A new musical theatre production
titled We Can (Tunaweza) is a story that presents the dreams,
aspirations, anxieties and challenges that confront refugees before and
after they have left their countries of origin.
The production was recently staged at
the National theater by a group of youthful urban refugees and selected
Ugandans under the Refugee Youth programme. It was supported
by Inter-Aid Uganda, the Makerere University School of Liberal and
Performing Arts (SLPA), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
and the Office of the Prime Minister.
The play that was free of charge for the
public revolves around Mamerito Olave (played by Mamert Olave
Nizigyimana) the main character, a businessman in his mid-30s, his
family and fellow refugees: Lewis and Jaures.
The production begins with Mamerito
pacing up and down his living room. He is restless, uneasy, and in deep
thought. He soon breaks into an outburst lamenting over bad governance
in his country.
“No! No! It is impossible! This is a
problem! We cannot continue like this,” Mamerito says. “The bad
governance has affected all sectors…Look at businesses…we cannot make
profits because of the high taxes. If things do not change, how am I
going to achieve my dream? I was planning to build a house for my family
just like other people have done, but now…”
His wife Suzan (Mama
Baju), in her early 20s, storms into the living room, and angrily throws
an opposition party membership card at him. She quarrels against her
husband’s stance, worried that the young
family will get killed. Mamerito attempts to convince her that he
joined the opposition party in the hope that they would get to see the
change that they need in their lives and society. But Suzan does not
seem to agree.
The ministry of internal affairs and
public security issues a public announcement informing the citizens that
there are suspicions of rebel presence in some communities in the
country. The public is requested to be on alert, to move with their
identification documents wherever they go. The public is also asked to
report any suspicious people or activity in their area to the nearest
police station.
The rebels attack people’s residences
and destroy houses. Mama Baju runs off with her two-year-old son Didier,
while Mamerito rescues their eight-month-old daughter Baju. They run in
separate directions.
With no more shelter, the citizens,
together with Mamerito who has run back for safety, find themselves in
‘dangerous places.’ The people start running away from the spaces they
consider dangerous. Baju gets an attack due to the coldness in the open.
Mamerito can be seen in panic trying to save the life of his baby.
He scampers for various remedies and
administers a herb in the hope that the child will be saved. This does
not help and after a few minutes, the baby dies. Mamerito tries to get
up and find protection from the police. Instead, they seem to have come
to punish him, thinking he collaborated with the rebels. They start to
beat, kick, and torture him.
They only leave when they think that he
is dead. After their exit, other people rush to help Mamerito, who is
still alive. Together with other refugees, Mamerito crosses into Uganda.
They are faced with language barriers and struggle to adjust to the new
foods in the host country.
After settling in Kampala, Mamerito
writes a letter to Suzan with money for her and their son to join him in
Uganda. Mamerito starts hawking fresh foods and vegetables in the
suburbs of Kampala in an attempt at realising his dreams as a successful
family man. Each day is an encounter of many things; language barrier,
nostalgia, loss of his child and loneliness. He wishes that his wife can
join him anytime soon.
No sooner has Suzan arrived than
Mamerito is arrested by city authorities for hawking. Lewis takes
advantage of the helpless Suzan by promising to keep Mamerito from
prison provided she sleeps with him. Jaures and Mamerito get Lewis in
the process of trying to lure Suzan into a sexual escapade. This injures
the relationship between the refugees.
Upon Jaures’ advice, the production ends
with Mamerito abandoning the hawking business and taking up an
entertainment job a the hotel in order to secure the economic survival
of his family.
The story is told through traditional
music, live band music, rap, hip-hop, traditional dance, contemporary
and modern dance, body percussion, mime and street dance, among others.
Mamert Olave Nizigyimana, a Burundian
refuge in Uganda, told The Observer: “These are the problems we face as
refugees. This is a true reflection of what I went through when I fled
Burundi. Life is like a flowing river with many turns and bends. So, you
have to be tough in order to reach or achieve what you want.”
“A life of a refugee is very difficult.
When you flee your country, most times you leave with nothing, which
means you have to work very hard to start a new life. Sometimes you
don’t know the languages of the host country and which take a long time
to learn. We [refugees] have several talents and need support in order
to exploit them,” Nizigyimana added.
The executive director, Inter-Aid Uganda, Scholastic Nasinyama, thanked the Ugandan government for welcoming refugees.
“When you give them [refugees] such
opportunities [drama] they can explore their talents. It means we have
very many talented people among the refugees,” Nasinyama said. “We thank
the host communities for being accommodative. Every one of us should
support them because they are like you and I and most are from
neighbouring countries.”
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