Taruwa Magazine Article

I'm featured in a magazine!!


The magazine is published by my friend Lydia Idakula Sobogun.  We have been friends pretty much since I first came to Nigeria in 2001.  Lydia is passionate about development and social change in Nigeria.  She uses her gifts and talents through the entertainment industry. 

See a description below taken from Gbagyichild's Facebook Page:


Gbagyichild Entertainment produces events and projects that promote social change and development through the medium of art expressions. Our events enable the projection of a positive image of Nigeria to the rest of Africa and the wider world.

Our vision is to change the world, one art at a time! Our mission is to promote social change and development especially but not restricted to the areas of self employment among youths, cultural exchange, tourism and the preservation of Nigeria's history.

We are the conveners of TARUWA, a monthly gathering of artistic and intellectual minds, which creates a platform for artistes and art lovers to express themselves. On a typical TARUWA evening, we have poets, vocalists, instrumentalists, spoken word artistes, performing. It is always a rich artistic cocktail.

We celebrated 4 years of Taruwa in August last year, and we have had over a hundred shows, and counting. We have been a part of the process of some Nigeria's top artistes like MI, Bez (who actually started his career from Taruwa), Sage Hasson (Nigeria's first recognized spoken word poet) and Chiedu Ifeozo who had his first performance at Taruwa and has since been featured on CNN inside Africa

We also publish the Taruwa Quarterly arts and culture magazine. 

Another one of our projects is THROUGH THEIR EYES. A series of photography exhibitions that let us see our society through the eyes of children aged 6-12. We have had two life changing exhibits in Abuja which had among other people, the legendary Tar Uko, and the minister of culture and tourism in attendance.

Through our organization and events, we have given young people a sense of direction with their lives and has also enriched them. We dialogue on how to make our society a better place and we have also done community outreaches to orphanages.

We have attracted a lot of media attention over the years. We’ve been featured on almost every TV station in Nigeria, some of which are broadcasted all over Africa. We’ve also been interviewed/featured in almost every magazine and newspaper in Nigeria and recently on CNN.

We believe that with our relationship with the press and media, our activities and events will naturally gather media attention through out Africa, and globally. 

So...back to the magazine article.  Lydia asked me to write about my experiences with culture shock coming to Nigeria - and returning to Canada.  I am now sharing it below for those of you too far away to buy a copy.  And for those of you reading this from Nigeria - you owe me N500 - since you didn't go out and buy your copy to support Lydia!

Foreigner. Expatriate. Third Culture Kid. Oyinbo.  Oniatcha.  Batouria.  Many are the labels given to someone living in a “foreign” land.

Culture Shock.  Homesickness.  In Transition.  Many are the feelings experienced as one makes a new place home. 

"Where are you from?"  When did such a simple and straightforward question become a loaded one? Do you mean where I was born?  Where my parents were born?  Do you mean where I live?  Do you mean where my heart is?  And where is my heart...anyways?

Coming to Nigeria was a BIG step. Little did I know how huge it would be.  I thought I would come and teach for a year and just see how things went.  The changes were a lot. 

I would sit in the middle of many a conversation; concentrating with all my might to follow the gist of what was being shared.  It took me MONTHS to figure out that “I don” is not the same as “I don’t”...in fact that it was quite the opposite.

One day, I came home excited from the market to share with my friends the amazing deals and purchases I got on shoes.  I had bargained well, and was able to get this footwear in six different colours!! Now I could actually accessorize with my outfits.  I had noticed that Nigerians were much more fashion conscious than I ever was “back home”.  I was looking forward to launching myself into this new world with my recent purchases.  My friend had come over and we were planning to go out.  I proudly put on my new footwear – that matched wonderfully with my outfit I must say – only for my friend to look me up and down and say, “You can’t go out like that”. 
 “Why not?” I asked shocked and confused.  Was I not matching well? 
“You need to change your footwear. I can’t go out with you looking like that.”  Change my footwear?  The very thing I was excited about was a flop...but why? 
 “Those are bathroom slippers.”  Bathroom slippers??  My very coordinated flip-flops turned out to be quite the flop.  Needless to say...I was well equipped in the bathroom slippers category in the coming months.  Hmm!

It was a process, but I learned a little bit at a time what was socially “acceptable”, and what was not.  There were things I grew to love about Nigeria.  Other things I continued to question.  I loved peppery foods.  I knew more about Nigerian politics than Canadian politics.  I loved the colour.  The emphasis on respect and community.  I loved it that people were more important than schedules.  Ok, I’ll admit – I didn’t love this aspect when I arrived at a function ten minutes prior to the arranged time and find myself waiting an additional hour or two for the first person to show up. 

However, the culture shock was even greater as I returned to Canada.  I was overwhelmed by the choices everywhere I went.  I was nervous to drive – would I remember to follow the rules?  Would I remember not to use my horn?  I had to call and make a plan to visit my friends two weeks before actually going. 

I have come to realize that I now have two homes and two cultures.  Neither of which I completely feel a sense of complete belonging.  But both of which I call home.

