Láyée Ọyẹ́

Ní kété tí a bá ti wọ ìkẹwàá ọdún ni afẹ́fẹ́ ọyẹ́ á ti máa fẹ́ lu 'ni lára díẹ̀ díẹ̀. 

Láyée ọyẹ́, ààjìn ni ọyẹ́ ti ń jáde, fẹ̀ẹ̀rẹ̀ ò kí ń ṣe é kó, òtútù ọyẹ́ a máa mú kí oorun rọ 'ni lọ́rùn gidi gan-an ni. Àgbàlagbà yóò ká rúgúrúgú, ọmọdé náà a sùn á kásẹ̀ worobo bíi ọmọ ìkókó. 

Ní ìdájí, bí ilẹ̀ bá mọ́, kùrukùru funfun á bo ojúu sánmọ̀ mọ́lẹ̀ gùdù, a lè má fẹ́ẹ̀ rí ẹni ńbọ̀ níwá, a ó ti kò ó tán kí a tóó kó fìríi rẹ̀. 

Láyée ọyẹ́, a kì í pẹ́ kan lọ títí ní balùwẹ̀, kíá mọ́sá ni à ń rọ́ omi sára, wàrà seṣà à ń bóóde nílé-ìwẹ̀. Gbígbọ̀n ni ẹní bá rẹ̀pẹ̀tẹ̀ sí ibalùwẹ̀ yó máa gbọ̀n nígbàtí atẹ́gùn tútù bá rọ́ síi lára. Oótù ní kínkankíkan ojúmọ́, láyée má f'omi wẹ̀ kan 'ra. Àwọn ọ̀bùn a máa fi omi b'ọ́jú ni, wọ́n sì lè ṣan'pá ṣan'sẹ̀ kí wọ́n bọ́ sí'gboro. 

Àfi bíi ẹni pé ilé iṣẹ́ẹ elùbọ́ làwọn ọmọ elòmíràn ti ń ṣíṣe ni, ara wọn á funfun. Irú ẹni bẹ́ẹ̀ tí ara rẹ̀ funfun ni a máa ń sọ fún wípé ọyẹ́ ti gbé lọ nítorí àwọ̀ọ ti di ti ọlọ́yẹ́.

Òrí ni ìyáà mi fi tọ́ mi. Láyée ọyẹ́, ni a ma fi ń pa ara, t'ára yóò máa dán gbinrin, ara ò jẹ́ mọ ọyẹ́. 

Láyée ọyẹ́, tí ètèe elétè yóò máa bẹ́, títa ńkọ́? Ní ayée ọyẹ́ tí àtẹ́lẹ́-ọwọ́ pẹ̀lú ti ẹsẹ̀ yóò máa sun omi jáde. 

Láyée ọyẹ́, tí èfúùfù ọ̀gìnìtìn yó máa fẹ́ yìì, yàà, á máa fẹ́ yòò, oòrùn  gbígbóná yẹn náà a máa jó 'ni lára fofofo ní kíjankíjan. 

Àkókò tí ereku á gba'lé gba oko. Ekuru lóríi bíi ewú, nínú ihò-imú, ihò-etí, pàntí nínú ojú. Àkókò ikọ́, ọ̀fìnkìn ni ìgbà ọyẹ́ jẹ́ fẹ́lòmíì láyée ọyẹ́. 

Láyée ọyẹ́, tí igi oko gan-an alára mọ̀ pé ọyẹ́ ń mú, ewé á wọ́n lóríi igi, kí ni ìràwé? Pápá oko a máa dùn ún jó nínúu ọyẹẹ́ pọ̀, bẹ́ẹ̀ gẹ́lẹ́ ni ewu inúu ọyẹ́ pọ̀ jọjọ. Ọ̀gbẹlẹ̀ ni àsìkòo ọyẹ́, iná a máa ràn fòò nínúu ọyẹ́, òwe kan ní "... ó ràn bíi (ináa) pápá inú ọyẹ́. 

Láyée ọyẹ́, ẹní bá kó sí aṣọ t'ó nípọn láàárọ̀ ni ooru baba ooru yóó bá fín 'ra lọ́ọ̀sán ganrínganrín. Wéré lọ́wọ́ kan ni ohun a bá sá (aṣọ, oúnjẹ, àti bẹ́ẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ lọ) ń gbẹ hánhán láyée ọyẹ́. 

Láyée ọyẹ́ tí ooru á máa bá ẹnu yọ bí a bá ń s'ọ́rọ̀. Òjò ọyẹ́ la mọ òjò t'ó bá rọ̀ lóṣù kankànlá ọdún sí, tí ọyẹ́ á sọ̀kalẹ̀, t'áfẹ́fẹ́ ọyẹ́ yóò máa ya lu teranko t'ènìyàn. 

