THE GHETTO PHILOSOPHY

 Poverty makes people jittery especially to the rich but to the poor, life in the ghetto makes its occupants ‘rich’ in their own bragging rights. Survival tactics. With all the tactics people have devised for a living, it has shaped the people character, giving birth to many a kind of breeds. I grew up in the hood characterized by prostitution, drug abuse, gambling and all the vices one may think about. I still wonder how I escaped all these. Its a mystery. Sample this social stratum from my hood.

Untapped talent

A breed of girls with beauty that doesn’t auger well with their brains. They maintain their beauty luster under the harsh slum condition and given the opportunity of growing in the leafy suburbs, be sure they will attract their fair share of admiring glances whenever they pass. Their curvaceous body set them apart from peers.

Untapped talents are party animals and clubbing is on top of their agenda, coupled with some few cash drawn from prostitution. Yes, these girls are the typical prostitute in the ghetto. Not their choice, they are victims of circumstances.

Wannabes

The sophisticated, handsome and elegant boys of the ghetto world. Clad in the latest fashion from proceeds acquire in illegal business of selling drugs, acting as assistant personnel. They spend every day gambling as part of making a living. They date the untapped talent (when not in prostitution) in a spellbound like relationship. The unwritten ghetto rule dims them as compatible.

Jenny Walker

Mothers to untapped talent, who were equally the replica of their daughters while growing up. Their synonym is derived from the habit of them sleeping around with every man who is perceived ‘loaded’ with cash. Her children each have different fathers (talk of a mother of all ‘nation’). Jenny Walker day’s occupation is that of a liquor seller a viable ground for hunting her target-loaded men. She will keep the man as long as there is constant flow of money. And lots of it per se.

Lone rangers

The brightest brains in the ghetto, always quite, reserved, and polite. In the hood, they stoically suffer their peers teasing while at the same time tolerating the bullies. Their self-esteem is completely dented that sometimes tends to affect the school performances. The lucky ones end up all the way to the university while the unfortunate drop out of school due to lack of fees. This always leads to depression and resort to drug use or an unorthodox way for survival including mugging.

Mama Boi

The typical housewives in the ghetto under the veil of ignorance. Barely out of their teens probably married after dropping out of school due to lack of school fees. Have the demeanor of being faithful and submissive. Carries pregnancy every year, literary breastfeeding while pregnant. The husband to Mama Boi is a typical ‘mjengo’ guy (menial worker) who works very hard to feed his unnecessary large family of many children. To supplement the husband’s income, this ‘young mothers’ possesses an entrepreneurial skill. Opening up small business of a grocery with bold inscription ‘MAMA BOYI KIOSK’.

The Divas

Mostly educated, beautiful and ambitious to match with the brains. Possess the independent tag and strive hard to live life on the first lane. Their dates? You are right; they date the rich man sons from the well-off neighborhood. This attributes of a go-getter have seen them branded as gold diggers while in reality they just want a class that will ensure they climb up the ladder.

Jobless Corner

They lazy around in a strategic place, with a cool shade, protecting them from the scorching sun. This becomes tunnel to gossip and wishful thinking. Jobless Corners are a bunch of gossipers who refuses to work but rather choose to beg from familiar faces. Puffing like chimneys, and drinking cheap liquor to stupor from the day’s collection of begging. A life of vagrancy and despondence is their middle name waiting patiently to inherit an inexistence wealth.

Young Rich

Heir to a family fortune, thus they become rich without even raising a finger. The family owns strings of business within and without the hood. They only needed a basic education to control the family fortune. Some married early while others chose to explore with different sizes and shapes the world offered. Partying is their way of life, unwinding from a busy week of business transaction. Known for being sufficiently philanthropic, supporting the local struggling football clubs financial and sponsoring the orphans through their education.

Empowered

Are defined by their zeal of working hard to achieve their set goals. Books! Ooh boy, they are learned fellas who act as role models to the Lone Rangers. Kind is their heart that enables them interacts with everyone. Girls in this bracket are what most men would say wife material type.

Looters

The looters are the typical school dropout due to their own volition even after much sacrifice from their parents. The opportunity was there but they chose not to school chasing over shot term pleasures. Spend their day gambling and at night turns to be muggers. They perfected the art of pick pocketing in case the mugging job dries up. Live by the mantra of getting rich quickly or slowly die pauper.