Africa’s richest man wants his continent to grow — and some say his project to build its largest fertiliser plant could provide relief to farmers and help put a dent in food shortages.
The project, set to come on stream in three years, may also serve as an example of how Nigeria, the…
A dominant’s Buffet: Africa’s richest man wants continent to reap what he sows
Would you like Erykah Badu to be present at your birth? It could happen — she’s already a doula, and now has said she wants to be a midwife.
In case you’re not up on what the roles mean, a doula supports a woman and her family during childbirth (and sometimes other times), but isn’t necessarily a trained medical professional, whereas a midwife is, in the U.S. at least, licensed and trained in maternity and well-woman care.
She became a doula after being present at a friend’s birth. “I’ve always had a mothering nature. But I didn’t plan on becoming a doula. I just wanted to care for my family and friends,” she toldPeople. “When I saw the baby, I cried. I knew what I was supposed to do with my life.”
Badu apparently performs massages and Reiki during birth now, and she offers her services for free. She says her patients call her “Erykah Badoula.” She’s also a spokeswoman for the International Center for Traditional Childbearing. Now she wants to take it to the next level to open birthing centers in underserved areas.
Incidentally, the United States has the highest infant mortality rate among developed nations, and the African-American infant mortality rate is more than twice that of white infants.
Erykah Badu is fucking awesome.
Urban Soul Farmer 