Go natural

Older people on 'drugs cocktail'

People were taking a combination of presrciption, OTC and herbal drugs

Nearly half of over 65s are taking five or more drugs, and without regular reviews this may be both dangerous and costly to the NHS, pharmacists say.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPSGB) says not only are lots of older people taking a "cocktail" of drugs, many are not taking them as prescribed.

Over 60% of 500 polled believed they may be suffering side-effects from the drugs, but many did not tell a doctor.

Older people account for about half of the NHS's £4bn drug bill.

Many of these drugs are on repeat prescriptions, the society notes, and could have been prescribed for conditions the patient no longer has.

GPs are excellent at prescribing, but they are not always so good at knowing when to stop, and they may not always have the time to conduct a through review. Jonathan Silcock University of Leeds

The RPSGB polled 457 people aged 65 and above on their medications - which included prescriptions, drugs bought over the counter and herbal medications.

The society is urging all older people to request a medication review from their pharmacist. Regular monitoring of drugs regimens was a recommendation of the 2001 national service framework for older people, with the aim of maximising the benefits and minimising harm.

According to the RPSGB research one in five are not taking medications as prescribed, and one in seven do not take their pills at the recommended time.

Mixed reactions

The medication of older people has long been an area of concern: the combination of ageing bodies less able to cope with drugs, treatment by multiple doctors for multiple conditions, and known problems in adhering to the instructions, all raise the risk of adverse reactions.

Statistics show that the over-65s are three times more likely to be admitted to hospital because of such reactions, which can lead to falls, delirium and gastrointestinal bleeds among others.

This is something that all primary care health professionals need to engage with Dr Finbarr Martin Consultant in geriatric medicine

As many as 17% of hospital admission are due to these adverse reactions, and it is estimated that over three-quarters of these "are predictable and preventable", the RPSGB says.

Jonathan Silcock, lecturer in pharmacy at the University of Leeds, said research painted a mixed picture as to the effectiveness of regular reviews by pharmacists in reducing hospital admissions, but a well-trained professional could potentially pick up problems.

"Inevitably people do get put on more drugs when they get older because they suffer from more chronic conditions - this is often the right thing to do, but the problem is we don't necessarily know how these drugs are going to work in combination.

"GPs are excellent at prescribing, but they are not always so good at knowing when to stop, and they may not always have the time to conduct a through review. That's where the well-trained pharmacist could have a key role."

Dr Finbarr Martin, consultant in general and geriatric medicine at Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, said while pharmacists had an important role, "this is something that all primary care health professionals need to engage with.

"Some older people will be fine on a variety of medications - some will not - and there's not been enough research. We have to really look into constructing a model that makes sure the needs of the frail at the primary care level are met and regularly reviewed - involving GPs, pharmacists and community matrons."

Michelle Mitchell, charity director for Age Concern and Help the Aged said: "When people are buying over-the-counter medicines it is vital they inform the pharmacist of any other prescription drugs and medicines they are taking.

"Getting the correct advice and reassurance could very well be the best medicine of all."

cream as well

'No doubt' sunbeds cause cancer

Sunbeds emit ultra violet radiation

There is no doubt using a sunbed or sunlamp will raise the risk of skin cancer, say international experts.

Previously, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) assessed sunbeds and sunlamps as "probably carcinogenic to humans".

But it now says their use is definitively "carcinogenic to humans".

Campaigners believe the move, announced in the journal Lancet Oncology, will increase pressure for tighter industry regulation of sunbed use.

The link between sunbeds and skin cancer has been convincingly shown in a number of scientific studies Jessica Harris Cancer Research UK

The new assessment puts sunbed use on a par with smoking or exposure to asbestos.

However, the Sunbed Association in the UK said there was no proven link between the responsible use of sunbeds and skin cancer.

The IARC is an expert committee that makes recommendations to the World Health Organization.

It made its decision following a review of research which concluded that the risk of melanoma - the most deadly form of skin cancer - was increased by 75% in people who started using sunbeds regularly before the age of 30.

In addition, several studies have linked sunbed use to a raised risk of melanoma of the eye.

The charity Cancer Research UK warned earlier this year that heavy use of sunbeds was largely responsible for the number of Britons being diagnosed with melanoma topping 10,000 a year for the first time.

