To my SiStar, mother, grandmother, aunt and Niece

Being oceans, miles or borders apart makes us no different, doesn’t mean others have super powers or others powerless. However the same domestic violence a woman faces in Europe, that same violence is faced by a woman in Asia, the tears shed by a woman in Africa for losing their loved ones to Ebola, poverty or the HIV/AIDS scourge, another woman in America is shedding those tears for the loss of a loved one due to gun men attacking schools, police men shooting innocent teenagers on the streets, a Christian woman together with her Muslim sister have shed tears that could have made trees grow in the Kalahari desert and all this is due to an ongoing war that claimed the life of their family members. And then there is an imbalance in the corporate world where very few women occupy the top leadership positions (both the rich and poor women experience this ) and we blame it on the glass ceiling, policies that fuel these discrepancies, inequality on our education systems and the list goes on, then we have a situation where mothers encourage their daughters to marry rich but in the process forget telling them nothing is ever handed to anyone on a silver platter, they forget to tell their daughters a man isn’t a ladder to success hence our young sisters end up in marriages and or relationships where a man is the dictator in that family, let’s agree this happens all over the world hence a generation of girls who settle and do all they can to entice filthy rich men who do nothing but abuse them in return (get this, there is absolutely nothing wrong in marrying rich BUT you have to earn something of your own to help that man) These challenges are global, borders don’t put a stop to all these, but we have remained the backbones of our families, have ensured our touch is felt, our smiles have given the younger ones hope for tomorrow, and our tears have given us a sense of relief somehow.

We still have a chance to be change makers, create our own history to carry on the legacy left behind by Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, and Maya Angelou to name but a few, women who have shown us a little touch of an inspiring word, deed can and have the power to change the world, the young and virtuous Malala and other women in our local communities are a live inspiration for ALL of us,. Infinitesimally small actions carried out by us, ALL of us women across the globe without allowing border barriers to limit us will go a long way in creating a better world for this generation and many more to come. Each one of us is on this earth for a purpose, as long as you are still alive you are critical in creating that positive change in your society that will ultimately impact the whole world, it’s imperative that you give it a try… The web is a platform for us to raise our voice, stand together and let our light shine.This letter is written with so much love, to encourage you my sister, to make you realize you are not alone mother, we ALL have a story to tell grandmother, we have survived these ordeals because we are stronger than we think niece, don’t let shame, fear, doubt or any form of insecurity stop you from pursuing that dream, it is achievable! Your dream will lighten hearts, bring comfort and give another woman a reason to want to try and actively be part of the greater change they want to see. The challenges are real but we can’t afford fixating on them. The same challenges also present opportunities for something positive so, let us find a way to be interconnected online and offline and keep on keeping on, let us not lose heart, baby steps are still steps, one day at a time super women.

Love,

Maretha