Reflections on I am a Girl from Africa
for Earth Day 2022
Not too long ago, I stood at the top of Africa on Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 feet) and saw the blessings of my continent. I came down to find the beautiful, thoughtful, and well-written lines at the beginning of a book that I now consider one of my favorites, I am a Girl from Africa by Elizabeth Nyamayaro.
“To my beloved continent, this is my love letter to you. I cannot imagine any greater gift than being a child of the African soil.”
These lines brought me chills. As I read through them, I wished to quickly climb back to the top of Africa, stand tall and shout out these words to let everyone hear how proud I am to be an African child. I wish I could write these words down on a piece of wood and leave a sign on top of Mount Kilimanjaro so that everyone who arrives there after that hard climb will know that there is a girl who is proud to be born and raised in Africa. Someday, maybe I will!
I am because we are, and because we are, you are.
This proverb stood out the most to me because it carries the whole content of the book. It has no specific African country attached to it, which gives it greater meaning. To me, this African proverb relates to a wide variety of issues such as gender equality, humanitarian acts, and the environment.
When we talk of the environment, imagine the trees, the oceans, birds, rivers, wild animals, and all that surrounds human beings telling us:
We are because you are, and because you are, we are.
Isn’t it true that our environment is a reflection of what we as humans are? We are the ones responsible for taking good care of our surroundings and, at the same time, we depend on our environment for our daily survival. Our environment cannot survive without our intentional care toward it. In turn, we can hardly survive if our environment fades away. Do you see how this African proverb applies?
Let us all together remember that we depend on the environment just as much as the environment depends on us and one does not exist well without the other.
The first eight pages of Elizabeth Nyamayaro’s memoir shows us clearly how we depend on each other. Elizabeth shares her story of survival when severe drought hit her village of Goromonzi in Zimbabwe. Almost everything in Goromonzi perished due to this drought. Even though the cause of this calamity was not directly mentioned in the book, humans often contribute to the negative effects through mismanagement of the environment.
Girls and women are the most affected people when climate changes occur because women are the caregivers of the family. And although women are the most affected people, everyone and everything is impacted.
So let us all remember and live by this African proverb when it comes to the environment also.
I am because we are, and because we are, you are.
Let’s all be intentional in our actions toward the environment.
On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in 2020, while a Mentor with Girls Livelihood and Mentorship Initiative (GLAMI), Einoth wrote another blog about the link between girls’ education and preserving the environment.
As an A-Level student at Weruweru Secondary School, Einoth Justine participated in a national essay writing competition, which was open to both teachers and students. She won and the grand prize was a computer. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in economics, project planning, and management from Mzumbe University.
Einoth was a Kisa Mentor for Girls Livelihood and Mentorship Initiative (GLAMI) from July, 2018 – December, 2021. GLAMI has life skills and leadership programs, Kisa Project and Binti Shupavu, for secondary school girls at 25 Partner Schools in Northern Tanzania (over 10,000 girls have participated to date). She is currently a Project Manager with another girls empowerment program, the Kupanda Project. She resides on the campus at Idetemya Secondary School teaching and mentoring 128 Ordinary Level (Forms 1-4) girls. The curriculum includes tutoring, nutrition and water, computer, menstrual support, and security.
Einoth promotes youth literacy in Tanzania through a program she founded called “Help Them Write,” and spoke about “starting a reading revolution” at TEDxMajengo in Arusha in November, 2021. We are excited to introduce you to this trailblazing Tanzanian woman and are honored that she is a guest blogger for African Girls Can. Get to know Einoth!
