Tafigawalo

Storylines

Mbakwo’s Story

Mbakwo is a 32-year-old farmer and housewife with four children, three girls and a boy. Her husband, Centus, is a 40-year-old primary school teacher and he wants more boys. At first, Mbakwo risks her life to accommodate Centus, but as she learns about the importance of birth spacing, she pleads with Centus to give her body time to recover between pregnancies. Centus retaliates by taking a second wife. However, Centus’ second wife soon dies – and we discover that she was afflicted with HIV/AIDS and Centus is now infected. Mbakwo finds it in her heart to forgive him. Centus gets help to learn how to live with the virus and how to protect Mbakwo as they rebuild their life together.

Rashima’s Story

Rashima is 14 years old and lives with her mother and elder sister. She’s a good student, but she’s attracted to Chickie, a 16-year-old classmate with numerous lovers. Rashima starts to attend parties and at one party she is drugged and raped by one of the boys. Even after this horrible incident, Rashima is still lured by Chickie’s fast-lane life. It’s only when Rashima narrowly escapes a horrific accident the way to a party with Chicke that Rashima realizes how precious her life is. Rashima’s sister helps her to regain her equilibrium.

Mbede’s Story

Mbede is a primary school teacher and a subsistence farmer. He and his wife Onase have four children, three girls and a boy. Money is tight, and Onase has convinced Mbede that it is a waste of money to educate their daughters since they will only grow up to be housewives. Mr. Apke, a close friend of Mbede’s and a secondary school teacher, encourages Mbede to send his daughters to school. Mbede is torn. Finally, when Mbede’s oldest daughter threatens to run away to the city if she cannot attend school at home, Mbede realizes that his daughters have a right to an education. He decides that he must stand up to his wife and enroll the girls in school.

John Nwankama’s Story

John is a hot-tempered man. He loves flashy cars, parties, and drinking. When he gets drunk, which is far too often, he takes out his aggression on his wife and sometimes on his children. One of his close friends doesn’t see any problem with his behavior because he believes that women only understand through a bashing. But another of John’s close friends, Obior from college, abhors his behavior. John’s wife has been hospitalized as a result of his beatings, but it is only when one of his blows knocks his young son from her arms and he dies from the fall that John realizes the horror of his ways and finds the strength to change.