“The Water Seller (Mai Ruwa)”

By Faith Bassey and Deena Larsen

Please experience this work in fullscreen at this link. 

“The Water Seller (Mai Ruwa)” portrays a woman’s determination to succeed, learn, and heal—even through the death of her husband and disapproval of her village.  The story is set in Nigeria in 1988, a time of great change, yet just before an instantaneous, world-wide communication network. In this changing isolation, the story centers around Aiwa’s questioning traditional beliefs that harm women, but strengthening those cultural values that support and promote all people. As Aiwa stealthily grows and triumphs through treachery and grief, through love and banishment, she gathers the strength to carry on, to balance the water of life both figuratively through her studies and literally on her head.

This is one of the first “digitally borne” works for African Electronic Literature, designed to provide a unique storytelling experience for Nigerians. This story now resonates within a new format in electronic literature, accessible on cell phones. The authors hope to use the new experiences of immersive storytelling and the possibilities within electronic literature to convey messages about traditional practices and to explore possible ways to keep these unique cultures alive and thriving in this modern world. They are developing opportunities for Nigerian students from various tribes to explore and explain cultural practices for digitally born works to be read on cell phones.