by Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko
 
1992. Kenya. On the eve of the country's first democratic elections, everyone is brewing with expression, even in the tiny, rural village, Luoland, with no electricity or running water some 250 kilometers northwest of Nairobi. There, although lesbians don’t exist in Kenya, two women fall in love: Bobby, a blond American development worker and Awino from the Luo tribe. To complicate matters, Awino’s father is also the Chief who enforces traditions and codes. So when famine strikes, the villagers blame the lesbians for the many, many deaths by starvation. To regain equilibrium, to make everything "normal" once again, Awino--butch bordering on trans--must be “circumcised” – by force--so s/he can act like a real woman rather than a woman "who wants to be" a man, and Bobby must leave. Will Awino and Bobby agree to separate for the good of their community? Or will the village itself change?
 
"WAAFRIKA, skillfully crafted and chillingly paced, may be the first play addressing FGM together with issues related to transgender and lesbian love. It amplifies our understanding and opens our hearts. Read it!" Dr. Dagmar Schultz, Producer and Director of "Audre Lorde - The Berlin Years 1984 to 1992."
 
Most positive reviews of Waafrika by Nick Mwaluko:
 
Broadway Palm Beach (2013):
http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2013-05-30/culture/lt-i-gt-waafrica-lt-i-gt-at-empire-stage-be-prepared-to-squirm/

Florida Theater On Stage (2013):
http://www.floridatheateronstage.com/reviews/thinking-caps-intriguing-if-flawed-tragedy-waafrika-stuns-with-harrowing-climax/

South Florida Theater Scene (2013):
http://www.southfloridatheatrescene.com/2013/05/thinking-cap-theatre-waafrika-reviews.html

Miami Herald Tribune (2013):
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/24/3414650/love-and-brutality-swirl-in-waafrika.html

Miami Art Zine (2013):
http://www.miamiartzine.com/latest-features/theatre-reviews/1542-waafrika-at-thinking-cap-theatre
 
http://www.goldstar.com/events/ft-lauderdale-fl/waafrika
 
http://www.miamiartzine.com/latest-features/theatre-reviews/1542-waafrika-at-thinking-cap-theatre
 
http://www.nytheatre.com/Review/martin-denton-2005-7-21-waafrika