by Amina Abubakar Hussaini | Jun 8, 2022 | Uncategorized
Kayan Mata translates as “women’s property.” This category, Kayan Mata Hausa encompasses all of the products used by women. However, aphrodisiacs are more commonly referred to by this term.
Aphrodisiacs are substances that arouse or are thought to arouse sexual desire (such as food or drug). A wide range of herbs and food including fruits have been related to the term Kayan Mata.
It is also noted sometimes to include incense, which triggers sexual urges among couples. Other triggers include aphrodisiac foods and drinks.
Origin of Kayan Mata
The word “Kayan” directly translates to the ‘property of…’, and “Mata” means ‘women’ in the Hausa language which is the dominant language of the northerners. This term originates from the northern part of Nigeria dating as long as time.
Originally, northern women have traditionally utilized Kayan Mata to prepare a bride who would be able to meet not just her husband’s domestic requirements, but also his sexual cravings.
It was designed specifically for married women who wished to spice up their libido. However, modern-day Kayan Mata now encompasses a large number of individuals and has spread far beyond Northern Nigeria’s borders.
Types of Kayan Mata
There is a wide range of Kayan Mata Hausa which comes in the form of tablets, syrup, drinks, perfumes, and dishes. And these can all be categorized based on their uses.
1. Kayan Mata for Vagina Tightening
This includes various types of herbs that facilitate making the vagina tight for sexual pleasure. Herbs used in this category may include lalle (henna plant), bagaruwa (Acacia), and also cloves. These are mostly boiled, and used for sitz baths, or used to wash the vagina.
It is also believed to also help treat various vaginal infections such as yeast infections when used periodically after a woman’s menstrual flow.
2. Kayan Mata for Libido-Boosting
In this category, these herbs are used to treat erectile dysfunction. Here, the Goron Tula fruit also known as the silky kola is used where it can either be chewed or its juice extracted and boiled with other herbs to help treat the problem.
Also, gindin ayu, which is derived from the genital of the fish known as Ayu, is mostly found in places like Maiduguri. This is used to make one’s partner remain faithful as he gets maximum satisfaction. The fish remains glued to its partner’s genitals and even separated, does not desire another. This is replicated with men and women who use it as they exhibit traits of the Ayu faithfulness.
3. Kaya Mata for Favour and Attraction
This Kayan Mata Hausa is one of the most controversial of these aphrodisiacs, as it is believed to be laced with spiritual powers. Prayers are done and mixed with the components used for this type, to gain favour from one’s partner.
Causes of the Rise of Aphrodisiacs Sale
One cannot categorically state the reason for the sudden rise of aphrodisiacs sale in Arewa, but it can be identified, with these:
1. Social Exposure
The mingling of the north to the outer world can be associated with the rise of aphrodisiac sales in the north; to be more precise, interaction, and association with individuals, either on the internet, or person to person. This gives room for the knowledge of the existence of Kaya Mata to be widely spread.
2. High Market Demand
Well, if more individuals get introduced to Kayan Mata Hausa, there would be an increase in the market for these products – a factor that is a likely cause for the rise. The demand becomes higher hence, the increase in the production and competition for the sale of Kayan Mata Hausa.
3. Its Affordability
Most Kayan Mata Hausa produced in Arewa is fairly cheap. For example, ingredients used to make tsumi are very much available and affordable to the general public thus, become a moving factor for the increase in the rise of aphrodisiac sales in Arewa.
4. Sexual Exposure
Let us dive into the most crucial reason for the increase of the rise of aphrodisiac sales in Arewa. Sex is a leading factor in the reason why there is a high demand for Kayan Mata Hausa products. Individuals of various ages ranging from adolescence are the main consumers of these products at an alarming rate.
Side Effect of Kayan Mata
Though these aphrodisiacs have been largely proved to be medicinal, and have been able to help with sexual enhancement, it is like every other thing, with a side effect. This mainly arises because there are no systematic and scientific procedures for manufacturing it and also because its dosage can be abused.
Components of herbs used do not undergo any testing to prove their compatibility with other herbs combined which are used to produce these products. Some of its side effects may include:
1. Kidney Failure and Liver Damage
Due to the rise of aphrodisiacs sales in Arewa, vendors sell adulterated products to unsuspecting customers, who have no idea of the concoctions sold to them. Such herbs can cause liver damage and kidney failure as they can contain toxic materials.
