Imat Akelo-Opio: On Womanhood, Warfare and Walking with God
This October, Virtue is Possible features Imat Akelo-Opio, the 4th Runner Up in the Miss Africa USA 2008 pageant.
Define “woman”, according to Imat.
Woman is truth, strength, love, integrity, the vine from which her family sprouts forth. She is wise, humble, understanding, a visionary, a true friend, good counselor a go getter, warrior of faith and protector!
Tell us about your childhood.
There are many fond memories and there were times that were difficult as in any home but both my parents gave us the best and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
How did your childhood influence your perception of the African woman?
I saw my mother every day, not knowing, watching her and being taught by her through her actions that a woman is worthy, she respects herself, she is intelligent, she loves and can achieve anything with the grace of God, despite what other people say.
My mother also made sure that we went to church and she has a faith outside of this world. She worked hard and demonstrated to us that hard work and determination are vital for success in life. It wasn’t easy for her but she shone in everything that she did, with such integrity, class, elegance and yet with so much humility. She was always paving the way, breaking barriers that no other woman dared try or even dream of. To this day, some of her achievements and pioneer have still not been broken.
When she had a mission nothing could or would stop her, it was her and her God. This has strongly influenced my perception of the African Woman in a lasting way. I live with the, the realization that I was blessed with an African mother, who prepared her children well through truth. Therefore I cannot say that I have a perception of the African woman but rather I know who an African Woman is. I have lived with great African women who have prepared me to be a new generation remarkable African Woman. Thank you Mummy I love you! Thank you Atat Pulu and Atat Karina I love you both so dearly!
Describe the first time you walked on a runway.
I had done a stint for The Body Shop, it was a Millennium theme. I was so very young, but it was really fun and all so exciting. I remember feeling proud that I got to represent people of colour. It was such a memorable day. However I soon began seriously pursuing other creative arts areas.
On August 20, 2009, you tweeted, “exciting times exciting times! all in God’s time.” Why are these exciting times for you?
Oh yes I was excited, because of my NGO – Otino International. After months of red tape, I had made significant progress that day, though there are still some minor obstacles. I am excited for what the future holds. I could already see the smiling faces of the forgotten children that I was soon going to touch through the work on my NGO. It was both excitement and inspiration.
I have been blessed with an awesome family that is doing well in all their chosen fields. I also have been cast for the first ever production of Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman in Australia that opened 28th August. I played Iyaloja, the mother of the market, a strong African woman. It was an honour to be able to play this role. I am the first African woman in the history of Australian Theatre to play a role. It is so humbling as I am playing an older woman. At first I was a bit hesitant, but I guess God had other plans.
I have a book coming out before the third quarter is up. To top it all off I will be going home to Uganda in December this year.
Are these exciting times for Africa?
Yes. We are moving forward with the times, not just technology but we are changing slowly – look at the peaceful democratic elections that were recently held in Ghana and even the role that women are playing in African governments today. For the first time, oil, one of the most vital resources, is being discovered in many African countries, including Uganda. Economic growth has picked up although slowed down a bit by the current economic crisis. Millions of Africans own mobile phones and can reach beyond borders. We have the World Cup that will be held next year in South Africa and our movies are recognized by the world. An African Woman, Dr. Asha Rose Migoro from Tanzania, is the second highest official in the UN. The first female African Lecturer in Australia, Dr. Rose Aderolili, who now also is a very senior official with the UN is another role model. We are living in exciting, historic times.
You are a performing artist. Singer/songwriter, dancer, actress, poet, model, author – in what order did these come?
I believe that I started dancing first and then everything evolved into the one – they just came hand in hand. However I also have a degree in Biomedical Science and a Masters in Clinical Data Management that has given me a strong educational foundation, through which I am qualified international pharmaceutical drug monitor.
You are a natural in front of the camera. How did this come about?
I am not sure. I think being natural to me means being comfortable in your own skin. When you know that though you are different, unique, genuine and confident, you feel comfortable anywhere, even in front of the screen where people will either encourage or even try and pull you down. But when you know the I AM then you know who you are and the camera is just that, a camera.
Are you a natural behind the camera as well?
I believe that I am because I know the I AM, the Potter who has made me perfect in His sight and image. Maybe not to the world and according to its standards, but I am who I am and I love it because God’s standards are not of this world. I am as natural as African women driving with rollers in her hair all wrapped up in a kitenge to go to the shops, as I so often do.
