Career, Family, ▲, 2 min readOluwakanyinsola KolawoleParents, Career Path, Life Plan, Nigeria

Speak Up!

Career, Family, ▲, 2 min readOluwakanyinsola KolawoleParents, Career Path, Life Plan, Nigeria
Speak Up!

“Speak up”, she kept screaming but I couldn't.

“Speak up”, she screamed again, yet no words came out of my mouth.

I was mute - how could I tell her I didn't want to go to college to study medicine, that I wanted to become a youth counsellor? She would kill me. She worked tirelessly day and night for me. How could I break her heart by not doing the one thing she really required of me? I was so lost in my thoughts.

I was brought back by her voice, "speak up". I looked at her with all the strength in could muster and opened my mouth to speak up, "I don't want to study medicine".

She looked at me like I was mad.

“OK baby if you don't want to study medicine, you would study a medicine related course right, am I right?"

"No mama I want to be become a youth counsellor"
"You must be mad. Do you think I worked my whole life like a dog for you to be a youth counsellor? No I didn't, so you won't be one and that's final" And she walked away.

This couldn't end this way. She asked me to speak up and I would for just once, damn the consequences.

"Mama, no your word is not final because I’m sick of you pushing me around telling me what to do, picking my future ambitions for me. I am just tired. You plan everything. It's time for me to take responsibility for myself. You asked me to speak up and that's exactly what I am doing. I’m done letting you plan my life".

I felt so relieved after telling her. I felt like a burden had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt so free.

Career, Family, 3 min read, ▲Janani KilahariCareer Path, Education, Life Plan, India

I Am Not Sorry

Even before I could tell them what I really wanted to become in my life, I was already sitting in the classroom flipping the pages of a book which I don't even remember now. The girl who was topping her higher secondary had to miserably fail in the first week unit tests. The little hope I had within me was slowly vanishing as I attended test after test after test. And all I could do was to helplessly endure.

Career, Family, 3 min read, ▲Janani KilahariCareer Path, Education, Life Plan, India
I Am Not Sorry
Family, 4 min readAnjee ChawalMother-Daughter Love, Filial Relationship, Nepal

In Her Absence

When I entered the hospital room, she was leaning against the window on her bed. It was a warm sunny day. But her face was mirroring dark clouds which were about to rain filled with sadness and tiredness. With her gloomy eyes watching at the sun, she must be worried about the paddy she had planted in our field a month ago. That's my mother. Wherever she would be, she won't leave worrying about her vegetable farm. She must be missing home and family too.

Family, 4 min readAnjee ChawalMother-Daughter Love, Filial Relationship, Nepal
In Her Absence
Family, 13 min readSapana RaiGender Discrimination, Fathers, Father-Daughter Relationships, Nepal

Past: A Collection of Broken Images

A female child's misfortune begins with her father's hatred, negligence and disinterest toward her. Although there is no certainty of future, most of the fathers usually perform less responsibility toward their own daughters when they are young or physically healthy. These sorts of irresponsible, negligent, biased and carefree treatment of fathers, make their daughters either struggle against them or posses negative attitudes toward them - like me in this autobiographical essay entitled, "Past: a Collection of Broken Images".

Family, 13 min readSapana RaiGender Discrimination, Fathers, Father-Daughter Relationships, Nepal
Past: A Collection of Broken Images
Fiction, 4 min readEllah HalletsAbuse, Kenya

Picture Perfect

G was at the gate. Perfect. I remembered about my earphones on the bed. I rushed for them, and as I was about to leave the front door, I bumped into him. I didn’t hear him come. I look at G for a second as he closed the gate. He apologized with his eyes. What could he do? A fresh cloud of mist covered my eyes as they darted between him, G and the gate. He is smiling at me. ‘I saw your mother leave. Where are you going?’

Fiction, 4 min readEllah HalletsAbuse, Kenya
Picture Perfect
Activism, 3 min read, ▲Hellen OtienoSexual Assault, Rape, Gender Violence, Kenya

Changing The Statistics

You see, the thing with being raped, or just generally being abused at such a young age, is that you find it hard to open up to people about it. I would know because for me, it started when I was about four years old. I really don't remember much about that time of my life but I can never forget what she did to me. Yes, "she".

Activism, 3 min read, ▲Hellen OtienoSexual Assault, Rape, Gender Violence, Kenya
Changing The Statistics