Wild lives in our souls 

We are dreamers often wanderers 

Traversing to depths most would fear 

We vow to do the universe a favor 

Never to hide our magic 

To our detriment sometimes, many times 

We are brave 

And they say the universe listens to the brave 

It dances to the tune the drummers crave 

For you and me, just in a different context, a different lifetime 

Young Malawian girls, 

Prematurely made aware of the societal expectations 

The norms and ramifications 

Befriending a pen and paper is almost taboo. 

We are lovers of words, written and spoken 

Either wildly naive or dangerously intelligent 

We need to find a balance to survive 

Otherwise, vultures would feast on us. 

Like Ping-Pong, we bounce between cultures 

Chewa, Lomwe, Tumbuka, Tonga, Yao 

So different yet so similar 

Befriending a pen and paper is almost taboo 

Be educated, but not too educated 

The choices remained wide 

Between a pot and a bucket 

Between a broom and a mop 

Between napkins and political party rallies 

Not the ideal choices, but they were still something 

They give a sense of purpose, a sense of hope 

We strive to find our place 

Among lovers of words, written and spoken 

We vow to create a place 

For girls like us 

To live our ancestors’ wildest dreams 

To befriend a pen and paper 

Notes 

Chewa, Lomwe, Tumbuka, Tonga and Yao are some of the major ethnic groups in Malawi. The Chewa people are the most numerous and their language is the national Language of Malawi. 

Biography 

Wongani Nyasulu is an Economist, Gender Activists, and Writer from Malawi. She is a Co-Founder of Awake for Change Rural Development Initiative, a non-profit NGO aimed at improving the lives of rural girls and children through education, health care, gender equality, human rights and democracy. She is a member of Commonwealth Youth Gender and Equality Network and PEN Malawi. She has authored for Define Your Voice, an online Platform aimed at building holistic and pro-active African Youth. Her works have also been published on the Royal Commonwealth Society Website, Makewana Daughters Website, and The Nation Newspaper. 

Photo credit: Stunt Photography