My Journey, My Story!

As the last siblings of the Taylor Family I was born in the city of Freetown in the 1990s by a trader and a soldier with two older siblings. By the time I was born my dad was out of the army because he allegedly accused of been part of a failed coup in 1987 but despite his name was cleared later he was quietly discharged.My mum as trader became the bread winner of the with what she was earning from selling food item. These times were difficult moment for my mom to provide all that her family needed with the little income she earned. Growing up as a girl I went Young Women Christian Association nursery and preparatory school but my family couldn't afford the fee so I was transferred to one of the Municipal schools were government pay fees for primary school children. I saw my mum working very hard to make hands meet because my dad was in and out of job most of the time. But with all of these challenges we were taught good virtues on how to respect and work hard to achieve our expectations. I grew up as a cheerful and promising girl though my parent couldn't afford much. At age 3 I was featured as the main character in our drama performance in my nursery school. And since then I have been an actress, a singer and a journalist through primary and Secondary school. Where I grew I saw sexual gender based violence in action without any consequences for perpetrators. So many men made attempt to sexually abused me but I was lucky that men feared my dad because he was a soldier without mercy for his two daughters. most of the girls I grew up with end up to be drop out school because of teenage pregnancy, early marriage and poverty.I can remember growing up as a girl I was scared to death when a man sexually penetrated my half niece who was 7 years by then and instead of my grandfather who was a local chief prosecute the perpetrator for his wrong doing he just fined him huge amount of money as a chief in return for the girls dignity. After secondary school I faced real life dilemma because my parent had no money to pay college fee for me, so a man promised to pay my fees in return for sex which I rejected and dropped out college.By then life was difficult for my family.My mum became ill with breast cancer without any money for medical treatment ,so i started working at a Christian radio station as a broadcaster to fend for my family. Despite I used my stipends to pay hospital bills for my mum she couldn't make it because we had no better treatment for cancer. My moms death broke my heart because she suffered a lot for her family and didn't reap anything at all. I didn't give up despite the struggle and difficulties I faced. Because of my performance I was spotted by a young radio station to work as a reporter and I worked tirelessly although the media in my country is poorly paid my effort earned me a job as a mentor at BBC Media Action in 2014.With all the strides I have made I feel incomplete without a degree, but I am still hopeful that there is more in store for me and I will continue to fly high women's flag wherever I go.