Jungle of Jenta

Saratu’s life began with trauma; she was raped during the Jos crisis in 2001, when she was only six years old. She lost her mother shortly after, which forced her to take responsibility for her alcoholic father and autistic brother, Paulo. Despite all this, Saratu pursued her goal of becoming a world-class athlete while navigating teenage life in Jenta, a slum. Life in Jenta is brutal, evidenced by the brutal realities of everyday. Saratu’s only link to an easier past is her best friend and childhood crush, Luka, who left for the UK after securing a scholarship. Saratu is left with no choice but to confide in her out-of-school friend, Garose, and her mother’s old diary. Later, a frightening near-rape incident at a team party resurfaced buried emotions and dragged some truth about her father into the light. While her sports coach dismissed her experience, Saratu remained positive and focused, especially with the big games around the corner. Just when things started to look up, she reconnected with Luka and gets the biggest shock of her life.