In the last 30 years, rates of the cancer have more than quadrupled, from 3.4 cases per 100,000 people in 1977 to 14.7 per 100,000 in 2006.

Age limits

Proposals to ban people under the age of 18 from using sunbeds are under consideration by the government in England.

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A similar ban has already been approved in Scotland.

The Sunbed Association (TSA) supports a ban on under-16s, but argues there is no scientific evidence for a ban on young people aged 17 or 18.

Jessica Harris, Cancer Research UK's health information officer said: "The link between sunbeds and skin cancer has been convincingly shown in a number of scientific studies now and so we are very pleased that IARC have upgraded sunbeds to the highest risk category.

"This backs up Cancer Research UK's advice to avoid sunbeds completely for cosmetic purposes. They have no health benefits and we know that they increase the risk of cancer."

Ms Harris called for ministers to implement a ban on under-18s using sunbeds immediately, and to close salons that are not supervised by trained staff.

Kathy Banks, chief executive of the Sunbed Association, said: "The relationship between ultraviolet exposure and an increased risk of developing skin cancer is only likely to arise where over-exposure - burning - has taken place.

"However, research has shown that over 80% of sunbed users are very knowledgeable about the risks associated with over-exposure to ultraviolet and the majority of sunbed users take 20 or less sunbed sessions a year."

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Sunbeds can be dangerous - we must ensure that people who use them do so safely. If necessary we will look at new laws to protect young people."

nhs again

'Services fail' on Parkinson's

Parkinson's is a degenerative condition that affects the brain Some Parkinson's disease patients are going for years without seeing a specialist doctor or nurse, according to a parliamentary report. The All Party Parliamentary Group for Parkinson's Disease heard from hundreds of patients and care organisations. Its inquiry found inequalities in access to care and discrepancies across the country - with serious shortfalls in Wales and Northern Ireland. It urged a thorough review of services to ensure patients get what they need. Parkinson's disease is a chronic neurological condition which affects around 120,000 people in the UK. It disturbs the way the brain co-ordinates body movements, including walking, talking and writing. RECOMMENDATIONS: Parkinson's 'tsar' in government Monitoring of Parkinson’s services Ensuring enough qualified staff in place Access to specialist doctors has been a problem across the country, but the inquiry heard that in Northern Ireland there is not a single consultant with expertise in Parkinson's. Appointments with specialists were crucial, experts warned, particularly given the high rate of misdiagnosis and the subsequent implications for treatment. Many people with Parkinson's and their carers told the panel of MPs and peers how much they valued the services of specialist nurses. But despite research suggesting these nurses saved the NHS money by cutting down hospital visits and providing support in the home, there were "sizable shortfalls". Some people in Wales, for example, had no access at all to a nurse, while others had to travel to Liverpool for help. Capped therapy Meanwhile treatments were restricted in some areas. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is seen as an effective way of improving physical ability and reducing tremors, but the inquiry reported examples of trusts with no, or very limited funding for the procedure. Provision of speech and language therapy was also found to be seriously wanting, particularly for those living away from major hospital centres. Again there were significant regional variations. In the north west of England, the proportion of people who had never had an assessment or course of therapy - be it diet, physio, or speech and language - was higher than in the rest of the country. Carers also reported a lack of support, with many describing a "feeling of abandonment and loneliness". Steve Ford, Chief Executive of the Parkinson's Disease Society said: "The report uncovers just how bad services are for so many people with Parkinson's. This needs to change. "We want to see effective monitoring of Parkinson's services to ensure they meet national guidelines and standards, an urgent review of the health and social care workforce, and stronger national and local leadership by government. "Why is it that some conditions have these - for example a 'tsar' within government - and other conditions like Parkinson's don't?" Baroness Gale, chair of the APPG for Parkinson's Disease said: "We hope that the APPG Inquiry report released today will provide the boost to the UK government and the devolved administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland to reprioritise Parkinson's and to deliver against the report's recommendations." Health Minister Ann Keen said medical staff in the field of neurology had increased by more than 50% since 1997 and that guidelines on how to establish multi-disciplinary neurological teams had been published by the Department of Health. "These measures, along with the continual work we are doing with local health and social care communities and the third and voluntary sector, will help people with Parkinson's disease to manage their condition and maintain their independence and quality of life.

