OJORO

What?
The Ojoro series is a collection of photos and lines from a poem. Its my way of
expressing the emotions tallied to the menstrual cycle. Like many other
women-related issues we don’t have enough conversations about it or even try to
prepare the younger ones for it. Or even inform them enough about exactly what it
is, how it feels and what to expect.

How?
The poem is an excerpt from a conversation between myself (a 23
year old woman) and a younger version of myself (before puberty).
The title ‘ojoro’ is a yoruba word meaning ‘cheat’ or ‘to cheat’. The word ‘Ojoro’
in the peom personifies the menstrual cycle as the highly comfortable but unwanted
visitor. ‘Cheat’ felt like the right title for a visitor like that mainly because he
chooses to only visit women and not men/boys. Ojoro is something women have to
feel every month, whether we like it or not. It is a common reality shared amongst
women that will always be foreign to men. I like highlighting societal structures
with pictures, and very recently words too.

The poem/series is likely to have a
follow up that highlights the possible perks that come with having to deal with a
monthly menstrual cycle. The last picture from this collection ends with the last
line from the poem
“Come, let me whisper sweet things to you about Ojoro”.