“Greener Pastures” : Journey Of Hope, But…

Witten and directed by the Cameroonian play writer, Wirsiy Bernard, the play “Greener Pastures” presents the terrible effects of poverty, human trafficking and gender inequality. It is a representation of how due to poverty, nepotism and the lack of an enabling environment for self-employment, young singles, as well as married ladies are in the search for a means of livelihood in which they end up being coerced by the seemingly enticing promises of an agent into venturing out of their country in search for greener pastures.
Divided into four scenes, the play begins with a voice over prologue. This explains the phenomenon of freedom as a right then enlightens on the fact that although its normal for people to be free, modern day slavery makes it difficult for most people to have this freedom due to poverty. The play begins with a group of women wailing and singing at the top of their voices. The women present their plight to the men who had seemed to give a deaf ear to all the calamities that have been going on in the community. These include child theft/trafficking, lack of farmlands, health issues, insecurity and poverty. In scene two, two ladies, Keafon and Lon lament on the decaying state of affairs in the community. Another lady, Kinyuy, meets them and informs them of greener pastures somewhere. Keafon does not seem to accept the plan and Lon and, Kinyuy make plans to go where life is a bed of roses. The play unfolds as Keafon is somewhere in the courtyard pondering over her life and the possibility of following her friends to Kuwait. She is surprised by another actress; Anna who has been eavesdropping her soliloquy. At the end, Keafon takes a firm decision to venture into the expedition though without the consent of her husband and family members. 
The next scene begi...