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Why ex-Nairobi Diaries Marjolein Blokland considered herself white

Wednesday, May 12th, 2021 18:41 | By
Former Nairobi Diaries cast MARJOLEIN BLOKLAND Image: COURTESY
Former Nairobi Diaries cast MARJOLEIN BLOKLAND Image: COURTESY
Former Nairobi Diaries cast MARJOLEIN BLOKLAND Image: COURTESY

Ex-Nairobi Diaries Cast and fitness trainer Marjolein Blokland recently opened up about her childhood and the challenges she faced from being mixed race.

In an interview hosted by media personality Pinky Ghelani on her YouTube show dubbed What women want, Blokland expressed that growing up she considered herself white despite her being half Dutch and half Kenyan. She explains that mixed-race children were rare to come by in the Netherlands, where she was living at the time.

“It’s been a mix of both cultures/societies when I came here from the Netherlands sounds silly but I thought I was white and I wanted to be white. You see mixed kids now than you did then in the 90s. I did not see colour all too much and I hang out with white people and I thought I was white. Then I came to Kenya and as I remember it was quite a shock because I was used to seeing white people and now there are black people everywhere and I had to get used to that," Blokland said.

The fitness trainer says that even after settling here and going to Braeburn international school where there was a mix of different races she still wanted to be white.

“I remember I would flat iron the living daylights of my hair till I had split ends from here to Tokyo,” she added.

She started embracing herself more when she was 16 after being mocked by fellow students and interacting with people of her caliber.

Blokland became famous after appearing on the reality show Nairobi Diaries where she introduced viewers to incorporate poll dancing as a way of keeping fit.

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