Author: Whose Stories Will We Hear

I am of a breed of survivors,
Born to the land of riches, yet in pains and struggles
Where segregation sought to erase our race as bubbles
Where our God given hue became crimes, our major troubles
Young, old , parents, were all labled, even nobles
Set to chains as they crossed the Bible’s rivers

I am of a breed of Survivors

Descendant of those whose blood flowed like wine
In their numbers, on their lands, battered and sold like swines
Batrayed by no one else than their own Kind
Eske time dey for rewind, all we don blind

Blind to the things that makes sense
Blind to our stories twisted just to fit theirs
Where Oku Airlines dey, ei get the story line.

I am of a breed of Survivors

An integral part of those who rose again from their ashes
Dared to dream, kept aside pains of their lashes
So we began to build and repair
Elected one or two whom we thought would be fair
Honestly in the start, they tried to be clair
But power sweet, ei no easy for leave that chair
Some even takam give am for their heirs
All we sep dey so don dey fear
We don dey blind to the cries of the masses
Don dey blind to the atrocious rullership
Nobi leadership, ei don be na dictatorship
That which magnates, dictates, separates and irritates the mind.

Go ask Gabon, Senegal, Burkina or Mali
Ask them if the battles they fight are worth it
I believe justice has taken the hands of power
Karma knocking at the doors of those kings who ruled from prides of towers
Reminding us no one is above the law
So Take out your claws, it’s time to roar
The struggle continues without a flaw.
The wind of change…

See we are of a breed of survivors

In my voice echoes our stories, a poignant reminder,
Restoring glory to martyrs like Oum Nyobe, their fire.
I sing of lands abundant with resources untold,
But what we seek is knowledge, not pennies of gold.
Knowledge to break free from mediocrity’s snare,
To see and remove intruders who falsely care.
Knowledge to see those who claim to assist, but take in secrets our treasures,
It is time to rise to our pride, collect our measures.

See We are of a breed of survivors

And.. survivors united in our fight,
Demanding respect for our names in sight,
We are a breed of survivors
There is no time to lament, generations depend on us
So it is time to rise up, get up so focus

To illuminate your darkest thoughts,
I remain yours humble
@Moongirl 🌙

Stand up, it’s time to revive.

I am a young journalist born in Kinshasa in 1991. Likewise, I did my secondary studies at the academy of fine arts, as I beIieve I have a gift in the plastic arts.

For several reasons, I did not obtain my diploma in fine arts. Today, I have moved on to another field in which I have graduated : journalism. Which was also like my second dream job.

From foreign political journalism, to the National Pedagogical University (UPN), my greatest wish is to achieve my ambitions and finally help other young people who also have dreams achieve theirs.

I also spent almost a year in Congo-Brazzaville, where I experienced the tough test of achieving my objectives despite a lack of means.

In 2018, I lived the darkest days of my life when I lost my only little sister during the final year ahead of my undergraduate studies. I was inconsolable during this period. It’s the worst memory of my entire life. Life ceased having any meaning after this tragic event, which was a very difficult moment for me. But over time, and thanks to the advice of others, I finally realized that everything is part of life. I adapted to life again, as I turned that sad event into a strength today. 

Over the years, I managed to stay strong, and now a journalist for the newspaper Échos duMonde, a print media outlet. During my academic internship, I worked at an online media on behalf of Actualité.cd, the most popular website in DRC. There, I learned a lot as a young journalist. Today, I am determined to further my studies in journalism and communications in postgraduate studies. 

I also wish to flourish and succeed massively as a journalist in order to be able to inspire other coming journalists. I intend to do that by organizing journalism workshops and by creating communications agencies to promote young students studying journalism who lack financial means or who face other difficulties in their studies.

Furthermore, I am proud to be a journalist, and am determined to go as far as I can, because it is a noble and critical profession. 

Looking back at the time when I was doing plastic arts, I loved every bit of it. I would spend time making drawings in my notebooks and on the wall all over my room. Also, I was so good at producing comics, telling imaginary stories.

Literally, I was among the best in high school in drawing. Creating art and drawings out of nothing, even on my clothes, seemed so easy for me to do. Becoming an artist was definitely my dream number one.

Besides, I’m a big fan of American cinema and music, where life seems so good. The contrast is big in comparison with the district where I live in Kinshasa. It is a place to the west of the city where I see many jobless young people with the talent and potential to do much better in life, but the lack of means and help will jeopardize their chances to make it in life. That’s why there is urban banditry in Kinshasa. 

I am so lucky and blessed to have a family.

