Yinka Ilori invited Jareh Das, an Independent Curator, Writer, Researcher, and occasional Florist who lives and works between West Africa/the UK to reflect on her experiences of Ayo, a Nigerian traditional board game played by two people on a semi-rectangular hand-carved wood box with seeds.

Ayo, or Ayò Ọlọ́pọ́n rather as it is known in Yoruba and loosely translates in English as “Seeds in the Holder” is a traditional mancala game played across generations in Nigeria. I became enthralled by this two-player game during my childhood, although I can't quite remember if I first encountered it in Ibadan, where my mother worked, or Warri, at my uncle's which has its own version called Oware. The board game is etched in my childhood memories of vacationing in these two cities. A time for play, adventuring, wonder and curiosity. A time also for exploring the unfamiliar outside of my Lagosian upbringing.