M My Name Is Mofara

Sannu Abokin

M my name is Mofara

I live in Maiduguri, Nigeria

My friend’s name is Mobo

We like to play Boju Boju

We speak Hausa

And now we’ll say “Ban Kwana“

Boju Boju

Boju Boju is a call and response game of hide and seek. The “It”player covers his/her eyes while singing the song. The other players hide. On the line, “Se ki n si?”, everyone replies, “Si si sin sii” “It” can uncover his/her eyes and search for them.

Boju boju Cover your eyes
Oloro nbo The chef masquerader are here
Epara mo Go and hide
Se ki nsi? Should I open them?
Si si sin sii Open, open, open them!
Eni to loro ba mu a pa je Whoever he finds will be killed.

Interesting side note: Oro is one of the gods in Yoruba religion. The Oro refers to a masquerade in his honor where men disguise themselves as spirits. Oloro is the high chief in charge of the masquerade.

References

Mama Lisa’s World

Welcome to my 2019 Blogging A-Z Challenge. Each day in the the month of April (except Sundays), I will bring you a memory of games and a jump rope song. It is similar to the classic A My Name Is… Do you recognize the chant? A world of children will greet their friends and skip through the alphabet alliterating their name, a friend’s name, and their home city. They will also state their country, the language they speak, and their favorite game. Descriptions of the games are included. I chose games that are played on playgrounds or streets where children negotiate their teams and terms. You may recognize your favorite games that differ only in name. As the alphabet progresses, it becomes apparent that the pursuit of laughter and fun are universal.

Antoinette Truglio Martin is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. The memoir is a wimpy patient’s journey through her first year of breast cancer treatment.