Afrofusion

Her hair is wrapped in a scarf which she rolls into a bun at the back of her head and her surprisingly clean all stars peeking out from the bottom of her bright skirt which barely touches the ground; Inga as a voluptuous proud twenty year old african woman whose smile is so contagious that it would make even the foulest of moods quickly fade away. Comfortable in the skin that she is in, Inga is a remarkably graceful young woman who aspires to be “all natural” in the ever synthesising world that she finds herself in.

Unlike most of the commerce students here at Rhodes Inga is much more down to earth and in touch with herself as instead of not only finding interest in the world of economics and statistics she is also a lover of words. A poet at heart she recites the words of a poem which she calls “What makes you ‘tick’?”


In this poem Inga speaks about how she struggled to find exactly what it is that she wanted to do with her life. How difficult it is fusing the strict traditional and unforgiving way of life that her parents have taught her with the ever compromising world which she finds being propelled onto her by a world which waits for no one to catch up.
The untainted natural hair that she wears with pride has been free from abuse by chemicals for the past two years and it is plaited into little braids. Her smile brightens up her face as her coyness kicks in and words have to be teased out of her. Outspoken but yet reserved she pulls at one of her short braids and looks out her window. “Stubborn as it is I really don’t mind, I was born with this hair and I’ll flaunt it no matter who says what.” Aware of the fact that everything can be made controversial Inga wears her arm on her sleeve her personality’s effervescence never seems to run out and every moment in her presence leaves one anticipating what might be next. She does not feel the need to ever show any skin in order to be attractive and unlike most girls her age she has un-pierced ears and no hidden tattoos as her life philosophy is to go back to her maker the same way that He left her here.
Most of the questions that this young lady has been faced with in life she has not received answers to. But rather a method to solve them is what she has. “Life isn’t easy if we were given the answers what would be the point? What is the point of going to go write an exam if you have the answer sheet right next to you?” At the age of only twenty she seems to be a very wise woman one whose wisdom can only continue to grow in brilliance.
Academically she has had her speed humps just like everyone else but she braced herself and got through it like she wanted to.
Inga now finds herself at the end of another chapter in her life: “First Year at Rhodes” this even has no doubt been an eventful one for her and she is completely welcoming of the year to come.