2014 to 2015 were the toughest years of my life. I was hungry for life, and becoming increasingly restless at what I saw as a dreary, dull and slow-paced living. I saw my life and I felt that there was nothing remarkable about it. My internal environment and my external environment were going in completely different directions. I had a lot of energy to expend but nowhere to spend it. I knew there was more to life than the monotonous routine of school and home. The more I lived, the harder it became to bear life. Eventually I fell very sick, and was wheeled into Mulago hospital only to be wheeled back out, worse than I went in, but with the conclusion that I was not sick. I went back home and recovered somehow.
In 2015, consumed with misery and really desperate for answers, I responded to an Xfm Radio advert by a Church that called for people who “felt like there was more to life than they were currently experiencing it” I headed over there and eventually enrolled for the discipleship class called Mizizi- a “10 weeks experience designed to connect you to your purpose, God and community” The Church was Mavuno Church Kampala and at that time, they met at Kampala Parents’ School.
For the first time in my life, ever, I found the answers to the questions that were slowly eating away at me, Chief of which was, “Yes, I am a Christian, so what?” “What am I living for?” “Do I even matter?”
During those classes, I was paired with Zabuli as my prayer partner. She and I had met earlier at Makerere University Prime Time at the pool where she used to perform as a guest artiste. That relationship eventually evolved into my own growth as an individual. It is remarkable how many things I did not know about life and how naively I lived it. I have paid heavily for this naiveté.
I have been cheated, lied to and taken advantage of in ways that even when I myself look back, I cannot believe that I could be that gullible. It became increasingly apparent to me that what is worse than not knowing is not knowing what you do not know. So I embarked on educating myself. I read, I watched YouTube videos and I listened to sermons. I checked in regularly with a few close friends to help me evaluate situations and circumstances until I had gained enough confidence to make decisions on my own. It helped that Za Buli was far ahead of me in astuteness and knowledge of self and I gave myself to learn from her. Eventually I noticed that all this while, I had been a slave to misinformation and it was precisely this that had spread me out as prey to be mauled and ripped apart.
The truth of the matter is, when we suffer abuse, manipulation and disrespect, it is hardly a fault of our own. It is just that we suffer from the effects of the kind of information that reached us first. It is not okay to suffer in an abusive relationship. It is not okay to sacrifice ourselves and act as the savior of everybody else and to clean up their mess at our own expense. It is not okay to stay in a relationship for years with no end to it in sight.
It is just not okay but you do not know it. During my days of seeking information, the one thing that I would have paid for to have is knowledge and knowledge that works. I would have given anything to have knowledge that could relieve me of my immediate pain from being constantly hurt, abused and misused.
Back then, I would have paid to have an event like Girl Get Up exist. I would have given my all if only I had the promise of relief from my internal storms and sorrows. It is terrifying to me how much faulty information exists out there that traps women in to destructive and deceptive cycles of broken consciousness and mental slavery. At Girl Get Up, the promise is to re-learn and re-establish into wholeness of the individual woman.
It feels great to be powerful. It feels great to finally be in control of my life. It feels great to not be under any pressure whatsoever whether internally or externally. It feels great to be alive and know that I matter and actually live my life mattering indeed. This should be the story of every woman and every person indeed.
This is an invite for you to attend Girl Get Up. Please come and have taste of true power. Your life will never remain the same, just like mine has changed with living a life as a close partner of Zabuli’s.
Girl Get Up will happen on 13th March from 2pm – 6pm at Mavuno 360, located at Kabalagala Tirupati mall, 3rd floor. Tickets go for 20,000/-. Call 0784303007 and 0703121088 for a ticket.
Kind regards,
Anna Grace
