Nehanda
Charwe Nyakasikana
Is a name l feel like l have known
For ages,
Or maybe forever!
She is a woman,
As l am a woman.
She is a symbol,
Whose story
Grew in me a rebellious nature.
Whose existence,
Though a time ago
When l was not yet here,
Inspires in me change.
Do they know you, Nehanda?
Do they understand you, Charwe?
Do they see your full self, Nyakasikana?
They who use your strength,
Your courage,
Your vision,
Your love
And your heart,
For their own selfish gains.
Do they see you, Nehanda?
They who have chained your legs,
And your hands,
To make you just another image for propaganda,
A use for their whims!
Do they recognise you, Nyakasikana?
For you are a proud daughter,
A loving mother,
A doting grandmother.
You inspire the full woman in me!
And l feel strong, knowing your story,
As you inspired a revolution against oppression,
As you fought to free your land,
Which is now my land.
You are the brown woman in time!
A rebel Queen,
A fighter
And a spark that united my country to fight for freedom.
A woman who did not let fear hold her back!
An eternal torch
That lights the way for brown girls like me!
That shows me that l too can have strength and courage,
And l that l too can be a symbol of hope.
You are freedom, Nehanda!
You are the wind that sways the trees,
The cooing bird that is high above with the spirits,
Watching and sheltering all brown girls and boys like me. → →
I know you, Nehanda,
Because l am free!
I have faith in you, Charwe,
Because l am proud!
I have hope, Nyakasikana,
Because you are the light!
Because you are now unchained
And free as l am free!
You are independent Zimbabwe,
Because you are liberation and hope!
You are a light for the full Woman l am.
And so, l will shout your name on the hilltops!
Freedom to me has a name,
And that name is Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana!
