LIT/A/2: THE SNAKE FARMERS By Yusuf Serunkuma

The Snake Farmers is set in the fictional country of Sahara, where a small village is overrun by a “snake epidemic,” which threatens the lives of both members of the community and livestock. International attention finds the small village at the center of a sizeable relief-aid campaign. Unfortunately for the village elders, once the snakes have been driven out of the community, all financial support leaves with them. They are left with a difficult decision: Do they continue releasing snakes into the village so they can maintain their newly comfortable lifestyles? Through parody, Serunkuma asks trenchant questions about development aid, the role of local and international politics, and the place of power in these matters.