A study published in the medical journal of Australia has shown that these herbs contain toxic metals that interfere with having a healthy liver.
2. Drug Interactions
One of the side effects of Kayan Mata Hausa is that it is a herb that would interact with many medicines. Drug Interactions sometimes can stop the drug from working and other times, it would enhance the medications depending on the properties used.
Therefore, it is advisable to avoid the usage for pregnant women.
3. Withdrawal Syndrome
This is a medical condition that is brought about when there is a discontinuation of a certain type of medication. This may mean that when Kayan Mata Hausa herb is meant to increase libido. It is very possible to return to having a very low sexual drive.
4. Mental and Spiritual Interference
Aside from the use of Kayan Mata Hausa herbs, the controversial favor and attraction are attributed to the spiritual properties of these certain products.
It is thus capable of leading to mental and spiritual interference when the user is not religious or spiritually sound. It could also lead to several occurrences of mental breakdown.
5. It Could Lead to Contamination
A major concern for the production of Kayan Mata is hygiene and bacterias presence which may be pathogenic and nonpathogenic. It is advisable to wash fruits or herbs specifically used to produce these aphrodisiacs to avoid contamination.
Popular Vendors and Market for Kayan Mata
As the rise of aphrodisiacs sales in northern Nigeria continues to hit the market’s supply demands, a lot of vendors have risen to the challenge of sourcing these materials. This makes it making final products to be distributed within and across the nation.
A popular vendor known for her favor and attraction Kayan Mata Hausa and also for the discovery of the various use of Goron Tula is Hauwa Saidu Muhammad also known as Jaruma who runs the Jaruma Empire.
She has successfully hit market-wide a wide range of this Kayan Mata Hausa and has recorded huge success.
Conclusion
There has been a vast rise in the sale of aphrodisiacs in northern Nigeria. this might be due to the high demands for this product across the nation, thus making these herbs which were neglected over time to be in demand.
For example, the Goron Tula fruit also known as silky kola indigenous to the Tula tribe in Gombe state has become very expensive as there is a higher demand for it.
by Kabir Salisu | Mar 30, 2022 | Uncategorized
In Arewa and many other cultures, it’s believed that virginity depends on the first-night bleed. That’s why some couples use white bed sheets for the bloodstain to be seen.
If the woman didn’t bleed at the first intercourse in her matrimonial home, it is considered she had pre-marital sex. Hence the accusing fingers of infidelity, harlotry, and other baddies point at her no matter how sane she was formally considered.
All these are because most people don’t know much about the hymen.
What is Hymen?
The hymen is a piece of membrane that is situated about an inch and a half deep inside the vaginal canal. It separates the outer part from the inner part within the vaginal walls. One might ask if there’s a membrane then how does the menstrual blood flow out? Well, the hymen has a small opening(s) through which the blood passes.
Like any other part of the human body, the hymen does not look the same in every female. Some hymens are rich in blood vessels and nerves, others are not.
While most females have thick or thin hymens, some few others have no hymen at all, they were born with no hymen! Yes, it is normal and poses no health risks.
What Causes Premier Bleeding?
In females with hymens rich in blood supply, there occurs tear of the hymen at first penetration which causes the bleeding, with accompanied pain if the torn hymen is rich in nerves.
This bleeding is what makes the bride proud, the groom fulfilled and the families satisfied with the virginity and moral decency of the bride.
What if She didn’t Bleed?
Since we said that the bleeding is due to a tear of the hymen at first penetration, what of those that passed the first night with no blood drop?
Remember we said that some females have hymens not rich in blood supply, in these cases, there might be very little blood to be seen.
Also, nature blesses a fraction of females with thin hymen that could easily tear during exercise, cycling, horse riding, a simple act of running, or use of wrong sized tampons mostly with no bleeding or pain as the result of the poor blood vessels and nerves in the thin membrane. And if it bleeds and pains, it’s mostly mistaken for menstrual flow and cramps. It had gone! Unnoticed!
Moreover, about 1 in every 300 females was born without a hymen. Therefore, they experience no bleeding at first intercourse
Shikenan!
