Book review: A long way gone

There are books whose contents leave unforgettable imprints in your mind. Ishmael Beah's book "A long way gone" is one of those books. The memoir, a true story reconuts the life of a child soldier who grew up during the Seire Leone civil War.

Ishmael writes with a lot of flow, which along with the interesting contents of the book, makes it very hard to stop reading the book, once you start . First hand accounts of death, seperation from family, rehabilitation and other effects of wars in the book leaves the reader shell shocked. News that one reads , hears and watches about wars can never do justice to the tragedy that war causes to millions on the ground. A must read for sure.


( Watch/read an interview of the writer here)

Nigeria: Impact of Electronic Pollution

This is very Sad:

Africa is recognised as a dumping ground for toxic, chemical and electronic waste from the developed nations of the world.

As much as 80% of the world's high-tech trash ends up in Asia and Africa. Out of this proportion of detritus called e-waste, about 65% flows to China and 35% comes to Nigeria.

TVs, computers and monitors, GSM handsets and wireless devices form the chunk of e-waste in Nigeria today. The computers, with monitors and keyboards, sitting on desks, television sets in houses and offices, GSM handsets etc., are all laced with toxins and deadly chemicals. They are all classified as post-consumer hazardous waste which makes un-suspected users vulnerable to health risks.

This free trade in hazardous waste will end up leaving the indigent peoples of the world with untenable choice between poverty and poison; but while other security-minded developing countries stoutly legislated against the trend, it has the rule rather than exception in Nigeria. READ ON