In 2014, Boko Haram militants kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from Borno, and till date, more than 100 of those girls are still missing. Not only has this left numerous families inconsolable but it also gave rise to spread of the Bring Back Our Girls movement.
Over the years, world leaders, concerned individuals and organizations have continued to lend their voices to this cause with the hope that the right actions are taken to ensure that the girls are reunited with their loved ones.
In light of this, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday, December 19 premiered Bintu – The Musical in Nigeria. Staged at the MUSON Centre in Lagos, the theatre production is a bold and thoughtful dramatization of the humanitarian impact of the decade-long crisis that has plagued Nigeria’s north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
Bintu – The Musical is based on the real-life experiences of people caught in the conflict which has driven an estimated two million people from their homes.
The play follows a young girl called Bintu, whose dream of going to university is dramatically cut short when insurgents strike. Bintu and her friends find refuge in a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), where they receive humanitarian assistance. While in the camp, Bintu slowly begins to rebuild her life.
The protracted conflict in north-eastern Nigeria, triggered by a regionalized armed conflict, continues to devastate the lives of civilians, leading to widespread forced displacement as well as violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
Since its onset in 2009, over 27,000 people have been killed and thousands of women and girls abducted, majority of whom are subjected to sexual violence, exposed to trafficking, and other forms of gender-based violence.
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Source: theculturenewspaper.com
