Nigerian AIDS Activist Remembered
Falobi, who was 35, founded Journalists Against Aids-Nigeria (JAAIDS) in 1997 to increase and improve national coverage of HIV/AIDS by working directly with journalists to better their training and access to information. His online AIDS-awareness work earned him a prestigious Ashoka fellowship in 2001, and he was extraordinarily active in pan-African efforts and organizations against AIDS. Below are a few reactions to the news from those who knew him well, plus statements from JAAIDS, the United Nations, and the Global Campaign for Microbicides, a group with which he worked extensively. -------------------------------------- From: Sisonke Msimang, South Africa Posted to the African Microbicides Advocacy Group eForum (Cross-posted from Africa CoalitionList) Omolulu was our friend and leader. He was a true son of Africa of whom we were all proud. He inspired us to act through his own example of selfless activism, committment and motivation for the cause of addressing the injustices on this continent. Omolulu did not shy away from hard work, none of us ever saw him shirk responsibility, and yet I canot recall him complaining. Omolulu was a friend and a role model to many of us. I personally looked forward to growing with Omolulu, I looked forward to seeing his future unfold and to being part of that future. I made him promise to give me a job when he was the head of the African Union or the President of Nigeria. He never sought the limelight, but it came to him because he was so outstanding. Omolulu's future glittered with possibility. I feel robbed, cheated of the many more years I had hoped we would all have with him. The only consolation is that we are all the richer for having spent time in his presence. Omolulu's life was much too short, yet it was a life fully lived. Omolulu had friends all over the world, people whose respect for him was deep and abiding. The task ahead for all of us is to remember Omolulu, to remember the principles by which he lived and to continue to do them justice. Following in Omolulu's footsteps, we must continue to build an Africa that is safe in all ways for all her children, whether through our efforts to fight AIDS - to which Omolulu contributed greatly - or through efforts to stop senseless violence like that which took our brother and friend. Omolulu would have wanted and expected nothing less. With deep sadness, Sisonke Sisonke Msimang ------------------------------------ From: Masaki Inaba, Japan Posted to the African Microbicides Advocacy Group eForum I was always impressed by his work of JAAIDS which shows the powerfulness and diversity of Nigerian HIV/AIDS scene. We have been always inspired by his work. Actually, his work of JAAIDS affected me so much that we started a similar kind of work to publish an e-mail magazine and website to exchange the information on HIV/AIDS in Japanese and English. We have been operating a E-mail magazine on global HIV/AIDS issues (named "Global AIDS Update"), which introduces updated global HIV/AIDS information in Japanese language, which has more than 700 Japanese readers, and last year we made another website "AIDS in Japan", which introduces HIV/AIDS scene in Japan to worldwide in English (see http://www.ajf.gr.jp/aidsinjapan, though we haven't made it updated from last May....). We learned a lot from his work to operate these website and the E-mail magazine. I was so shocked and very sad to hear the news; I don't want to believe it. sincerely yours, Masaki Masaki Inaba Board Member, Africa Japan Forum Program Coordinator on HIV/AIDS and Infectious Diseases, Africa Japan Forum ----------------------------- From: Charlene Smith, South Africa Posted to the African Microbicides Advocacy Group eForum I sit here and my whole body is cold. This is too wrong. How many more remarkable people must we lose in Africa to these mindless thugs? My heart is broken - selfishly for me and the loss of someone we should all admire - for his family, for all of us who care about the lives of others. I cannot believe that someone so passionate about life and protecting the lives of others should die in such a mindless way. I am very grateful that I last had the chance to see him, spend a little time with him earlier this year. I'm writing this and all I can see is the gentleness that radiated from him. For me he was a role model - but I regret I lack his humility, his patience, his courage and his huge innovation. I find it unforgivable that we should have to put up with this endless violence "in peace" in Africa. The Omolulu I know is a person of profound peace, he was humble and gentle, it is a disgrace that we lose so many to thugs in Africa. This week the Financial Mail in South Africa had an item that showed that in 2005 South Africa had 752 810 incidents of violence, according to the police. Of those 18 526 were murders, 11 286 were traffic fatalities, there were 55 000 reported rapes - this compared to 12 617 civilians killed in Iraq; 1 836 killed in Hurricane Katrina, and 2 987 killed on 9/11 in the USA. And of course we lost close to half a million people to AIDS. Today in Africa, we have lost a great son, a brother, a singular friend, a man who makes us proud to be African. But the nature of his death leaves us