Lógún ọdún sẹ́yìn, ìyẹn láyée ọyẹ́ ni mò ń ròhìn, láyée ọyẹ́ nígbàtí ọyẹ́ ń mú, láyée ijọ́hun t'ọ́yẹ́ wà. Láyée ọyẹ́, inú á máa dùn pé ọdún ti parí, titun fẹ́ẹ́ bẹ̀rẹ̀. 

Ọyẹ́ wáá dà báyìí o? 

Àbí torí pé igbó Èkó ayée ọyẹ́ ti di ìgboro ni? 

Ní ìgbèríko alára, ọyẹ́ tí à ń wí yìí ò fi bẹ́ẹ̀ sìí,  kò dàbíi ti ayée ìgbà kan. Ọyẹ́ẹ̀ mi ọ̀wọ́n, è é ṣe? È é ti rí? Níbo lo wà a?

Check out www.yobamoodua.org for more on Yorùbá education and information.

Páńdọ̀rọ̀ for Ebola

Ẹ bá Ebola wá Páńdọ̀rọ̀.

Páńdọ̀rọ̀

Ebola fever (ibà) has been the talk of the world in the past months.  

A gbọ́ wipe ibà ìda ẹ̀jẹ̀ ni Ebola jẹ́ (we were made to know that it is a hemorrhagic fever).  

Inú mi dùn láti kéde fún àgbáyé pé oògùn rẹ̀ wà níbí, páńdọ̀rọ̀ ni (I am pleased to inform the world that we have the antidote to combat Ebola here, all we need is the plant called páńdọ̀rọ̀ in Yorùbá).

Páńdọ̀rọ̀ is a tropical plant found in its abundance in Yorùbá land and it is very effective for hemorrhagic fever. Surfing the web for plants that cures fever and a list of plants came up but páńdọ̀rọ̀ seems to be the most powerful.

I, Ọmọ Yoòbá is saying that we do not need any chemical for Ebola cure, all we need is the root (ìtàkùn igi páńdọ̀rọ̀), stem bark (èpo ẹ̀yin igi páńdọ̀rọ̀), fruits (èso páńdọ̀rọ̀) and leaves (ewée páńdọ̀rọ̀).

Kíni Ebola níbi tí páńdọ̀rọ̀ wà.

Ẹ  kúu kíkà o.

Check out www.yobamoodua.org for more on Yorùbá education and information.

Iṣẹ́ Ọwọ́ Yorùbá - Work the Yoòbá Way

Iṣẹ́ l'oògùn ìṣẹ́, a phrase (gbólóhùn) carrying (to gbé) the weight of hardworking and diligence by the Yorùbá gene. I decided to use the Yorùbá gene to differentiate my people from other Africans. Yoòbá works are tagged "iṣẹ́ abínibí" - work born with, showing that the trade of a family ẹbí is automatically inherited, passed on from generation to generation; iṣẹ́ àjogúnbá.

Work (iṣẹ́) is important (pọn dàndàn), anyone without a job is an outcast. It is a shame (ojútì) that my people still complain of "unemployment" - àìníṣẹ́ when there are numerous - ọ̀pọ̀ works iṣẹ́ the Yorùbá engage in to earn money for a living.

A breakdown of iṣẹ́ l'oògùn ìṣẹ́. Iṣẹ́ is a work, job, duty, shores, profession, business, trade, skills, and responsibility et cetera àti bẹ́ẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ lọ. 

Oògùn connotes antidote; medicine; charms; remedy and more. Ìṣẹ́; means poverty, penury. With this dissection, the proverb iṣẹ́ l'oògùn ìṣẹ́, "work is the antidote of poverty" shows the pedestal at which the Yorùbá gene put work. 

Before, the advent of white collar jobs, Yorùbá make a living from their "handiwork" - iṣẹ́ ọwọ́ learnt from the home ilé, passed down from father/mother to children - láti ìran dé ìran.

 "iṣẹ́ ọmọ àṣejẹ, òwò ọmọ àṣelà"

To feed, one must have a work; business to be successful in life. 

Iṣẹ́ ọmọ àṣejẹ, òwò ọmọ àṣelà foretells the future of a hardworking person, it means that whosoever sacrifices his/her time and take work serious will in the long run be a success. Ọjọ́ a bá gùn, kọ́ là ń kan ọ̀run; the day we get tall, is not the day we touch the sky, having wealth; ọrọ̀, is a gradual process not sudden.

Ní báyìí, ẹjẹ́ ká mú iṣẹ́ t'ònìí ṣe, irú iṣẹ́ wo l'àwọn Yorùbá ń ṣe? - Now, let's get down to today's business, what are the works where you will find the Yorùbá gene?

