HOME TRUTHS: Amarachi

Amarachi is a Nigerian born actress and spoken word poet. Having lived in
Nigeria, New Zealand and now Melbourne, for Amarachi home isn’t one single
country or location. Rather, home represents a process of becoming – a
place of growth centred around the people she loves.

Name: Amarachi

Age: 23

Lives in: Wyndham/Melbourne

Please finish this sentence – I feel at home when … I can let my guard down and not think too much about what I say or what I do.

What does home mean to you? Has this changed since the COVID-19 pandemic?

Home to me has always been where my family is. I was born in Nigeria but moved to New Zealand when I was 2, which became home to me, then when I was 16 moved to Melbourne and have lived here ever since. My idea of home changed when I moved here because it felt like I left it behind when I left New Zealand and my friends and my life. I was confused because I felt lost and incomplete, but I realised that home isn’t just one place for me, it’s multiple places made up of people I love and people who love me. COVID-19 hasn’t changed that, I still see home the same, it’s just made it a bit lonelier because part of the reason I feel so at home here is being surrounded by my close friends and theatre family; with everything closed, it’s made it a bit harder to come to terms with being okay just seeing them virtually

Where’s home for you?

I live in Wyndham, I’ve lived here since I moved to Melbourne and I live with my 3 siblings and my parents. I really like it here because it’s where a lot of my passions were reborn. Home for me is also my village Umuaka in Imo State in Nigeria. It’s where my parents were born and raised. Auckland, New Zealand is also home to me – a little suburb called Onehunga where I lived and grew up for 14 years. It’s where I met my first best friend, where I learnt to ride a bike, where I watched our small family of three grow into a big family of six. So, I would say Nigeria gave me breath and life, New Zealand taught me what to do with it and how I wanted to use it, and Australia solidified what I already knew. This question is always a bit complicated for me because one answer doesn’t do it the justice it deserves. I’m the product of two people who wanted better for their family and made sacrifices even if it meant moving hours away from their homes.

What have you lost because of lockdown? Is there anything you’ve gained?

I’ve lost the ability to be able to go into work and physically be there for my creative projects; some of them had to be postponed for later dates or are still just uncertain. I have fortunately gained other opportunities that probably wouldn’t have been able to happen if lockdown didn’t occur. I’ve got a lot of time on my hands now because I’ve cut travel times for meetings and sessions so I spend a bit of my time writing.

What’s the first thing you’ll do when there are no restrictions at all?

I’m going to hug all my friends so tight and sit down at restaurants, parks, and beaches and take everything in. I’m going to be more adventurous and not take life and time for granted. I’ve already got a list of things I want to do and places I want to go when we’re free from restrictions! ‘Til then, I’m going to keep dreaming and praying for better days ahead.

Interview Maria O’Dwyer Illustration Georgia Perry