Page 93 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 20

Health & Healing

that converted a well-read, highly Nations, he – suddenly – is nothing,
capable human being into a desper- nobody, and has nothing to offer
ate and compromised individual, anybody because the land that he is
willing to do anything to ensure the in does not recognize him, his skills
survival of her son. She is a medical or qualifications. He could have 20
doctor who could not help her own or 30 years of experience under his
sick son because the system says she belt but all that means nothing. And,
is an illegal immigrant. Watching it if he is unable to find someone to
caused me to imagine a separate hy- vouch for him in this new land, or
Chioma Phillips is the Editor of Msingi Afrika Mag-
azine and the host of Msingi Afrika Television. Her pothetical scenario. Picture with me, help him cross another imaginary
hope is to see the Truth shared, with all who will listen, if you will, a highly skilled individual line into a country that could give
for the transformation of the people and the continent of in an Afrikan country, who is work- him an opportunity to return to
Afrika - and the world. ing and earning sufficient income to some semblance of what he was…
take care of his family and ensure all he remains a nothing. His entire life
their needs are met. He has stud- that he built with so much dedica-
And just what were they missing as ied, he knows his stuff, and he is tion and diligence is utterly insignif-
they diligently applied themselves to taking his children to school. Then, icant.
the task of global empire building? suddenly, his country experiences a
Everything. And the worst part is horrible interruption in its trajectory Such is the world that the global sys-
it is not that they were missing the that comes in the form of civil war tem has created. Where a man, a ful-
gradual/or rapid overextension of or any of the others stuffs that hap- ly-fledged man, with identity, skills,
governmental reach into their lives pen. In an instant – a literal instant – beliefs, responsibilities can be totally
and those of their children and his once safe homeland is a place of wiped out, even while still alive and
loved ones; or the increasing toxifi- fear and terror, and the only thing all in an instant. Because of papers.
cation of their environment, food on his mind is how to get his wife Because of imaginary lines denoting
and drink; or the bizarre things that and children to safety. Quickly and ‘territories’. Because of an inhu-
are attached to health ‘care’ these urgently gathering every resource mane and machine-like world that
days; or the corruption going on in that he can get access to in a limited we are all expected to conform to.
the education system; or the system- amount of time, he and his family That illusory world is what many
ic ‘herding’ of humans into national flee their land, leaving behind all the people cling to and drift around in,
and regional containment pens; or property that they could not travel never once considering that what
the eradication of actual freedoms with, and cross over an imaginary has happened to this gentleman is
and liberties and their replacement line to a ‘different’ land where they but one foolish decision away from
with restrictions that boggle the are no longer citizens with full impacting their own lives and ren-
mind. As bad as each one of these rights; and they immediately acquire dering them as useless, valueless and
things is, they are not the worst part. new identities: refugees. helpless as he to the system.
The worst part is that they have As soon as they make that tran-
missed the gradual eradication of sition, all the man’s skills, all his The story I shared is a fictional
their identities and purposes, in the knowledge and experience are vir- one, yes, but you and I know only
quest to please and appease the sys- tually worthless. They just suddenly too well that it is actually a reality
tem of the beast and to receive their disappear. He and his wife and chil- for many people around the world.
daily bread from it. That’s what they dren are confined to the boundaries They only hope and pray that it was
have missed and they are not aware. of a plastic tent, within a compound fiction and that they could return to
They just are not paying attention that contains a sea of plastic tents. the lives that they had that were so
to the global shift, even while they All the comforts of their home are comfortable and seemingly ‘safe’.
chase after new trends and stuff. now behind them and at the mercy Meanwhile, those who the horrors
of the people who are busy fight- have not touched directly read these
Do you ever think about what hap- ing over some selfish and mindless stories in the newspaper or watch
pens when the identity of a human thing and those who did not flee. them on television, regarding them
being is erased? I was thinking about as a far-off reality. They shake their
it the other day after watching one Now, fully dependent on the good- heads in dismay, tut a few times and
of the most dehumanizing fictional will of the nation that is hosting then move on to the sports news.
stories I have seen lately. Something them and the supply of the United Too bad, so sad.

WWW.MSINGIAFRIKAMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 20 | FEBRUARY 2022 93