My Pride for Africa

Contributor - Panatswa Mataranyika, Styra Yacho

Being born in Zimbabwe but growing up in Namibia is probably the best thing that ever happened to me. Because although I never got the experience to go back to my home village every holiday as a young child, my passion for cultural indulgence yearned for more. With this lack of ethnic experience, my desire for African experiences as a whole began to nest patiently in my heart.

“My mantra is Africa is everywhere if you carry it within you, and I stand by it each and every day.”

I distinctively remember primary school in Namibia, when we had culture day and my friends would come to school in their cultural regalia, especially those from Namibia. The glow in their eyes, the character of their dressing, the clickety flow of their vernacular poetry, and the vibrancy of their songs had me so interested and asking so many questions. I made it a point from then on to know more about my own background and the rich cultures of so many of the other African countries. I had so many questions and for the few answers, I got I really wanted to share them with other young Africans.

As I grew older I realized that those cultural days needed to be a way of life but also to be expressed and transitioned to digital platforms and not just stay in the closed doors of our recommended education systems. With a growing number of people proudly speaking of Africa and its diversity, all I ever saw on social media were celebrations of non-African cuisine, language, fashion, and innovations. But I wanted to see more celebrations of Africa’s expression and diversity. That passion in my heart blossomed high into an eagle-winged ambition, to be a thunderous voice on the mount shouting and calling for Africa to stand up in all its diversity. It made me want to be that distinct voice that speaks so highly of Africa in its so many different languages.?

“I want to get people speaking about Africa and being as enthusiastic about it as they are about everything else.”

I want to encourage young people to be proud of being African, of their language, and their appearance. To speak up about it despite the different countries they relocate to, to have no shame in being African and instead put Africa on the crafted pedestal that it should be on. I desire to show my other young Africans the beautiful parts of being African that most people do not know or speak of and to show the world, the striking cultures of Africa, its abounding lands, its descriptive languages, and its evolution. I want to use my voice and my platform to get my message across of the African Child, a well-traveled African entrepreneur, a well-educated female African scientist, and a creative African pioneer. I would like my pride for Africa to create conversations on the future of African youth and for authentic engagement and expression.?

“I want the hashtag #Africa to be an exclamation of daily living, and for people to see Africa the way I do.”

The river of my love for Africa now runs deep, and I hope it flows and washes away the self-doubt and denial of our rich African heritage. I wish for African and global youths to see African culture through my primary school eyes that it is, so beautiful, so unique, so diverse and so African. I stand by those adjectives above, each and every day. That is what gets me going and doing what I love to do.?

I dare say that my passion for Africa is unmatched, but it is stronger with every diverse and ambitious young African beside me. And so a big shout out to every African youth and to the brands tirelessly engaging African youth’s - such as Afroodrip, House of Hohwa, Nyambe Clothing, and Kumusha Wines.

So let us do it, EXPLORE THE AFRICA WITHIN YOU AND CARRY IT.