VOF Week 4: (I Can Feel the Pulse beating Wildly in Me)

Almost every day in my life, something happens that makes me remember just how fortunate I am. I have had the opportunity to be what I want to be. This feeling is always accompanied with another one – sorrow for those who have not had this opportunity and the desire to help them. And when I think about the millions of others in my country and in the world, deprived of opportunity by no fault of theirs, I am overwhelmed. How can I help them? I am just one woman. I certainly cannot change the world. And then I am reminded of the Chinese saying, ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.’ So I take that one step forward, helping whoever can, however I can.

Journalism is what I have always wanted to do. I realised the power of the communication very early during my training be it by radio, newspaper, television and recently the internet. Used badly it could cause unspeakable damage – like the Radio Mille Collins in Rwanda. Used correctly, it can bring about change for the better.

I have never believed in gender roles. When I was a child, I always did things that “only boys could do.” By sixteen, some older vigilant persons already called me a feminist. If by feminist they meant standing up against injustice done to women for no reason other than the fact that they are women, I stand guilty as charged.

I know I want to have a meaningful career. I want to be an inspiration to others. I want to tell the stories of those with no voice. I want to throw light unto the darkness that has blinded them for so long. I want to break the chains of injustice that has held women in my community prisoner for ages. If I can tell the stories of women in my community and draw attention to the things that matter, I figure that I will be contributing to their empowerment. I do that as a journalist for local media. But being a correspondent would propel me into wider spectrum. It would mean touching the lives of many on a global scale.

I think this pretty much sums up why I want to be a correspondent for WorldPulse. I believe in WorldPulse and I know that it can change the lives of women all over the world. I have some kind of buzz with me already. Usually I find myself longing for the next time I would get the opportunity to get on the internet and read what new articles my friends may have written. I am also eager to give my opinion on issues and help in whatever way I can. The pulse has come alive in me and I can feel it beating strongly. I want to be a part of this movement, this global movement called WorldPulse that has already begun to change my life, and make it change the lives of many others, for the better.