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The Baobab Tree

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December is a vibrant and significant month for the Humbi community in Angola’s Cunene region. During this time, families organize “EFIKO,” a traditional wedding ceremony. The celebrations include the slaughtering of cows, brewing of traditional drinks, and the playing of beautiful traditional music. It is also the period when teenage girls are given in marriage. The Humbi community has organized the “EFIKO” for ten teenage girls from various homesteads, including Nehova Yanhenge. Typically, the girls are not informed about the “EFIKO” in advance; they are secretly summoned, and a white special powder is thrown in their faces to weaken them and prevent escape, as some girls feel apprehensive and resistant to the idea of being given in marriage particularly to older men. Nehova Yanhenge had heard whispers about the “EFIKO” but didn’t expect it to be her turn yet, as her breasts hadn’t fully developed, which is one of the physical signs the village elders consider, despite her having sta...
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Identity Struggles: Navigating African Heritage

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In the heart of Africa, where tales are woven, Resides a mosaic of identities, intertwined and unbroken. As an African, I am a vibrant spectrum of colors, Yet, which strand defines me, I ponder. I hail from Namibia, amidst the vast desert expanse, With roots in Angola, where life's rhythm dances. Portuguese whispers echo faintly in my blood, But amid this intricate tapestry, where does my identity flood? I hear my grandmother's stories of Angola's beauty, My grandfather's homeland, a distant duty. In Namibia's embrace, I find my place, Yet, questions of identity continue to trace. Do my spoken tongues determine my essence? Or is it the soil beneath, where my roots commence? Lost yet resolute, I navigate this quest, Seeking the core of my belonging, amid the unrest. Prejudice and ridicule, like thorns in my side, Mockery for my speech, a tempestuous tide. But within me burns a steadfast flame, A journey to reclaim my rightful name. Angolan rhythms beat within my hear...
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Echoes of the abyss: A Plea from the Earth and Ocean

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O, dear children of the earth, with dreams in your eyes, Listen to our whispers carried on the winds and tides. I am the Earth, your nurturing mother, weary and worn, From the first step you took, to a new world, you were born. In your quest for strength, for cities tall and bright, You scraped my skin and dimmed my light. With every tree you fell, I felt your ambition’s might, Yet beneath that progress, I tremble, out of sight. My roots once tangled in laughter now ache with despair, Each scar upon my body sings of a burden you bear. When you sowed the seeds of hunger in the fertile earth, Did you hear my sighs or feel the weight of my worth? And you, O Ocean, my sparkling blue friend, You’ve cradled their joys, you’ve welcomed their send, But now I see you choked by plastics so cruel, Dragging life into silence, like a forgotten jewel. I am the current that flows and ebbs, the waves that crash, Yet my creatures suffer, lives lost in a splashing flash. Corals that dan...
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