SINCE time immemorial, we have known the African woman to be the one who cooks, cleans, looks after the children and the household. In the old days, she woke up before everyone else, even before the Sun rose. She would go to the river and fetch water to use for that day. She would make several trips to and from the river with her baby on her back and by dawn she would begin sweeping the yard. She would wake up the rest of the children to get them ready for school. She would prepare a bath for her husband before he goes to work, usually at the local store. She would make some tea and bake some African bread for breakfast and stay at home to do some “real work” the rest of the day.
The hands of an African woman would work the earth from morning till dusk – her hands toiling in the harsh Saharan sun. Even though she was often overwhelmed by her work everyday, her only reward was seeing her family grow – hardly getting a 'please' or 'thank you'.
We should all salute the African woman who goes on night shifts in the Diaspora and still wakes her kids up for school, picks them up, helps them with their homework, cooks for her husband and cleans the house.
She is the one who looks after her parents and in-laws back home in Africa and still takes pride in saying, "Makadii?” (How are you?) to visitors. We should salute her because she is the one who manages to do extra cleaning jobs in between organizing parties for her family and get-togethers for her church.
Let's celebrate the existence of African women who continually work hard to feed their families when things get tough and maintain healthy relationships with their spouses, children, relatives and peers.
These are African women who deserve to be honoured and treated with respect because their hands bear lines of life’s struggles and yet eyes still glimmer with hope. They have no rest as they are continually burdened with the weight of the daily trials they face.
By Anthia aka Radio Gal radiogal@hotmail.co.uk
Anthia
is a columnist at The Zimbabwe Guardian and a new presenter on TZ Radio
(www.tzradio.co.uk). She can be heard on Fridays. Her column appears
every Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
ARTICLE ATTACHMENTS
READER OPINIONS
SUBMITYOUROPINION
Please make sure you fill in all sections for your post to be submitted. Use n/a if not submitting details. The submission code below is case-sensitive. Also make sure you get confirmation that your comment has been submitted.
