By Chinyere Anyanwu
The three-pronged issues of human trafficking, divorce and sickle cell anaemia formed the crux of three books recently launched by child author, Ebube Stephanie Ugodim, in Lagos.
The books, Refugee, The Broken Home and Alexandra the Sickler, are the response of the 12-year-old JSS3 student of Beacon Light School to the challenges posed by the issues of kidnapping and human trafficking, divorce and sickle cell anaemia to society.
Ugodim, who gave a brief synopsis of each book during the launch, said she wrote the books to give hope to the world.
Speaking on the book, Refugee, the author said, “Human trafficking is now one of the commonest businesses around the world. People who are trafficked feel hopeless and are unable to achieve their own dreams. They are uprooted from their families and loved ones and taken to unfamiliar places. This is slavery. It has become a major global issue and I’m using my writing potential to draw attention to it.”
The young writer, who proffered solutions to the societal ill of human trafficking, said, “These human traffickers are doing it for money. If the government can provide employment for them, the problem will be drastically reduced. They say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, so they get ideas for this evil act when they have nothing good to occupy their minds. If they have work to do, these ideas will not drop into their heads.”
On the book, Broken Home, Ugodim said it was inspired by a deep consideration of the impact of divorce/separation on all parties, especially the children.
According to the Anambra State-born writer, “Parents don’t realise, at the beginning, the impact their divorce/separation can have on their children. Most homes have issues but before any couple will consider going their separate ways they should think about their children. A broken home has its consequences. It could cause low self-esteem and socialisation problems in the children, among many other problems you might not know. Think about the future of the children.”
In Alexandra the Sickler, the author x-rays the health and social challenges faced by sufferers of sickle cell anaemia. She stated that the book, “tells the story of sickle cell anaemia, a huge disease that has been with humanity for over five centuries. The book tries to break the myth that sickle cell anaemia is a death sentence. People with sickle cell anaemia can also work to achieve their dreams. They should not be discriminated against. People suffering from it should be given the hope to live.”
The author, who said she’s inspired by Chimamanda Adichie, encouraged young people to pursue their dreams, noting, “you’re never too young to pursue your dreams. In fact, it is now that you’re young that you have ideas. A young mind is a strong one.”
The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Chike Ayansi, who expressed amazement at the level of potential exhibited in the books by the child author, encouraged people to read them and imbibe the lessons inherent in them.
The Principal of Beacon Light School where Ugodim schools, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Dike, in her remarks about the author and her books, said the stories are life changing stories, noting that the simplicity of the books is evidence that she wrote them herself.
Mrs. Dike said, “Stephanie is a well focused girl, very intelligent, very good in her morals and very good academically. She is a girl who knows what she wants and cannot be pushed around. In Alexandra the Sickler, she has been able to prove that being a sickler cannot stop you from what you want to do.”
The proud parents of Ebube, Mr. and Mrs. Ikechukwu Okpaladim, who encouraged her and single handedly produced the books, promised to support her in her pursuit of a career in writing if she continues to exhibit passion for it.
Speaking on the books, her father said, “the issues she is addressing in those books and the manner in which she handled them, if taken to heart, can impact the way we relate to others as families and societies positively.”