In 2012, as a pharmacy student at the University of Lagos, Hassan Yahaya noticed the floor that housed his room in the hostel was different. The hallway was tidy, clothes didn’t hang on the balcony, and, most significantly, the toilet was always neat. This was unlike the other floors at the College of Medicine. 

It was the handiwork of Mama Balo, the vibrant middle-aged matriarch who maintained the floor. She cleaned the toilet and swept the hallway. She scrubbed the gutter. She threw clothes that hung on railings over the balcony. She was scary, and she was loved, and she was hated. People who stayed on her floor felt a slight irritation at her addiction to order. The other boys in the hostel were jealous of them.

Now, a new documentary from Vistanium, co-directed by Yahaya and his frequent collaborator Kayode Idowu, aims to celebrate her life. Mama Balo charts a day in her life, making stops to hear from the students whose lives her dedication to her work has touched. We see her as she survived the pandemic, when the hostels were shut down, and the cleaners couldn’t find work. In her telling, it was the students, both past and present, who came to her aid.

In a country where class demarcation is rife and dignity in labour is scoffed at, a documentary that celebrates those at the totem pole, showing them doing their work, going about their day, exploring their motivations, is as rare as they come. Under Vistanium, the duo directors also made Gravediggers, which sheds light on the work of gravediggers.

“The root of this doc was trying to figure out what drives her and what we can all learn from her,” Yahaya told Zikoko.

They met when they both worked at Zikoko. Yahaya wrote for the website, and Idowu worked in the video department. “Kayode and I visualised what the doc would look like together. I did the interviews, Kayode operated the camera, and together, we beat out a path for the eventual film,” he said.

As the documentary progresses, we come to see how Mama Balo or Mama B became known by that name. Balo was not her child, but a student whom she became endeared to. She took care of him, and in return, he took care of her.

Mama Balo. Image credit: Vistanium

“When we first saw the documentary, we were immediately drawn to its impact,” Nana-Aisha Salaudeen, the journalist who is a co-founder of Vistanium, said. “Mama Balo’s deep care for an often-overlooked job creates a ripple effect on those around her, including the hostel residents.”

Days after the trailer was released, a handful of people reached out, wondering how they could support her. The creators have since shared a donation link and a GoFundMe for those interested. So far, on GoFundMe, where the amounts donated are publicly listed, CA$385 has been raised, a far cry from the CA$15,000 target.

Students and alumni from the College of Medicine who knew her have been holding vigils under the post Vistanium made sharing the trailer. “I’m glad this wonderful woman is getting [the] spotlight. IYA BALO TO THE WORLD,” one user posted. Another user called her an “Absolute Legend. The very best.”

When they decided to make the documentary, this was the kind of impact that Yahaya and Idowu wanted to make. They want people to know that “no job is too low not to warrant care because no job exists in isolation. Carelessness ripples. It adds friction to the working of the world.”

From L-R, the co-directors of Mama Balo, Hassan Yahaya and Kayode Idowu

“We want it to spark reflection on the pride and joy that can come from even the smallest acts of care. If Mama Balo can find meaning in her work, maybe we all can too,” Salaudeen said.

Watch the full documentary below:

ALSO READ: The Gravediggers Documentary Spotlights the Men Who Bury the Dead for a Living

OUR MISSION

Zikoko amplifies African youth culture by curating and creating smart and joyful content for young Africans and the world.