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Rap battle in Kinshasa
Jean-Marc Page/War Child UK
Jean-Marc Page/War Child UK
FROM THE FIELD
Many are beaten or abused. Most are simply ignored. 13,000 children are living virtually invisible lives on the streets of Kinshasa. All of them in almost unimaginable poverty.
The last place you'd expect to see them is on a stage with a microphone. That's why we did it. And we invited the whole community along to watch, listen and maybe learn a thing or two.
Working with renowned Congolese rapper Didjak Munya, we staged two rap & break-dance events with the street children who use our drop-in centres. Watch the videos for some highlights. The films and flyers were all created locally in Kinshasa by Didjak and his friends.
The rap battles were just the start of the story. We took five of the most talented kids to a recording studio where they worked with Didjak Munya to create a song about their plight.
Titled 'One Day', the track is about life on the streets and the kids' dreams that one day things will change. The lyrics of the chorus translate as "One Day I can make it, One Day I'll become somebody"
The song was so powerful that it had to be heard by a wider audience. So we took it to the biggest radio station in Kinshasa to get it played there.
Watch the video on the left to hear the song.
Now we're taking it to the government to ensure they fulfill their obligations to protect these kids as best they can.
In charity circles this is what's known as 'advocacy' and it's the best tool for securing long-term change. Put simply though, you'd call it 'getting your voice heard'. When you've spent most of your life being ignored and invisible, that's a pretty amazing thing.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
