27-04-2023
FREEDOM DAY
I vaguely remember being carried – as a little girl – on my aunts back while she (and others) protested for the liberation of black South Africans under the traumatic and oppressive (a ‘nice’ way of saying lunatic) apartheid government. Of course I am reminded of it often, when I meet friends of hers @saleh.razia, or when they tell me stories about me as a little girl. I sometimes wonder if this brief stint of activism as a child is where my inclination for social justice, human rights & psychosocial equity stems from (I feel like my career in HR chose me).
Freedom day in SA is celebrated as a symbol of hope, change, and renewal and whilst it is heartbreaking to witness how we’ve digressed as a country – ruined by greed and corruption – we must remember that being free is a gift and a privilege that many South Africans and entire other nations continue to be denied of.
In enjoying freedom, remember how we arrived at it. Say a prayer for those restricted, tread the earth with caution and be kind because even though freedom may appear to be ‘free’ there are so many who are still oppressed and the ghost of hurt, dissapointment and trauma lingers.