduction in child mobility and mortality, and consequently triggering a snowball effect of achieving all other sustainable development goals in a viable manner. Education for the girl child also helps prepare her for the challenges that she will face in society and teaches her how to be a responsible wife and mother. She discovers that she can be whoever and whatever she wants to be as a result of her education, which allows her to realize the full potentials that have been endowed in her. She would shatter the barrier of her own ignorance and open the door to her own self-discovery with the help of education. It is imperative that the Child’s Right Act be expanded upon and made mandatory in every state. The prevention of child abuse without discrimination will be greatly aided by this measure. When it comes to providing a valuable pipeline for the “educated girl child” to be transformed into women who will be agents of national transformation, policymakers need to create an environment that is conducive to increasing gender participation and making gender participation more equal.

Through our PAVE for Girls program we have assisted a lot of young girls to maximize their potential especially in the area of education. Visit www. Hacey.org for more.

Written By:

Michael Adegboye

The post Increased Access to Education for The Girl Child As Prerequisite For National Growth appeared first on HACEY.

The boys who are not properly cared for in the southern part of the country are maturing into street urchins, kidnappers, robbers, and fraudsters. On the other hand, the almajiris, bandits, and terrorists are being raised in the northern part of the country. When we take a look at the world we live in today, we see that the vast majority of people who commit suicide are men. Male children have a higher rate of becoming drug addicts, miscreants, robbers, kidnappers, terrorists, and fraudsters.   The question that arises at this juncture is why it is that issues that pertain to the male child receive so little or no attention at all. Are we essentially claiming that the lives of these young men have no value or that society can function just fine without them?

According to the statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau for 2018, there were 21,605 cases of rape against children, of which 204 involved male children. According to a report published by UNICEF in 2015, one in four Nigerian females and one in ten Nigerian males have been the victims of sexual abuse. (Tribune 2021)

Parents in the northern part of the country, where the Almajiri system is practiced have delegated the responsibility of caring for and educating their male children to religious teachers, who then send the students out into the community to beg for alms in order to provide for the students’ maintenance. In the majority of cases, these young boys are the ones who are put in charge of wreaking havoc during times of crisis, particularly religious crises. They are turned into sacrificial lambs and used as cannon fodder by politicians in order to further their own political agendas.

The situation is the same in the southern part of the country, where the boys are known to be called “area boys,” some of whom are as young as nine or ten years old, are being used by the political class and the wealthy to cause mayhem throughout the nation. A high level of violence, including sexual assault, is also experienced by boys, just as it is by girls. As they mature into adults, the exposure to violence that they get from this in turn makes them more likely to engage in violent behaviour. Abuse of a male child carries with it a significant amount of shame and stigma because, in patriarchal societies, there is an expectation placed on the child to be strong. In this kind of society, male children are less likely to receive assistance; instead, they are expected to figure things out on their own.

A male child who has been the victim of sexual abuse may develop post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance abuse, thoughts of suicide, and always has a tendency toward violent behaviour. Many of them, particularly those who do not have the supervision of their parents or any other adult, are completely unaware that they have been subjected to sexual abuse.

Children of both sexes should receive the same level of care and attention. After all, the female is dependent on the male and likewise male is dependent the female. The existence of both genders was part of the creator’s original plan, and if we want to keep that plan intact, we can’t give issues that affect one gender more weight than those that affect the other.

Visit www. Hacey.org for more information on our Projects

Written By: Michael Adegboye

The post Special Consideration: Elimination of Harmful Practices Affecting Boy Children  appeared first on HACEY.

We would like to focus on young girls’ rights and the unique challenges they face throughout Africa. Millions of African girls continue to be denied fundamental rights and face enormous life challenges. These issues include education, nutrition, legal representation, medical care; discrimination protection; and violence against child marriage. In Nigeria, the girl child faces challenges such as gender discrimination, gender-based labour division, female genital mutilation, early marriage, a lack of education, and sexual abuse.

 However, some of these issues are more prevalent in some areas of Nigeria than others. A girl child from Northern Nigeria faces more difficulties than her southern counterpart (Obioma Evelyn Agoziem, The Guardian Newspaper, 2015). She has a higher propensity to skip school; it is simple to marry her off at age 11, because of this, many girls have been exposed to Vesico-Vagina Fistula (VVF) problems, and some have become socially isolated due to the disease’s nature.

