Vrouwen aan boord: Rare Ideologie wey no fit sink!

City, Netherlands

Omo, wetin I go like to yarn today na di plenty wahala wey dey surround women wey dem dey say no fit waka for ship. E don scatter my head since I don see say some people still dey believe say women wey join sea crew na bad luck. I no sabi wetin dem smoke, but e no make sense at all!

When I first enter ship life, I hear plenty of guys dey talk say women na dem bad omen. Dem go dey shout, “A woman onboard go bring calamity!” Funny enough, na dem same guys wey carry belle from bar join ship crew. If na so, wetin dey happen sef? (E be like say dem dey use two faces talk!).

Fast forward to when I become first mate, I meet my old classmate and we dey catch up. But when I ask about di second mate, e face change like say I talk correct English. “Make you dey watch dis second mate, na woman o! She no sabi anything!” I just dey look am like, which kain primitive level dis one be? Dis na 2023, my guy!

But lo and behold, dis so-called ‘dumb’ second mate turn out to be di best thing wey happen to our team! Dis woman get solutions and empathy wey many men no fit match. At di end of di day, na teamwork wey matter, regardless of wetin you carry between your legs.

Now, e be like say we dey enter new time wey e dey hard for anybody go sea, whether na man or woman. Dem plenty competition wey dey come from countries wey dey pay low wages like India, Philippines, and Russia. E no easy to dey shout for crew members wey go fit share bed from standard wage naija boys dey expect! (E be like dem dey use calculator to check di currency, no bi small!?)

Dem don try small initiatives to get school children interested, but it dey look like say we no dey see plenty boys and even fewer girls don take step for bridge. Wetin happen to all di adventurous spirits? Or dem don gree say dem wan dey squat for house with their mamas and cook jollof? E go better if dem fit waka comot! I dey beg you, girls: show dem say di water no be for men alone. Join ship life, make we see how e go be to float together.

Na true say some political parties dey shout say ‘tradwives’ dey on top of di matter, while dem wan push women back to kitchen. But I gree say make we open di door for di ladies to shine for di sea! It no dey too late! Women go fit rule di waves, no be small! So ladies, carry your bag, jump on board, and let’s catch di tides together!