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Can an African make it in Hollywood or on Broadway?

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Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011 by Varaidzo Tagwireyi

American-born, Zimbabwean actress Danai Gurira, who is conquering Hollywood and Broadway, gave a talk recently about her trajectory in the industry, her artistic principles and work ethic, how she envisions her work will shape the artistic landscape for future generations, her thoughts on the future of the Arts Industry in Zimbabwe.

Danai explained how she got into acting and writing by saying that the arts found her. While in high school she realised that when she performed, something special happened between her and an audience and she felt she would lose all sense of time and place. Encouraged by her parents to pursue what she was good at, she continued her studies in the arts, after having initially studied psychology and liberal arts. Danai started to create pieces in response to the fact that she was not finding portrayals of Africans that she wanted to play. Actors tend to be at the bottom of the food chain in the American industry, but with good training during her 2nd degree, she learnt how to create her own work and not just sit and wait by the phone. This is how her world-famous play In the Continuum was born. She was encouraged to discover that she could create things in America, about Zimbabweans, and the people in both places (and in-between) would get it. It was also quite clear that Gurira appreciates and revels in the fact that her debut performance on the world stage, was of her own work, in her own voice.

While so many of us associate the film industry with glitz, glamour and money, one quickly realises that Gurira is all about the craft and creating the best artistic products she can. From early on she has been driven by her desire to create things that are connected to what is important to her, what she is trying to give the world and what she visualises about her future artistic interests. This focused attitude has led her to be quite picky about what she gives her energy to by finding out what the spirit of the work is and if it is really giving life and a different dimension and complexity to a story.

When Gurira comes home, she holds workshops in order to transfer all that she has learnt from her time in the US. She strives to help young Zimbabwean actors know the level of work-ethic, ferocity, and energy required to succeed in the competitive industry and make people feel they have no choice but to hire you. One also has to develop a thick skin as only 2-5% of your auditions may lead to work.

Though Danai felt that it would be quite tricky to say how our country should develop the industry, which is currently not so strong, she believes that we should try to nurture standards of excellence that are specific to who we are, as a nation. Though it is tempting to follow the footsteps of African countries like Nigeria, which has a thriving film industry, she feels it would be unwise to use another country’s template. There is a need for Zimbabwean artists to continuously challenge themselves, to remain sharp in artistry, and always in pursuit of excellence. Gurira insists that excellence in the quality of work we produce, will ensure that we begin to produce work that is on a globally recognisable level, not because it caters to western ideologies or structures, but because no one can deny or ignore it’s superior quality, as artistic excellence is not bound by language and culture.

In order to achieve this Gurira says Zimbabwean artists have to be innovative and pioneering in contributing to the work that will build the industry, all the while, having in the back of their minds, a clear vision about the future artistic landscape of Zimbabwe. It is about thinking far ahead and beyond ourselves, and creating something that is so excellently executed, that it will stand the test of time, so that if someone picked it up decades from now, it will still be a brilliant piece of Zimbabwean literature, (Harvest of Thorns). When asked what she wanted her legacy to be, Danai Gurira said, “I want people to pick up my work in 100 years and be able to do it – [so that] men and women have opportunities to really shine, in African roles.”

Keeping it fresh … why should virginity only apply to girls?

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Tuesday, November 1st, 2011 by Varaidzo Tagwireyi

Are you virgin? That’s none of my business, right? I mean, how dare I (or anyone for that matter), ask you that question! Well, some women are being asked that very question, by potential in-laws, by way of virginity testing. When I heard someone relate the story of what a certain woman, at the insistence of her soon-to-be fiancé’s parents, only for him to end up not marrying her (for other reasons), I was taken aback. Her virginity was a prerequisite for the marriage. Nothing was mentioned about any testing he had to undergo.

