8. Intervention: Poem by Wilma Nyari

You rob me of my history

You rob me of my culture

You rob me of my family

You rob me of my dignity

You rob me of my language

You rob me of my daughters, Sons, my children

You rob me of my food.

And then you tell me how it all was back then.

And then you tell me what I am allowed to feel.

And then you tell me what I can or cannot tell

And then you tell me that you are hurt

And then you tell me that it’s not so bad.

Your ignorance robs me of my breath

Your ignorance makes me ill

Your ignorance makes me angry

Your ignorance towards the past and the present has a bright and a dark side

And the dark side dictates over many lives in the present

Wilma Nyari 2024