When I ask you “where are you from?”,
speak back to me in the language you first spoke in.
I might not understand right away,
but I will listen, and just like the sun and the sea
we will meet each other halfway;
Because even if our tongues differ,
our smiles are similar….
Even if a border separates us
our voices still resonate together…
My pulse,
an echo to the beat of your drum;
My heart,
a union of different veins to the same ocean.
If today I managed to rise above the clouds
to fly from Mauritius to Zimbabwe,
it’s because you and I wear the fabric of a land
where cultures blend in, and stories are interwoven.
You and I have imprinted on the palms of our hand
a foundation of bridges where leaders are made.
Toastmaster, our title;
Empowerment, our vision.
Within this community
lies the warmth of a thread…
one that weaves through Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi,
a palette that mixes colours of Angola, Namibia and Eswatini,
each one their instrument, together a musical symphony;
each one their ingredient, together a delightful recipe.
“Where are you from
and what were you born to be?”
Tell me your name, tell me your tale,
tell me how we are not the same.
Travel within the ground underneath our skin,
we will meet where our roots entwine to count our blessings.
If you will be a tree in autumn,
I will be a flower in summer;
and together,
we will grow a forest of all four seasons.
When the globe is going cold, silent and distant,
let us be birds who disperse seeds of multiple cultures…
Let us remind the world that we stand as 5 fingers,
connected, despite out differences.
When we fly again from here,
be the voice which asks “where are you from?”,
until tomorrow becomes an echo
of a place we all belong.
Written and performed by Zainab Soyfoo,
for the Opening Ceremony at the District 74 Toastmasters International Conference in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
05 May 2023