dreamtime

Religion

The Aborigonal religion is based heavily on the Dreaming. The Dreaming is the Aboriginal creation story. Aborigines believe that at the beginning of time the world was a shapless mass of nothing, waitng to be transformed into what we see today. The mythic beings called the ancestors arrived, the ancestors took many shapes, although most commonly they were great serpants. The ancestors began to travel across the world shaping the landscape and creating new life as they went. Every major geographical feature in australia has an aboriginal story to explain it. The Dreaming gets very abstract, it turns almost into another dimension. Aborigines beleive that they are constantly living in the Dreaming and that every time they do something they leave an impression on the other reality that is the Dreaming

Ayers rock pictured below is an example of a landform shaped by the ancestors.

biocon got a job

PM criticised over climate change

Sir Jonathon criticised the PM's backing for a third Heathrow runway Gordon Brown's outgoing adviser on sustainable development has accused him of "hindering" work on climate change. Sir Jonathon Porritt told the Independent the PM did not find the environment any more important now than when he was chancellor. Sir Jonathon also said Business Secretary Lord Mandelson had to "change his ways" on environmental issues. Sir Jonathon was appointed Sustainable Development Commission chairman by Tony Blair's government in 2000. Sir Jonathon said Mr Brown's support for a third runway at Heathrow Airport was a "ludicrous decision, with no serious intellectual, economic rationale". He said the Prime Minister had "some incredibly fixed ideas about some of these things". 'Influential person' "He genuinely feels that a successful competitive economy of the future has to be growing its aviation business in order to make UK plc more productive, and so on," Sir Jonathon said. Sir Jonathon has also highlighted Lord Mandelson's influence in government, but added the environmental agenda had not been his "strong suit". The former UK director of Friends of the Earth, who will step down from his advisory role this weekend, said: "I think the reality is that there are two big things for the government. We've not got a genuine industrial economic strategy yet and it's absolutely fundamental Sir Jonathon Porritt, outgoing head of the Sustainable Development Commission "It has got to make the Low Carbon Transition Plan stick; it's got a lot riding on it and it's hugely significant so the government has got to settle down and get implementation." The other element was developing green industry and technological breakthroughs, he said. "It's starting to come right, but on the same day Ed Miliband [energy secretary] launched the transition plan, the largest wind manufacturer in the UK announced it was closing," he said. "We've not got a genuine industrial economic strategy yet and it's absolutely fundamental. "It's a priority for Lord Mandelson, who has become an immensely influential person in government. "This whole agenda has not been his strong suit and he needs to demonstrate he can change his ways as the world has changed around him." Sustainable living Over his nine years at the SDC, Sir Jonathon said times had changed. "It's taken an incredibly long time to persuade ministers that you can't exhort the whole of the rest of the country to start living more sustainably if you don't demonstrate it in your own back yard," he said. But, he conceded that the creation of the new Department of Energy and Climate Change last year showed the government has stepped up. Sir Jonathon plans to continue working with Forum for the Future, a sustainable development organisation, and will campaign on issues including the erosion of human rights in Britain

abo's malaise

Aborigines threaten to shut Uluru

Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is a popular tourist draw

Aboriginal leaders have threatened to ban tourists from one of Australia's top landmarks in protest at what they describe as racist government policies.

The warning over Uluru comes one year since police and soldiers were sent into indigenous settlements to try to tackle high rates of child sex abuse.
Bans on alcohol and pornography were introduced along with strict controls on how welfare payments were spent.
But Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he remained committed to the initiative.
Addressing an Australian Labor Party conference in Queensland, Mr Rudd said the government's priority was to improve the lives of indigenous people.
"Progress has been made in the last 12 months, but much remains to be done to meet our targets to close the gap on indigenous life opportunities," he said.
'Racist legislation'

The so-called "intervention" in the Northern Territory was introduced by former Prime Minster John Howard's conservative government.
Chronic disadvantage had led to Aboriginal life expectancy being 17 years below that of other Australians.

