On Monday, January 27, Oakwood University hosted a vaccination training and advocacy program for its students, conducted by Shot@Life, which specifically seeks to protect children worldwide by providing much-needed vaccines.

Representatives from the UN Foundation and ADRA International conducted and sponsored this training workshop, which covered details on activities of the two sponsoring organizations, including the provision of tools for community organizing and identifying stakeholders and lobbying congress. 

Dr. Otieno (right) explains the benefit of vaccinations to a WHNT Channel 19 reporter. Click on above picture to see the entire interview.

"In training young professionals for service to God and humanity, we believe it is essential that they become agents of change in their communities," said Onesimus Otieno, PhD, a biology professor at OU. "Oakwood has also developed initiatives to complement its role as a global partner by leading a consortium of institutions in both Africa and the Caribbean. These are among the factors that made the Shot@Life program a natural fit for Oakwood," he said.

Shot@Life educates, connects and empowers Americans to champion vaccines as one of the most cost-effective ways to save the lives of children in developing countries. A national call to action for a global cause, the campaign rallies the American public, members of Congress, and civil society partners around the fact that together, we can save a child's life every 20 seconds by expanding access to vaccines. By encouraging Americans to learn about, advocate for, and donate to vaccines, Shot@Life aims to decrease vaccine-preventable childhood deaths and give every child a shot at a healthy life. 

U.S. News and World Report recently named Alabama as the second most obese state in the nation. It has an obesity rate of 31.2 percent listing it as one of the top 10 most physically inactive states. Oakwood alumnus Tyrel Thomas isn't taking this information lightly. He and few friends have taken seriously this health prognosis of the state and have decided to begin close to home to try to make changes.

Every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., Thomas and his colleague Eric Ramey lead out in circuit training classes right on Oakwood's campus to try to help students, faculty and staff understand how they can help Alabama get out of its #2 ranking.

"Our classes are centered around metabolic circuit training which includes cardio and calisthenics," said Thomas, who graduated from Oakwood University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-physical therapy.

"We were happy that one of our own decided to come back and give of himself though this fitness class," said Raymond King, director of student activities at Oakwood University.

Ed Paul-Saint, a senior theology major at Oakwood, has seen a definite change since he has been taking the class. When Paul-Saint began the class he weighed in at 245 pounds. He now weighs 227 and has also noticed that his energy level has increased.

Both Thomas and Ramey are Action Certified Trainers and are currently taking online classes at Vanderbilt University dealing with nutrition. "In our fitness classes, we also make sure that the participants understand that its not just about exercising, it's also about making sure you are putting the right things in your body," said Ramey, a Huntsville resident.