It all started in Grade 3. Every time, I stood up in front of class, the group of boys in the corner laughed. They called me names. They told me I was ugly, that I looked like a baboon, that I was too dark.
They made me never want to stand up for presentations or raise my hand for questions and answers. It was not only in the classroom, but also during break. I would not go outside for break.
I would sit in the classroom with my one friend who was bullied and we would finally be safe from the bullies or at least for 30 minutes we would be.
They took all my self-esteem away from me. I really believed everything they said.
I wanted to hide. I wanted to change the colour of my skin. I really believed I was not beautiful.
As a result, I had to repeat Grade 3 because I was not able to perform in the classroom. I was so distracted and concentrated on hiding and protecting myself from the bullies I couldn’t pay attention to what we were learning.
Even worse, no one stopped it. Teachers would watch, but they wouldn’t interfere. I didn’t want to tell my parents because I was scared of them coming to school and trying to solve it but just really making it worse instead.
It was going to be up to me to one day put my foot down.
Enough was enough. Halfway through my presentation in Grade 7, I looked at one of the bullies and told him what he and his friends did was not acceptable and I would no longer tolerate it.
Me calling them out on their actions stopped them from bullying me further.
That day in Grade 7 when I stood up for myself, I learnt that I am worth it and that I am not any of the things they tell me I am.
I should not be ashamed of who I am and the reasons for their actions are more than likely out of insecurities that they have themselves.
If I never stood up for myself I would have continued to be bullied for the rest of my life like many kids are.
I would have never been able to believe in myself enough to take chances and stride for my passions. I would be frozen with the fear that someone would tell me that I was not good enough and neither was what I was doing or trying to do.
People continue to be bullied. I see it happen still. I hear from my little cousin about how she is bullied, so how do we stop it?
If we see someone being bullied, no matter who you are, boy or girl, we must stand up for each other. If you see someone being bullied, call out the bully because it will help the person being bullied to stand up for him/ herself because he/she will not feel alone in his/her fight against the bully.
We must treat each other with love and respect. We are all human no matter the colour of our skin, the size of our body, or the gender we associate with.