CHILD ABUSE REPORT Abuse is serious, widespread and often unreported Aboriginal people not the only victims or perpetrators of sexual abuse Contributing factors include poverty, alcohol and drug abuse, gambling, pornography Health and social services desperately need improving Full report [6500k] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here

In response to a damning report about widespread child abuse, troops, police officers and medical teams were sent to more than 70 indigenous communities.
But 12 months after the intervention began, tribal leaders from Central Australia have threatened to ban tourists from climbing Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock.
Vince Forrester, an elder from the Mutitjulu people, who are the rock's traditional custodians, told a rally in Sydney that the government's actions had been a disaster.
He insisted that Aboriginal men had been portrayed as violent alcoholics who beat women and abuse children.
"We've got to take some affirmative action to stop this racist piece of legislation.
"We're going to throw a big rock on top of the tourist industry... we will close the climb and no one will climb Uluru ever again, no one," he told the meeting.
The BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney says that critics of the policy say that young Aborigines are still vulnerable to sexual assault despite the intervention.

abo's malaise

No payout for 'stolen' Aborigines

Aborigine communities have comparatively low life expectancies

Thousands of Aborigines who were removed from their families as children will receive no compensation, the Australian government has said.

Campaigners for the so-called Stolen Generations had asked for a reparation fund of almost A$1bn ($870m; £443m) as part of a promised official apology.

But indigenous affairs minister Jenny Macklin says money will instead be put into health and education schemes.

Many Aboriginal children were handed to white families from 1915 to 1969.

They were brought up by white people in an attempt by the government to assimilate the white and Aboriginal populations.

Even though they've changed the saddle blankets we're still dealing with the same horse Sam Watson Aborigine activist

The country's new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has promised to apologise formally to the victims of the assimilation policy.

And campaigners felt that the Stolen Generations should have received damages as part of the apology.

"People get paid crimes compensation for victims of crime," Lyn Austin, head of Stolen Generations in the state of Victoria, told local radio.

"You are looking at the gross violation and the act of genocide and all the inhumane things that have happened to our people."

Protests promised

But Ms Macklin instead pledged to invest in initiatives which she said would improve life expectancy for today's Aborigines.

"What we will be doing is putting the funding in to health and education services, and providing additional support for services needed for counselling, to enable people to find their relatives," she said.

"We think the best way to give force to the apology is to provide funding to close the gap in life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

"So we won't be creating a compensation fund."

Aboriginal campaigners have promised to protest against the decision.

Brisbane-based activist Sam Watson said the new Labor government was following the same policies as their predecessors.

"Even though they've changed the saddle blankets we're still dealing with the same horse," he told Australian broadcaster ABC.

abo's malaise

Australia apology to Aborigines

Kevin Rudd's apology represents a break from previous policies Parliament statement

The Australian government has made a formal apology for the past wrongs caused by successive governments on the indigenous Aboriginal population.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised in parliament to all Aborigines for laws and policies that "inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss".

He singled out the "Stolen Generations" of thousands of children forcibly removed from their families.

The apology, beamed live around the country on TV, was met with cheers.

But some Aborigines say it should have been accompanied with compensation for their suffering.

'Indignity and degradation'

In a motion passed unanimously by Australian MPs on Wednesday morning, Mr Rudd acknowledged the "past mistreatment" of all of his country's Aboriginal population.

For the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry Text of parliamentary motion Full text of apology Ceremony in pictures Apology accepted?

"We apologise for the laws and policies of successive parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians," the motion said.

Mr Rudd said he apologised "especially" to the Stolen Generations of young Aboriginal children who were taken from their parents in a policy of assimilation which lasted from the 19th Century to the late 1960s.

"For the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry."

Aborigines are the most disadvantaged sector of society

Australia has no Aboriginal members in parliament, but 100 leaders of the community and members of the Stolen Generations were present for the historic apology.

The leader of the Liberal opposition, Brendan Nelson, said he "strongly" welcomed the apology.

He decided to take a different position on the issue than his predecessor, former Prime Minister John Howard, who refused for over a decade to apologise to the Stolen Generations - a stance supported, polls suggest, by about 30% of Australians.

Mixed response

The government hopes the apology will repair the breach between white and black Australia and usher in a new era of recognition and reconciliation.