Describe your testimony/journey in faith.
One word – redeemed. I have had a winding journey where I have been faced with all kinds of situations, but as we know no situation or circumstance is permanent. God has always been there for me, at my lowest times when I cried all night and at my peaks such as this interview.
Who is God to you?
He is my Rock, my everything. God is my Father, He is my Best-Friend, my King, my Saviour, my Redeemer, my Protector, my Strong-hold, my Shield. Without him I honestly don’t know where I would be.
What is/are your favourite Bible verse(s)?
I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. Who can be against me when God is for me? I need not fear for they are only men, what can they do to me? He will blow away the wicked like chaff. He is able to provide exceedingly and abundantly. God so loved the world that he gave us his only son. I will be with you. You need not fear the arrows by day nor by night, a thousand will fall by your side ten thousand on your right side but no harm will come to you. Wisdom she is your best friend. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. Do unto others as you would like do unto you. The rejected corner stone became the corner stone of the home. Do not build your foundation/home on sand. Be careful the company you keep. Always seek good counsel and invest. For we have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power love and sound mind. He has taken away the sting from death and his heel has crushed Satan and he is seated at the right hand of the Father! Hallelujah! I have too many? each are for a season of life.
Do you consider it blasphemous to refer to yourself as a goddess? Why or why not?
Oh most definitely blasphemous, as to me and in Greek mythology the goddess was the female equal to their Greek gods and therefore to be a goddess I would have to be the Most High’s equal, a female counterpart. But clearly I am not as I was made in His image and therefore I am His child. I am a reflection of Him and not an equal to Him.
You are from Northern Uganda – were you raised there, or abroad?
Yes I am, I was not raised there but I went home every 2 to 3 years for at least a minimum of 3 -4 months at a time. I was raised abroad, but we were brought up as though we were at home, so when we did go home nothing was unfamiliar, not the food, not the language nothing it was all the same.
Northern Uganda has come a long way in 20 years – do you agree with this statement?
I agree that Northern Uganda has come a long way, but not in a positive way. It has been in a war that has claimed so many innocent lives, that has robbed people of the right to live in their ancestral land. It has killed the economy of the North; it has wiped out entire families and is killing traditions that were once passed down because there are no family members left. I know because I am one of those who could not go home where my father was born because of the Lord’s Resistance Army. People have been killed and are afraid of being raided. Millions of people spent 20 years in internally displaced camps, during which time thousands died from diseases and from raids by the LRA. Thousands of abducted children are still missing – not knowing whether they are dead or are still being held captive and forced to kill innocent people. Even now that many displaced people have gone back to their villages, famine has started to kill them. It is painful.
How do you feel about the developmental disparity between this area and the rest of Uganda, and what do you think can be done to facilitate the narrowing of this gap?
It is a concern because in any nation where inequality in opportunities and wealth do exist, there can never be lasting peace. I believe that everyone in a country should be given equal opportunities irrespective of gender and tribe. Unless the nation can treat everyone equally and make everyone feel included in development, enmity will be created, especially within the younger generation that often feel left out and see no future. All stakeholders – government, civil societies, traditional and cultural leaders, and indeed the men and women of Uganda need to aim and work very hard to achieve a common goal of restoring the North and the surrounding areas to the same level as the rest of the country, because we are one nation, regardless. There are some programs already put in place to fast-track the development of Northern Uganda, but these need to be expanded and deepened. The most immediate should develop agriculture and ensure food security. Many are already dying from hunger.
How does war affect the woman of Africa?
War has the most adverse effects on the female population especially in the Sub-Saharan countries economically, to the point where the UN and World Bank have even given the term “feminization of poverty” to describe the dire economic effect on women in conflict areas. War brings about gender equality issues. Women and girls are so often sexually assaulted and made to feel inferior about being attacked and are victims of repeated attacks. War brings about economic hardships for the sub-Saharan countries as women play a vital role in the economy as previously stated above. A thriving economy values its women. War brings about health concerns and issues, where women who don’t have access to medical care especially during pregnancy are subjected to high mortality rates. They also play an integral role in child healthcare which also causes increased mortality rates where women are not provided with vaccines, inadvertently once again affecting the economy through the future generations – labour force. War brings about educational stagnation; women are usually the first to be left behind with education and war robs the woman of her God-given right to be educated, once again affecting the countries’ literacy rate. Conflict has a negative impact on the vital role of women in the African society and it robs her of her pride as the mother of her nation- young and old. War removes able-bodied men from families, leaving the African women with the burden of bringing up the family alone. War has also exposed many African women to the HIV/AIDS through rapes, or through forced prostitution to survive when they find themselves displaced and as refugees.