But one can understand the lure of virginal purity (especially when it comes to marriage); the idea that a woman is untouched and untainted by another, and has kept herself in this state, only for you, is a testament of the superior altitude of her morality. And being the man in possession of such freshness is beyond compare. She is the ultimate prize; the ultimate bride, and brings honour to her family, and therefore warrants an extra cow, come lobola time, called ‘chimhanda’.

Newlywed’s bed-sheets were inspected after their wedding night, as part of the marriage ceremonies of old, and bloodied sheets were celebrated as symbols of the bride’s purity. Virginity testing (checking for an intact hymen), in Zimbabwe’s history, has been seen as a way of preserving this purity in girls by preventing them from indulging in sexual activity before marriage and instilling in them, a sense of morality. I’ve heard of a Zambian girl living here in Zimbabwe who undergoes and passes regular virginity testing, who is by no means a ‘virgin’. She does EVERYTHING but… and such is essentially still a virgin, because her hymen is intact. A prospective suitor may take her to get her virginity tested, and be pleased with the results, but will he be getting the vision of purity and freshness earlier described?

“A virginity test is the practice and process of determining whether a female is a virgin – The test involves an inspection of the female’s hymen, on the assumption that her hymen can only be torn as a result of sexual testing.” Wikipedia.

The above-mentioned definition of the practice makes no mention of men. Should they not be “keeping it fresh” too, or is virginity among the many things that don’t apply to them? Boys are not expected to abstain from sex before marriage. In fact, their sexual exploits, (sometimes, including infidelity), are encouraged, or at the very least condoned. It is unfair that virginal brides-to-be can never hope for the same freshness from her partner.

What is this virginity anyway? In only focusing on the physical aspects of virginity we are missing the point. Does it not include the absence of any knowledge of sex and completely uninitiated innocence? I can assure all men out there, that there is no physical test for these qualities.

Culture talk

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Tuesday, November 1st, 2011 by Varaidzo Tagwireyi

Over the weekend I had a talk with some friends about what life must have been like for people our age, 100 years ago. We wondered what was different, not just in terms of infrastructure and the several freedoms we enjoy today, but also about our culture.  What would they have thought of how the Zimbabwean culture has evolved and the point at which it now is?

Culture is by definition: “An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behaviour that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning. The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution.” (Wikipedia)

This definition implies the need for a societal effort to store and share this acquired knowledge and belief systems. This in itself is now much harder to achieve, as many parts of the modern Zimbabwean society are no longer enjoy the communal living of old.  Some knowledge that was once shared in a communal setting is now passed on more privately, or not at all. I feel that, it is in personalizing and becoming private about some aspects of our culture that we are losing the plot. It is definitely among the reasons I feel I know as little about my culture. I mean, do you think much privacy existed back then?

Some would then argue the culture is ever changing, and that this is just one of the many adaptations Zimbabwean culture has made. After all, the very essence of cultural development is firmly rooted in continually linking already acquired knowledge, with new ideas for its modification. Despite truth of this statement, it still saddens me to think about how much knowledge has been lost along the way, as that past knowledge seems not to have stood the test of time.

The link between culture and language is one that cannot be ignored. Many view language as the verbal manifestation of culture. And even though the majority of human communication is non-verbal, language, is another way cultural practices and values are passed on. Zimbabwe has 5 regularly spoken languages, namely, Shona, Ndebele, English, Kalanga and Tonga. It would be interesting to know how much these languages have evolved over the last century, and if indeed, we would even understand each other, if given the opportunity. If a man of woman from Rhodesia 100 years ago were to go into the Harare CBD right now and merely ask for directions in Chizezuru, would they understand them? Are we too far gone or is there still resemblance with our ancestors from colonial times?

