Diaspora Privileges

As we watch our fellow Africans stumbling on in the continent trying to figure out how they will feed their children and access clean water, fuel, the basics during this ‘Lock Down’ period, let’s reserve judgement.

We make sweeping comments from the comfort our living rooms, surrounded by gadgets, electricity, water and contingency plans that are unimaginable in our continent. We have options, some don’t.

Two meters is a privilege most do not have in the continent. It’s not in our culture to do just do ‘two meters’ Their poverty is an everyday struggle, their street hustle is their reality, not ours, most of us will know what it means to sleep hungry. I remember visiting a family in Mutapi flats in Mbare some years ago, a single room shared by six people, pandemics thrive in poverty.

One meal a day. Their stomachs were rumbling way before COVID-19 came along, they are panicked. As the virus weaves through the African continent we know that some will die from COVID-19 and some will die from sheer poverty.

Still we must be aware of those who seek to exploit us because of our vulnerability, the gospel is here to comfort us, not exploit us, beware of 'overnight sciences and miracles’ Rules are broken on those most vulnerable, on this we just sleep with one eye open.

There is an African story that must be told, it must be told well. We soldier on from trauma to trauma, defiant, resilient and determined because we always know that we come from something bigger than a single narrative, a single virus.

Lest we loose the baby with the basket, we know that diaspora has a huge impact in the continent, we are busy remitting money back home because they look to us, giving back to a continent that gave us so much. They need us now more than ever.

Global Health Dorcas