LOUD WHISPERS: Let Us Pay Attention
A beautiful young woman with a lot of promise went over the bridge into the lagoon. Just like that. She had to have been in a terribly dark place to have ended her own life. The number of people ending their lives because they feel alone, helpless and worthless is on the rise. As Africans, […]
LOUD WHISPERS: If I Had My Way
Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi How many times have you heard people say, If I had my way……………. Then they would go ahead to list all those things they would do if they had the final say on the matter. Every one of us has such a list. This is mine. If I had my way, there would […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Saratu’s Wish
Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi Saratu could not stop staring at the woman who was speaking. She was not sure what her name was because people kept calling her different things. Some called her “Her Excellency”, some addressed her as “Madam” and others called her “Doctor” or “Hajia”. She thought she heard the name “Amina”, but she […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Psalm 91
Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the almighty I will say to the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in him will I trust Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Their Children. Our Children
‘There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children’- Nelson Mandela. I was going through my Facebook page last week, and I came across the story of a woman in Ado-Ekiti who was living in dire circumstances. Shortly after, one of my staff members sent […]
LOUD WHISPERS: In Dire Need of Scapegoats
In November 2018, I wrote an article about the death of Ochanya Ogbanje after many years of abuse at the hands of her Uncle, his son, and her Aunt who acted as an enabler. Due to the huge outcry when it happened, I had hoped that Ochanya would get justice and her death would not […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Before The Next Eulogy
A few years ago, I wrote a Loud Whispers essay called ‘Before the Next Eulogy’. It was about breaking the culture of enablement around gender-based violence. The recent death of the talented gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu after years of domestic violence is so painful because of its predictability. My maternal grandfather was known as a […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The Colour Pink
It probably all started with an innocent fondness of former US First Lady Maime Eisenhower for the colour pink. It was said she loved pink so much that she wore it at every opportunity, including a pink gown with 2,000 pink rhinestones for her husband’s inauguration, and he in turn sent her pink flowers every […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Peace
In July 2000, I spent one week in Monrovia, Liberia. It felt like three months. I was based in London at the time, working with AMwA, an international development organization for African women. We established an African Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI) in 1996 which I have written about a number of times here. The AWLI […]
LOUD WHISPERS: In Conversation
On June 27th, I took part in the Toyin Falola Live Interview Series. It was such a huge honour to have been invited to be a part of this exciting program run by Professor Toyin Falola, Professor of African Studies at University of Texas at Austin. He was one of my revered lecturers when I […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Do Your Best And Leave The Rest
TRIBUTE TO MAMA CLEMENTINA OJUOLAPE ADENIYI (1925-2021) ‘Kete Kete, Kete Kete, Kete Kete…….’. We all stood there staring in fascination as Mama Adeniyi gracefully danced and mimicked some of our seniors who had been caught holding an unauthorized birthday party in the boarding house. Mama had found them dancing to Ebenezer Obey’s famous song […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Mercy
The baby girl is so beautiful. With her eyes closed and a blanket keeping her warm, she looks like an angel. I was asked to give her a name. I named her Anuoluwa – God’s Mercy. Mercy. That is what she has received. Anyone staring at this lovely bundle of joy would never have imagined […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The Ultimate Backlash: Sex Dolls
Last year, I watched a short in-flight documentary about a young man in Japan whose sole companion is a life-sized doll. He was shown having meals with the doll, watching TV and lying in bed with it. Up to that point, I found his behaviour eccentric and not necessarily creepy until his mother showed up […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The Etiquette Of Mourning
I apologise in advance if what I am about to say comes across as a scolding from a school principal to unruly teenagers. Many times, adults who are supposed to know better do behave like teenagers, even like toddlers. At least a toddler has an excuse. There are many teenagers wise beyond their years, and […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Madele
Madele had never been lazy. She was well known for her industry and commitment to everything she laid her hands on. Her parents were poor, and they barely managed to support her education up to her O’ Level. She did not do well in her high school leaving examination and so could not get admission for […]