Zimfest London will welcome Betty Makoni to the event celebrating the launch of her inspiring autobiography
A victim of rape as a child vendor at age six, Betty Makoni’s anger was evoked to fight a crime that invades and violates the most delicate part of a woman. She did not feel physical pain for herself only but also for millions of other women and girls who are invisible and remain in rubble of poverty and recycled in violence for centuries .The loss of her mother due to domestic violence did not enslave her nor keep her a victim. Instead, she used that to rebel against patriarchy and expose its injustices.
Transforming a negative into a positive, Betty established her organisation from a classroom and carried it with passion to become one of the biggest movements for girls. Her story is a testimony of what one woman can do. Rescuing girls from violent and life threatening situations, grooming successors, and infecting every girl and woman with activism are developments that cost nothing but passion. Girl Child Network Worldwide now churns out millions of young activists from everywhere, and her story shows her moneyless strategy of transforming victims into leaders.
“In the past, my story has been shared in bits and pieces. Many times I had to join those bits and pieces for different people who sought to know more. I most appreciate many people round the globe who made me visible by sharing my story given the fact that my very existence had been thrown into doubt due to poverty and violence as a child. Now I have opened a book of my life and anyone with good intent to share my story will first turn to this book and respectfully share my life story within context. Sharing my story in a sentence, paragraph or chapter is just a teaser. I bring a whole book and all truth and only truth to inspire the world. You asked me to share the story and it is over to you now`, said Betty Makoni.
This book ignites the spirit of activism in readers, exploring empowerment, inspiration, courage, and bravery, peace of mind, forgiveness and hope. Through her writing, Betty calls for activism to start in the home and at a personal level – “It is only in that way that silent genocides of women and girls will stop.”
The reader is taken through a more refined personal empowerment process through inspirational magical expressions and words, idioms and symbolism that digs deeper into personal issues that not many women and girls in Africa and elsewhere dare not to speak about. It is a book that breaks all taboos in families, work, community, and just about everywhere.
Betty Makoni presents some ironic situations throughout this book. The NGO sector in Africa is dominated by women working to stop violence against women and girls but ironically the many serious conflicts that are presented in this book involve women against women. The “pull her down attitude” by “dignified beggars” surviving solely on donor funding brings some interesting debates, truths and insights into sustainable development.
Pavla Cveckova, Bsc., MA, DiS who is a passionate practitioner of ‘imperfection in perfection’ of human beings who is one of those honoured to edit and critique Betty Makoni`s autobiography said “This book makes you angry, laugh, smile, think, speak, act and move you forward if ever your life was stuck somewhere.”
The online launch and subsequent book signing ceremonies commenced on 22 June, 2012 which coincided with her 41st birthday