To this end, there is a need to provide more opportunities for African girl children and raise awareness of the girl child’s unfairness. This includes, among other things, providing quality education, constitutional rights, protection against discrimination, and the abolition of child marriage and female genital mutilation. Girl children should be given equal rights and be allowed to pursue their dreams without feeling marginalized simply for being female and speaking up for themselves.

In addition, girl children have a right to education. This is because an educated girl is more likely to increase her personal earning potential, prepare for productivity and fulfilment, and reduce poverty in society. An African proverb states that “educating a boy educates an individual, but educating a girl child educates a community.” With this, we can confidently assert that the girl child has a vital role in developing our continent, and there is a need to tap into these resources. These resources can be fully utilized if a healthy environment for the girl child to live and thrive is provided.

We hope to see a continent where African girls will live in their different countries where they are not judged, equal opportunities are provided to all children regardless of gender, female genital mutilation is abolished, and girls are given the right to live freely and become whatever they want without being oppressed or neglected. We hope to see a family where the girl child is given the same freedom and opportunities as the boy child, a society where the girl children are not scared of expression, denied opportunity, belittled, trampled upon, or relegated to second place, just because they are girls. A girl child must be coached and taught proper values to improve her self-esteem.

A girl child must be nurtured, cherished, and loved. A girl child must be told repeatedly that she is valuable. Her parents, caregivers, governments, and society owe this to her. A girl child must be confident in her future! And that can only happen in the right and safe environment, where she can be herself, where she can dream without fear, where she can spread her wings and soar, where she can be boundless!

We provide that space for girls via our PAVE for Girls project. Visit www. Hacey.org for more information.

Written By: Mercy Kalu

The post Special Consideration: Elimination of Harmful Practices Affecting Girl Child appeared first on HACEY.

This year Day of the African Child (DAC) 2022 will have as its theme the “Elimination of Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policy and Practice since 2013.” The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which was established in accordance with Articles 32 and 33 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, decided to focus on this particular concern (the Charter).

The majority of HACEY’s projects are focused on assisting children and women in leading lives that are both better and more fruitful. This is because HACEY opposes any form of practice that is detrimental to the development of children.

In light of these, Hacey, in collaboration with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), is sponsoring an outreach on the topic; “Elimination of Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policy and Practice since 2013.” Which is scheduled to take place today at Bethel Comprehensive College in Alakia-Isebo, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The day’s goal is to raise awareness about the plight of children in Africa and the importance of contributing to improvements in every African child’s education, health, and nutrition. Every year on this day, governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations, and other stakeholders discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the full realization of children’s rights in Africa, as well as potential solutions to problems affecting African child development to improve a better environment in which to live and grow.

It is necessary that we remember the significance of the day and reflect on the challenges and opportunities that face the full realization of children’s rights in Africa. Children’s rights are routinely violated in homes, schools, and society. Some of the violations have almost become standardized and are accepted as norms in some groups. Children are subjected to serious violations of their human rights, including murder, physical harm, recruitment by armed forces or groups, sexual assault, kidnappings, deprivation of humanitarian aid, and attacks on healthcare and education. Other violations include; denial of educational opportunities, female genital mutilation, child trafficking, early marriages, child pregnancies, child labor, exposure to child prostitution and drug pushing. All of these and more violate the child’s rights, and there is a need to end these societal menaces to the African child

Every African child has the right to all advantages and as well as the right to live and thrive. Children have the right to good health, an acceptable standard of living, justice, and protection from inhuman treatment. The African child has a right to and is required to obtain justice and equity. As a result, the government should do everything possible to provide African children with development opportunities because children deserve to be safe from violence, oppression, and harmful social and cultural practices. Children should be viewed as peace, education, health care, climate change, and sustainable development ambassadors. This is because children are our tomorrow’s future.

All African children must have access to a child-friendly justice system. We require a coordinated and collaborative approach from multiple players, such as religious leaders, child rights advocates, governments, non-governmental organizations, children, youth, parents, and caregivers. This multidimensional approach ensures cooperation from the local to national and international levels in promoting children’s dignity and respect. To improve accountability, we must encourage families to identify and report child abuse cases in their communities.

To learn more about the impact that we have had on the African Child, please visit hacey.org.

Written By:

Michael Adegboye and Mercy Kalu

The post International Day of the African Child:  HACEY joins the world in Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children appeared first on HACEY.