Hey YOUnique Souls
As the next African Fashion Night is approaching on May 24th /25th 2024 🔥
I wanted to take the opportunity to share with you, where the story of African Fashion Night (AFN) meets B-YOUnique. Or to say this a little more accurate – how my personal story, led to the union of B-YOUnique and AFN.
While AFN strives to showcase the beauty and richness of Africa during their popular event, which presents twice a year at Kunsthaus, Zurich Switzerland. Olivia James (founder of AFN) and I also talked a lot about the unique challenges, that come with being a person of color (POC) in Switzerland.
We decided to bond together and make B-YOUnique the official Mental Health Partner of African Fashion Night (supported by VAMKK – Verein Für Afro Mode, Kunst & Kultur).
You will find more in-depth information around this partnership on African Fashion Night – scrolling down until here ….
Being mixed (Swiss 🇨🇭 x Camerounian 🇨🇲 ) myself and having grown up in a very small town in Switzerland – I had my own experiences and challenges on this path, which back then often felt like I’m the only one going through all of this.
Amongst others, things such as: not feeling like you really belong, hair drama, skin color issues, being too loud or too much of ‘you name it’ – have been topics that I figured out by myself. Even though I have the most caring, supporting and loving mother, and she basically is my best friend on earth too, I felt like she could probably not understand these particular thoughts and feelings entirely.
I had to leave Switzerland again and again to places, where at least I knew I’m foreign. I had a proper role there. I was a traveler exploring other countries, languages, and cultures. I liked that role – it was safe and easy (…supposedly).
But while travelling the world by myself, something wonderful happened as a by-product. There was enough time and space, that I finally had the chance to meet and get to know myself. ALL of me – and I started to truly love that human being, which I am. What a blessing! 🙏🏽
Only now, slowly but surely, the want to seek for community grew stronger and stronger within my heart. So, I started to look for it …
I joined the AFN-Tribe, and I was welcomed with open arms. I had so many conversations with people that shared similar stories, common feelings, and lots of different experiences. Some made us laugh, some made us cry, but all of them, made us appreciate each other and connect on a heart to heart level. 💞
This is the power of community. And it truly is a matter of my heart to be there for mine.
As a Holistic Health Therapist, who specializes in Mental and Emotional Health – it feels like a true honor to me, that B-YOUnique has the opportunity to be, the open ear, the open heart and the widely opened arms for everyone, who needs it – within and of course also outside the POC family.
I’d like to make it clear, that I’m not excluding or prioritizing anybody. All of us experience our own challenges and all of them matter! Never mind how “small” or “big” they seem to you – always know, that all of us are on a journey, trying to navigate through this life. We all just want to be seen, heard, understood and loved in our entirety.
Please remember: YOU are not alone, you are YOUnique and you are freaking amazing, just the way you are. 🫶🏽
Love,
B. 🤍
Connect with me on:
→ YouTube: B-YOUnique | Living your balance is a luxury
→ IG: b_younique_ch
→ TikTok: b_younique_ch
→ FB: byouniquezh
→ Or send me an e-mail: belinda@b-younique.ch
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