Recently I was invited to participate in the ‘The Forum‘, a BBC World Service programme. When I got the initial query from the producer I thought, “why not?”, and then checked details of the programme online…
“What? The programme is described as an ‘ideas discussion show which tackles the big questions of our age with some of the world’s most eminent minds.’?
Ha! I thought, I’m not sure I have one of the world’s most eminent minds but I definitely have a mind and thoughts to share so yes, lets do this. I had the opportunity to meet some lovely inspiring women on the programme. Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a space scientist who would like to retire to Mars one day in the future. I don’t even like to fly in planes and Maggie wants to go to space? More power to her. Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a prodigy in my opinion, she started playing the piano at the age of 4, is a classically trained musician and this year has set herself the goal of writing 100 songs. Yes, 100 songs o…let that inspire you to write one song, one blog post or one poem. Since I met her I’ve had her album ‘Truthfully’ on replay. Check out her rendition of ‘Ain’t I a Woman’ inspired by Sojourner Truth below.
Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze is widely recognised as the first woman reggae dub poet in the U.K. Her story is another inspiring one. She was initially diagnosed with schizophrenia and today has published several books of poetry, and received an MBE for her contributions to the field of poetry.
And then there was lil ol me 🙂 I was given the opportunity to share a 60 second idea which could change the world…my idea was inspired by my Grand Aunt whom we call M’aam ‘Fri (short for Maame Ofiri. Ofiri means an albino but somehow in the context we use it has never been seen as an insult more as a descriptor). M’aam ‘Fri is about 95 years old according to her reckoning. She is the matriarch of my maternal family. She inspires me because she has lived a long full life, been a ‘market queen’, survived the tyranny of coup makers, run her own business, raised her children and other people’s children, chose a second husband of her choice… M’aam ‘Fri never had the benefit of an education. Her brother Koffi Addo, my maternal grandfather did, and when he died just over a year ago left 2 published books, several manuscripts, letters and documents of his life. His writings are an immense historical treasure, he writes about his experiences of the colonial administration, his experiences working with Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President; and discusses openly his life and personal relationships. M’aam ‘Fri hasn’t had the opportunity to do the same, yet in my conversations with her she has told me about her Dad (my great grandfather) who was a wealthy cocoa farmer and ‘traded’ with the whites, marrying her first husband because he was her brother’s choice of a husband for her and later choosing another husband of her choice, she’s shared with me about being a Market Queen ( a leader of market traders), travelling via a truck to the Northern regions of Ghana to purchase items to sell in the South, the atrocities of coup makers who beat market women up because they would not become members of their parties, and accused these same women of being ‘prostitutes’ when they saw their choice of underwear when they raised their dresses to lash them with a cane. These are powerful stories, and stories that I know other women will share. These stories will die if we do not capture the herstories of our mothers, grandmothers, aunties, fetish priestesses, healers who hold powerful accounts within them. Will you join me in capturing the stories of women?
You can listen to my 60 second idea below:
By: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah
