View Africa From My Eyes

I grew up in a place most people know and know nothing about at the same time. Some people love Africa, some people don't understand a lot of our culture, and some people see it as the first place they found themselves.

Welcome to my story, my own account, my truth and childhood and a big part of my identity as a 17-year-old who spent most of my life in Nigeria. My world was a bit different from the world I see around me now. I lived in a small town but still felt complete, like most children I was loved, cherished, and adored. I was given the best education for as long as I could remember and for the longest time I was the most fascinated with the country I lived in and all the things that make it unique. Most people would find it hard to believe it but Africa is more advanced than it is credited for, we represent cultural pride,  excellence, and fruitfulness. A vibrant ray of cultural expression from our accents and various dialects forged with our intelligences and determination to succeed. Africa is a place for thriving, a place that provokes thinking every single day. Where I learnt that identities can take various different forms and life is an outcome that you determine. I am from a continent that isn’t scared of growth and evolution. It is a diamond in the rough and not everyone can see its magnificence. Africa is truly a sight to behold for the expression in the streets to the detail in every house, the education that is worth the cost and over all respect that is instilled into the culture. 

It is much more than what people see on the surface. It isn’t just a place you should turn to when looking for something different to eat, it is more than that. It is a place where great minds are born. It is a home. A physical representation of the battles that were won as it  keeps standing strong. A beacon of hope. A religiously diverse place that welcomes and adores all beliefs, with historical landmarks still standing and history so broad not all of it has been uncovered.

I think it is easy to watch the secondary information about Africa and deem it’s  true, but seeing is truly believing and everyone deserves the chance to paint the picture of what they think Africa is like. This story is a part of my own painting and I see nothing but greatness and so much potential. I see home. Life is all about perspective, growing up in Nigeria taught me that I can laugh during the hardest days and we decide whether or not we smile or frown. I truly have not seen a happier country. 

I look to you today to see all the bright possibilities and wonders that Africa has to offer, to uncover the truth that has been covered by the veil of misconceptions that trail around. 

Appreciating the people that always saw it as a destination of hope, and welcoming everyone that opened their heart to the culture, and my gratitude offers my respect.