When did Mary Slessor stop the killing of twins?

When did Mary Slessor stop the killing of twins?

In 1876, Mary Slessor, a Scottish missionary was assigned to Efik Land in Calabar, Nigeria. She was well known for her genuine interest in the rights and well-being of women and children. With time, Mary took it upon herself to gradually change the wrongly perceived notion amongst the people that twins were evil.

Is Mary Slessor still alive?

Deceased (1848–1915)
Mary Slessor/Living or Deceased

Why do the Igbo throw away twins?

Igbo society viewed twins as a bad omen sent by the “Gods.” They considered twins as supernatural beings that could bring devastation upon society. According to Achebe, “twins were put in earthenware pots and thrown away in the forest” (Achebe, 1994, p. 61).

What did Mary Slessor do in Nigeria?

Scots missionary worker Mary Slessor, who died 100 years ago on 13 January, worked tirelessly to improve the lives of ordinary citizens of Calabar, Nigeria. To begin with, Mary Slessor was every inch the Victorian missionary, seeking converts to Christianity amid the African jungle.

How many siblings did Mary Slessor have?

Susan Slessor
Robert SlessorJanie SlessorJohn Slessor
Mary Slessor/Siblings

When did the killing of twins stop in Nigeria?

Twins are revered in some societies while they are seen as normal individuals in other societies (Smits and Monden, 2011) and some communities in Nigeria regarded twins as evil and were being killed until 19 th century when the practise was stopped by a Scottish missionary, Mary Slessor, (Achebe, 1994; Bastian, 2001) .

Where did they buried Mary Slessor?

Slessor was buried in a popular cemetery opposite Duke Town Secondary School on Andersen Street, not far from the Obong of Calabar palace. The cemetery where she was buried was built by the Presbyterian Church and they have been maintaining it ever since then.

Who is Mary Slessor and what did she do?

Mary Slessor lived from 2 December 1848 to 13 January 1915. She made her name as a Scottish missionary to Nigeria, where her strong personality won her trust locally and afforded her considerable success in promoting both Christianity and women’s rights.

Who stopped the killing of twins in Nigeria?

Mary Mitchell Slessor
Mary Mitchell Slessor (2 December 1848 – 13 January 1915) was a Scottish Presbyterian missionary to Nigeria….

Mary Slessor
Nationality Scottish
Known for Christian missionary work in Africa;women’s rights and rescuing children from infanticide.

What are twins called in Igbo?

They are called either Taiwo or Kehinde depending on whether they were born first or second. But even for Yoruba people, Igbo Ora is considered to be exceptional.

Where did Mary Slessor died?

Calabar, Nigeria
Mary Slessor/Place of death

How old was Mary Slessor when she died?

66 years (1848–1915)
Mary Slessor/Age at death

Who is the Nigerian woman who gave birth to twins?

Nigerian mother Margaret Adenuga and her husband Noah with their twins, a boy and a girl on April 19, 2020 at the maternity ward of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) A Nigerian woman has given birth to twins, a boy, and a girl at the age of 68.

What did Mary Slessor do in Calabar Nigeria?

Mary Slessor was a zealous worker in several missions and she became a Scottish missionary to Calabar, Nigeria. She was pious and resolute to do the work of God, and she went to live among the Efik and the Okoyong which lived proximate the Efiks in Calabar.

Why was the birth of twins considered evil?

During her time in Okoyong, the birth of twins was considered a grave evil and curse. The people of Efik believed that the father of one of the twins was an evil spirit and thus considered one of the child to be a ‘devil child’. They also believed that the mother of the twins had committed (or is guilty of an) unknowngrave sin.

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