Maimai’s story

My name is Maimai and I like warm hugs. I have lots of friends and I really love going to school.

At first, being the new girl was really hard. I had to be brave.

I remember trying to join into a circle where some girls were having lots of fun.

“You can’t play with us. You’re black. Go away!”

I had gone away. Another day, I tried to join in again.

“This group is for princesses only.”

I told them I was a princess and that my mummy and daddy call me “princess” at home.

They laughed and called me a liar.

“There are no black princesses. Stop following us.”

I told mummy I did not want to go to school any more because I was invisible.

No one could see me and no one wanted to be my friend.

I wanted to have blonde pigtails and blue eyes. I knew the girls would like me then and I could join in the circle.

Mummy promised to be my friend at school.

The next day, the bell had rung for morning tea. Mummy was there, waiting for me with her sandwich.

I had a friend at school. Mummy was my first friend at school. She was always there at morning tea and lunch time after that.

Then one day, the principal and other teachers came into our classroom and hugged me.

They talked about being kind. They told the whole class that I was their friend and that I was a princess looking for friends to play with.

At morning tea, some girls came and invited me to sit with them.

They called me “Princess Maimai”. I was too happy to eat my lunch.

At lunch time, I was too busy playing to eat. I had friends to run and play on the slide with. That was the best day ever. The teachers and the principal came into our class the next day and again and again.

Every day, they reminded the class that I was a princess and that the school was a kind school and everyone had to be friendly.

Those were the rules. I started to have more and more friends at school — school was fun.

Then a new girl came. She told me she didn’t like me because I was the ugliest girl she had ever seen.

Mummy told me I was beautiful, that the new girl was lying and that I was to ignore her mean words.

Another day, she told me I looked like the black pigs on her daddy’s farm.

I cried until my tummy hurt. Mummy told me that as long as I liked myself, I didn’t need to be liked by everyone, and that if someone doesn’t like me, there will always be someone else who will.

Sometimes, everyone gets invited to parties except me.

One day, a sad thing happened.

My friend told me that her mummy had told her not to play with me because I am a black girl.

My friend wanted us to be secret friends.

I felt sad because we couldn’t play any more.

Even if some people have not always been nice, most people are kind to me and tell me I am beautiful and have good manners.

This one time, my friend told me my skin looked like chocolate and asked to lick my face.

This was a good thing because chocolate is sweet. I told her she could taste my face. It was so funny!

I don’t know why some children are mean. I always smile at everyone so they know I am kind, so they don’t feel scared.

Having different coloured skin doesn’t mean I am mean or that I will hurt anyone.

I think many girls are just like me.

Even if we look different on the outside, we are the same on the inside.

I like LOL dolls and Lego. I swim and run fast and tell funny jokes.

My name is Maimai. I am an African princess and I will be your friend.

I think many girls are just like me. Even if we look different on the outside, we are the same on the inside.