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Title [Voices of Youth] How I found my voice and built up courage through Martial Arts
(photo) Emmanuella practicing Taekwondo How I found my voice and built up courage through Martial Arts Emmanuella Adjeley
Ankaman
Emmanuella is my name and I am 15 years of age living in Accra, the Capital city of Ghana in the West of Africa. I live in part of the crowded area in the capital city called Ashaiman with my grandmother. My parent separated when I was two years old and my father sent me to live with my grandmother. Since I was a little girl, I have been grown up in such crowded environment with my grandmother who sells little food stuffs at the local market. At age 10, I started helping my grandmother at the local market after school every day to sell the food stuffs. On weekends, I would carry some of the food stuffs on my head and move around the neighborhood from door to door to sell it. Sometimes I was verbally harassed by the neighbors who didn’t want to pay for food stuffs they picked. Sometimes I felt that my real parent did not want me and that is why they sent me to my grandmother who has to struggle to take care of me. I was always quiet and felt unwanted when saw other children with their parent. Every time I went out to sell the food stuffs for my grandmother, I noticed a group of young people in white attire exercising, punching and kicking at a particular location in the neighborhood. I was amazed to see young girls and boys training. I immediately got interested so anytime I went selling, I would pass by and watch them training before I continue with the selling. I was shy and afraid, I just nodded my head in agreement. The instructor, “Master Cynthia” told me it`s a Martial Arts called “Taekwondo” from South Korea and that she will also teach me how to defend myself as I go out selling in the neighborhood. I told my grandmother about it and she agreed to allow me to start the training but only on condition of selling some of the food and stuffs before going for the training, I agreed. I started training Taekwondo at the age of 10 from white belt to my present grade, blue belt. I used to be very shy and quiet girl but because of the Martial Arts training, I found my voice through the shouting that goes with every punch, kick and movement in Martial Arts. I don’t feel abandoned and unwanted anymore because I have built friendship with the other girls at training who have similar or more challenging situations and story than I have and that gives me courage, strength and a strong will that I am not alone in this fight of being abandoned. I am very much motivated and also take my inspiration from my instructor, Master Cynthia who not only instruct and teach us Taekwondo Martial Arts, self-defense, how to maintain good hygiene as a young girl etc. but also teach several other Martial Arts such as Taekkyeon, Wrestling, Ssireum etc to the youth in the neighborhood. I am encouraged that I can also attain that level of achievement if I don’t give up on myself, my dreams and focus on building my self-esteem and working harder. I believe if she can do it as a woman, I can equally make it too. Recently, when I moved to the third and final class in my Junior High School, the school was looking for a student representative who qualify to take up the position of a school prefect. I told my Taekwondo instructor about the position and she encouraged me to apply for the position. To my surprise, I was chosen to be the representative and prefect of my school for that academic period. Martial Arts has emboldening and given me that confidence to represent and lead my other fellow students in school. Currently, I teach my fellow students self-defense whenever we have physical education lessons. I also encourage my classmates to attend the Taekwondo training classes with me because some of them don’t come to school when they are in their menstrual cycle because of the menstrual pains they go through. I believe that Martial Arts is a tool for us, the youth today, especially for young girls to help us build our confidence, believe in ourselves that we can achieve greater things if only we don’t give up on our dreams. |
