Testimonies, awards at ESGN Yellow Night

By Sola Ogundipe & Chioma Obinna

The mood at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos was one of festive filled with fun during the Yellow Night Gala of the Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria, ESGN, as hundreds of guests dressed with a touch of yellow, gathered for the climax of month-long series of activities to herald the 2017 Endometriosis awareness campaign.

This year’s event, in addition to regular activities such as speeches, musical entertainment, testimonials and the Nordica Media Merit Award, NMMA, featured the maiden ESGN Secondary School Essay Competition, fashion show and auction, among others.

Bola Shote, a panelist of the 1st Annual ESGN Secondary School Essay Competition, gave a background of competition.

She commented that all the entries were quite good and spoke to the theme entitled: “Endometriosis and the Girl Child”.

The winning entry, sent  in by Miss Oladipo Deborah Simileoluwa of Canon James Pearse Anglican College, Iwaya, was praised for creativity and good understanding of the topic. She received N50,000 for her efforts.

The 1st runner up, Miss Peace Ajayi of Kuramo Senior Secondary College was presented with N30,000. while the 2nd runner was presented N20,000. Participants in the category were awarded certificates.

In the NMMA, Yecenu Sasetu of Kiss FM Abuja won in the electronic category with her entry entitled “Stigma of infertility” while  Ajaja Tunde of the Punch Newspapers won the print category with his entry entitled “Travails of the Childless Wife – Our Loving Homes Have Become Matrimonial Hell”. The Digital category was won by Oluyinka Shokunbi of HealthStyle Plus with her entry entitled “Endometriosis the Invisible Disease of Female Anatomy”. Each of the winners received N250,000.

Among guests that graced the occasion were Oba Alayeluwa Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Kusenla III (The Elegushi of Ikateland), Chief Nike Akande and Professor Wole Atoyebi who represented the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac  Adewole. FADAN President, Funmi Ajila Ladipo Nigeria-London based fashion designer, Ade Bakare, were also in attendance.

There were testimonies galore at the event from local and international angles. One of the most touching was by Chioma Chukwubuike, an MSc Pharmacy Graduate.

Gripping narration

“This disease is real,” she said, as she gave a gripping narration of her personal experience with endometriosis. Sharing her sharing touching story, the attractive, fair skinned lady said she had lived with the disorder for 14 years.

“I have seen 12 doctors and had so much pain in my life.  But I am unemployed. I don’t know why this disease chose me, but it has dealt with me.”

Recalling at age 18, endometriosis took away her appendix, Chioma said she was misdiagnosed and was taking drugs for the wrong reasons.

“I went through five surgeries, but because I was not being handled by the right doctors, I suffered so much pain. My career suffered. My life suffered. Endo sucks,” she remarked. Her story was so emotive few persons in the audience shed tears.

More tears were shed while a Pastor rendered a heartbreaking testimony about the ordeal his wife went through with endometriosis. He received a standing ovation afterwards.

A lady from Botswana recounted how she was motivated to start a Foundation to help other women with endometriosis after she suffered from the disorder that ended her marriage of 13 years. Prof. Wole Atoyebi also narrated an encounter with someone who had the disorder.

ESGN Founder and Spokesperson, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, said there was need to continue to create education and awareness about Endometriosis, particularly among adolescent girls.

“We know that in different parts of the world it takes 6-19 years to diagnose and most of them present with infertility. By then most have severe endometriosis, so we think it’s better to look at it in adolescents, so we brought the experts who know about treatment of the disorder in adolescents.”

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