Ení; first is iṣẹ́ oúnjẹ - work of food production, the most important of all.

1.     Farming (iṣẹ́ àgbẹ̀) - farmers are set of hardworking men, women; the food providers. A maxim goes "bí ebi bá kúrò nínú ìṣẹ́, ìṣẹ́ bùṣe", meaning; if hunger is out of poverty, the effect of penury is lessened. A different adage says "okun inú la fi ń gbé ti ìta" - it is the inner strength that activate the external strength. The essence of food in man's life is acknowledged by my people, making them take food production serious. Subsistence farming was the in-thing, every home has as many farms has possible, cultivated to feed, carter and sustain the family. Farmers have     specialty, many grow ọ̀fadà; Yorùbá rice, àgbàdo; corn, erèé; beans (ọ̀tílí, awújẹ), àsálà; walnuts, obì; kola nuts (orógbó; bitter kola), ewébẹ̀; vegetables, ata; pepper. Some sow (fúrúgbìn) palm; ọ̀pẹ,  groundnut; ẹ̀pà, others plant  ọ̀sán òronbó; orange, iṣu; yam 

(efùrù, ọ̀paragá, kókò, èsúrú, òdùnkún) , cassava; ẹ̀gẹ́/pákí/gbàgudá and many other regular staple foods.

Farmers are differentiated in Yorùbá land, you can find that here.  

1. 
2. Fishing (iṣẹ́ apẹja) - fishes swim in shroud they are found undersea in species,(lẹ́gbẹ́lẹ́gbẹ́ ni ẹja ń wẹ̀ nínú ibú, ẹ̀yaẹ̀ya la sì ń rí wọn),  but only the fishermen  pa-ẹja-pa-ẹja (one who kills/hunt fish) can tell where.  Apẹja knows fishing skills on the water, some use ìgèrè (fishing basket), àwọ̀n (net), ìkọ́ (hook). With their tactics and ìrírí experience, the pẹjapẹja provides (pèsè) fish as food for the entire land. 

3. Hunting (iṣẹ́ ọdẹ ) - the ọdẹ is a strong man, because he is expected to be fierce and fearless. "Gbà mí, gbà mí!", 'ò yẹ eégún, "ẹran ń lé mí bọ̀!" kò yẹ ọdẹ - "save me, save me!", does not befit a masquerader; an animal is chasing me!" does not befit a hunter. What makes a strong hunter; ògbójú ọdẹ? 

Bí àgbẹ̀, apẹja, ọdẹ bá gbé oúnjẹ wọ ìlú tán, àwọn alágbàtà, alápatà á gbà á láti tà á - The crops harvested by the farmers, fish from the fishers and animals from the hunters are sold to retailers. 

B'ọ́dẹ bá pa ẹran tán, alápatà á bù ú láàjàn.

When food crops get to the village abúlé, town, city; ìlú other people buys it and resell; tun tà to their customer; aláàbárà. 

• Olóúnjẹ (oní oúnjẹ) food sellers, either raw or cooked. From groundnut fryers/sellers - ẹlẹ́pà, to ọlọ́jọ̀jọ̀ (water yam fritters), olákàrà/alákàrà (bean fritters), oní dúndún (fried yam seller), aláta (pepper seller), etc
• Alápatà (oní àpa tà) are butchers/one who kills, chop & sells animals like elephant; erin, lion; kìnìhún, antelope; eegbin, èsuró ... , crocodile; ọ̀nì etc
• Ẹlẹ́ja (oní ẹja) fish sellers 

Kókóró

Snacks is ìpápánu in Yorùbá, ìpápánu includes ọ̀jọ̀jọ̀ (made from water yam), bàbádúdú (local sugar confectionery made of coconut and sugar), kókóró, mọ́sà, àádùn/àdídùn (made from corn), róbó (made from blended melon mixed with salt & pepper) , kúlínkúlín (from groundnut), gúgúrú (pop corn) àti ẹ̀pà (groundnut). 

Dòdò-ìkirè

Another snacks is ìpékeré (fried plantain chips), dòdò-ìkirè (peppered fried plantain chips) and more.

 

Róbó 

Akọ̀pẹ; palm-wine tapper is another job where you find my people. The tapper climbs the palm with his ìgbá rope, cut the tree stem open to get ẹmu; palmwine.

These are not the only iṣẹ́ abínibí involving food, there are many iṣẹ́ àjogúnbá, it will be nice if you can add more. Kò bá dára bí o bá fi èyí tí ò sí níbẹ̀ síi, torí ó kù ó kù nìbọn ń ró.

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Check out www.yobamoodua.org for more on Yorùbá education and information.