How can the African woman recover from war?
African women have organized themselves first to ensure that peace is sustained, for without peace, there can be no recovery. Many women have formed peace-related NGOs to achieve these objectives. They have also fought hard to ensure that government reconstruction programmes do take into account the special concerns and challenges of women. For the Africans in the Diaspora, I believe that we also have a role to play. We can advocate for peace in our countries, create awareness of the situations in the countries in which we live outside Africa, and support peace-initiatives and reconstruction programmes back home. We need to also petition to ensure that our governments back home also do their bit in order to help re-build our nations, regardless of tribal backgrounds. We need to be proactive and help ourselves, which I believe that we are already doing, through NGOs and remittance.
How can women contribute to peace-building?
As I have already mentioned, African women have organized themselves to address the issues of peace and conflict resolution. However, women’s issues also need to be addressed in conjunction with Aid organizations and governments, and other development partners such as the UN and the World Bank. Gender equality issues need to be addressed whereupon women are given a voice by travelling to these conflict areas and getting them to share their true stories and how war affects their role as the woman. All governments need to put in their action plan the issues of the woman and ensure the women in these conflict areas are involved in the rehabilitative peace process.
What do you say to someone who asks where God is during times of war? For example, in what ways would you comfort one of the Aboke mothers if this was 1996 and their daughters were abducted two weeks ago?
This is my home area; my cousins themselves have gone missing. I can only say as we do back-home that our God does not cause pain and conflicts, and he does not see and turn his back. God is such a loving Father that he pains when his children pain, and that he has told us that in this world, we will go through tribulations, but that he will see us through it all. I can only say that our God has not caused this, he has not willed this for any of his children and that he will not let those that have taken away our children and loved ones go unpunished. The time for the wicked l come but for now we must continue to pray with force. We must support our leaders and continue to highlight this issue both nationally and internationally, with God’s Spirit. Trusting that our God the living God will avenge them
“Do not be the ashes from the flames of your parents.” What role do African women play in the progress of our continent?
This was part of my Miss Uganda Speech; however it was my mother that would tell us this proverb at the beginning of the school year, or after school report time reminding us that our future was in our hands. My father too would confirm, telling us that education is the only way. What they had done was the best they could for us and now it was time for us to take over and not be as ash when the flames burn out but rather to fuel the fire even brighter than they had done for us. African women are vital and play an integral role in the progress of our continent both back at home and in Diaspora. There are so many entrepreneurs’ back home all realms of the business industry from small business to multi-million dollar companies, education, health, the arts and every viable industry. In Diaspora to compliment women back in Africa, we have educated women lecturing at universities, women making key decisions as part of the UN and world-bank, doctors, lawyers, activists, all re-sculpting and re-shaping the image of Africa and restoring her to her rightful glory!
How would you explain your poem, “King of Kings, Queen of Queens,” to someone who believes that only Jesus Christ is the King of kings?
I initially wrote his poem for the child that had no-one, no father, and no mother and to those that felt the world has thrown them away. I wanted to instill hope and encouragement to them reminding them that they are King of Kings and Queens of Queens being from the motherland, and the fact that the Bible says anyone who is of God is the same as Christ, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. I believe that this principle can also be transferred to a believer. I want such children to know that they are significant and that they are from a lineage that they can be proud of, that they are made in the Most High’s image who is the King of Kings and so they should hold their head high and know that the Holy Spirit, that same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead has power to change their situation in a split second.
How should African women and men relate to each other?
There is a saying that a “bird cannot fly with just one wing”. Africa cannot develop either by men or women alone. A family functions well when both men and women in it work complementarily. Men and women should work and live together with love and respect. There has to be an environment where there can be love and mutual respect. We must instill in school systems the history of our men and women. We should educate our children from the youngest age of schooling so that they grow up respecting each other.
We must also as Christians seek [God’s] word and understand that Eve came from Adam’s rib. She was not from his foot nor above from his head. She came from his side and when you stand side by side you become one, you are equal. It is not a parasitic relationship but a symbiotic relationship that flourishes.
