Her new book “A Woman, Once a Girl-Breaking Silence” transforms victims into leaders
Girls and women often suffer violence in silence. Womanhood and motherhood is under attack. This must no longer continue. The time to break silence is right here and now. This is the key message Betty Makoni, a Zimbabwean activist stresses in her new book.
The Poetry book, “A Woman, Once a Girl-Breaking Silence” aims at transforming victims into leaders. This book gives a holistic empowerment package to those feeling hopeless, rejected, abused, and undermined in any way. The poems are real-life experiences that you can always derive inspiration from. Her mother experienced violence, and Betty, who was only six years old, stood up and urged her to report. She suppressed Betty’s voice and silenced her poetically with a “Shh, we don’t say domestic things in public.”
“My mother always wanted issues she considered domestic to remain locked in the heart and house. As a child, my mouth knew her index finger more than anything else. She always placed it tight against my mouth when I tried to voice out on abuse she was going through. My first poem was suppressed,” Betty writes in the book. “However, I did some routine, rhythmic chants like shouts when I went out to sell on the streets. I recited the same words every day. These became a poor girl`s song. Early days of my life were marked by suppression of my voice.”
A few years later, the mother died in cold blood after heavy beatings by her husband. It led Betty to be a mother when she was nine years old. “A Woman, Once a Girl-Breaking Silence” takes readers through a journey of inner pain that is unleashed when Betty becomes a globally acclaimed activist.
The journey Betty has trod leaves permanent and visible footsteps. Today, her poetry book takes a new approach to self-empowerment by presenting breaking culture of silence—poetic prose verses in short story form. It is an easy to read book, yet very powerful for reflection. The stories are personal experiences, and there is a poem for everyone to easily connect to a situation similar to their own experiences.
The poems speak about struggles of African women from the time they are girls up until they become women. The poetic prose storybook is a forerunner of Betty’s official much-awaited biography. Her trials and tribulations as she tried to be a woman, a leader, a wife, and a mother and balance all these roles is an open testimony. Transitioning from being a girl to becoming a woman is with hurdles and hardships, and “A Woman, Once a Girl: Breaking Silence” takes a sigh of relief that mission is accomplished as one overcomes gender inequality and wars being fought by their bodies and breaks vicious cycles of poverty and gender-based violence.
Using simple poetic verse, Betty has shared everyday stories that may be taken for granted and yet can undermine an individual’s abilities. This book is for anyone defending their rights and those of the most vulnerable. It speaks to you to keep positive energy.
Betty is the Founder and Director of Girl Child Network (GCN) Zimbabwe. She is also Chief Executive Officer of Girl Child Network World Wide (GCNW). This is an organization that champions the rights of the girl child globally and has been profiled in the 2011 University of Essex Journal and many books and documentary films as a Best Practice for replication.
“A Woman, Once A girl-Breaking Silence” will be officially launched on 8th March 2012 in London. All the people who are concerned about womanhood and motherhood are invited to come and heal through Betty’s story.
An award winning documentary film of Betty’s work, “Tapestries of Hope” will be screened for the first time in London on International Women`s Day. Directed by Michealene Risley, the film shows the work Betty does in protecting the powerless girls and women in Zimbabwe as she struggles to rescue girls raped because of the myth that virgins cure HIV and AIDS. It is a story of hope.
We’d like to encourage as many people as possible to attend the launch event which will support the activities of GCNW a charity that surely deserves our full support.
Pauline Long will be a special guest at the event. Ms. Long is the Founder of Europe’s biggest award ceremony for black and ethnic personalities in entertainment, film, fashion, television and arts (BEFFTA).
To purchase your entry ticket, please go to: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2777330069/efblike.
You can purchase a copy of “A Woman, Once A girl-Breaking Silence” from Amazon and many other online shops.
You can also get a copy from here: http://bookstore.trafford.com/Products/SKU-000526911/A-Woman-Once-a-Girl.aspx.
“A Woman, Once a Girl-Breaking Silence” Launch
Venue Address: 100 London Road, SE1 6LN, London
The Lodge Lecture Theatre
Date: 8th March 2012
Time: 4:30pm for book signing.
Film screening: 5pm sharp
Donation: £15 for a signed copy of “A Woman Once a Girl –Breaking silence” which is donated to Girls Empowerment and Education Fund
Light refreshments will be served.
Cash bar Available
For more information:
Email:
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Tel: 07951522790
