Ivory Coast: “I often hide myself to cry,” says Carmen Sama
Carmen Sama, the widow of DJ Arafat, opened up to her followers about the challenges she faces as a single mother during a Q&A session on Snapchat. She discussed the difficulties she faces in raising her daughter, Rafna, alone, filling both the roles of mother and father since the tragic death of the Coupé-Décalé star in 2019.
Since DJ Arafat’s tragic passing, Carmen Sama has not entered into a new relationship. She strives to manage Rafna’s upbringing as best as she can, well aware of the absence of a father figure. On her Snapchat, while answering her followers’ questions, she was asked how she manages to juggle the doubled responsibilities of a parent and to keep smiling for her daughter, acknowledging her incredible courage in face of this situation.
Frankly speaking, Rafna’s mother answered the question sincerely. “Honestly, I don’t know where this strength comes from to be able to play both roles without her feeling the absence of her father. But it’s very hard. Especially at school, at parent-teacher meetings where you see each child with both parents,” she said. And she continued: “I often hide to cry. Then in front of her, I come back smiling as if nothing happened. If it were up to me, Rafna would remain an only child. I always dreamed of having children from a single father, but man proposes, God disposes… Given the circumstances.“