Agriculture and inmates

A prison, as commonly known, is a correctional facility and detention centre where inmates are confined and denied many privileges under state authority. Narok GK Prison on the outskirts of Narok town turns inmates into agri-business savvy people, majoring in horticulture and agro-forestry to keep them away from idleness that led to them committing crimes. The prison officers make the inmates work on the farms as a form of punishment but the inmates see it as an opportunity to master new skills which they will employ for a better life. The farm was established 12 years ago to supplement government income, the six-acre farm has fruit trees such as avocado, oranges, mangoes, bananas and paw paws. It also has tree nurseries, apiary and livestock such as dairy cows and goats. At the farm, the inmates get to learn about grafting fruits such as avocado and mangoes to get superior and more productive varieties, as well as maintenance of the fruit trees to maturity.The inmates have acquired the required knowledge in agriculture, and have determined to venture into agri-business after serving their term. This is the case of David Lagat, 23, who is serving an eight-month sentence for being in possession of narcotic drugs, says he wished he had learnt alternative sources of getting income such as agriculture, which he is now passionate about. “When I came here months ago, I had no idea of anything to do with farming. I had never imagined horticulture is this lucrative. I have seen fruits being maintained, harvested and sold and there is a lot of money

Kick polio out of Nigeria.

Military helicopters on Friday rushed polio vaccines to dangerous parts of the northeast, where Boko Haram operates and two paralyzed toddlers were recently discovered, a Nigerian health official said. The World Health Organization said the new cases indicate the wild polio virus has circulated undetected for five years in Borno state — a major setback after Nigeria was declared polio-free in October. Recent attacks by the Islamic extremists prevented the emergency operation from getting health workers to two parts of Borno state where the children were found, Borno state health commissioner Ibrahim Miringa told The Associated Press. Massive challenges face Nigerian health workers supported by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to urgently vaccinate millions of endangered children in an area where the U.N. suspended aid after a military-escorted humanitarian convoy was attacked last month. "Not all the areas that have been liberated by the military could be accessed by our health officials because of recent attacks in Jere and Gwoza local government areas carried out by Boko Haram," Miringa said. Jere and Gwoza are the areas where the first two cases of polio were found in Nigeria in more than two years, the WHO announced Thursday night. Nigeria's removal from WHO's list of polio-endemic countries had meant all of Africa was free from the crippling disease. Only two other countries remain on the list — Afghanistan and Pakistan. Miringa said the two children, aged under 2, were among refugees arrived from areas newly freed from Boko Haram. He said health workers have been vaccinating refugees as they arrive in major camps. "But recent liberation of internally displaced persons from the hinterlands and their being camped in satellite camps have made the immunization exercise difficult." International organizations plan to support Nigerian health workers in using "a hit-and-run kind of strategy," the WHO director for polio eradication, Dr. Michel Zaffran, told reporters in a conference call. A massive vaccination drive was starting in Borno and within weeks would be carried to nearby Benin, Chad, Central African Republic, Chad and Cameroon.more

Man City on virtual reality train.

Clubs across the world are attempting to attract a different audience; an online fanbase that expects much more than just 90 minutes a week, and riding the digital crest of this wave is Manchester City. In the past year, the club has unveiled a new website, launched a Facebook Messenger bot, joined Giphy, moved into esports, and hosted a hackathon – all under the umbrella of a new club crest. The new crest design is reminiscent of its founding badge and the design that followed the club’s glory days in the late 1960s. It symbolizes exactly what City is trying to achieve – merging the club’s legacy with the super-connected digital world it now finds itself in. One of the indisputable driving forces behind this digital push is Diego Gigliani. Gigliani joined City as the club was trying to defend its 2012 championship title, in January 2013. As senior vice president of media and innovation, Gigliani and his team have placed a significant focus on closing the gap between the club and its fans using tech. In addition to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat channels that have become standard for brands – which ultimately is what a football club is – City has taken it a step further. In May the club took a foray into virtual reality. Man City teamed up with Sky Sports and LiveLike to launch a VR experience with fans in London, New York and Melbourne. Each of the fans watched City play Arsenal on May 8 through virtual reality headsets as the game was taking place at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. It built on previous schemes including iON cameras being worn by players during training, a 360-degree camera being placed on the roof of the players’ tunnel on matchdays, and the launch of a Google Cardboard-enabled CityVR app.continue

4-eared cat.

This a rarely seen genetic mutation which was first documented in 1938 in Ashtabula, Ohio, with a four-eared cat named Toots. The mutation has been studied, and is argued to be a recessive gene mutation needed from both parents in order to produce four ears.This condition does not affect the health or the temperament of the cat in any way, cat with this condition is not restricted physically as well as all locomotory apparatus are functional. The cat with this rare status,like any other can succumb to any infection if appropriate care is not taken. This is case of 'Batman', who is three years old who was being treated for an upper respiratory infection before he could be put up for adoption.

Buy Nigeria Campaign!!!

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that the ministry will soon embark on “Buy Nigeria Campaign’’ to raise awareness on local contents. The minister made the disclosure when the management of Omatek Ventures Plc demonstrated its locally made Light-Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs and fluorescent in his office. The company also demonstrated its locally assembled computers, solar panels and components for generating power into homes and offices. Mohammed said that the campaign would help to sensitise the public to the benefits of patronizing Nigerian products. The minister underscored the need for Nigerians to develop the habit of conserving power, stressing that “when you reduce power consumption, you create energy.’’The minister said the country might have to legislate and enforce the use of LED lighting products which use less energy and last longer than other types of lighting systems. The Chief Executive Officer of Omatek, Mrs Florence Seriki, explained that LED bulbs and fluorescent tubes save energy, were brighter than other products, do not get hot and last for minimum of five years. According to her, while a conventional bulb consumes 66.9W, an LED bulb with brighter light consumes just 7.3W. Mrs Seriki explained that the company had a local manufacturing plant for LED products and assembly plants for computers and solar power panel and accessories. She said the solar power panels and accessories were of different capacity for generating electricity for homes, offices and factories. Seriki said the company had a consumer scheme, particularly for civil servants and workers in private offices, for seamless payments through their monthly salaries. continue

Giant whale washed ashore in Ondo state.

A huge Whale was washed ashore on Enu-Ama beach, in Ilaje area of Ondo state, yesterday. A large crowd gathered around the whale and majority helped themselves to a piece of the creature. Poor creature, washed ashore on the wrong beach. continue

Underwater treadmill to tackle pet obesity.

A local veterinary specialty and emergency hospital will open a new athletic center at its Buffalo Grove location. Officials for the Veterinary Specialty Center say pet obesity and over-exercising was their motivation for creating the center. The new athletic center is hoping to meet the increased demand for exercise and recovery services for pets, many of them due to the rise in orthopedic pet surgeries during the past several years. According to the American Pet Products Association, U.S. residents will spend an estimated $15.92 billion on veterinary care this year. This means Americans on a whole are spending more money on their pets than ever before. “…VSC is opening its new Athletic Center to not only aid in recovery, but also to provide preventative classes, therapies and more to reduce weight loss and injuries due to over exercising, which are contributing factors to the increase in orthopedic surgeries,” the hospital said in a statement. The center is slated to open on Aug. 18 and will offer treatments including laser therapy, circulation therapy and other therapy on its underwater treadmills.continue