₦airaland Forum

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Reserved for number 10

FEMALE CIRCUMCISION

DESIGNER: Kpolly

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS TOPIC
Female circumcision is a really important life altering event which has been performed on about 130 million women alive today, of which Nigeria accounts for about 33 million of these. those female circumcision is often seen by most as a problem of the past which is not true, it is still a serious female health issue in Africa. I wanted this opportunity to explore it and build on my existing knowledge about this topic in order to understand why it is practiced, and its detrimental effects on its victims.

WHAT UNIQUE EXPERIENCE DID YOU DERIVE FROM WORKING WITH A DESIGNER
Working with my designer Kpolly was a very unique and rewarding experience, he is without a doubt an extremely talented graphic designer, he was able to visualize the message I was hoping to convey with poem excellently from the outset of our conversations and after just a few short emails, we had reached a satisfying conclusion on everything about the graphics for the poem.

WHAT WERE THE CONSTRAINTS INVOLVED IN WORKING IN A TEAM
I did not experience much difficulty working on the team. it was however frustrating posting and editing the poem on my phone.

THE POEM
The poem, represent 2 points of views; one being an elderly woman who is adamant the old ways are the best, the view of the razor blade used for the deed and the view of a little girl named Zara who was the victim who both believe it is a practice that should be eradicated.
The poems begins with the denouncing of any guilt by the elderly woman as she trivializes the death of the young girl, explaining it away as an uncommon consequence of female circumcision, she further goes on to justify the practice as well as abuse those who are against it
The next stanza, lends the point of view of the razor blade used for the act, having been used so many girls go through the circumcision process, he is frustrated and outraged but unable to revolt against is wielder. He is further distraught by the death of the death of the little girl and he gives us a little insight into the event.
In the last stanza, the little girl voices her surprise and saddened at how she was treated , asks a lot of questions seeking an answers, on seeing the full scale of the problem calls on the living(the reader) to rise up and take a stand

IN CONCLUSION
Female genital mutilation is a really serious issue which needs to be addressed and more awareness has to be made about it , which is something I really hope would be accomplished with the poem, together we can put an end to this terrible practice. Thank you.

Reserved for number 10

FEMALE CIRCUMCISION

It is a sad thing which happened here today,
I did all I could but sometimes things end this way, but you know an innocent life is but a trivial price to pay! Forget what these educated fools say, they live in their glass houses, brainwashed by technology, oblivious to the necessity of the ancient ways. All they know propaganda,
all they feed on is the white man’s lies,
the lies have led them astray.
They say our practice is wrong, they say it is evil, Heresy indeed! I, my mother, my sister, my friends,my grandmother and her grandmother before and a thousand generations preceding is proof, circumcising our young girls is the key.
Circumcision takes a wild woman and makes her tame, it gives her the virtues of modesty, chastity and all she needs to remain sane.
So you see an innocent life now and again,
is truly a very small price to pay.

Humans and their backward thinking, it stuns and disgusts me! I a simple razor blade, has seen more violence than I was made to ever see. I have seen the blood of countless innocents spilled. I cannot protest or fight the grotesque ways I am used, for if I could I most certainly would, in the end the fight is left for you.
Her name was Zara, she was only 4 years old,
she was held down on that cold floor,
like a thousand girls before, while in shock and still confused , I was picked up by a timeworn woman, a woman who should have known this was an evil thing to do, the quiet morning air, was filled with a high pitched shriek, a sheik which will echo throughout time, a testament of the misdeeds of human beings, after forever the deed was complete but bleeding did not recede,
as the floor went from a pale grey to a bright red
the high pitch shriek turned to a low pitched whisper and then silence. Silence from the perpetrators, silence from a guiltless girl, silence, only silence.

I did not deserve this, no one deserves this,
the dehumanization of females by ignorance,
a truly sorrowful thing.
I Zara am now just a rumour, just a memory,
so many lives like mine lost for no apparent reason. Africa my beautiful mother, why have you done this to me, to us, your lovely daughters? So many women dead, so many living in shame, so many deeply physically scarred and even more emotionally derailed . so many lives changed, for a tradition which makes no sense. It is time for the living to rise up and say, no more! Let all men and all women, all boys and all girls, Fight this darkness and free so many from a manmade hell. Together shouting with one resounding voice, no more! No more mutilation of the female child, no more exposing her to fear, pain and emotional distress, no more giving her incontinence, infections, infertility and death
No more daughters living in shame, no more victims of chronic pain, No more, No more! A stand must be made, for the girl child unborn and countless more before their humanity can be wronged . The time is now, take a stand! Take a stand!

Thanks

Cuddlemii, please I haven't been able to get in touch with my designer, could I please get an email address or phone number

KPOLLI, wheeerrreeee aaaarrreeee yyyooooouuuu?

Reserved for No. 13
FEMALE CIRCUMCISION

Reserved for No. 13

FEMALE CIRCUMCISION

Thanks for this, so what's the next step?

NUMBER 17

THE OLD BOOK

The old book lies on top of the bookshelf,
So many secrets it holds left for dead,
Countless people walk in and out every day
So many give it half a glance and then stray
Pick me up! Please pick me up!
I'm covered by dust and rot
My hinges with rust and worms,
Someone put me in your arms, read me
That’s what I was made for, that’s where I belong
Maybe that gentleman or that girl,
Will give into curiosity and free me from this hell
Maybe her, maybe him, maybe tomorrow
Maybe next week, maybe in a month
Maybe never at all, maybe never at all.