For those who don't know, I used to co-host a podcast called "Let's Controverse" for about a year with a friend, but we pulled the plug after she relocated to the United Kingdom.
Prior to that, I had stumbled on a BBC podcast competition where people from around the world could pitch their idea for a podcast that would run on the BBC Audio platform. This was back in January 2021, long before the days of ChatGPT.
Of course, I sent mine in, but sadly, it didn't get selected. At least I tried, yeah?
A few days ago, I found out that I still have my pitch in my phone notepad and I thought, "Why don't I post this on my blog?"
So here you go. Lemme know your thoughts.
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For as long as our forefathers existed, there has been a constant struggle with embracing who we are, what we stand for and believe in, and making some personal choices. One major reason is the fact that some certain rules otherwise termed as "taboo", have been set in place based on what society, culture, and religion have tagged as unacceptable behaviour, choices, or beliefs.
This has stifled several persons from opening up and adopting some certain decisions that they consider the best for them due to the fear of being reprimanded, punished, or worst of all, ostracized by not just society, but their family, friends, and loved ones.
The title of the podcast, "Tufiakwa" or "Tufia" for short, means "God forbid" in my mother tongue, Igbo, which is the prevalent language in the Eastern part of Nigeria. Growing up, hearing an elderly person utter that word was a resonance that someone had done something utterly despicable and won't go unpunished. It could be as "little" as standing up for your decision to marry someone who wasn't from the same tribe as you.
But although the gods have decided to let intertribal marriages slide, other taboos are still frowned upon, even by the modern society.
The aim of this platform will be to provide a safe space for Africans of the male and female gender, to freely talk about their experiences with adopting certain forbidden practices, the journey of accepting themselves and being accepted by others, and how they have, or have not been able to find their own circle and fit in.
In doing so, it can give those who are yet to find their voices a chance to speak up, which will hopefully lead to a ripple effect and encourage others in the long run as well.
Even though millennials are becoming more open-minded about understanding and embracing certain "unorthodox" practices, several communities as a whole still struggle with accepting the fact that most taboos do not necessarily define the persons who adopt them. These decisions simply describe a choice that they have made, a fact that they have accepted or sometimes, a situation that they were born into.
The end game is not to insist that those who do not agree with these seemingly unorthodox practices must do so, but for them to listen in, connect with those who share their experiences, and for both parties to agree to disagree - respectfully.
