People say lay down yourself and love others more…..

• What can be wrong in preparing yourself to give and receive that which we most desire and which is the greatest, LOVE?
• Is it possible to offer someone mango when you do not have mango?
• Is it possible that you enter Maths exam hall and decide to write English on your answer script and pass the exams?
• How can one be happy with someone who is not meeting his/her desire and yet wants him/her to stay? 

In counseling with persons with Vitiligo, the greatest desire of women has been to find love and I have always asked, is it possible to find love and love as you are body mind and spirit without being filled with love yourself? I usually get an answer, I know getting someone who loves me will change things and I usually ask someone who will love you and expect you to love him back. Its true that there are rare men that will find one attractive even in that situation and decides to help build her up, how many of them are out there and how many have you met? A lady told me that she cannot be happy and cannot be open to a relationship till she repigments fully and I asked her

• Do you know how long that will take?
• Do you know if you have that number of years to live?
• Does your happiness now depends on a man

She told me that she will be alive for it to happen, but cannot just think of exposing her hand to anyone now. For me, I cannot deny myself the happiness, I know it is not easy to get there, but with the will to change, step by step efforts and the mirror game I discussed below, we will be getting into it. Don’t get me wrong, Love is a beautiful thing which everyone really needs to experience genuinely in their lifetime. My question is, is it about the opposite sex? I have been privileged to talk also with the married who would usually tell me my spouse has been very supportive, but I just can’t handle the psychological aspects especially when dealing with the public. This goes to show that the opposite sex is actually not the solution, but self. What about who we really are and what we want to achieve in life? My findings and experience, when you find that self-love, its beautiful, you glow with so much love for everyone around you, you judge less who is staring and who is not staring, you don’t remember the comments, you are open to love and to change and everything is beautiful.  This self-love can only be effective when you have accepted yourself wholly.

• It’s important that we learn to accept what we cannot change, work on the ones we can  improve ourselves. God has raised so many creative and innovative minds who has been able to put into writing and visuals certain guide for a great life, explore them while you learn from your own experiences too
• We should be practical and creative enough to know that accepting and loving ourselves is no sin, it’s the beginning of the change we desire and help we need,
• Why become reluctant to yourself because your religion make you believe so, remember it’s the understanding of your leader there and God never says we should trash our own understanding and discernment for one leader. Ehp 5:29 says for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it………
• Prayer is the greatest, we should pray and follow –up with actions. Can prayer choose the right clothes for that meeting for you? We pray for His guide and live up in faith.
• It’s important that we know that even persons we see as normal are hurting also in one way or the other, they also get rejected in different areas
• It’s important to identify that which is unique about us and celebrate it, we must not wait for people to celebrate us, atimes It may never come till we begin it ourselves
• Feed your body healthily, don’t just feed it anything, take your time and show some love to yourself. When you are in great health, you function well; health is your right and entitlement. It starts with you
• Forgive and set yourself free
• The mirror game really helps and it has become part of me in so many ways, will really encourage you to embrace it..

1.  Tell the beautiful lady/man you see in the mirror how much you love and appreciate him/her
2. Discuss with him/her your plans and usually he/she will reason with you
3. Let him/her know how much you would want to take care of it but trying to your own capacity, believe me he/she usually understands and play along

When you Accept and Love yourself and live it, the problem is more than 50% solved, it’s a simple life, let’s stop making it complicated.

Believe in your dreams, confess and affirm what you believe and what you want!

Love and accept yourself wholly so you can live better and Love all around you and greatly Love that special person with great and unadulterated Love!

Love is a beautiful thing, it begins with you!

When we talk about self-love, it usually sounds vain especially in our society where we have misunderstood so much due to religion and cultural beliefs. Putting in a simpler way, straightway self-love is an aftermath of self-acceptance because it is when we have accepted something that we love or is it possible to love what we do not accept?

For some reasons and excessive demand of the society, humans are disassociating from themselves by day, worrying just about every little thing even worrying about not breathing in a particular style. My question is who sets this standard and who approved them to be standard setters? It is hard for persons without visual appearance challenged; the ones with unusual visual appearance are actually not included anywhere, the media and the fashion industry have not helped matters too.

Here I ask, why should we continue to let a standard set by someone whom if we get close to may not be worth our time at all, but because the society has a way of making those of us who do not know ourselves worry about imperfection that does not exist. Yes when the imperfection is not our making and we cannot do anything about it, it does not exist, it is just the way it is like anyother. The society tries to set standard of ideal height, ideal foot, ideal shoe size, ideal body shape, ideal talking pattern, ideal way of looking, of walking, running, standing even when we have different body sizes, postures, shapes, different orientation and from different origins…its endless… as if any of these can be achieved by human effort without any adverse effect or losing something natural to achieve it.