In Nigeria, I’m moving too fast.  In Canada I’m moving to slow.

In Nigeria, I’m often the only white person I hang out with.  In Canada, I’m excited when I see a black person (as I live in a rather mono-cultural community there).

It has taken time.  Learning a new culture for me took lots of listening, observing, and asking lots of questions.  I thank God for the great friends that God sent my way within the first few weeks of being here.  Friends who were patient.  Friends who looked out for me.  And friends who love their nation and made me fall in love with it too.  
It’s not always easy. When I return to Canada, I’m happy to just be “part of the crowd” and not be stared at on the street.  I love being close to my family.  I enjoy constant light, and knowing what to expect when I reach a junction or need to get a task done. 

Nigeria has certainly become a big part of who I am.  Last month, my brother got married in Canada.  As he was in the planning and preparing process, I was telling him how a number of my friends had talked about making the trip to Canada to come for the wedding.  His response?  “Well...I guess it would be ok if you brought ONE guest.”  ONE guest??  Ah yes, this was no longer Nigeria.  Funny, it hadn’t even crossed my mind that I’d only be allowed to invite only one guest!

A few years ago in Nigeria – a man was persistently calling my line.  He had a business proposal he wanted to discuss with me.  I didn’t know him, and had never met him.  I was suspecting 419 (fraud), and thought I would string him along a little to see where he was going with all his talk.  After about the fourth phone call – I believe he suspected I was suspecting him, and he dropped a line saying something like “You know sometimes we Nigerians suspect ourselves, when it comes to certain business..” As he continued, I realized that he actually thought I was a Nigerian and broke out in laughter.  I asked him which only confirmed my suspicions.  In the end, he stopped calling.  But funny enough, I realized I had certainly made progress in my “Nigerian” English – intonations and expressions – without even realizing it!

Ten years later...I look back at all my experiences and am so thankful.  I am happy to be able to be part of two cultures and call two places home.  I appreciate the person  I have become – one able to move around in different places.  Someone who values different people and different perspectives.  Someone who realizes that things are not always as they appear.  Someone who continues to learn – and appreciates the process of learning. 

In fact JUST today – I was speaking to a group of people about amala.  I was proud of myself for using it as an example in what I was talking about.  Only to have a few people snicker.  Apparently my intonation still needs some work.  Instead of talking about the Yoruba food, I was talking about  the “son of the soil” in Igbo.  Oops!  I will learn.  "Small small". 

 

Africa Roundtable 2

Africa, the Stage is Yours!

This past August I had the privilege of participating in a historic roundtable conference held by ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa.  For one week 140 educators and community leaders from 35 nations came together to give testimony, share, and strategize about how to move forward Christian Education in Africa.  

Me with the delegates from Niger

The theme for the conference was "Africa, the Stage is Yours!"  It reiterated again and again the opportunities we have in Africa to bring the kingdom of God to each country through Christian Education.

We heard speakers from Ivory Coast to South Africa both testify and challenge us in the call we have to be Christian Educators in Africa.  Some highlights included,

Pastor Moussa Kone – “From the age of three I knew I was meant to be an imam (Islamic religious leader).  My father would tell me every day that my god was Allah, Mohammed my prophet, and that I would become an imam like him and his father.”  These were the messages that he learned as a very young child.  God had other plans for Pastor Moussa though! What stories are we telling our children as Christians?  Do they know who they are from a very young age?

Samson Makhado – “Save the African child through Christian Education, so the Christian child can save Africa.”

Each area of Africa shared testimonies of what God has been doing in Christian Education.  The Democratic Republic of the Congo has over a million children in Christian schools with teachers just waiting to be trained! In other countries teachers are coming to a deeper understanding of Biblical worldview, of their roles and responsibilities as Christian teachers in transforming their students and countries for Christ’s kingdom.

Myself with Bishop Nyamuke of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Connecting with other parts of West Africa.  Most countries in West Africa are French speaking – and it was fantastic making connections and in-roads in these areas.  As a result of these connections I had the opportunity to participate in a Christian school director’s conference in Senegal in October.  ACSI Nigeria is also planning to make an inroad into Sierra Leone in January as we connected at the conference with Mr. JT Koroma, a principal in a CRC Christian School in Kabala.

JT Koroma of Sierra Leone with Segun Oludipe of Nigeria

The development of a declaration.  Every day we met together to discuss what we need to commit to in order to strengthen Christian Education and bring about transformation.  Great plans were put in place – and it was amazing as we came from our small groups to share with the large group.  Our answers and ideas were unified.  God be praised.  To see a copy of the roundtable declaration go to: www.acsiafrica.org

Samson Makhado and I signing the declaration

Hank DeJong (Edu-Deo) and I

Join me in praising God for this momentous occasion.  Pray for each of us as we return to our own countries and pray and vision about how to implement this declaration in our various contexts.  Pray for wisdom and protection for many who serve in the midst of difficult and challenging circumstances.