HumAngle’s Newest Sanctuary Addition, Dive In!
A splash into the newfound serenity and enhanced productivity inspired by our fish-y friends.
Oh, happy day! The HumAngle family is growing.
I was sitting at my desk, working oh-so-diligently, when our CEO, Ahmad Salkida, came rummaging through some drawers.
“Sir, what are you looking for?” my colleague, Saduwo Banyawa, asked him.
“I’m looking for an adapter for the aquarium,” he answered.
We have an aquarium?
Saduwo and I exchanged looks. Not a word was spoken before we all but flew to the HumAngle Sanctuary [more on that here], where said aquarium was kept. It was the afternoon of Monday, May 20. We found a few others there who also patiently waited for the fish to make their appearance.
More and more staff members came down to see the latest addition with glee and wonder. We found Creative Advisor Damilola Lawal, who was helping set up the aquarium. There was a plastic bag sitting inside the water that was now filling the tank. When the water level was high enough, the bag was torn, and the fish quickly swam to hide. There were a total of four fish: three blue parrot fish and one cleaner fish called a Plecko. Cleaner fish eat the dead skin cells, dead tissues, and ectoparasites left behind by other fishes, essentially getting rid of impurities and keeping the environment clean.
Staff members flocked to see the tank, poking the sides to get a reaction from the fish. Even though they hid behind the little plastic plants, it was still cute.
Damilola informed Humans of HumAngle that there is a group chat of volunteers who monitor the fish and ensure their upkeep. The official volunteers include Oliver, Aisha, and herself, but others also lend a hand. No doubt, they are all extremely dedicated to taking care of our new co-tenants.
“It’s adorable when they eat. I have to fight the urge to take a video every single time,” Damilola said in a text. It was hard not to imagine her blushing on the other side.
A few days after the fish came, we noticed some tiny ‘dots’ moving around the tank. Little did we know that one of them was expecting little fingerlings. Unfortunately, one of the larger ones recently died and along with it went the fingerlings that had come so quickly.
Despite the setback, other residents of the tank continue to thrive, and the HumAngle Sanctuary has a new allure thanks to the resilience of the aquatic cuties.
According to Aisha Jibril, one of the dedicated matrons and a psychologist at HumAngle Sanctuary, the tank gets cleaned every 10 days.
For her, the aquarium is a way to unwind.
“I think it’s therapeutic. Sometimes, I like to sit there and watch them. I still did that this morning with my colleague, Peace,” she said. “They feed once a day. They can go 24 hours without food, and the most recent cleaning and changing of water was on June 24 (last Monday). The next will be on July 4.”
She adds that she has a book in which she documents major events in the fish’s lives and routines.
Dedication is certainly spelt A I S H A!
Reported by: Amratullah Kazir
Edited by: ‘Kunle Adebajo
