I was very different from my siblings because of my skin colour. Being fair skinned was very attractive and I was the “lighten up the room kinda girl”. I got picked on a lot because of this and I was considered different. I grew up with strangers asking my mum if I was her niece, because in their minds, I didn’t look like the other children. (Nigerians and their ways. Lol.)

I would get the ‘short end of the stick’ and take the fall for my siblings’ wrongdoing, as I was easily noticeable. Oh! how I hated my skin colour. I blamed my skin tone and wanted to look like my sisters; to be a bit darker. Even when people gave positive comments about how good my skin tone looked, it made me hate it even more; as I felt I was attracting undue attention. I just wanted to be normal like every other child around me. I got called names like Yellow Pawpaw, Mulatto, Mama Pupa, etc. My friends still call me some of these names and we laugh it off now. Back in the day, I would cry myself to sleep after being addressed that way.

As a teenager; people were quick to judge me based on my skin colour. Everyone assumed I was promiscuous; just because fair skinned girls have a certain reputation. (How people came about that judgement, I have no idea.) I hated being the fair skinned yellow pawpaw girl and it affected some of the decisions I made about value and esteem.

Today, I see myself differently. I look at myself and see a beautiful woman; a go getter and a trendsetter. God hasn’t created me to be limited based on the colour of my skin. I am created to make a difference to my world; to put smiles on people’s faces and to be a source of joy to my parents. I enjoy being different now.

I have embraced my skin and I take very good care of it. I want my skin to glow for the Master’s use.