In a country where mothers are literally boiling stones to dupe their kids to fall asleep without eating while leaders are actively shifting goalposts on where funds meant for Covid-19 disappeared to, one shouldnʻt really be surprised by the inreased ʻimmoralʻ activities in the country. The same country where a mother gives birth infront of a hospital gate as our glorified waheshimiwas pass bills to approve monthly perks of 100,000 for their retired colleagues. The same country where gospel artistes pray that gay men descend on their enemies and rape them in broad daylight.
By now, you should be acquainted with the Shakilla story that has been the mainstay on our social media platforms for the last couple of days. If not, get a social life. Really.
I donʻt want to join the bandwagon of calling her names and hurling imprintable words at her cause methinks that is beside the point. Who knows? Maybe I have done worse its just that I havenʻt gotten a platform to let you all in to my secrets. Plus, I may not be that religious but I bet the Holy Book says something in the line of judging being a preserve for the Almighty and the Almighty alone.
Thing is, this is the society we live in. A society where women are objectified as sex tools. A society where young ladies sleep with old men to make ends meet. A society where ladies bleach their skins, go for boobs and asses implants to be sexually appealing to the opposite gender that is way more than financially stable with an insatiable sexual appetite. Moral decadence or business opportunity ? You decide.
“Respect and love your hustle.” Thatʻs Shakillaʻs mantra daily. She is 19 years(you can add just 19), I canʻt really say she has experienced the tough and ugly side of unemployment yet but it is from her hustle, the one she wants people to respect, that she gets paid from and meet all her needs. However, imagine a 26 year old out here, who has walked into all the offices she can think of, dropped a million and one mails but still canʻt get a job that sits right with the morally uptight society because she doesnʻt have 10 years experience. Never mind she graduated the other day. But… but, she has that type of a figure that turns heads. A figure that a 62 year old would be willing to pay for just to peruse the heavenly anatomical features that come with the body. See ! I just objectified women. Sad.
The same same generation that raised us is the same same generation that is criticising us. The same generation that couldnʻt provide job opportunities or provide conducive environments for businesses to thrive in are now ranting on top of their voices,”Akii watoto wa siku hizi.” Listen, I am not supporting what Shakilla does(especially with the remote), she clearly needs help. All I am saying is, maybe she didnʻt have any other option to make money,and she really needed it, and decided to throw morality and whatever the society thinks to the gutter.
Our minds are so used to sexual innuendos that one canʻt say I want stick in reference to butter or Chuma ya Doshi in reference to iron sheets without one quickly thinking about sex. I ask again, moral decadence or a business opportunity ? Shakilla and the many other Shakillas out here get paid because they identified their niche in the sexual insatiability of men, and ladies alike. Its paying them. More than the delayed Kazi Mtaani/Vijana slaries will ever pay them. Or maybe an office job. “Respect my hustle.”
That said, that doesnʻt mean just because life is hard and we keep on electing leaders who do us no good, you should go about hawking your body to the highest bidder. Behave!
I said I wonʻt judge the many Shakillas we have around. But let me say this, her behaviour is not one Iʻd like to see in my sisters or my future wife and more importantly my future daughter(s) if Iʻll be blessed to have any. My point is, shunning her and calling her womanhood four times older than her is missing the point. Totally. Where are her parents ? Why did she decide to get into this high-end, for lack of a better word, prostitution ? At such a young age ? Does she intend to quit at some point to concentrate on what we the judging society want ?
Shakilla isnʻt the problem. And if she is, only partly. After a few weeks, tutakuwa tumemsahau. She is just an eye-opener to societal ills in this country. Stop the pretence and fight the problem, not the messengers. Ni hayo tu.
THE TOUCHLINE 