Page 52 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 9

MY AFRIKA

When will the Afrikan brand of life on earth, is one reason she they were trying to get from the
speak? kept being exploited by all for her sailors. But that was not what my
I shared this Chinese brand and motherly milk. This is a deep spiri- intention was. I was simply trying to
gift story with a friend and he said tual reality, but those with the mind make them see themselves as people
"This is war for our hearts and of wisdom will understand. who are worthy of respect in their
minds. We can't continue to be on own land and not as some beggars
the back foot. Gifts to soften and let Now what? who see the presence of the white
down our guards and debt traps to I don't know about you, but for man as another opportunity to beg
shackle our hands and feet." And I me and Msingi Afrika Magazine, and by that keep soiling the Afrikan
totally agree with him, while at the we have made up our minds that beauty.
same time I am not blaming anyone as long as God gives us grace and
for the place Afrika finds herself life, we will do all that is possible We are who we tell the world we
right now. But my question is this, to sound the trumpet of a better are
when will the brand called AFRIKA and excellently branded Afrika. No one will change our story apart
speak? Not branded to cover her weakness from us as Afrikans. We are here
and failures, but branded to give in this state after sixty years of
What is a Brand? voice and strength to her true self independence because nothing will
According to an online source, as Motherland Afrika. We believe change until we change how we see
"a brand is an identifying symbol, in Afrika and the Afrikans that are ourselves and the Afrikan narrative.
mark, logo, name, word, and/or connected to her. There is an urgen- So I beg and plead with every Afri-
sentence that companies use to dis- cy to retrain ourselves about what it kan reading this article, whereever
tinguish their product from others. means to be Afrikan and we call on you may be in this whole world,
A combination of one or more of everyone who is interested to join please put on your Afrikan Brand of
those elements can be utilized to this movement for a better Afrika. beauty, strength, majesty, boldness,
create a brand identity." wealth, wisdom, honor and self-
Now that Afrika is not an NGO, Let me share a story with you. worth. Deal with every issue that
government organization nor a At a point in my life, lets say comes your way from the perspec-
company, what would we now call around 2004 or thereabout, I had tive of a wise and prudent Afrikan.
the Afrika Brand? the chance to work in the ship- Walk away from crime and any-
Well, for me, I think one thing every ping department of a flour milling thing that undermines the Afrikan
companies or organizations look company in Nigeria. As a tally clerk strength. Walk with your shoulders
for in their brand is how whatever who checked the various cargoes straightened and your head held
goods or services they produce tell that were offloaded from the ships, I high and never be intimidated by
the ideological narrative of why had interactions with the stevedores. anything or anyone. For he who
they came into business in the first As far back as that time, I would controls your emotions will control
place, in order to make profit. Now get very pissed off when I would your reactions and thus your reality.
bringing Afrika into this analysis, it see these Afrikan guys working as
means to brand Afrika, we must first stevedores suddenly lose their senses The slave narrative is still here
know and understand the reason she just being in the presence of the because we allowed it to stay with
was created by her Creator and from white sailors. You would see some us. It's time to recreate, re-brand, re-
that reason, we now bring forth of them begin to change their vocal frame, re-engineer, retell our story
the identifying symbol, mark, logo, tones to sound nasal like the white from the place of truth and beauty.
name, word, and/or sentence that sailors. They would beg for left over It's time to be Afrikans with a brand
befits her purpose and reason for food and canned drinks from the that can withstand the eternal test
why she was created. kitchen and I would really get very of time.
If you ask me, since Afrika is the angry with them. I constantly tried
mother continent of all continents, to remind them that there is noth- We are Afrikans and life began with
then her grand purpose is to give ing superior about the white man us here in Motherland Afrika. The
life and also nurture life. Obviously, even as there is also nothing inferior question is, are you a true Afrikan
and even though it's not going to be about the Afrikan man. At a point and do you know who you are?
acceptable anymore, but that she is a I became their enemy, for they saw
life giver, nurturer and also because me as someone who was trying to
she is the carrier of the original seed stop them from getting whatever

52 | Heal . restore . rebirth . Afrika