Media personality Adelle Onyango officially launched her initiative at a star-studded event held at the Shift Eye Studios Priory last Thursday.
Speaking at the launch, Caroline Mutoko explained how being Kenyan is peculiar. "Being Kenyan means, ugali eating, mutura seeking, jollof rice loving, Benga dancing, disco matanga, Murang'a one day travelling, selfie-taking and we are still unapologetically African." We are Africans; we believe in spirits and ghosts and witchcraft. We are different but that does not make us wrong.
“To be an African today means you have probably forgotten your past or are totally ignorant of it and elders explain to you that your future is tied to the past. There’s a choice of rejecting your tradition and flowing with popular culture and still yet be judged by outsiders based on a background you either know nothing about or have left behind. Don’t struggle to let go – don’t struggle to embrace the modern and feel like a sellout; have both because you can.”
The launch dubbed #UnapologeticallyAfrican was a celebration of our Africanness through changing the African narrative, taking away the "but" or "despite" in our stories. Being exceptional! Not seeking validation and not comparing ourselves with the rest of the world.
Adelle said, “I implore you today to be unapologetic about being African. We acknowledge that we are developing but so is everyone else. The only constant in life is, change! Appreciate the social, economic, customs and tradition that exist in an African context. We cannot be afraid to make mistakes, and we need to be confident in finding our way and our solutions, cognisant of the fact that our solutions are not the rest of the world’s solutions!
“We need to change the African narrative, take away the “but” or “despite” in our stories. We are exceptional! We don’t do extraordinary despite challenges; we just are exceptional!! We don’t seek validation, and we are not about comparison; we are not only creating a different set of rules, but we’re also playing a different game, an African game in an African context!! We are not diseased, broken and in need of help, we are gifted, rich, rhythmic, excellent, powerful, creative, modern, traditional, intelligent. We are kings and we are queens, understand that in being African we can change the world, but in trying to be like the world we cannot be African!”
Winnie Odinga, one of the trustees, said, “The launch of the Adelle Onyango Initiative is a great achievement for a phenomenal woman like Adelle, as it touches on issues (mental health, youth empowerment and gender equality) that affect our society.”
Last year, Adelle represented Kenya at the 2017 Children’s Global Media Summit, where she officially received the Duchess of Cambridge and chaired two sessions on youth and cyberbullying.
The initiative is centred on the foundations of youth empowerment, mental health and gender equality.
Adelle has gained international recognition for her efforts to empower Kenyan women and youth, most recently serving on the Youth Advisory Board for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s second annual Goalkeepers conference.
In attendance to witness this milestone were media personalities Shaffie Weru, Victoria Rubadiri, Mwalimu Rachel, Linda Nyangweso and Janet Mbugua, among others.