Marked in near-anonymity on 17 October, the World Day for the Eradication of Poverty found a rare echo at the Yarakh Cultural Centre. Led by the Kaddu Yaraax company, the commemoration combined talks and forum theatre to break the silence and raise awareness of hardship.

By Amadou MBODJI – The World Day for the Eradication of Poverty, marked on Saturday 17 October, passed almost entirely unnoticed. Nothing, or almost nothing, in the public space seemed to reflect the significance of the event, with the exception of the Yarakh Cultural Centre, where the Kaddu Yaraax company was determined to mark the day in style. “You don’t feel this day at all, even though many people are suffering from poverty in these times. It is a celebration that fills me with sadness,” laments Cheikh Masseye Fatma Ndiaye, actor and director with the troupe.

For many years, despite a few recent interruptions, Kaddu Yaraax has striven to keep this commemoration alive through themed talks focused on poverty and hardship. “It is as if nothing were happening. I am convinced that if you asked fifty Senegalese people the exact date of this World Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the vast majority would be unable to answer. Yet a significant section of the population suffers hardship, directly or indirectly,” he stresses.

Theatre to raise awareness

To give substance to this edition, the Yarakh Cultural Centre built its programme around citizens’ talks and a performance of the play Le Retour de Yacine (Yacine’s Return). The work depicts the journey of a woman from the diaspora who has returned from Spain to invest in local entrepreneurship through her hair salon.

Through forum theatre, the Kaddu Yaraax company intends to pursue its mission of raising awareness. It also aims to inform thinking on public policy and to encourage approaches likely to provide concrete responses to the challenges faced by the most vulnerable populations.

From welding to the stage: the journey of an enthusiast

Behind this artistic commitment lies the unusual career of Cheikh Masseye Fatma Ndiaye. He grew up in the shadow of his elder brother, El Hadji Ndiaye, who introduced him to theatre rehearsals organised during the community holidays (Navétanes) with the Asc Kassanga of Yarakh. A seasoned artist, he turned to the dramatic arts for good after having to give up his trade as a metal welder because of problems with his eyesight. Before that, he had also worked as a bricklayer for a decade, a hard-won life experience that he carries over into his artistic approach.

An active member of the Kaddu Yaraax troupe since 2002 – after a notable debut in school theatre – he overcame his initial shyness by drawing inspiration from the performances of the late Demby Fall, an emblematic figure of the local stage.

ambodji@lequotidien.sn