‘My funny accent and name made me try so hard to fit in’ Victoria Rubadiri talks about her past struggles

Citizen TV reporter Victoria Rubadiri has talked about how hard she tried to fit when she came to Kenya after years of living in the US.

Rubadiri who is from Malawi said that the more she tried the more hard it felt, so she just decided to let nature take it’s course.

‘I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO FIT IN. I’LL ADMIT IT’S BEEN A WEAKNESS OF MINE.

 

I GUESS IT STEMMED FROM THAT INSECURE 10-YEAR-OLD KENYAN GIRL TRYING TO FIND A PLACE IN THIS ‘NEW WORLD,’ CALLED AMERICA. 

MY ‘FUNNY ACCENT,’ AND ‘FUNNY NAME,’ WOULD ENSURE MY SQUARE PEG WOULD NEVER FIT IN THEIR ROUND HOLES.

 

A DECADE AGO WHEN I RETURNED TO KENYA, AFTER 14 YEARS IN THE US, I WAS MET WITH THE SAME DILEMMA THIS TIME TRYING TO FIT IN TO A CULTURE THAT WAS MY OWN BUT WAS SO FOREIGN.’

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Victoria added

‘AGAIN MY ‘FUNNY ACCENT,’ 😜AND ‘FUNNY NAME,’ (RUBADIRI IS MALAWIAN) MADE SURE OF THAT.

 

I REALIZED THE HARDER I TRIED TO FIT IN, THE LOUDER MY DIFFERENCE WOULD SCREAM.’

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After struggling for a while, Victoria decided to turn the lemons life threw at her into lemonade.

‘SOMETHING HELPED THOUGH AND THAT WAS BECOMING A JOURNALIST RIGHT WHEN I GOT BACK HOME.

 

IT TURNED ME INTO A STUDENT OF MY KENYAN PEOPLE, LANGUAGE AND PECULIARITIES. EVERY STORY I TOLD WAS A LESSON.

 

EACH YEAR I GREW IN MY CAREER, I ACCEPTED MY ‘OUTSIDER’ TAG A BIT MORE AND USED IT TO MY ADVANTAGE.

 

I GAINED A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD AROUND ME AND TRIED TO ARTICULATE THAT THROUGH MY STORYTELLING.

 

NOT HAVING THE COMFORT OF ‘BELONGING’ KEPT ME HUNGRY TO LEARN MORE AND STRIVE TO TELL A STORY AS IT IS. IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO DO WHAT I DO AND GIVE MY AUDIENCE A VIEW OF THEIR WORLD THROUGH MY LENS.’

 

ONCE I ACCEPTED THAT I’M TERRIBLE AT FITTING IN AND BETTER OFF WORKING ON MYSELF AND MY CRAFT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR ME.’

Her advise to ‘outsiders’

‘SO HERE’S TO THE OUTSIDERS, THE MISFITS, THE QUIRKY, AWKWARD, QUIET ONES. 

CELEBRATE YOUR DIFFERENCE, WHILE DARING TO SHAPE THE WORLD AROUND YOU.’