The parliamentary session was shown live on television as well as on public screens erected in cities across the country.

Mr Rudd received a standing ovation from MPs and onlookers in parliament, and cheers from the thousands of Australians watching outside.

Blackfellas will get the words, the whitefellas keep the money Noel Pearson Aboriginal leader

Michael Mansell, a spokesman for the rights group the National Aboriginal Alliance, said the word "sorry" was one that "Stolen Generation members will be very relieved is finally being used", reported Associated Press news agency.

But the refusal to accompany the apology with any compensation has angered many Aboriginal leaders, who have called it a "cut-price sorry".

"Blackfellas will get the words, the whitefellas keep the money," summed up Noel Pearson, a respected Aboriginal leader, in The Australian newspaper.

HAVE YOUR SAY

I think the apology is the right thing to do, but personally don't understand why it was debated for so long

Laura, USA

Send us your comments

Mr Rudd has also outlined a new agenda on Aboriginal issues, including a commitment to close the 17-year life expectancy gap between Aborigines and other Australians within a generation, was well as halving Aboriginal infant mortality rates within a decade.

Australia's 460,000 Aborigines make up 2% of the population and are the most disadvantaged group.

They have higher rates of infant mortality, drug abuse, alcoholism and unemployment than the rest of the population.

abo's malaise

Gap dividing Aborigines growing

By Nick Bryant BBC News, Sydney

Some indigenous Australians say the National Day is actually 'Invasion Day'

A national report on Aboriginal social and economic trends in Australia has shown their condition has deteriorated.

In particular it showed that the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous citizens has grown wider in areas like child abuse and domestic violence.

It revealed that Aboriginal children are six times as likely to be abused as non-indigenous children.

The Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said it was a devastating report on an unacceptable situation.

The new government report contains a grim inventory of statistics, which indicate that the longstanding gap in living standards between black and white Australians is, if anything, getting wider.

One finding, that Aboriginal children are six times more likely than non-indigenous children to be abused, represents a significant increase.

The report also revealed that the indigenous homicide rate was seven times higher than the non-indigenous rate; and that Aboriginal people were 13 times more likely to end up in jail.

The report measured 50 key indicators of disadvantage, and found that there has been no improvement in 80% of them.

There have been no gains, for instance, in literacy or numeracy rates.

In an otherwise bleak assessment, one of the few areas of improvement was employment.

Mr Rudd started his term in office with an apology to Aborigines for past injustices and pledged that his government would aim to close the gap.

Speaking in the country's Northern Territory, the home to many Aborigines, Mr Rudd called this a devastating report which was unacceptable and required decisive action.

nigeria ogoni

Fresh start for Nigerian oil activists?

By Andrew Walker BBC News, Ogoniland, Nigeriahttp://www.richimag.co.uk/africa/

People have moved to within yards of oil wells

Cherie Kanaan's family live only yards away from an oil well in Ogoniland in the heart of Nigeria's troubled Niger Delta.

For the past 13 years, no oil has been pumped out of the ground here after Royal Dutch Shell stopped operations following environmental protests that led to the execution by the military of writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa.

Now the whole of Ogoniland is expecting Shell to be replaced and the drilling to restart.

When that happens the massive machinery of drilling, and its associated fumes and noise will return.

Since moving to the village of Kdere nine years ago, Mrs Kanaan has had four children.

Realistically there is no way her family will be able to stay there if another oil company comes back.

"I am afraid for my children," she says.

Vindication

However, when the Nigerian government announced in June it would replace Shell in Ogoniland, most people were jubilant.

Some activists want the wells relocated not the people

It seemed to be a vindication of the 19-year struggle waged by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), founded by Ken Saro-Wiwa - a man who had become a thorn in the side of government and the multi-national oil company.

His execution in 1995 drew international condemnation and launched the conflict between people and oil companies in the Niger Delta into the media.

Mosop has since then run a non-violent campaign that has been largely successful in promoting the idea that the Ogoni people should be given a cut of the oil profits.

But since the removal of Shell was announced, uncertainty has crept in over what the future holds.

The government has not made any further announcements and is keeping any plans it has for reforming the way oil companies are allowed to operate very close to its chest.