Fighting the stigma and mis-education about HIV/AIDS

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Tuesday, November 1st, 2011 by Varaidzo Tagwireyi

Is the stigma of AIDS as devastating, if not more than the disease itself?
Kenneth Cole

I was part of a discussion with a group of youths about getting tested for HIV. One of the guys, let’s call him Fred, wanted to go and get tested, but he was afraid to go it alone. He asked his ‘Boyz’ if they would come and get tested with him, and this is where the drama started! The ‘Boyz’ said things like, “I’ll come with you and even hold your hand, for moral support. But I will NEVER get tested!” I felt sorry for him, because he desperately wanted to know his status, but was too petrified to do it alone. I asked them why getting tested was such a big no-no, and they basically said that they were scared and ashamed of dying of AIDS and would rather go on living in blissful ignorance, and then, die anyway. Sadly, these ‘Boyz’ represent a vast majority of Zimbabwe’s youth.

So, why are so many people scared of AIDS? Looking back early HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaigns in Zimbabwe, it is not difficult to see why. AIDS was depicted as this beastly killer that savagely tortured it’s victims until they withered away and eventually died, pitiful shadows of their former selves. I remember the ‘AIDS IS A DEADLY KILLER DISEASE!’ posters that were plastered all around my primary school. There was not so much information about the disease then. All we knew was that people who got it were bad people, who got it doing bad things, and that it kills. That was all we needed to know.

Looking at the history of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, we see that most people never admitted to having the disease. People came up with all sorts of phrases, (The silent killer; A long illness; Ari muBhazi (Shona)), to avoid having to say AIDS. This culture of shame and secrecy surrounding the disease still has a strong hold on us today. Even now, when we have so much more information on HIV/AIDS that can dispel a lot of the cultivated myths and counteract our earlier mis-education on the disease, people are still ashamed, secretive and scared to talk about it. One can’t talk openly about AIDS without encountering some prejudice and apprehension. This has to change, because the reality is that people are dying needlessly.

What’s most alarming is that we can’t be absolutely sure of the number of people who are infected, (as demonstrated by the ‘Boyz’), since so few people actually get tested for HIV (about 5%), mainly because having a positive HIV status is viewed as iniquitous and disgraceful or as a death sentence. This stigma leads to discrimination of those infected and prevents more people from admitting to their status, getting tested and seeking treatment and psycho-social support. It is important for us to find was to destroy this stigma and render it powerless in Zimbabwe, with the aim to increase awareness and reduced infection in youth, because let’s face it, our youth are having sex earlier and earlier, and condoms are not exactly cool. If they continue to behave like this, they WILL get infected. But, will we never know this for sure, if they are they are so scared and unwilling to get tested?

In fighting the stigma and we can follow the examples of the late Natasha Richardson, (whose father died of the disease), and was involved in countless fund-raising efforts for HIV/AIDS research, and ex-NBA basket-baller, ‘Magic’ Johnson, who in 1992 began a life-long, HIV/AIDS awareness, education, and prevention campaign, when he announced to the world that he was HIV positive.

From a logical point of view, one would want to know their status as soon as possible, in order that they may get on proper medication, and live as long a life as they can. But when faced with the reality of a positive HIV status, all that logic/reason flies out of the window, and ignorance and fear take over. Let’s fight stigma so more can feel encouraged to know their status, stay protected and truly live positively.

Looking back

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Friday, October 28th, 2011 by Varaidzo Tagwireyi

Louise (not her real name), fell pregnant at a crucial stage in her life. After having passed her A Levels with flying colours, she decided that when she grew up, she wanted to be a doctor, and had just been awarded a scholarship at a university in South Africa, to study medicine. She was on an all-time high and felt nothing could get her down, until her period just would not come. After a month of avoiding the issue, Louise realized the issue would not resolve itself, and that she had to tell Frank, (the then, love-of-her-life). And how would she even tell her family and friends? How could she face the shame? She also worried about her well-earned scholarship. Having this baby would ruin her life. Plus, being a mum was hard work. She had seen her older cousin struggle with her 2year old son. ‘No!’ she decided. ‘I will not have this baby!’

