To the resilient, nurturing, and beautifully strong African and women around the world.
Today, as we celebrate Mother’s Day, our heart overflows with gratitude and admiration for each and every one of you. You are the backbone of families, the pillars of strength in communities, and the embodiment of love that knows no bounds.
In every corner of Africa and New Zealand and around the world, you rise with the sun, ready to face whatever challenges may come your way. With grace and determination, you carry the weight of responsibilities, often with little recognition but with boundless love. From the bustling cities to the serene villages, your unwavering dedication to your children, your families, and your communities shines brightly like a beacon of hope.
You are the queens of resilience, turning hardships into opportunities, and adversity into triumphs. Your hands, weathered by toil, weave the fabric of our society, stitching together the tapestry of our culture with threads of wisdom and compassion. Your love knows no boundaries, transcending language, ethnicity, and creed. You teach us the true meaning of selflessness, showing us that love is not just a word but a verb—a constant act of giving, nurturing, and sacrificing for the ones you hold dear.
In your embrace, we find solace, in your wisdom, we find guidance, and in your love, we find our strength. Today, and every day, we honour you, celebrate you, and cherish you. May your hearts be filled with joy and your spirits lifted high as we pay tribute to the remarkable women who shape our lives and inspire us to be better every day. Happy Mother’s Day to the queens of Africa, whose love knows no bounds and whose legacy will endure for generations to come.
In a study about African women adjustment in New Zealand, Adelowo (2021) accurately surmised the resilience of African women in New Zealand as “The adjustment of African women could be defined as the presence of wellness – positive functioning. Because the women have imbibed their cultural norms and values they have been able to demonstrate autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others and purpose in life (Ryff, 1989, p. 406). African women are not dangling persons in as much as they have imbibed and make use of their values from their culture, they have not estranged themselves from their ‘new community’ that of New Zealand. They have been able to use values and ethics from their culture to plan and pursue their goals in New Zealand. The women demonstrated their belief in their inner strength, resilience and courage although the changes they have had to adapt to challenged their identity. Yet they were able to rediscover themselves by imbibing ethics, values and norms from their culture to cope with their new life, they were able to achieve this by fulfilling their roles as African women. The women have demonstrated that they are the bearer of the culture, a mediator and transmitter of knowledge. It is to be acknowledged that the conception of woman as nurturer and first teacher is demonstrated by the women.” the full thesis can be found (https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/items/25d90b33-ed29-4cad-a189-3624148b8ded).
Read about the Forbes 50 over 50 influential women (https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2023/03/15/50-over-50-success-at-every-age-2/) and a list of 2023 influential African women’s list (https://www.africa.com/avance-media-announces-2023-most-influential-african-women-list/).
ACCW 2024 Women’s Event is currently under planning to celebrate all women in our community, do look out in this space for further update. A recap of the 2022 edition of this event can be found here (https://youtu.be/I-TjviCPZ2g?si=YHl9yB0ybnH5ZLoa).