My name is Sara Taye Mengistu and I am a Sexual and Reproductive Health advocate currently working on SRH projects involving adolescents, women, and marginalized groups. As a woman born and raised in a developing nation, I grew up witnessing the far reaching socioeconomic and development impact of SRH issues, especially in low and middle income countries. Upon completion of my Bachelor’s Degree, I was assigned to work under medical ward at a regional army referral hospital. During my two year clinical practice at army hospital I witnessed the burden of sexually transmitted infections especially HIV/AIDs on the young generation of developing nations. Being the medical ward officer gave me the opportunity to work closely with People living with HIV/AIDS and contribute my role in improving their quality of life through providing services including ART, counseling, regular follow up and treatment of opportunistic infections. As a public health professional, it has always been my dream to give back to the community that helped me reach where I am today. I chose to pursue a career in public health because the impact of public health interventions is large and at a community level. I am currently attending an online MSc on Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy & Programming at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, whilst working on SRH projects involving social and behavioral change on risky sexual behavior among adolescents in my country. I am attending the MSc program in order to further expand my skill in developing evidence-based programs to tackle the burden of SRH issues including HIV/AIDS, especially among key population groups such as women, adolescents, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities. I believe it is crucial to invest on areas of sexual and reproductive health to bring up a healthy nation where both men and women give an equal effort and contribute for a country’s growth. As I come near to the academic year and, I expect to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and practical skill which I will apply in my upcoming projects and bring a radical change in areas of HIV/AIDS and SRHR as a whole.

My name is Douglas Ogutu, an Artist and entrepreneur from Nakuru City, Kenya who is passionate about social positive change and sound Leadership in Africa. After my undergraduate studies, I opted to start a career in Music and the Arts. This was rather a risky path to choose for many reasons. I had not formally studied music at any school program, neither did I have the money to enroll for any. Even so, most programs purely focus on the classical Music which I love, but I wanted to be a professional in music with an African touch, if not, be good with pop Music. Thankfully, I got a few scholarships to do short courses in Music Production and Piano at Berklee College of Music.

In 2016, after resigning from my lecturing job, I decided to focus on building two brands: Dowe Music &Arts- an academy and Music Production studio as well as Douglas Ogutu, the performing artist. Being an artist in Africa, especially in my community is considered as a waste of time. One must have a ‘serious job’ besides just singing or playing the guitar. In fact, every day I meet new people, they can’t resist the question: “What do you do apart from Music?” It took resilience, focus and vision to stay put and get me where I am today.

The change is gradual, but it is surely happening. There are small steps being taken by the government to encourage artists to professionalize their works. During Covid, registration of copyrights was free, and even when the fee was reintroduced last year, it is much less than how it was before. Due to my workshops and concerts dubbed Art4Leadership, the impact on more than 100 artists has been significant as they now value their work better. Unlike before, they register their works before running to the studio for recording and release, they are knowledgeable on steps to take on monetizing their products, have a price tag and they are keen on community empowerment through.

I am a voice for change in Africa.
Around the time when I was choosing art, I wrote a short story which was later selected in an anthology and taken by the ministry of Education as a set-book for 2022-2026 High-school years. My story is a highlight of the root causes of corruption and seeks to challenge the community to denounce the vice, fighting it from a family level rather than just waiting to heckle politicians.
My first ever song when I started professional Music works is known as No To Poor Leadership. These and many others have become tunes that young leaders use in their forums to inspire sound leadership. I am an alumni of various Leadership Programs, one of them being Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI), The programs have a mass following of young people who are inspired by my music as it speaks to the change we want to see. Currently, the song VEMA is rising in fame as I perform at various functions within and without Kenya. It is about inspiring people to be mindful of others, treat each other well especially in romantic relationships as a way to combat Gender based violence. I hope to use my two brands to elevate the state of art and artists in Kenya and beyond since I believe, the two are sleeping giants that can help Africa rise from poverty.

Growing up, I always felt different. Responsible for the choices that my siblings and friends made. Being a firstborn instills that urge to take care of those around you. The environment felt like a special part that needs special care and attention. I would pause to look at the trees and nature around me and I would be filled with a sense of calm and serenity. My passion for nurturing and caring for the environment grew with me. In High School, I participated in all the tree-planting campaigns and competitions both in school and in my village and planted flowers around our house.

Once I became a teacher, I was able to do far more than I could achieve on my own. I started Amani (Peace) Club for the girls at Bishop Sulumeti Girls High School. The Club dealt with establishing peace, mainly through guidance and counseling, and environmental conservation.

It is through Tree-planting that I was recognized by Spedvak and appointed Ambassador for clean environment. I organized the cleaning of dumped waste, and planting of more than 10 million trees around Kenya, which led to winning the Go Green award for planting trees in schools, prisons, and the community at large.

I visit more schools to mentor students and encourage them to conserve the environment by planting more trees. During the mentorship, I identify needy students and organize for sponsors so that they may be able to get proper education without the constant strain of having to think about finances. I have found donors, through the Inua Dada Foundation, who provide free sanitary towels for all girls to ensure their comfortable stay in school.

One of my current projects is training women in Kakamega County on using clean energy by making briquettes. A lot of environmental pollution comes from using fuels that emit toxic gases which poison the environment and destroy the ozone layer. Using briquettes does not release these harmful gases and is thus safe and environmentally friendly. My goal is to expand my training to other counties and countries at large.

In addition to that, working with Lions Kenya and other organizations, I provide wheelchairs to people with disabilities. I target the financially unstable so that they can be able to move with ease and go about their daily routines.

My strength in networking has enabled me to approach even the hardest tasks to provide solutions through different networks. Everyone can and should participate in taking care of the environment. It is only fair that we give back to mother nature after all she does for us.