We can all #EndSARS

Friends,

This is for anyone feeling so many things about the #EndSARS protests – pride, joy, anger, sadness, gratitude, hope, and whatever else  fills the melange of feelings swarming through your mind – but feels, most of all, frozen and unable or unsure of what to do or how to contribute.

I have a piece of advice that I have just shared with myself:

Just.

Be.

You.

The beauty and unique brilliance of our #EndSARS protest is that young people are pitching in, in any way they can, and every way they can. There is no fixed mode or method of contribution. You see a gap, move to fill it. In this way we are building the habit of shared responsibility and an individual and collective sense of ownership over our future and the fight for freedom from tyranny.

Some people are sweeping. Some people are feeding. Some people are speaking. Some people are singing. Some people are informing. Some people are painting. Some people are fixing. Some people are writing. Some people are drawing. Some people are organising. Some people are coding, lawyering, bailing, comforting, soothing, managing, encouraging, caring, walking, running, shouting, crying, … and the list goes on and on.

In fewer words, young Nigerians are just being, and in so doing, are contributing a little bit of themselves to the cause.

 So, I want to encourage you.

 You don’t have to feel stuck or useless.

If it is retweeting you can do, retweet with pride, till your fingers hurt and feel like they will fall off. It might be that single retweet that leads to someone doing their own bit. If you can pray, pray without ceasing. Pray that the forces, seen and unseen, that may want to derail our path to freedom, will never succeed. Pray for the success of our movement, that the journey will end at the destination we all desire for ourselves, for our country and our future.  If your own is to march or shout or organise or think, plan, strategize, educate … whatever it is, it doesn’t matter.

What matters is that we are all part of this movement in our own way, and that we contribute to the strong wave that is about to come crashing down to destroy the establishment of systemic oppression and tyranny.

Every single act, no matter how small it may look to you, will build the tremors of the earthquake that is about to shake the nation to its core, breaking down every wall that has blocked a life of dignity for our people.

Every kobo you contribute is moving to feed and strengthen the great force that will tip the balance of scales in favour of every Nigerian of every tribe and tongue, gender, orientation, location. Whatever, wherever.

So, as we protest, just be.

 Be yourself.

Give of yourself in the way that only you can.

See nothing as too small or too irrelevant.

With you,

We are powerful, and together, we will #EndSARS

Do what you can.

Let’s continue to push this movement forward together.

#EndSARS

Love,

OFP