The craziest is body weight, yes I was worried about my weight few months ago because I was feeling sick, I had never gotten to that size and suddenly bloated up, though noticed two things from my journey to that point, in managing my Vitiligo naturally and as I researched about, I had found out that I have had indigestive problems all my life which suddenly corrected and took me unawares, so foods I used to eat that comes out to the extent I chewed it when I excrete, suddenly started digesting fully. It affected my total wellbeing, fatigue, knee pains and all of that increased, I knew without seeking any Doctors advise that I had to get back fully to my healthy eating, cleansing and exercises, I did mostly with my raw plant-based nutrition and not planning one bit to retrace again. Today it has lead me to my new social enterprise www.vogohealthies.gnbo.com.ng, it has taken off with little campaign. I shared this because I had a reason to get healthier as I know the importance and not wait till am wheeled into an ambulance.

But what’s truly our reason for most of the things we are obsessed about? A musician comes out with a particular body shape (she maybe so uncomfortable with) and because she breaks through everybody starts working to be that, why don’t we work to get ourselves to be whom someone else wants to be?

Self-Acceptance is accepting self wholly, the flaws (if you see any in you), the fat legs, the unshaped nose, the short fingers etc. when it is about the ones you can change like getting a toned arm, laps, flat tummy then we work towards it instead of hating and rejecting self. Funnily hating and rejecting self has never changed that thing we do not want rather it worsens it even our Vitiligo. I would rather take my time and understudy certain therapy that helps Vitiligo and choose one to follow for atleast a year before taking decisions to move to another. It would be worth it that hating the body that carries you about, bringing you the achievements, giving you life and taking care of all your inners. Ever thought of what it would be like if the body gets angry and says no to you someday? When we love someone we go out of our way to do everything to make him happy, why can’t we do same for self? We accept the opposite sex the way they are especially when we see what we want in them, why can’t we then accept self the way we are for better living and greater productivity?

Continues…..

VITSAF Conference 2012

some point.

And every woman can always use a little more love.

So with that in mind, I wrote you a \"Love Letter\" (PDF).

It's short, to the point and I even painted you some
pictures. 

The Pleasure Nutritionist
Daphne

http://thepleasurenutritionist.com

1st Int’l Conference on Vitiligo in West Africa

Theme – Naturalistic Approach to Vitiligo and Skin imperfections® (NAVSI)Patient Centered Conference

22-24 March 2012 in Lagos, Nigeria

Dear Friends and all Concerned,

It is our very great pleasure to invite you to the 1st biennial Vitiligo Conference that will be held in the commercial city of Lagos, commercial city of Nigeria.

The 1st Vitiligo conference will be interesting! Like everyother conference held in different places in the World, for the first time in the history of Vitiligo Conferences we are organizing a patient-centered conference tackling the direct and primary need of persons distressed with Vitiligo. The scientific committee will comprise of Nigerian dermatologists and their counterparts.

The theme of this Congress is “Naturalistic Approach to Vitiligo and Skin imperfections® (NAVSI)”. This emphasizes the need to learn natural ways of managing and living with Vitiligo and the central importance of skin in our health and well-being.  We expect Vitiligo patients and their families from across Africa, Dermatologists, and Clinical Psychologists, State and Federal Health Ministries and Health organization.  Our keynote speaker is Lee Thomas, we are having some renowed resource person’s in area of natural management which includes Dr. Wanakee Hill (a Dr. in Naturopath), Dr. Andrew Thompsons, a clinical psychologist who has been working in area of appearance amongst others. Nigerian, regional and local speakers will provide top level knowledge in basic as well as clinical dermatology, Vitiligo and Skin imperfections, cosmetic dermatology.  During the break out Workshop sessions, delegates from health organizations and ministry of health will have the opportunity to learn and understand all the basics of Vitiligo as a benign and yet chronic and miserable condition with the leaders of dermatology and medical science in Nigeria.

Join us in Lagos, March 22-24^th, 2012 for what promises to be a wonderful, revealing, educative and a fulfilling event!

Details NAVSI

February 2, 2012

VR Foundation

World’s First Dedicated Vitiligo BioBank

VR Foundation is proud to present world’s first dedicated Vitiligo BioBank – a repository of genetic material from patients and related unaffected individuals, together with associated health records.

The Vitiligo BioBank aims to promote coordinated large-scale biomarker discovery and validation, facilitate the identification of susceptibility genes, environmental and lifestyle factors and etiological pathways for vitiligo, and aid the design of treatments for this disease.

The BioBank currently holds 150+ samples, including 75+ DNA profiles, with scheduled weekly additions. Vitiligo BioBank provides storage facilities for hair follicles, co-morbid diseases material, and the physical collection of material that may be vulnerable to disposal through completion of research projects.

The Vitiligo BioBank is operated by the Center For Innovative Biotechnologies ALLELE based in Moscow, Russia. Importantly, it will work with the active participation of the Vitinomics.net patients’ community, and share benefits with them.

