BBA’s Feza: I Grew Up In Kenya

I grew up in Kenya where I studied in several schools including Senior Chief Koinange Girls High School in Kiambu.’’

“I am sad, really sad, that I am out of the Big Brother Africa — The Chase only two weeks to the finals,” the rather gallant Feza says before taking a reprieve, so with the memories of her last Sunday eviction in mind.

It had been a painful reality not only to her, but also to thousands of her fans across East Africa, that cheered her on as its only hope to the continental reality TV show finals after the earlier eviction of the Kenyan contestants Huddah and Annabel as well as the Ugandan representatives.

The expulsion of her fellow Tanzanian housemate Nando, one of the show’s fans’ favourite, evoked sad memories across the region and like on revenge mission, here was East Africa sympathetically cheering a lone ranger.

“I must thank Africa for keeping me in the Chase. I was so shocked that I had so many Kenyan supporters. Nairobi is my second home and I must say, I did my best to represent my fans,” she remarks with a lighter cheer. “I grew up in Kenya where I studied in several schools including Senior Chief Koinange Girls High School in Kiambu,” notes the single mother of one, who many recall for her short dyed hair, a bubbly go-happy showbiz girl popular in Arusha for her music artistic skills.

Feza played her game like a brave hunter, surviving the numerous nominations for weeks and enduring a level of loneliness created by her fellow finalists who seemed to pair up as couples, leaving her exposed as a loner.

But that is all behind her and with no regrets or hard feelings about participating and failing to win the big cash, the rather ambitious Feza has her eyes on her childhood vision.

“I was so sad when I was ushered with the news of deaths of two top Tanzanian artistes who died of drug related issue when I was in the BBA house. That was a shocker for me. Together with my brother, I have been running a Youth Against Drugs campaign for several years. I want to use my new found fame to enhance the campaign now that so many of our artistes and the youth in general, are perishing in drug abuse,” she says.

“I want to address the issue with the president (Jakaya Kikwete) who has in the past, showed interest in helping alleviate the vice. I will find audience with him and I know he will give me a positive response,” she adds, convincingly.

Having entered the continental show in mind that the competition has in the past been a great platform to build careers of many young celebrities across the continent, Feza, an Information Technology graduate, says BBA is more than chasing the money adding that the lessons learned in the competition are life changing.

“For example, the One Campaign is a great concept, uniting Africa in fighting poverty and other negative vices. I also made great friends like Annabel from Kenya in the house.

It was a great time all in all,” she summarises before adding; “ Bimp and Angelo are my favourites among the finalists. I hope one of them takes the money.