In commemoration of the World Environment Day held annually on June 4 & 5, artvocates, singer and poet, Ruth Mahogany, and the Hearts Heartist Foundation, with the support of the Embassy of France, Nigeria, have sensitized residents of Gishiri community on the dangers of plastic pollution via the play ‘Maale’.

A satellite area surrounded by opulent estates and residential buildings, Gishiri witnessed a massive demolition that left many homeless, and others barely surviving, a circumstance that exacerbated the wastes challenges of the community.

To help the community, reimagine/ revisualize their spaces, Mahogany and the foundation, came up with an entertaining yet informative means to educate the people on the dangers of plastic wastes.
Written by Mahogany, ‘Maale’ the pidgin word for ‘Mother’ – connects motherhood to the earth. The play alludes that like mothers – who seem to possess unlimited energy resources and care for her children are taken for granted, so is mother earth. However, nothing is un-depletable. If a child continues to take without giving back to the mother, or not give room for replenishment, what follows is a backlash.

The performance began with a short poetry rendition by Mahogany, a short contemporary dance piece, followed by the play, and popular dance showcase by the youths of the community members.
As her first foray into playwriting, the singer said with the project she is learning to “tell the stories (I) believes in, not just advocate for advocacy’s sake.

She said, “Plastic wastes sensitization is part of my daily experience. There is vendor in my neighbourhood I am always telling to pick up after his customers, or to make them dispose their plastic wastes in the bin when they patronize him.”

Her collaboration with the foundation, which has implemented several community-level environmental projects in the FCT, was natural.

Youths of the community were engaged from the production process to the performance itself. They made up a greater number of the play’s cast; sourced plastic wastes used in the creation of the production’s costumes from a dumpsite in the community and, crafted both the production’s props and stage backdrop. They were further hired as videographers for the event.

“Our connection with the community is via Lawrence Jesus, the founder of the Great Mind Academy, who is doing wonderful things in the community. Lawrence has participated in an annual interdisciplinary creative project of Hearts Heartist titled ‘Imi’.”

“For us, community engagement is 100 percent co-creation. Collaboration takes center stage in all our project implementation and execution,” said the foundation and Hearts Heartist Creative Center founder, Olubukunmi Olukitibi.

While communities such as Gishiri that are excluded from the FCT waste management system have the tendency of relapsing to indiscriminate wastes disposal without the proper structures in place, Olukitibi stressed that the advocacy for better care of the environment is a collective effort where different stakeholders have crucial roles to play.

“For the capacity that we have, we are playing our own part, awareness creation, which goes a long way. Rome was not built in a day. People don’t become who they are in one day, and the changes will not happen overnight. But we are using creativity and arts to reach people, particularly at the subconscious level, and from there, it will begin to reflect in their consciousness as well.”