VR Foundation is a non-profit philanthropic organization funding and fast-tracking medical research globally, firmly committed to curing Vitiligo.

For further information:

VR Foundation  (www.vrfoundation.org   – www.vitinomics.net )
General inquiries: Alessandra Fabbri Palmieri (a.palmieri@vrfoundation.org)

Telephone Number: +39 328 6214588
Scientific inquiries: Dr. Igor Korobko, Chief Scientific Director (i.korobko@vrfoundation.org)

Business & administration matters: Dr. Yan Valle, VRF CEO (yan@vrfoundation.org)

Vitiligo lady pic

Greetings from Vitiligo Support and Awareness Foundation (VITSAF), Nigeria, I hope this meets us all well in this brand New Year!

I come to you with good news on our campaign and advocacy for World Vitiligo Day – June 25th, we are making progress. For those who are coming in contact with this advocacy and campaign for the first time, World Vitiligo Day Initiative is the international awareness and fundraising day for all Vitiligo persons, organization and support groups. It is our collective effort to drive extensive global Vitiligo Awareness, to help ease the psychological effects of Vitiligo, to put us out of misery and silent pain majority of us go through, effectively educate the public and bring Vitiligo cause to World center stage.
This initiative will help ease all the misunderstanding of the general public, neglect and underestimation of both the public and medical community and at same time improve our Quality of Life (QoL), self-esteem as well as self-confidence. “The more we can get people engaged in understanding what Vitiligo is, the better it is for those who are living with it.” - Mary Cleveland, Executive Director, NVFI.

In 2011, Vitiligo Awareness Day, June 25th (World Vitiligo Day) was marked in different parts of the World such as in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Vitiligo Bond, USA, My Vitiligo World, Indonesia, Vitiligo persons and the public on social media and across the globe.
View 2011 World Vitiligo Day – June 25th on the underlisted links
 Facebook page – World Vitiligo Day, 25 June,
 VITSAF, Nigeria,
 South Africa,
 In Kenya,
Facebook – World Vitiligo day 2011 with friends in USA,
 Facebook – My Vitiligo World, Indonesia/ etc……
We are continuing effort as the ultimate goal is to get June 25th approved officially by UN as World Vitiligo Day. In 2011 we called out late to organizations to observe the day, thereby making most organization unable to plan an event, today many organizations are already getting prepared for June 25th, 2012, we are 5months away and it’s fairly enough time for us to plan an event to mark World Vitiligo Day, June 25th, 2012.

What is our goal for 2012?
This year our target is 100,000 signature petitions to address the United Nations in order to:
- Recognize this neglected and debilitating disease associated with severe social complications, and to
- Recognize the urgent need to pursue multilateral efforts in therapy development and health-care education, and ultimately to
- Designate June 25 as the World Vitiligo Day to be observed by the United Nations and Member States every year, for the prevention, treatment and care of Vitiligo in line with the sustainable development of national health-care systems.
- And to improve quality of life (QoL) of persons distressed by Vitiligo, improve the public’s understanding of the condition and ultimately achieve extensive Vitiligo Awareness Globally.
Am very positive that we can achieve 100,000 signature petitions http://www.petitions24.com/signatures/world_vitiligo_day_-_june_25th to UN if we collectively drive it, with no doubt and in all humility I appeal for your support, collaboration and partnership to drive this more than ever before.

Why is June 25th suggested as World Vitiligo Day?
June 25th is a significant date in the Vitiligo calendar because it marks the passing date of pop-star Michael Jackson, the most famous man that lived with Vitiligo. His life with Vitiligo brought awareness to Vitiligo as most people heard about Vitiligo for the first time as it concerns Michael Jackson and today some already refer to Vitiligo as Michael Jackson’s disease. His death attracted about 4million hits on Vitiligo websites in a few days. Michael Jackson even in death is still being misunderstood about his change in skin color, a kind of misunderstanding majority with Vitiligo still face today.

Vitiligo in pics

How can I support this worthy initiative?

Our petitions to UN for World Vitiligo Day – June 25th is online on World Vitiligo Day – 25 June petition to UN, Please do sign if you haven’t and please do share with friends, colleagues, families, media and more. Please join forces with us to achieve this
If you wish to Embed this petition to your website – please send a mail to vitsaf@vitsaf.org for the widget.
We also invite people with Vitiligo to participate in our ebook project, we are calling on Vitiligo persons and or a family member from different Continents and Countries who would want to share a 200words of their journey with Vitiligo and how they think an International Awareness Day for Vitiligo – World Vitiligo Day will help alleviate most challenges of persons with Vitiligo. This will be accompanied with a good photograph of yourself and an email contact. (The email contact will not be published, it’s for verification)
You can generate an announcement on podcast, radio or television stressing upon Vitiligo World Day – June 25th.