Dolapo Ajakaiye

Searching Greener Pastures Dolapo Ajakaiye

Publisher Marketing: Gladys left a comfortable life in Nigeria with family to study in England. Her husband, John, embedded in the traditional African culture, failed to adapt to life in England and left his wife to cope with the difficult lifestyle. Her marriage suffered and she experienced nostalgia and heartache. She left a collective society and found herself in an individualistic society where no one cared if you existed or not. This, to her, was a huge cultural shock. She was faced with racial discrimination due to the colour of her skin and accent. She witnessed first-hand, lack of respect for cultural diversity by the Whites. The plight of the ethnic minority, especially the Blacks, saddened her. They were always at the bottom of the ladder of preference. In a society where stereotyping and assumption determines acceptance or rejection, she questioned the greed of the African leaders, especially those in her country, Nigeria. These leaders make life at home difficult and unbearable for the people and they pretend all is well. Their citizens, in search of greener pastures, blindly subject themselves to voluntary exile and a new form of modern day slavery to the West, in the form of brain drain. Highly skilled and qualified professionals with University degrees from developing countries end up as menial workers in unskilled jobs like cleaners, care support workers, security guards, waitresses and check-out staff. They hardly get decent jobs because of their skin colour and accent. It is often difficult to retrace their steps and return home as all has been sacrificed for the sojourn. The role of the West in the indirect modern day slavery is also examined.