Afrikan History Month: the real mother of nursing is an Afrikan woman named Mary Seacole and NOT Flo

Due to gross European mis-education system that is prevalent in Ghana, the vast majority of Ghanaians have been led to believe that the mother of nursing is a white woman called Florence Nightingale.

However this feature is to correct this false assertion by stating that the REAL mother of nursing is in fact an Afrikan woman named Mary Seacole.

Many Ghanaian young girls aspire to be nurses but are unaware of this great Afrikan woman's name and these young girls MUST pay homage to this GREAT Afrikan woman.

Mary was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1805. Growing up in the military, Mary became fascinated with army life. She also had a great fascination for nursing and exploration.

When she was 12 she was sent to England to pursue her love of nursing. During 1852, a Cholera outbreak swept across Jamaica and Seacole treated many of the sick with her own remedies - herbal medicines she learnt from her mother.

In 1854 England, France and the Ottoman Empire (Turkey being the centre) fought against Russia in the Crimean War. Mary travelled to England to offer her services, but was denied on the basis of her sex and race.

Despite this she kept on trying - she tried the War Office and Florence Nightingale's own organisation, but was met with rejection. Determined she made her own way to the Crimea.

She came up with a new plan, which was to run an institution called the British Hotel, which served as a combination of store, dispensary and hospital for British soldiers.

Once there she volunteered her services to various military hospitals, and nursed the wounded and dying soldiers on the battlefield. The officers loved her and referred to her as "Mother Seacole".

Mary Seacole died in 1881 and is buried in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Rise off the Harrow Road in West London.

Sir William Howard Russell wrote of her this fitting tribute " ... I trust that England will not forget the one who nursed her sick and who sought out her wounded to aid and succour them and who performed the last office for some of her illustrious dead".

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