So, the above-mentioned categories plus the few unfortunate ones that faced the wrath of sexual violence, are all punished by our collective dogma of any bride that didn’t bleed on the first night is overly-experienced. Uncultured. Bad. Cursed.
What a pity!
Red Flag: Re-virgination
Since society defines any woman that bleeds on the first night as a virgin. No matter how bad her record was, the medical community came up with an option; hymenoplasty.
Hymenoplasty is the surgical reconstruction of broken hymen. The operation is been done by surgeons, heals early with hard-to-notice traces. It restores the hymen, therefore the lost ‘pride’.
After the procedure, the hymen appears intact again and bleeds as supposed at the next penetration. Period!
By now, I hope you understand that not all virgins have the hymens to break and bleed, and not all those that bleed were virgins.
Help me answer the question, does virginity depends on the first-night bleed? It’s high time we stop determining the virginity of women by an uncertain fragile tissue. Some lost it by accident, few were not given at all.
Stop the stigma, spread love!
by Aisha | Jan 26, 2022 | Uncategorized
Suicide is the intentional killing of oneself. In Nigeria, the suicide rates are about 17.3 per 100,000 people. This might seem like a small number until we consider that it is not just a number but people with lives, futures, and families. This number is distributed throughout all the states in Nigeria. Even in Northern Nigeria where it is taboo to commit suicide, it is still rampant. It leads one to wonder what exactly would cause a person to take their own life. The reasons vary from person to person but some of them are:
Reasons for Increase in Suicidal Rate in Northern Nigeria
1. Grief
After the death of a family member, living may become difficult. Death may lead to sadness, depression, etc. all of which could make a person choose “the easy way out” and give up on life itself. This is surely one of the reasons why suicide in Northern Nigeria is on the rise.
2. Financial Problems
It is no news that the standard of living in Nigeria is low. A lot of families struggle to put food on the table even once a day. In Northern Nigeria especially, where the men are the head of large families and the women do not work, it is even harder to feed. If a man loses his job in this situation, needless to say, his frustration will know no bounds. He is likely to end it all as the responsibility may be too much for him. His death could lead to the deaths of other members of his family as they are left destitute.
3. Rejection
This is common amongst teenagers. Although liking someone is not a crime and is a natural phenomenon, some individuals take it as far as to put their lives in another person’s hands. When this other person then rejects their affection, they are left sad and unable to function and might think the next best thing is to kill themselves.
4. Unemployment
This is another big problem in Nigeria and a cause of suicide in Northern Nigeria. The country is not stable enough to provide jobs for everybody yet our educational systems are such that we are not taught to be entrepreneurs. This leads people to look for jobs that are not available and the frustration may lead to suicide. In Northern Nigeria, there is also the problem of under qualification. Sometimes, there are jobs available but the people who apply for them are not qualified enough.
This is especially true in the north due to the fact that they do not generally value western education like most other regions. This inability to secure a job is detrimental to the mental health of the job seeker.
5. Abuse
There are several types of abuse and abuse has been seen to be a leading cause of suicide:
a. Sexual Abuse
When a person is raped, especially in the north, they tend to keep quiet about it. This is usually because when they do speak up, they are blamed for the abuse, and then their image is ruined and they can no longer walk confidently among the crowd. When a person is abused and they keep quiet about it, they die slowly inside until they can no longer go on. And when they talk about it, they are ridiculed so much that their only options seem to be either to relocate or to commit suicide.
b. Domestic Abuse
In Northern Nigeria, there are many cases of domestic abuse, reported and not reported. Domestic abuse can be about a person beating their significant other. Men are usually reported to have beaten their wives or maltreated them in one way or another. As a woman in Northern Nigeria, it is seen as a shame to report your husband or even be divorced. This leads women to stay in a depressing marriage and could eventually cost them their lives.
Read: Divorced Women in Arewa Are Really Suffering, And We Can Do Something About it
c. Emotional Abuse
Words have the potential for great good as well as a great evil. In Nigeria as a whole, people are fond of insulting each other as a joke and putting down another person’s self-esteem. It might be funny for a while, but some people may be emotionally fragile and after getting so many harsh words, they deem themselves unworthy and try to end their own life.
d. Child Abuse
Giving a child out as a maid, beating a child mercilessly, starving them, forcing them to beg, not giving them an education, etc. are all a part of child abuse. Children should be nurtured with care so their self-esteem does not dip. A child with low esteem is bound to want to kill himself. A child who sees his mate going to school while he is stuck begging will feel unworthy and sad.
