Extraordinary Women, Extraordinary Movement; hopefully extraordinary me...

My story is not an extraordinary one, but having seen women doing extraordinary things I am inspired to be an agent of positive change. As a child, I always knew I wanted to write so it was no surprise for me to end up studying Drama and Theatre in the University. While learning was fun, I was able to hone my writing skills. I however didn’t discover what I would really love to do with Theatre until my fourth and final year when I took a course called Theatre for Development. There I learnt about Drama and Theatre in Education, Community Theatre, Developmental Communication and Advocacy Theatre.

It was such bliss to discover that attitudes and behaviour types could be transformed simply by using theatre’s educative, entertaining and informative qualities to mirror the lives of a community and their development issues. During my youth service year in North Central Nigeria, I joined the HIV/Aids Community Development Group and was responsible for scripting and staging dramas that the group would use on its awareness and advocacy tours.

Being a transit town, the prevalence rate was pretty high, but was based only on HIV in pregnant women as the men never showed up for tests. Seeing such determination and dedication to living positively in the face of these women was enough inspiration and conviction to prove that the strength of a woman was extraordinary.

From my days as an undergraduate fascinated with Development Communication to the time I worked as a youth counsellor and peer educator and now to my current work as a journalist, I am aware more than ever that women’s voices need to be heard. There is no need to overstretch the saying that ‘train a woman and you train a nation,’ as it is so obviously true considering the role of the woman in the home and in the life of a growing child.

This long-held conviction is what constantly brings me online and which eventually led me to PulseWire’s buzzing global community. I thought I had discovered my voice but I know WorldPulse can make it stronger and louder as it has for many other women before now and as it will for many more women in the future. This is the shared vision which I am sure drew me to the website. I am proud to be part of this transformational movement.