Thank you firstly to Catherine Treki who penned this.

Thank you for the tears, the laughter, the memories and the joy.

I grew up like this but was lucky enough to have two moms – My African Momma and my own – yet Christina (my momma number two) was most definitely exactly this to me – A mom.

Not only were we blessed to have her, but her 4 daughters became our sisters.

Always remember that no one is born hating another … it is taught. And wouldn’t it rather be amazing to allow your kiddies two families instead of one?

So many of us were raised by African Mothers

Strong African women

Fighters

Often not even our own.

Bread winners

We were carried on backs, tightly swaddled with a well worn towel

Soothed by sweet songs we maybe didn’t even understand the words to

Swayed to sleep

Given tasters of pap and sous and drums and dance

Taught to receive with hand to wrist

We were blessed with warm sunshine smiles and heartfelt hugs

Patience

Humbleness

We were raised with love

This is the difference…

In a country where so much fear and hatred and misunderstanding has been rife through difficult years

We are still rooted

To this soil

And the roots

Are

With HUGE THANKS

to an African Mother….