Furthermore, children (both male and female) who are forced into early marriages without even knowing what it entails could end up very sad and want to end it. We should take care to not abuse our children and keep their futures safe. Else, suicide might start to look like heaven to them.
6. Health Issues
In addition, another cause of suicide in Northern Nigeria is the health status of victims. Some people who have health complications choose to kill themselves either because they do not have the financial capacity to handle the disease and do not want to bother their families, or that the disease could ultimately lead to death anyway. They choose to do what they believe is best and commit suicide. Due to this, health practitioners often advise people with severe health conditions to see psychologists. But as we all know, this is Nigeria.
There are several other factors that could cause a person to want to commit suicide. They include bullying and discrimination, cultural/religious pressure, etc. But with every problem, comes solutions. The weight of reducing the load on suicidal persons rests on the shoulders of individuals, the community, and the government. How?
How Suicidal Rates Can Be Reduced in Northern Nigeria
1. What Individuals Could Do
People should try to be more tolerant of others. We should all remember that every person in this world has their own struggles and as such, we should be kinder. I was once asked in a Buzzfeed quiz about what attribute would make the world a better place. The options were; Discipline, Self-Love, Independence, and Kindness. While all of these are good, in the wise words of Jackie Chan, sometimes it only takes one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.
We should also try to take note of the people around us. That lady upstairs who always gave you salt when you ran out, ask about how she’s doing you might be surprised about the pain she’s in despite her smile. That man who always greets you on his way to work but suddenly stops and just walks around with a long face, have a chat with him. It might save his life. These simple acts can lead a person from intentionally walking the plank.
2. How Society Can Help
Society in general also has a role to play in the fight against suicide. As mentioned above bullying and discrimination is one of the major causes of suicide. Let’s take the instance of 26-year-old Geraldine whose story was narrated to me by a friend of mine. Geraldine was a hairdresser at a famous salon. She was strong, happy, independent, and kind and had many friends. One day, people realized she started to grow thin and began to wonder. One thing led to another and it was discovered that she had been living with HIV for a while. She had run out of money so could not feed herself properly which caused people to notice it.
Society had two options here. One, be sorry for not noticing the pain she had been going through and try to see how to help her. Second, ignore and stigmatize her due to her illness. In the society we live in today, the second option prevailed and she was fired. She had no friends and no source of income. Due to this, her frustration grew and she tried to commit suicide. Although she was saved, her life can never be the same again.
Let us imagine a scenario where the second option was chosen. Geraldine would have been saved, she would still have her friends and the world would still have a bright young woman. The impact of societal care on suicide prevention cannot be over-emphasized.
3. What Role the Government Can Play
Although the government tries, there is still a lot it can do. For instance, set up more emergency helplines for suicide attempters, set up free (and effective) counselling sessions, organise rallies and orientation programmes to educate people on the dangers of suicide, etc. In Nigeria, there is a law that says an attempt of suicide is liable to a year of imprisonment. I find this ridiculous. Instead, mental health organizations should be set up for them so as to revive their will.
The government definitely has a huge role to play in reducing suicide in Northern Nigeria.
4. How Non-Governmental Organizations Can Help
There are other people that help in the fight against this social vice. These people have come together to create NGOs that help with suicide prevention. The government has also set up certain helplines to combat the situation. A lot of helplines for different suicidal scenarios and other emergencies can be found at www.opencounsseling.com and www.aasra.info. If you or anyone around you needs help, please click any of the links above.
Do NOT suffer in silence. Anyone considering suicide should remember “You matter. What you do matters. Who you are matters” and click on the link and give it another shot.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned are reasons why the suicide rate is increasing in Northern Nigeria and what role individuals, government, the society and non-governmental organizations have to play in curbing it. Remember, suicide is a blot on our society and it is our responsibility to clean it. Out of the over 700,000 people that die if we all save one, I dare say that number can be cut down significantly.
If you have further questions, let’s hear them in the comments and I would love to get your opinion on the above Buzzfeed question.
