Some days ago, a "reader" friend of mine asked me, if I had read "Minutes of Glory" by Ngugiwa Thiong'O, my reply was NO. So, she sent the soft copy to me. A document of sixteen pages. In less than an hour, I was done with it. Obviously, my feelings had switched to sad and depressed from happy. Well, it had to do with the girl child. Do not misinterpret that, I would still have felt bad, if it were the boy child.
Wanjiru, popularly called Beatrice was a Kenyan, who had struggled with identity. Well, I like to say, I partly blame her society and also her. You know East Africans, they have fifty shades of melanin in their skin. Beatrice was no different from them, her skin was as dark as anything you can imagine. Was she supposed to feel bad about that? Well, No! Since technically, they were all dark. Allow me to burst your bubble, she did feel bad because the men in her society preferred to be with the light skinned ladies. How pathetic! You already know what her next move would be. Did I hear you say skin bleaching? Oh yes! Beatrice bleached partially. She didn't have enough money to bleach her whole body, so she bleached some parts of her face.
I know what you are saying now to her, 'Oponu' ' Ode'. It's easy to throw shades at people's decision when you do not know why. Beatrice was struggling with identity, low self esteem and it was the duty of her society to help. Her society failed her.
The men in her society had always spoke hard against Ambi ( bleaching creams), wigs and straightened hair yet preferred girls who bleached their skins, wore wigs and straightened their hair. Bunch of hypocrites! You wouldn't blame Beatrice for straightening hair her or bleaching her skin, she wanted to be loved, she wanted to feel loved. Her society failed her again.
Beatrice went through a lot. An African lady with Zero point Zero self esteem. An African lady that had only hoped to be loved by her society. Her society people talked so hard like they cared but they did not.
Beatrice is that African girl struggling for an identity, struggling to be accepted by the society. Beatrice is that African boy that is struggling with a low self esteem, hoping his society would help him.
Let's make a difference. Help that boy! Help that girl!
In Richard Templar's words, " I guess we all have to ask ourselves: is this world a richer place for me being in it? Will I leave it a better place than when I came into it? Have I made a difference to someone's life? Have I put something back? "
Olutayo Lois Ugbe