Unlike most celebrity parents who don’t mind posting photos of their children on social media, actresses Jacky Vike “Awinja” and Jackie Nyaminde “Wilbroda” have serious reservations about the risky trend.
Speaking in an interview with Churchill Show’s MC Jessy, the ‘Papa Shirandula’ actresses cited trolls and cyberbullies. Jacky Vike on her part said the cyber bullying started even before she gave birth as rumormongers linked her pregnancy to several men.
“Up to eight men were mentioned as the father of my unborn child. Among them was a Member of the County Assembly (MCA) in my village, someone I never even knew on a personal level…mpaka nikamwonea huruma. There was also a watchman on that list,” she said.
“I got frustrated at first and then just decided to take things with a light touch.”
Awinja, whose son Mosi turned three about two months ago, added that she decided to protect him from such negativity.
“People will make judgements. Some will tell him that he is ugly. I don’t want him to suffer just because he is my son, you know. And you never know, I might also get annoyed one day and insult someone over such a matter because I cannot tolerate such. So I’m avoiding that,” she said.
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On her part, Ms Nyaminde described social media as some sort of demon.
“It has helped us a lot, but there’s also a demon behind it,” she said.
“I feel if I introduce my child to social media at a tender age, it’s not good. I have to get his consent, but most parents just post pics and run accounts for kids without knowing how it might affect them in future.”
‘Wilbroda’ said she learnt a painful lesson never to post her son, Xolani Amin Okello, on social media after someone called him ugly.
“Can you imagine someone said that about my son after a photo we took at an event went viral? ‘Huyu mtoto anakaaje, wapi babake’,” she said, adding: “Since then, I told myself I’ll never put my child through that until when he gets older and chooses to do it by himself. My son doesn’t even like me posting photos of him.”
“I can fight my wars. The comments people make are proof people are evil. So not everyone will feel the same about you,” said Nyaminde.
