Sparkling Women

Facebook, has opened quite a few avenues for me I hadnt even thought of. I was aware of the platform but did not think it would suit me,
I had adopted a negative perception of the socail media. Years later, November 2008, I joined the masses.
The number of strangers that eventually became friends was unexpected. I was fortunate to meet people who shared the same love I have for reading, writing and debate.
I was heavily influenced by them and I was able to tap into an undiscovered well of words within.

The journey in writing led me to sparkling women like Emma Harvey, who went on to publish a collection of poetry by different authors, titled Competing Loves (2009).
On the way I befriended Zinzi Voyiya who introduced me to Cheryl Roberts,who enjoyed my written work and included it in her 2nd and 3rd publication of Sparkling Women.

Who are Sparkling Women?

Sparkling Women is a publication that is compiled by Cheryl Roberts, she publishes the material through her own Havana Media enterprise
and offers the publication for free.
The first Sparkling Women appeared in August 2009, the next appeared in November of the same year.
On the 15th of August I was lucky enough to lay my hands on the third and latest copy.
The publication highlights women in sports, arts, your community member making a difference- you know, your everyday woman.

Who is Cheryl Roberts?

Wentworth, Durban is where this sparkling woman was nurtured. She developed a passion for sports at an early age
and went on to represent South Africa at the Barcelona Olympics.
She has since dedicated her efforts in the development of non-racial sports in disadvantaged communities.
Except for Sparkling Women, Cheryl produces other publications - S.A. Sportswoman and South African Sport.
In these publications she exposes the plight of disadvantaged sports people, she also challenges the male dominated sports media.

Cheryl on the role of women in sports:

"S.A.girls and women want to play Sport. They are bold, beautiful, talented and penniless.
Why do their sport talents go unnoticed in a country which prides itself on gender equality?"

Cheryl on women's day:

"Is today about saying happy
women’s day?
And tomorrow? Happy abuse, oppression and exploitation day?
And the
following months, years and decades?
...Happy women’s struggle?
......women, particularly,
poor, socially disadvantaged, economically exploited and abused women don’t want
happy wishes just for being a woman: they want ...an overhaul of the system that degrades, impoverishes and abuses them."
(09 august NATIONAL WOMENS DAY, SOUTH Africa)

Cheryl, you are a beacon to the young/old, male/female, needy and affluent.
~INFINITE SPARKLE!~

V.S. Yonke
U write what U like

woman to woman

Saturday morning I went shopping with my daughter and I actually had fun considering that I don't enjoy shopping -
I simply don't have the patience of trying on different outfits, receiving fake smiles from shop assistants
or being followed into every aisle by the security guard.

While I was waiting for Mbali to choose between which sweater she liked best there was a young woman who approached us and asked me
'What is it like being a mother?' she introduced herself as Ziyanda. I asked her if she was planning on having kids and realised that she was pregnant.
I told her I didn't have an answer to her question and and asked how she felt about her pregnancy.
We chatted for a bit until I picked up she was getting uncomfortable with some of the questions I was asking and as a result she avoided eye contact.
Ziyanda is a 22yr old varsity student.

While there's nothing unique about this, it brought back bitter-sweet memories for me as somebody who has been where she is.
As I looked at her and saw the fear in her eyes I remembered the fear I felt nearly 6 yrs ago when I was pregnant.
I was shit scared of what I had gotten myself into and what was still to come.
I'm not exaggerating when I say I felt like an ant all alone in the big wide world!
At the time, sleep was something foreign to me, my head was filled with a million and one questions
... How will I know what to do when the baby's born?
... What if I fail as a mother?
... Will I still be able to do all the things that my peers get up to?
... What if I don't bond with the baby? Etc etc. I was driving myself crazy to the point of suffering from pre-natal depression.
I have found that most women go through this but never dare talk about their feelings,
somehow we think appearing strong all of the time is the coolest thing to do even if it means dying a slow death inside. What a crap load of bullshit!

I gave Ziyanda my number but I don't think she'll call, I just hope she finds someone to talk to...

Zinzi Voyiya

Black Woman

by Ko-fi Anane-Kyeremeh

You shine like a diamond in the sun.
Your smile like a meandering stream carrying a message.
Your rotund hips and bottom, like plumpy yams
Glazed and blazing eyes, like the sun.
I wonder on those marble teeth,
Or those twists of woven hair.

Your beauty tells a tale of long ago,
When our creator and maker
Decided to craft you.
Black Woman.

A jewel in the palace,
A pearl in the ocean,
A medal of beauty hangs around your neck.

Your skin; black and glassy,
Smoother than a tiger’s fur.
You are a black woman.

I’ve seen men wrestle and fight with their life,
Counting themselves worthy of you.
It makes me laugh out loud.
What a waste of strength.

If this be not true,
I’ll be darned,
But she glorifies beauty
She graces affection and sanity.
She cures with a simple smile

Black woman, what is your name?
From which village do you hail?
What is the name of the woman
In whose womb you were fashioned
Or the man, who initiated your design?
Tell me where your heart is hidden, black woman.
Who are those who crave for you?

Joyous, gallant, beautiful, amazing.
Black Woman!

She is by Mpho Matsitle

Mpho Matsitle
She is…
Alluring in her eyes
Confident in her stride
Captivating in her thoughts
Right in her wrongs

A beaut of note
Too kind to loathe
A forgiving lady
Somehow a lil crazy

She is…
Too sweet for words
Out of this world
An envy of lords
Water to the desert
Part of no regrets
Not one to forget

A fountain of love
Gift from above
Peaceful as doves
Not one to be mean
In goodness has no twin
A true Queen

She is…
Always a highlight
Brings about no fright
Committed in her plight
A champion in her fight
Fair in judgement
A star in entertainment
Not too shy to lament
Not too proud to repent

Pretty immaculate
Oh so great
Never too late
In finding a mate
The one and only
She loves entirely
Gives of herself completely
And most importantly

She is…
In love with me

Mpho Matsitle

... on women... to women... for women...

I know a lot of women who continue to inspire the nation and many households in Azania, however, I feel I have to be bold enough to admit;
even though sistahs have shown to possess the skill and knack to accumulate 'cheese' and other artifacts of modern civilization,
women (as a collective), have a long way to walk before finally overcoming the pervese masculine domination meted against them by ignorant niggaz like me.

In virtually all animate creatures, the survival of the family genes is the responsibility of their female kind.
Females, whether they be lions, ants, flies, african wild dogs, elephants and other creatures I've been lucky enough to observe or read on, are more successful and industrious food-gatherers than their male counterparts.
In fact, by instinct, when we seek nourishment we turn to a 'mother-figure'.

The animal and insect species, sans the lion, are led by a strong alpha-female, but when you look at human beings; that phenomenon is almost constrasted.
In modern and previous civilizations alike, women have been denied any place of prominence in society.
Popular cultures and religions are based on gender discrimination whereby a woman's role is to serve a nigga's interests; however pervese those might be.

Even though common sense may suggest that Jah is a formless, omnipresent and therefore omnipotent nameless being(cannot be contain'd in a single definitive word), people are encouraged to imagine a blue-eyed bearded man to whom to direct their prayers.

With all that said, the road to real emancipation might be longer for sistahs, but we'll walk with them.

Kaiza Gongxeka