NEW GLASGOW – Just a few good choices can change the world.
That’s the message that a group of 16 young people from across Canada brought to students at North Nova Education Centre Wednesday morning as the Otesha Project performed a play to illustrate their message about environmental sustainability.
Otesha is a Swahili word meaning “a reason to dream,” which was also the title of the group’s play. The story focuses on a high school student named Billie Rae, who learns her choices can have an affect on the world.
“We go through Billie’s day and see how her choices affect the world – for example, her clothes,” said Stefani Van Wijk. “It’s kind of like a Scrooge Christmas Carol type experience and she’s brought to a sweat shop where they’re made.”
Van Wijk says it’s hoped students will leave with the understanding that they can make choices that will impact the environment.
“We want them to realize they can buy clothing at a thrift store and no one will judge them – and it’s way better than wasting money at a huge corporation,” she said. “We want them to realize how important their community is, and that it’s not a huge, daunting task to change the world. Just a few choices can do it if we all work together.”
The Otesha project doesn’t just pay lip service to the idea of being more environmentally sustainable, either.
“We try to walk the talk,” said Van Wijk. “If we show up in a bus spewing carbon emissions, we’re not doing that.”
Instead, the group travels by bike, which had tragic consequences when one member, Andrew Wolf, was struck and killed by a transport truck in New Brunswick on Sept. 16. Two others were injured.
Although it was a difficult decision, the group decided to continue the journey in his memory, saying that he believed strongly in the project. During their appearance at NNEC Wednesday, each member of the group had “Dearest Little Wolf” written on their shirts.
For more about the Otesha Project, visit www.otesha.ca
