More and more African millennials are evidently redefining not only when to get married, but what marriage means to them. Unlike previous generations, many millennials are waiting longer to get married as they place their personal values and goals first, like their education and religion, as well as their career and financial future plus other options that were hitherto not available.
On the back of this, #Odo2TheWorld, a new show that celebrates African love, premiered on Youtube via the ACB TV channel on Thursday, October 22.
#Odo2TheWorld features dynamic African couples around the world as they share their love story and their challenges navigating the great institution of marriage. With weddings becoming such a big trend within the African community, the show seeks to explore what marriage means to this generation beyond the glitz and glamour.
RELATED STORIES
#Odo2TheWorld will showcase the different dynamics and intersection of marriage, faith and culture across the pan-African spectrum and cultivate a community where people can engage and learn from one another.
The show was created by Sandra and Isaac Babu-Boateng, who earlier this year launched ACB TV, a pan-African digital lifestyle channel dedicated to celebrating love, family, faith, and culture. The founders of Face2face Africa, Sandra and Isaac started with their own show where they talk about the challenges of navigating marriage and business as entrepreneurs.
“Our own interest in understanding the complexities of navigating marriage in today’s world led us to develop “Odo2TheWorld”. African millennials are redefining the institution of marriage in their own unique way and we wanted to create a platform where we can have an honest and open dialogue about what marriage means to today’s generation and how the norms are being challenged. ‘Odo’ means love in the local Akan dialect, therefore we are introducing African love to the world,” said Sandra.
Indeed, African millennials entering marriages today are much more aware of what they need to be happy in a relationship and may hold off on marriage until they find they find the kind of partner they are looking for, largely where both the man and woman would have a voice and sharing power.
And with procreation no longer a priority of marriage, women are free to pursue their academic and career dreams and now use egg freezing and other technology — provided they can afford — to buy time.
What’s more, millennials are opening up more to co-parenting without love, and single-motherhood no longer carries the social stigma previously attached to it. And with fidelity thrown to the dogs, they are comfortable having two or more significant long-term relationships or marriages.
Essentially, almost every newlywed is now looking more for companionship as opposed to the procreational or material benefits that come with marriage.
#Odo2theworld explores these dynamics and more.
“It is refreshing and powerful. What I love about this show is that we see young Africans owning their truth and taking control of their own narratives. This idea of amplifying our voice is important, now more than ever. ” Sandra continues.
How you can watch:
Tune in to ACB TV on Youtube every Thursday at 6 pm EST to watch new episodes. Subscribe to the channel and tap the Set Reminder button to receive notifications.
How to be featured:
To be featured on #Odo2TheWorld, email: contact@acouplesbusiness.com
