Adesai Apiŋmɔ lɛ He Naagba

“MƐNI HEWƆ, NYƆŊMƆ MƐNI HEWƆ?” Nakai saneyitso lɛ je kpo yɛ adafitswaa wolo ko ní aheɔ waa lɛ hiɛgbɛ beni shikpɔŋhosomɔ ekpata nibii ahiɛ yɛ Asia Bibioo lɛ sɛɛ. Mfoniri ni fata he lɛ tsɔɔ tsɛ ko ni ehao ni hiɛ ebiyoo ni epila lɛ kɛmiijɛ amɛshia ni ekumɔ lɛ mli.

Tai, hɔji, tsɛŋemɔ helai, kɛ adebɔɔ mli osharai kɛ piŋmɔ ni naa wa, yaafonui babaoo, kɛ gbelei babaoo eba mɛi pii anɔ. Nɔ ni fata mɛi ni naa amanehulu nɛɛ apiŋmɔi lɛ ahe ji kaabonaatoo, gbekɛbii ni afeɔ amɛ niseniianii, kɛ nibii fɔji krokomɛi. Susumɔ yibɔ babaoo ni pilaa kɛ gbelei ni jɛɔ osharai amli kɛbaa lɛ he okwɛ. Ni hejaramɔ ni gbɔmɛi akpekpe toi akpei abɔ kɛkpeɔ yɛ hela, gbɔlɛ, kɛ suɔlɔi agbele hewɔ lɛ hu yɛ.

Afii ohai 20 lɛ na amanehulu ni naa wa fe fɛɛ ni eba pɛŋ. Kɛjɛ afi 1914 kɛyashi afi 1918 lɛ, Jeŋ Ta I lɛ gbe asraafoi ni miihe ashɛ akpekpei nyɔŋma. Yinɔsaneŋmalɔi komɛi kɛɛ akɛ enɛ gbe mɛi ni jeee asraafoi babaoo kɛkɛ. Agbe mɛi ni kɛ amɛhe wo ta lɛ mli kɛ mɛi ni jeee asraafoi ni miihe ashɛ akpekpei 50 yɛ Jeŋ Ta II lɛ mli, ni mɛi ni fata he ji yei, gbekɛbii, kɛ hiimeji ni bɛ hebuu. Yɛ nyɛsɛɛ afii oha lɛ mli lɛ, akpekpei babaoo ji mɛi ni agbe amɛ kɛtsɔ seshi shishibulemɔ, maŋ hiɛtsakemɔ, adesai awiemɔ kuu fɛɛ shishibulemɔ, hɔmɔ, kɛ ohia nɔ. Wolo ni ji Historical Atlas of the Twentieth Century lɛ bu naa akɛ gbɔmɛi ni fe akpekpei 180 gboi yɛ nakai “shihilɛ ni naa wa” lɛ hewɔ.

Spanish influenza ni ba yɛ afi 1918 kɛyashi afi 1919 lɛ gbe gbɔmɛi akpekpei 20. Yɛ nyɛsɛɛ afii nyɔŋmai enyɔ lɛ amli lɛ, mɛi aaafee akpekpei 19 gboi yɛ AIDS hewɔ, ni amrɔ nɛɛ mɛi ni shɛɔ akpekpei 35 ená muawai ni haa anáa hela lɛ eko. Ashiɔ gbekɛbii akpekpei abɔ ni bɛ fɔlɔi—AIDS egbe amɛ. Abifabii babaoo ni anyɛɛɛ atsɔɔ amɛyibɔ miigboi yɛ AIDS ní amɛná beni amɛyɔɔ musu lɛ mli beebe lɛ hewɔ.

Akɛ piŋmɔi babaoo miiba gbekɛbii anɔ lolo yɛ gbɛ̀i krokomɛi anɔ. Beni England Manchester Guardian Weekly lɛ wieɔ amaniɛbɔɔ ni akɛha kɛtsɔ United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) lɛ nɔ yɛ afi 1995 lɛ naagbee lɛ he lɛ, ewie akɛ: “Yɛ tai ni awuu yɛ afii nyɔŋma ni eho lɛ mli lɛ, agbe gbekɛbii akpekpei 2, akpekpei 4 kɛmiishɛ akpekpei 5 etsɔmɔ kpajelɔi, aha akpekpei 12 etsɔmɔ mɛi ni bɛ wɔɔhe, mɛi ni fa fe akpekpe 1 etsɔmɔ awusãi loo atse amɛ kɛjɛ amɛfɔlɔi ahe ni akpekpei 10 ená jwɛŋmɔŋ naagba.” Kɛfata he lɛ, afiteɔ musu akpekpei 40 kɛmiishɛ akpekpei 50 yɛ jeŋ fɛɛ—daa afi lɛ!

 Mɛni Baaba Wɔsɛɛ?

Mɛi pii nuɔ he akɛ nɔ fɔŋ ko baaba wɔsɛɛ. Jeŋ nilelɔi akuu ko wie akɛ: “Ekolɛ . . . adesai anifeemɔi baatsake jeŋ ni wɔyɔɔ mli nɛɛ kɛyashɛ he ko akɛ wala nyɛŋ ahi nɔ yɛ gbɛ ni wɔle lɛ nɔ.” Amɛkɛfata he akɛ: “Amrɔ nɛɛ po, mɛi enumɔ mli mɔ kome miiye ohia futafuta ni niyenii ni fa bɛ ni ebaaye, ni mɛi nyɔŋma mli mɔ kome kɛ piŋmɔ ni hiɛdɔɔ yɔɔ mli kpeɔ yɛ niyenii kpakpa ni enaaa eye hewɔ.” Jeŋ nilelɔi lɛ ŋɔ nifeemɔ hegbɛ lɛ koni “amɛkɛbɔ adesai fɛɛ kɔkɔ yɛ nɔ ni jwere amɛhiɛ lɛ he,” ni amɛkɛɛ akɛ: “Tsakemɔ kpele he miihia yɛ wɔshikpɔŋ lɛ kɛ wala ni yɔɔ nɔ lɛ he nitsumɔ mli, kɛji akɛ abaanyɛ akpoo adesai apiŋmɔ kpeteŋkpele ni ajie wɔjeŋ muu fɛɛ shia yɛ shibɔlemɔ ŋulami nɛɛ nɔ kɛya kwraa lɛ.”

Mɛni hewɔ Nyɔŋmɔ eŋmɛ piŋmɔ kɛ efɔŋfeemɔ gbɛ ni emli ewo wu nɛkɛ lɛ? Mɛɛ gbɛ nɔ eto eyiŋ akɛ ebaatsu shihilɛ lɛ he nii yɛ? Mɛɛ be?

[Hei ni Mfonirii ni yɔɔ baafa 3 lɛ Jɛ]

Top, wheelchair: UN/DPI Photo 186410C by P.S. Sudhakaran; middle, starving children: WHO/OXFAM; bottom, emaciated man: FAO photo/B. Imevbore