in Ancient Nigeria, A tribe in Southern Nigeria known as the Igbo tribe.

They had this belief about some group of children who come into this world to haunt their parents, some believed that these children were maltreated in the former lives and have come back to avenge. These children were believed to have ties to the spirit world and these ties were symbolized and strengthened by a physical connection or object.

It could be a pearl, mirror, marble. Always hidden under trees, streams of under the soil.
These objects gave them power to be reincarnated at will and until a spiritual family circumcision of some sort was carried out. They will keep coming and going. Giving them their name OGBANJE (The children that come and go)

This physical link or object was called IYI-UWA.

These children were characterized by their number of deaths in a family.

Some died up to 3 times in a particular family until this connection is found and destroyed. This would now make them stay around

These children were always sick and were pampered probably to appease them or convince them to stay sometimes the village chief priest is summoned to carry out a ritual.

As civilisation began to invade the hearts and Minds of Africans. People started to explore SICKLE CELL hoping to see if there was some connection to all these.

After all a child with SICKLE CELLS had the same symptoms. Could it be that the deaths of those who died were actually SS and those who survived were carriers.

This was the best way Africans could best explain the deaths of children with sickle cell, Just like the Greek and Egyptians used gods to explain certain phenomenon like eclipse and thunders.

Thank God for science and technology. One can now check their genotype before marriage.

This kindness is not beneficial to the couples who don’t get to see the children die and pay heavy bills on medical care but it is mercy to these children who sometimes get stigmatized by dogmatic believers of the Ogbanje existence and their suffering.

Happy Sickle Cell Day. Before you get married. Please do your kids a favour and know your genotype and that of your fiance

BY Jedice

@jedicez chukwuochas@yahoo.com

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