What My Left Hand Made Me

760 Words4 Pages
What my left hand made me My name is KIDI Basile and I am a left handed boy. I am Guiziga from the septentrion region of Cameroon. Guiziga is one of the 200 tribes present in Cameroon. Being born a left handed boy, I experienced an unforgettable childhood. In Guiziga’s culture, a left handed child can mean many things: a curse for his father, a donkey child, a weak student in scientific fields or a stubborn child. It has been believed by Guiziga people since the foundation of our culture that being a left handed person can also be a crime. Throughout my childhood, I endured that bad look cast on left handed people. I remember when I began using my hands and feet, I was oriented left handed. Everything I could do, I did it with my left hand except shaking hands, from writing, holding objects playing soccer and eating. In Guiziga’s culture, eating with the left hand at the same table with other people means they are your enemies and you are declaring them to wrestle. Doing other works with my left hand was also not a permitted practice. Every time I tried to use my left hand, I was beaten or argued by my father or neighbours saying that if I continue to work with my left hand my father is going to die or I am going to be mad. It was an awful experience for the little child I was. Everyday I was compelled to use my right hand in the presence of my parents. More often, when my father taught me, I was scared and my left hand began to tremble. I could not form any letter with my right hand but my father always forced me. When I was forced to do that, I felt my mind blocked and could no longer reflect reasonably. Yet I never gave up using my left hand. Many people liked to tell me left handed children are lazy and blockheads at school. contrarily to their expectations, I felt motivated and challenged to prove them the contrary. I was 11 years when I began to prove to
Open Document