The fact that I'm African is all that matters, and that is enough. I am after all Mwana Wevhu--a child of the African soil.
-- Elizabeth Nyamayaro (chapter 3)

Importance: This quotation encapsulates how Nyamayaro sees herself as part of the African community. No matter how far she travels, she always feels at home when she returns to the African soil.

Once again, I feel less than, unequal--just as I had at my British primary school. There, I experienced three levels of inequality all at once: racial inequality, because of the color of my skin; social inequality, because of my humble upbringing; and gender inequality, because I was born a girl, and like so many other girls in my village, my education was never prioritized and I lagged behind in my learning and knowledge.
-- Elizabeth Nyamayaro (chapter 7)

Importance: This quotation underscores the fact that Nyamayaro has had to fight for basic personhood since birth. When she tries to convince Dr...