The Secret of Madala Magic

Of Franco-Cameroonian and American origin, I lost my mother at the age of 4. Taken in by my great-grandmother, I was later placed with my great-aunt at the age of 7 in Choisy-le-Roi, in the 94th district.

My stay with my great-aunt and her husband was extremely trying. For years, they subjected me to the most horrific abuses and humiliations (repeated beatings, tortures, chili peppers in the eyes, etc.). It was after one of these sessions of mistreatment that I lost my sight after falling into a coma.

Following these events, I was permanently placed under the care of social services. During all these years, to endure my daily life, I thought of my mother, a former fashion designer who in her spare time would draw and create models for her three children. I would linger at her feet among the fabric and the sound of the sewing machine.