16/07/2020
My Name is Efe and this is one of many experiences of Racism I faced in Ireland:
This was in the balgaddy area. I was about 10 years old. That very day, I waited for my parents after school but with no sign of them. I couldn't find them or my brothers and started worrying that I would never find them so that meant, I would never see them again 😭 (see assumptions, 😂).
Anyways, while waiting and crying in the hopes of their arrival, then a group of travellers passed by me, next thing I know I'm being called the N word. I was told to watch where I was going. At this stage I panicked and even cried more. Then a group of bigger framed boys (one I knew of to be a bully in the school) added to that. I remember being so scared that I would get beaten up. Bare in mind, this was after school so the sidewalk was very crowded with people trying to get home or to parents. I just felt so singled out, scared and utterly unsafe even in the midst of the crowd.
Even though I'm older now, I still remember that incident and how scary it was for me. My wish is to never allow a child as young as that to ever feel unsafe due to the colour of their skin.
I hope this message get to the right people and ensure safety for people that look like me.
Thanks Efe for sharing your story. We really hope our country experiences a reconstruction of mindset and a changed attitude towards people of colour. 🙏
We are all human and that’s all that matters!
