What Aituaje Iruobe, stage name Waje, is a Nigerian superstar is not in doubt. However, the diva has crossed over to the world stage; not with her music, but with her humanitarian efforts via the One Campaign; a non-profit organisation with a mandate to fight world poverty.
In her submission about the effect of the work of Femi Kuti on younger musicians, Waje said, “It is so amazing to be part of this entertainment industry where you are not afraid to say the things you need you to say, so that when we open our mouths, we know we have someone pushing us from behind. We may never meet you, (some of us have never met you, some have, some have never even sat down to have conversations with you).But we know that there is a path we should follow because you want your community, and the people that associate with you to understand the concept of living, and making sure that your community gets the best.”
Waje was part of the One team at the meet and greet session between Irish born Rock superstar; Bono, and Afrobeat star, Femi Kuti that held last Thursday at the new Afrika shrine. Bono, who is a Knight of the British Empire (OBE), was on a brief visit to Nigeria in association with his work with One; an organisation he cofounded.
Waje says that her involvement with the campaign stems from her belief in women’s empowerment, and girl child education, as a way of eradicating poverty. “In Africa, there is a saying that ‘when you educate a boy you educate an individual, but when you educate a girl, you educate generations,” she said.
A face of the Strong Girls Campaign, which is part of the One Campaign in Nigeria, she is involved in an ongoing campaign in Nigeria tagged “Poverty is Sexist”. It urges world leaders to take speedy action against denying girls education, being forced into marriage; avoid mothers risking their lives when they give birth; and to stop the farmer from being prevented from owning the land she works in.