A lot has been happening in the past few months, I have not really had time to blog as we were so busy planning Black British Entertainment Awards. I still do not have time to blog, but today I could not help it. This is my little corner to be Just Jean, so I had to be.
A beautiful young Zimbabwean woman called Namatai melted my heart today. I had to take time out after reading her Facebook post and just reflect and thank God for helping me with the gift of expression. I was born and raised in a culture that doesn’t allow freedom of expression, but somehow I made it through to the other side. If I have inspired even one woman with my life story, then I am very grateful. I was touched by Namatai’s honesty and transparency. I see myself a lot in her. She reminds me of when I was so young like her. She is the founder of a very inspirational TV Show called Her Africa.
As Black British Entertainment was launched at the weekend, this is what Namatai had to say at the wake of the positive responses BBE has been getting on social media …
LIFE LESSONS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF JEAN GASHO.
I came across Jean on facebook some time ago, infact I have never met her,chances are our path won’t allow that but she is someone who has continuously written about her life on her blog. Which I have been following since l came across her and because I love reading too.
At one point, I used to attack her saying she is going over board with her stories now,that she is an attention seeker bla bla bla along with other Zimbabwean women,we mocked and bashed her.She also unfriended me at one point but for some reason I kept on following maybe I was keen of how her story will turn out.
Today- I am ashamed of being part of that madness.Of judging someone whose journey I don’t know of,l think that has been our culture as Zimbabweans for quite some time now.l look back at it, and I see that writing was a way of healing herself and she was unmasking her dead skin,so that she can shine just like the star she is now.Sometime in March,I was talking to someone about her – who was convincing me that she is crazy.I remember telling that person that she is either an extremely mad woman or she is a genius and only time will tell that.
Today,I think and have always thought,she is a highly intelligent woman and highly intelligent people have always had their ways of being mis-understood since the beginning of time.
As I follow through her life and the changes she has made.I can’t help but wonder how many women have died spiritually because they were in the hands of the wrong men and as result of that they never truly became who God has intended them to be.They just died along with all they had with them.
I won’t go much into details but the summary of the story is that she is coming from an abusive past.
And God blessed her with a decent man,and I know alot would be asking how do I know when I don’t live with them ,the thing is you can’t fake a glow in a shitty marriage .
You can’t shine when you do not have a decent support system.When a man and a woman are together as husband and wife,if any of them is succeeding what you see is a result of their private lives. Of the unconditional love and support they have for each other.Jean today is the founder of Black British Entertainment Awards and incase y’all don’t have a gift of seeing into the future.This is a huge brand and I don’t need to explain why I see things that way.Time will tell.
But after all is said and done. I wonder if BBE awards would have been born if she stayed in an abusive marriage,if she stayed in an environment where everyone thought she was a lunatic.
Lesson to be learned is that : Pray for a God filled partner,who will heal your wounds and see what God sees in you because marrying just for the sake of marrying is just another suicide mission,make sure that the person you spend the rest of your life with is the one who will bring out the best in you.
Above all, trust God to rewrite your story
let go,of everything that’s weighing you down and you will live a flourishing life.Dear Jean.
The sky is the limit.
Thank you Namatai for your inspiring feature of me. BBE Launch was truly phenomenal. I think a few pictures may explain it better…
