LOUD WHISPERS: Tears For The Victim. Cheers For The Survivor.
As she lost consciousness on the doomed Sosoliso flight on December 10th 2005, Kechi Okwuchi went into a deep void. She did not know exactly what had happened till she woke up in her hospital bed in Milpark Hospital, Johannesburg. Her condition was so bad that she had to be placed in an induced coma. […]
The Rare Diamond: A Tribute To Gloria Ogunbadejo At Sixty
Many times, we wonder why it takes the finality of death for people to get the appreciation they so richly deserve. Perhaps it is because in death, all sins are forgiven and achievements are extolled over and over, all so we can give the dearly departed a befitting send off. Today I am delighted to […]
LOUD WHISPERS: As We Begin The Ramadan Season
Three years ago, I was at a Yoruba traditional engagement ceremony in Lagos. What used to be a beautiful ceremony full of symbolism, traditional music and poetry performances, overseen by those who have the required experience as women of the household, has now been turned over to commercial hands. With varying degrees of knowledge and […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Revenge Of The Older Woman
When Emmanuel Macron, the President-Elect of France won his election in a landslide on May 7th 2017, much of the focus was not on the politics which threw up such a massive victory for him and his party. It was about the twenty-four year age difference between the handsome 39 year old President-Elect and his […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Ten Reasons Why We Need A West African Jollof Rice Institute
The ‘Jollof Rice’ debate has been raging for quite some time now. This simple dish made with rice, tomatoes and spices, which can be found in several West African countries and the African Diaspora, has become the subject of hilarious rows. The controversy took an unexpected international turn last week when the CNN anchor Richard […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Let’s Talk About Sex
A response to Sonnie Ekwowusi’s ‘Sexualisation of Children: Matters Arising’. Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi On Wednesday April 12th, Sonnie Ekwuwosi wrote an article that was published in This Day Nigeria newspaper called ‘Sexualization of Children: Matters Arising’. It did not come as a surprise to me because he has been frantically circulating his sensationalist claims about adolescent […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The Lecture
On behalf of all of us at the University of Menge, I would like to thank Dr Kafria Mentil for honouring us with her presence today and for delivering such an informative and exciting lecture on ‘Preparing for Transformative Leadership’. The floor is now open for questions. My name is Joseph Karimi. I am a […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The Debt We All Owe
We all know about the life-long debt we owe. We pray, spend money, get lucky , treat, and tip toe around it throughout our lives. Yet the debt collector is very patient, knowing that one day the inevitable will happen. The arrival of death triggers reactions relative to the person concerned. Some deaths cause profound […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Let Us Pay Attention
When I was young, there was a family who lived close to us on our street in the Fadeyi area of Lagos. I will call the man of the family Mr Benson. He had a wife, Mrs Remi Benson. When they first arrived on our street, Mr Benson had a motorbike, and his wife would […]
LOUD WHISPERS: John’s Café
There is a very busy diner in New York on 2nd Avenue known as John’s Café. I started visiting John’s in the 1990s when my late older friend Joana Foster, who passed away recently, introduced me to the place. John’s is very close to the United Nations, so this means whenever I attend the annual […]
LOUD WHISPERS: March 8th Bandwagon
When I was working with Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA), an international development organisation for African women based in London (AMwA has since relocated to Uganda), my job entailed developing programs to support African women living in the UK. Whilst the focus of our work was advocacy and influencing policy, we did a fair amount […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The Value Of What Is Ours
In December 2006, I attended a Ford Foundation philanthropy retreat in Bahia, Brazil. My first visit to Brazil was in 2004 to attend a conference in Rio de Janeiro, and even though I enjoyed the experience, I felt I had missed something by not being able to go up to Bahia which has strong African […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The First Class Citizen (Buchi Emecheta 1944-2017)
On 25th January 2017, a vibrant citizen of the world and a great daughter of Africa, Florence Onyebuchi Emecheta, was called home at the age of 73. Born into a humble Igbo family on 21st July 1944 in Lagos, she grew up knowing that she was expected to go through life as a ‘Second Class […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The Lost Angels
A few days ago, I received a message on WhatsApp from a friend. There was a video he wanted me to look at and do something about. I don’t like it when I am bombarded with dozens of meaningless videos, photos and other visuals on WhatsApp, but I have resigned myself to their inevitability. I […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Over Lunch
Julie: I am so glad we could meet up for lunch at last Betty: Me too. It has taken us so long to find the time. Julie: We always find time for the people and the things we love Betty: So true. Julie: It is a shame Ruth could not join us. She is not […]