“I have a ‘why’ for
doing what I’m doing and my ‘why’ for
BEFFTA is simple... to appreciate a
community with the
most talented people in the world.”
bless my partner, you know, sometimes he’ll give me money for food but I’ll pinched that money and put it to this you know. (laughs!) My hus- band is however, very, very, very supportive. But then he values me for the fact that I’m a mother, I’m a mother to these two beautiful children and I’m a wife as well..
Q You are very fashionable. fashion sense and do you buy
What inspires your African?
I feel humbled to be seen as a fashion icon really, I love dressing up. For me dressing up is an occasion that I treas-
Celebrity puller: BEFFTA founder Pauline Long with Nigerian entrepreneur Alexander Amosu
tion as well my mother who would invite other children to come and stay with us despite the fact that she already had all 11 of us, but she still had time to take care of other people, too. We were 11 of us in the family and I used to think,
all the time. But during school holidays I always insisted on going back to the vil- lage to live with my grandfather, while all my siblings wanted to go back to the city. My grandfather was such an amazing
person, you know he didn’t have much but he had this open door policy, people used to walk past our thing but he would call them in for a cup of tea. I am also like that. My grandad was always kind. Tat’s the real me. I believe in giving back and I count myself blessed because I’m blessed with that, the giſt of giving.
Q Tat’s a special giſt indeed and your Kenyan roots definitely
helped shape the person you have become. It goes back to my Kenyan roots, it goes back to the village my late grandfather – love him to bits – but I have to just men-
huh, we’re already a big family, why is she looking aſter others? So my mum was also a person who gave.
Q You are clearly not in this for money, or are you? How do you
react to people who say there are so many awards and what you are doing is a duplication, and people do these awards to make money. Yours is a free event and you do not get any sponsors, how do you do that? Are you rich? I’m not rich, I’m not rich, no, I’m bless-
ed, that’s all I can say, I’m blessed. I’m not rich, actually I’ve got a roof over my head, yes I would say I’m rich, I eat food every day, I’m rich, I’m dressed, but to say I’m a millionaire, that’s why I’m doing the awards or that I’m getting money out of it, or I’m being sponsored, no I am not. Te BEFFTA Awards always runs by itself,
ure. I don’t have a full length mirror in my house, I used to a few years ago but it got broke (kids!). I never replaced it for five years now. It is probably the best idea because I choose what to wear once, I don’t have to try on so many clothes and look in the mirror to see what fits best, I’m saving a lot of time. My entire family have be- come my biggest fashion critics, with my son who has officially declared himself my stylist, he’s nine... he has a great eye for fashion and I respect his choices, he’s never wrong. But I won’t enjoy his free service for long because I hear him asking for a payrise...
Q How do you answer your critics who have pointed out some
BEFFTA failures? When I set out to achieve something, it doesn’t matter how many times I’m listed in the book of failure, I will carry on until I succeed because I have a ‘why’ for doing what I’m doing and my ‘why’ for BEFFTA is simple... I have set out to appreciate a community with the most talented peo- ple in the world, a community that is not oſten credited for their achievements and contributions in the society.
Q
Whom did you work with for this year’s show?
I work with a very passionate, upaid team, who believe in the BEFFTA ethos: Sama Dango from Cameroon, a positive and passionate young man and motivational speaker; Ethel Elaka, a Zambian actress, singer and beauty pageant promoter who also runs her own management company, Efficom; Christine Kayisha, who is a pro- ducer and scriptwriter; Derek, who is a promoter and does a lot of things in the African community; and Chuka Royalty, a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.
AUTUMN 2011 | NEW AFRICAN WOMAN | 83
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