all ashamed because we are a continent that I believe has lost its values. And if we don't work hard to build those values and respect for human life in our beloved continent how on earth will we end this damn virus too? Omolulu, Hamba Kahle (go well). Today we mourn. Charlene Smith Johannesburg, South Africa -------------------------------- From: Megan Gottemoeller, USA Posted to the African Microbicides Advocacy Group eForum Omololu challenged and inspired us, and I learned so much from him both personally and as a fellow advocate. It seems impossible that such a powerful force as Omololu - who talked fifty miles and hour and seemed able to be in three places at once - can be gone so suddenly. His limitless energy and the intensity of his vision must now carry on through all of us who were fortunate enough to know him. With thoughts and prayers for his family, Megan Gottemoeller -------------------------------- From: Journalists Against AIDS-Nigeria Friday, October 6, 2006 OMOLOLU FALOBI 1971-2006 The Governing board, management and staff of Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria hereby announce the death of its Founder/Executive Director, Mr. Omololu Falobi. Falobi died from injuries sustained in an armed robbery operation on Thursday night on his way home in Alagbado. The robbers shot at him while trying to avoid the shoot-out. He was on his way home from a speaking engagement where he addressed young entrepreneurs on the importance of social responsibility. A multiple-awards winning journalist and trainer, Omololu is the founder/executive director of Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria. He was features editor of Nigeria's largest-selling weekly, the Sunday Punch, from where he resigned in 2000 to run JAAIDS full-time. Omololu is a holder of a Bachelor in Dramatic Arts and a Masters in Political Science. At the 15th International AIDS conference in 2000, he won the International AIDS Society's Young Investigator Award. The same year, he was named the winner of the Highway Africa Award for Innovative Use of New Media, an award that recognises outstanding and innovative use of the Internet in African journalism. He was also a board member of The Black AIDS Institute (formerly the African American AIDS Policy & Training Institute), Los Angeles, USA; the Nigeria Youth AIDS Programme (NYAP); and the Positive Life Organisation (a support group for people living with HIV/AIDS). In 2001, he was appointed an Ashoka Fellow, joining an elite group of only 2000 'social entrepreneurs' worldwide recognised for their outstanding and innovative approaches to 're-engineering society'. Over the past five years, he has been a prominent advocate on HIV/AIDS in Africa. In recognition of this, he was selected as the African NGO representative on the board of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) for 2004 and 2005. More recently, he has helped in convening the African Civil Society Coalition on HIV and AIDS, which serves as an umbrella movement for organisations involved in HIV and AIDS advocacy and campaigns on the continent. In recent years, Omololu has served in several capacities in the response to HIV/AIDS within and outside Nigeria: as media coordinator of the African Union Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (2001); member, drafting committee of the Nigerian HIV Vaccine Plan, the National HIV Behaviour Change Communication Strategy and the 2005-2009 National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework. He has contributed to several publications on HIV/AIDS, including the Communication Handbook on HIV Vaccine Trials in Developing Countries (UNAIDS, 2001), the Media Handbook on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (JAAIDS/DevComs/UNIC, 2003) and Scorecard of Media Reporting of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (JAAIDS, 2005). Omololu has been active in the vaccine and advocacy field for several years. In 2003, he co-founded the Nigeria HIV Vaccine and Microbicides Advocacy Group (NHVMAG), serving as its Co-Coordinator and a strong part of the group's backbone. He has led several media training programmes on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Zambia. Omololu would be remembered as a dynamic, committed and resourceful AIDS activist whose contribution towards mitigating the impact of the epidemic would remain for a long time. He is survived by his wife, his two children, as well as siblings and an aged mother. Signed Kingsley Obom-Egbulem Head, Research and Communications For Journalists Against AIDS(JAAIDS)Nigeria ---------------------------------------------- From: Global Campaign for Microbicides In Memory of Omololu Falobi, Nigerian Activist, Journalist, Father and Organizer On October 5, Nigerian AIDS activist and journalist Omololu Falobi was killed during an armed robbery while returning home after a speaking engagement. His death is an enormous loss to all of us engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He was instrumental in the development of the HIV/AIDS movement in Africa as the founder of Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria, the award-winning, media-based, non-governmental HIV/AIDS advocacy organization. He was also instrumental in the founding of