She bled for days after the procedure and grew frightened that it would never stop, and that she would die. Since she told no one that she had been pregnant to begin with, she attributed the heavy bleeding to her periods (which, luckily, were quite bad themselves), and stayed in bed for days, only getting up to freshen up when she got too messy. The subsequent weight-loss she blamed on anxiety about starting her medical degree, and they all believed her, which strangely enough, made her secret that much harder to bear. As she bled and weakened, Frank secretly moved on with someone else, who wasn’t sick all the time. He would later tell her that they needed a break from each other. How could he? She had done it all, in part, for him!

She eventually went to university, and although she thrived academically, emotionally and socially, Louise was a tortured soul, steering clear of any intimacy in fear that people might find out her shameful secret. Her secret always weighed heavy on her heart and mind. When time came for her to specialize, Louise decided that she would dedicate her life to helping women give life. A qualified, successful gynecologist, the now married Louise has attained all she thought the unwanted pregnancy would have prevented her from achieving. She has 2 beautiful children and one could say she is living her former self’s dream, except that something is amiss. With every child she successfully delivers, Louise feels as though she has paid a small amount towards a never-ending debt to humanity. In a twisted way, her job makes her feel better about what she did. But when a patient loses her baby, she seems the most hard-hit.

Louise now shares her secret with many young girls who have not yet made the decision she made all those years ago. She speaks with them about the psychological effects of her experience. “There is a gaping hole in my heart that cannot be filled. No matter what I do, or who I become, I just can’t move on. Looking back, I can’t help but wonder what that child might have been. I can’t honestly say that I regret having all the things I have today, that I might have had to sacrifice if I had had my baby, but when I look at my sons and feel that they are not enough. My family will never be complete.”

Who run the world? Girls!

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Friday, October 28th, 2011 by Varaidzo Tagwireyi

Who run the world? Girls!
Beyonce Knowles, Song: Run the world (Girls), Album: 4, 2011

In a world where the majority of women are still struggling with basic human rights issues, it is hard to see how this song applies to us all. Sure, it’s easy for Beyonce, with all her millions to sing about running the world, especially when it’s a possibility for her. But how can I say I run the world when my husband beats and rapes me; or when I can’t get the promotion I deserve, unless I sleep with my boss; or when I get paid less that men who do the same job that I do? How can women say ‘We run the world!’, when, according to the UN statistics division 2010 we account for about two thirds of the 774 million adult illiterates worldwide; and whilst we also make up the majority of HIV positive adults in parts of Africa and the Middle-East, and while only about 50 women (excluding monarchs) in global history, have been Heads of State and Government.

The answer is not in the positions we hold, but in how we define the term ‘running the world’. The focus should not be on control and visible power and leadership structures. Running the world is not about being in charge of it, but who ultimately does the work. I believe we run the world because it could not function without our efforts, (however mammoth or miniscule). We are the more downtrodden of the sexes, and yet we find the strength to just get on with it. Several studies show that housework, rearing of children and employment (formal and informal), included, women work twice as hard as men in a day. Imagine if for one day, all the women on the planet did no work. Who’d run the world?

Musician, Beyonce Knowles’ song, reminds us all of the true identity of women. Many a time, we lose a sense of our identity and power and let our feelings, jobs and duties in the home, shortcomings and disappointments, challenges and defeats define us as women. This song is a wake-up call, so, wake up, women of the world!

Remember, we are powerful beings, and we do run this world, whether we are acknowledged and appreciated for it or not. You may feel like what you do is little or nothing in the grand scheme of things. But what is this grand scheme, but an accumulation of small efforts, like your own? Let the men worry about who’s in charge, while we get on with business.

Now I’m not saying that we should just be content with what we have and suffer on, because after all “we (secretly) run the world”. No! I’m merely reminding women of our importance, and it is my hope that knowing that we play a major part in the world, will help us feel empowered enough to go our there, come out from behind the scenes, and take charge. The world would benefit from a more feminine touch.