Is it possible to be virtuous in 2009?
Yes, I believe most definitely so, are we not the temple of the Holy Spirit? Once we get that revelation it is clear. But we must also know that we must also forge relationships that also value the Holy Spirit in order to be able to stay virtuous.
Any random relationship advice you’d like to give?
Watch, listen and learn from others especially close ones and their relationships even when it hurts. Also watch the person whether it is friend or potential partner and see how they treat others especially those that the world doesn’t place importance on. See how they treat their family and you will see their true character.
A good friend or potential partner will always respect you and never hinder you but help you blossom and help you reach your anointed potential.
Never make excuses for the other person and don’t be afraid to see the truth in the other person, because if they do it now they will do whatever it is as the relationship progresses in greater magnitude.
Finally, always value yourself first so that whatever type of relationship you enter into, you enter it with good intentions and with the wisdom of discernment that will eliminate a lot of heartache. Remember love is patient and kind; it is slow to anger and quick to forgive.
What advice would you give to women who would like to become performing artists?
Go for it! But first prepare – know who you are and set your standards as woman. Don’t let the world tell you what you need to be or look like in order to get a role – know you are unique and only accept criticism from those that are qualified, not nonsensical banter that will just confuse you and deflate your esteem. Know yourself and go out there and get it girl with God’s right hand upon your endeavours.
How can we use the arts to spread the gospel?
The living word is the best script ever. I just finished a production at my church called the Storms of Life, based on the psalms and it was so powerful people who were not even Christians that attended were moved. There is power in the spirit, there is life in His words and there are people that are hurting that just need to hear His words. I called my mother that same night and told her it was by far the best show I had ever done and not because I didn’t try my best at the others but because there was a higher agenda. There were people’s lives at stake and people were being touched.
Our God is not a boring God at all. Just look at the different nationalities, the vast flora, the assortment of wildlife that we have and the beauty of the oceans and forests…
Do you think these are the last days?
The events of the world are nothing short of what the book of Revelation states. I believe that we need to be ready, we need to prepare in everything that we do. I believe that we are in the beginnings of the end times, and all in all Jesus is seated at the right hand and he will come again in glory and every knee shall bow and confess that he is Lord.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I would like to thank Yakuti for this amazing opportunity. I would like every man, woman and child to know that no matter what you are going through, God is right there and that, that same pain, that rain is showering you to prepare you for un?imaginable growth because you are precious and on your own journey with him. Forget what the world says, seek the truth, value who you are and don’t be afraid to walk away even if you are left with nothing. Have faith and keep trusting him, He will return more to you than you could ever dream of, just hold onto his living word and seek his guidance and wisdom. I know I am living proof and testament to this advice that I give you. God Bless you, stay humble and Glory be to God!
Images:
Copyright Kipepeo Images
Copyright Alex Faulkner Photography
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I love this part of her definition of a woman…”the vine from which her family sprouts forth”. We truly are important – we set the tone of and direct the direct the futures of our families…hence many many generations to come. What a challenge for us African women to rise up and be all that God called us to be, no matter where it is we find ourselves in life – from the students at University, to the working woman, to the newly married wives, to the mums at home with the babies.
Thanks Imat for your inspiration both in person and online – your life is a beautiful testimony of the mighty God we serve!
Nice interview. Am uncomfortable with the explanation of the king of kings, queen of queens poem. I looked for it online and I agree with the question, Jesus is the only King of kings. Imat says in the beginning that we are made in God’s image but we are not His equal. We are kings and priests but He is the only King of kings, and there is no such thing as a Queen of queens Biblically speaking.
Nevertheless being from Northern Uganda am blessed by Imat’s thoughts of wisdom on this and the progress that is being made and can be made in my home area. Imat, represent, and may God guide you always in everything!!!!! Good job and you are very beautiful
Amazing indeed!! Very proud of you Miss Imat. It is a miracle that in these times one can still find a young lady like yourself who actually stands for something and is not afraid to stand tall and voice it out. Wow!…and as if that’s not enough, you are beautiful! Not only do you take care of your spiritual house but you take care of yourself physically. That’s a good balance you have there girl. Very inspiring and I am positive a lot of young people will want what you have (i.e a relationship with God) because are virtuous and hot!!!