“Know your worthy…”
This audio interview was recorded at home via zoom between Kampala, Uganda and London U.K during the 2020 COVID-19 Lock Down. Siima is of continental African heritage based in Kampala, Uganda.
The conversation covers Siima’s personal experiences of self-love, mother-daughter relationships, her ancestry, food and some of her daily practices. The duration of this recording is 01:39:41, conducted by Kakazi founder Nicole Nabisere. The items below were selected by Siima as objects, text and images significant to Siima. Annotations give context and brief description of those items and how they were digitised.
Hair Bonnet
My hair bonnet reminds me of the importance of doing things that we may not like but are beneficial. I do not like the way I look when I have a bonnet on yet I wear it religiously before bedtime. Regardless of where I am or who I am with, I will wear it.
Lip balm
I associate lip balm with ritual and tenderness. Every night, I apply lip balm on to my lips until they are shiny. I really, really enjoy tracing my lips with my index finger covered in balm. During lockdown, I learned how to make my own lip balm and haven't looked back since. It's really simple, I mix with shea butter with vitamin E oil, black castor seed oil and a few drops of orange oil then keep the mixture in the fridge until it solidifies.
Siima as a Bridesmaid
This is the first time that I was a bridesmaid. I remember being so excited because it involved wearing makeup and a fancy dress. Being a bridesmaid was always something that I aspired to because I always saw it as a public acknowledgment of one's beauty. As a girl, I rarely felt beautiful so I needed external validation.
Siima’s ring
I bought this ring in New York in 2014. It is one of the rare instances where I have bought something for myself without it being a reward for accomplishment or productivity. Usually, when I see something that I want, I go through this long process of having to justify why I need or deserve it. I do not do this when it comes to other people. I need to extend this kindness to myself and divorce my self-worth from accomplishment.