My Peace Journey
Apr 28, 2022
Story
Part 1 of My Peace Journey
After my training in Johannesburg
It was time to come back home.
I had enjoyed the comfort of our Hosts though I had to come back to Cameroon my Country.
Yes Back Home
Back to the Night Mare I Live in
I had been taken away from the Sounds of Pop corn
Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh
Gagaggagagagaggagagagaggagaga
Tah tah tah tah tah tah tah tah tah tah
All sort of sounds,
Just for a moment
Into a place full of life and Joy.
From the Airport I met very friendly Immigration police officers,
"Hello Mam" One said to me, " You are from Cameroon, wow I can see from your Visa you are here for a training, me just throwing my eyes every where.
I responded Yes, then he stamped my passport and handed it over to me saying "enjoy your stay"
Driving to the Hotel though late at night I could still enjoy the beauty of the city and then my mind went for a journey.
The story of Apartheid I read about in African History as a student of GHS Bokwaongo, came afresh
I said to myself Wow! What a country, the country of Nelson Mandela. Everyone seemed friendly, Happy, in Peace, then I thought again about where I came from.
Cameroon
Cameroon
My country, my Home
I asked my host for a favour. I told him
Please, I want you to take me to The Hector Pieterson Museum located in Orlando West, Soweto, South Africa, two blocks away from where Hector Pieterson was shot and killed opened on 16 June 2002. And nearby is Mandela House, the former home of Nelson Mandela and his family, which has been run as a museum since 1997.
And Boom they Accepted, after listening to my reasons for wanting to visit this Museum.
I come from a country gradually being torn by the rubrics of war!!!!!!! Cameroon, Africa in Miniature
Our Learned Lawyers, came to the streets, in Peace for their rights, but they were reduced to criminals brutalized...
Yes if the educated ones wanting to save us could be brutalized then, a commoner like me had no Hopes
Some where kept behind Bars, Yes! And before their return, multiple schools of thoughts had emerged.
Yes everyone wanting to be heard, Now no longer the Lawyers and Teachers strike but the Anglophone Crisis!
Then it turned into an opportunity to settle scores
Hate Speech flying all over, "Ngraffi" "Cam no go"
"Bakweri" "Anglofool and Francofool".... Xenophobia every where and even respectable elites fanned the flames of Hate speeches while many others became popular and rich .
Internet was shutdown as a remedy to stop the spread of the canca worm called "Hate Speech"
Many Leaders surfaced ( Facebook Leaders, Twitter Leaders)
Opportunity for power mongers Yes!
Any one can be a target, the moment you decide to think differently from the others, you are flagged, you become a sell out and deserve to Die!!!! Yes you are killed and Brothers clap and dance, How did we get here?????? Every Blood is a woman's Blood.
The Cry of a woman, Yes I am a woman
Schools and students too became targets
Stay home than risk your life or else you will be awarded a "Long or short Sleeve " certificate,
Everyday Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh Toh
What else is left?
We run into Thick forests, live with snakes and animals while a privileged Minority took up refuge in other cities and countries, as Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees
How do we survive as women in foreign Lands
Our Bodies became our source of income, with little or no education about sexuality, we get trapped with diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
No access to Health services, nor basic amenities
Mosquitoes bite us, we fall sick we die!!!!
Even Hospitals burnt and Health workers became targets.
Our children and Sisters Raped, they can't have their periods taken care of, well the forest Leaves became our new brands of pads, Thanks to Mama Nature
Cameroon, How did we get Here
Our Husbands, Brothers are Killed!!!! Women and children and Priests and men of God! Trapped in cross fire, Mama Africa, see your children kill themselves. See them devour each other. What is this colonial legacy that still feeds on our slavery even though we took off the chains!
We are not safe
We all live in fear!
The women are tired!!!! Yes we are tired
I am tired!
Cameroon, Have we not learnt?
Ask Rwanda
Ask DR Congo
Ask South Africa
Ask Liberia......................
Where are we going?
My Host took me to the Museum,
Hector Pieterson museum, Yes the one created for the Young Boy killed during the Apartheid uprising. Millions of dollars spent to do that in memory of him!!
Beautiful place!
Touristic Site, many people came as me to visit and take pictures.
I wore my Kaba and tied my Orange Scarf, Yes Mourning
This is the new way women dress where I come from,
They are tired of the killings same as me, I tied my orange scarf in solidarity with the thousands of women wearing same as a symbol of Non violence, begging to be Heard for a peaceful resolution to this crisis, but No, no one bothers to listen.
I wore the Orange Scarf,
I wept, ohhh Cameroon
I am mourning
I am Mourning.
How did we get here
I am Mourning
Yes Mourning my brothers and sisters
Lamenting for young girls raped .
Lamenting because the Law stopped existing .
Yes it stopped
The One carrying the gun, became Judges, and Magestrates and bushes Law courts, they decide who Lives and who dies
If you are Guilty or not
No respect of the Law......
This is where I come from
I am in Mourning!
Lamenting for mother's watching their children shot and killed, and the world is Silent
Mourning Because no one cares to listen, even the "Big Brothers" we pay homage to
Suddenly became dearf and Blind
We ran to even our neighbors for help, everyone seemed busy yes busy!!!!!!
Mama Africa!!!!
Mama Africa!!!!
We do not want Monuments erected for us after we are all killed, memorial services, flowers, Billions pumped to make our graves beautiful for tourists
That will be Hypocrisy!!!!!
To come pay us visits and talk to us while we can no longer hear!!!! Bring us flowers Now that we can still breath, Help us now that some are still alive,
Prevent another Genocide Africa
Africa, we should be tired of Crying
"Why Only US against Us"
When are we going to Learn?
Where are the Big Brothers who made laws for us as Africans,
Big Brothers can you implement those Laws
The Constitutive Act
The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
The African Charter on Democracy, Elections...
Even our "God Mother" the UN
Can those Charters you put in place for the world too be respected?
Please Big Brother and God Mother remember I do not want Monuments, flowers, prayers, in Memory of me,
Please Respond to me, Now that I can tell you my story myself.
I want Peace
I want it Now!
Isn't it enough?
Aren't you Tired too
Stop Enriching yourself while the blood of others keep flowing, Stop Fanning the fire of Hate,
No to Xenophobia we are Brothers !!!!!!!!!
Preach Peace, Act Peace
Peace is the way