NHVMAG, the Nigerian HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Advocacy Group. With a Masters degree in Political Science, Omololu founded Journalists Against Aids (JAAIDS) in 1997 to increase and improve national coverage of HIV/AIDS by working directly with journalists to better their training and access to information. He led JAAIDS until his death, growing the organizations capacity and his own workload in the process. Last year, Omololu described himself in an interview as spending most of his time on policy advocacy because the political environment was limiting JAAIDS ability to realize its mission; to contribute to the prevention, care and control of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria by providing innovative communication interventions that will facilitate positive behavior change to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. With a group of committed advocates and scientists, he helped establish Nigeria HIV Vaccine and Microbicides Advocacy Group (NHVMAG) in 2003 to mobilize civil society support for new HIV prevention technologies and to ensure the proactive participation Nigerians in global efforts for the development of HIV vaccine and microbicides. NHVMAG is a popularly-owned campaign, implementing an agenda created by its members, supporters and partners. Omololu and Dr. Morenike Upkong were co-coordinators of NHVMAG at the time of his death. Omololu was an Ashoka fellow and recipient of the IAS Young Investigator's Award and the Highway Africa Award for Innovative Use of New Media. Between January 2003 and December 2005, he served as the African NGO Representative on the Programme Coordinating Board of UNAIDS.He recently helped to convene the African Civil Society Coalition on HIV and AIDS, which serves as the main umbrella platform for regional and global HIV/AIDS advocacy for African civil society organizations. His enormous contributions are best reflected, however, by the high esteem in which he was held by his friends and colleagues. According to Manju Chatani of the African Microbicides Advocacy group (AMAG), Omololu was a true African son, devoted to ensuring that African voices are at the forefront of HIV response. Dr. Ukpong noted that Omololu, addressed stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS boldly and fearlessly. He gave all he had to addressing HIV/AIDS and ensuring that all was mobilised to make things well for Nigerians. Lori Heise, Director of the Global Campaign for Microbicides observed, We will all miss Omololus vision and limitless energy. It is indeed a sad day for AIDS activism. May his spirit live on through our collective efforts. The Global Campaign joins in expressing profound gratitude for Omololus life and work and in sending our deepest condolences to his wife and children, his family, his colleagues at JAAIDS and his comrades at NHVMAG and worldwide. ------------------------ UNAIDS Loses One of Its Most Active African NGO Collaborators to Violence 9 October 2006 One of United Nations' most dedicated collaborators combating HIV/AIDS in Africa was killed in an armed robbery on his way home in the Nigeria capital, Lagos, after a speaking engagement promoting social responsibility, officials said today. Omololu Falobi served as an African NGO delegate to the Programme Coordination Board of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). He was also the executive director of Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) and a founder member of the Africa Civil Society Coalition. "His contribution to the fight against AIDS in Nigeria, African and globally are immense, and his life and death should inspire us to do more, and do it boldly," said Dr. Peter Piot, UNAIDS executive director. A UNAIDS statement from its Geneva headquarters said tributes were flowing in referring to Omololu's "dedication, tremendous energy, passion and warm-hearted good nature." "Omololu will remain with us in our day-to day work and in our long-term battles, added Piot. Omololu is survived by a wife and two young children. UNAIDS brings together the efforts and resources of ten UN system organizations to manage the global AIDS response. Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria is award-winning media-based private NGO advocacy organization working on HIV/AIDS issues. Nigeria has more than 4 million people with HIV and some 170,390 are expected to die this year because of the virus, according to Nigeria health statistics. |
User comments
"A major loss"Author:
F N
Time: 10.10.2006 15:01
Comment: Several years ago an organization I was involved in partnered with JAAIDS on getting the message out about AIDS in Nigeria. I corresponded then with Omololu and was impressed by what he had achieved with JAAIDS in such a short amount of time. While the Nigerian federal government had a passing interest in AIDS he was one of the first organisations to marshall a civic society response to it and he made great use of the internet (as limited as it was in Nigeria those days) as a tool to harness information and leverage resources for his organisation.
So it was my shock for me to see his name in the news and I express my condolences to his family and loved ones. |
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