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"Zema" is the Shimaoré word for "goodness". It was chosen by the youth of Ongojou on the island of Maoré. They chose it because it is a core value in the local tales where being good to others always pays off! I painted it on the iron sheets of a house in the slum of Kardjavenza, a neighbourhood where families have neither running water nor electricity. Many adults here can't read and ask me what word I'm painting on the wall when they walk past. I can't help thinking that France could make a bigger effort to develop all of its regions. Because yes, this Indian Ocean island is a region of France. #Mayotte #Maoré #streetart #painting #mural #eastafrica #sebtoussaint #goodness #zema #shimaore #ongojou #ongox #ongoxcity #urbanart #arteurbano #letters #fonts

"Udjama" means unity. The local kids chose this word because their village was formed by people who were kicked out of an owner's land. But the tight community stood together and found a new place to live where they could acces water and grow crops. #streetart #mayotte #maoré #arteurbano #art #mural #udjama #patterns #colours #letters #fonts #ongojou #ongox #sebtoussaint

"Uvenzana" is a Shimaoré word meaning "to love each other". It was chosen by the local kids of the village of Ongojou on the island of Maoré. It's a word that the kids found in local tales of Ongojou and which they would like to share with everyone. #streetart #love #uvenzana #painting #arteurbano #urbanart #patterns #maoré #mayotte #indianocean #EastAfrica #sebtoussaint #mural

I'm painting in Ongojou on the island of Maoré (Mayotte) off the East Coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. I'm painting with the help of local youth, words that have been chosen by the youth themselves. The kids have been learning traditional tales of their community and finding words to represent these tales. Here I wrote the word "maji" (water in Shimaoré) on one of the walls surrounding the well which provides water for the village. They call the well "chissimani" and the tale says that a princess fought the evil spirits around the well and turned into a beautifull tree which guards the well untill this day. This vital well is what enabled the village to develop since it was the only source of freshwater in the area. It is such a lively and inspiring place to paint in with so many people turning up to wash clothes, dishes or their own bodies. The clothes and the plastic tubs make the place extremely colourful ! . #Maoré #mayotte #streetart #africa #indianocean #ongojou #arll #arteurbano #shimaoré #water #well #painting #corrugatediron #maji #eau #source #patterns

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