Frances
[TRIGGER WARNING: The following section recounts a rape incident and the process of disclosure of incident]
In season four of Shuga Naija, Frances went to a club with her friends but was drugged, mistakenly left behind, and raped. The disheartening aftermath crippled her, she could barely tell her friends or her mother; until her school’s showcase. When it was her turn, she sat down and recited a poem describing her rape and how it affected her while dancers dramatized the events behind her. Her inner strength shone through her tears at the end of her performance.
Bongi
In season one of Shuga Down South, Bongi was happy to reunite with her childhood friend, Reggie. Yet, she couldn’t help but notice changes in his mood. Reggie’s father didn’t approve of him pursuing art and Reggie felt like no one would accept him for secretly being gay. To encourage her friend, Bongi wrote and performed a song to Reggie reminding him of his worth. To watch her performance of “Good Enough” click here.
Elsie
Elsie is an avid vlogger on Shuga Babi. She mostly records content around her or her friends dancing, but also uses her platform for important health messaging like safe sex. After she and Mateo had unprotected sex, she went straight to her camera to inform her viewers not to do what she did but use a condom and get tested. This sort of content has a great effect and eventually made Mateo check his HIV status as well.
We applaud these women for their creativity, transparency, and boldness.
Art is a powerful tool, what will you create?