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Violence Against Women
Tomorrow we will be celebrating the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women and violence in itself has got many forms. Violence can sometimes be physical but there can be verbal violence .There can also be sexual violence which can be first manifest as emotional violence. And when we celebrate a day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It brings us to a place where we consider one of the greatest forms of violence against women- the subject of sexual violence and considering rape .Current statistics show that about 2.5% of women and 0.4% of male have been victims of a sexual offence with about 90% of the…
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Narrow Escape
I lived on campus . It was my first year as an undergraduate and my elder ones insisted that staying on campus was what every first year student should do . It would help me get a hang of what was really going on . I am not sure if I really knew what was really going on but I saw things . After two years of living on campus, I moved to an off-campus accommodation . It was a little village that was fortunate to be close to the university . The streets hardly had any names and student houses were best identified by names. Some names were popular…
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Beyond the Mantra…
I grew up in a black society where there were sprinkles of white and mixed-race people. The general feeling was that of respect for the whites and mixed-raced individuals. They had their bubbles and from the way they looked after their environment etc they were generally regarded as pillars of the communities where they were located. It’s the way they do what they do. I grew up seeing them put their money where their mouths were. They seemed to be people who lived out their convictions accordingly. Many whites have impacted my life; my primary school head teacher was such a beautiful fashionista. Secondary school teachers gave up their very many comforts for a higher cause and were missionaries. My dad’s MD of blessed memory…
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Be the change
I want to share some of my experiences as a black woman in the UK. I love the United Kingdom and I’m grateful for all the opportunities and experiences I’ve had in my time here. I’m also grateful and thankful for the majority of people who have shown me love in this great country and have accepted me as I am. So what I’m about to share is not to bring shame to this great country but to encourage the culture were we can openly talk about our experiences to bring about and facilitate change. I can’t claim to have experienced the magnitude of what we see going on in…
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Racism & Change
Over the past few weeks, we have all noticed the divergence from the coronavirus pandemic to the George Floyd racism Protest. For those of us who watched the George Floyd Murder video, I am very sure it resonated so much pain, anguish, and bitterness within us. The first thing that came to mind for me was the quest of the possibility of how such heinous act could occur in 2020. Secondly, I was appalled that there are people out there whose consciences has been seared with evil as I kept wondering why the police officer could not have an iota of human sympathy. As I lay on my bed reminiscing…
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I can’t breathe
I came across a comment about how people are “jumping on the bandwagon” in the UK for racism in America. I understand how it may be difficult to see the need to speak up for what you stand for, in a society where racism is mostly covert. However, the danger is that continued silence has encouraged behaviour that has slowly chipped away recognition of the value and dignity of black people within society. The truth is that many black migrants are not even aware of various racial connotations in their everyday interactions. Sometimes even when we are aware, as long as it does not interfere with our daily bread, we…