Shell, even though it has not operated in the area since 1993 and refuses to comment on the subject, is still entitled to extract oil there.

The company says it learned of the government's decision in the pages of the newspapers.

It is likely it will remain in the background, keeping the significant Ogoni reserves on its books - and therefore avoiding a knock in their share price - in return for allowing another operator, government advisers say.

Frog chorus

For the Ogonis, who are poor and struggle to make a living from their farms, it will have to be a matter of trust.

They must hope the government finds a better operator and local representatives cut a good deal that will be administered properly.

The people in Ogoniland are dependent on oil companies to clear up the mess

Lush grasses, ferns and mosses may have grown over the pipes, and the bush around the rusting wells may throb with the chorus of frogs, but people are still struggling with environmental damage.

They say the land is still poisoned by the oil and old oil wells are vulnerable to sabotage and leaks.

Last year, a well head exploded, killing two people. It burned for three months before it was put out. In June, a well head in Kpor town sprayed thick yellow-brown crude all over farmlands.

More drilling will mean more environmental damage and the relocation of whole villages from the wells as people have moved into the area.

Activists say the inhabitants will make sacrifices if they are able to negotiate a deal that gives some of the profits from the oil and gas under their feet.

Sofiri Peterside, a lecturer in sociology at Port Harcourt University, says if Ogonis feel they will benefit from the oil they will be willing to relocate themselves.

OGONI TIMELINE 1958 Oil struck in Ogoniland 1990 Ogonis form the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop) with Ken Saro-Wiwa as president 1993 300,000 Ogonis protest at their neglect by the government and Shell. 1993 Shell pull out of Ogoniland after an employee is beaten. 1994 A series of conflicts between local communities flares. The government sends the military to restore order. Mosop say the conflicts are being fuelled by the government as a 'divide and rule' tactic. 1994 Four community leaders are killed by a mob of youths. Mosop leaders Ken Saro-Wiwa and Ledum Mitee arrested. 1995 Mr Saro-Wiwa and eight others are tried and executed, the military government receives international condemnation. 2003-2008 International attention switches to armed conflict started by other communities in the Delta. 2007 Leaks from well heads continue. One burns for three months. 2008 Government announces Shell will be removed as an operator in Ogoniland. Nigeria's removal of Shell hailed

"This is going to involve sacrifice, it's a process of negotiation. We should be able to get concrete terms."

Ben Naanen of the Ogoni Contact Group, an umbrella organisation of Ogoni activists, says people have confidence in them to get a good deal.

"People in Ogoni won't allow what has happened in the past to be repeated once they become owners in the process, people will see themselves as part of the establishment."

But other activists see a difficult period ahead.

"It is a serious issue, one that will need to be talked about," says Mosop President Ledum Mitee.

"Rather than relocate people we think that the wells should be relocated. I'm not sure that it will be easy for people to accept that drilling will be in the same areas."

Ogoni activists are pushing for their demands to be included as part of any contract the government draws up with Shell's replacement.

Top of their list is that a share of the profits given directly to the Ogoni people to be managed by a trust fund.

At the very least, activists say, they want oil companies to factor them in as a "cost of production".

But it remains questionable if that kind of deal is realistic.

'Flames of hell'

Activists from all parts of the Delta are looking to see how the government handles this, as it will have implications for the whole region.

Isaac Osuoka, from Social Action in nearby Bayelsa State, is sceptical the government will be able to force any company to agree to the Ogonis' terms.

"I have heard the president say he wants to address these issues, but only in private statements."

Farmers say their land has been poisoned and nothing done about it

He says the government would have to do the same for all the other people in the Delta.

"But there's no sign the government is presenting a consistent policy, it's just confusion."

The only thing that is clear is that beneath Ogoniland remains significant reserves of both oil and gas.

And leaving them alone is not an option on the table.

The words of an Ogoni protest song in the 1990s went: "The flames of Shell are the flames of hell."

Ledor Muu, a mother of nine, in Kdere remembers back to that time.

"When Shell came they destroyed our farmlands and crops, didn't employ our people, they didn't help us at all," she says as she and other women walk towards their fields where they plant yams and fruit.

"Provided the next company do what Shell did not and empower the women, who do most of the work, we don't have a problem with them drilling for oil."