Masaka Kids Africana: Don’t give up and give back Ugandan children’s childhood

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Six-year-old Kaggwa Johnbosco and Kakooza Muhammad and five-year-old Prince Suuna Ayaan are also dressed in tartan red shirts with smiles on their faces as they arrive at Dubai’s Global Village. Social media stars from Masaka Kids Africana, an NGO based in Uganda’s Masaka district, had just been on rides and were preparing for their dance performance at the theatre. Wearing white t-shirts and with ID cards around their necks, two men follow close behind, who appear to be in their late thirties. As a parent would take care of his child, the men, who were from the NGO to accompany the children on their very first trip to the United Arab Emirates, bring the children up on stage.

The children sat at the edge of the stage and swung their legs, while the men from the Ugandan non-governmental organization (NGO) – Suuna Hassan, CEO, Director and Founder of Masaka Kids Africana and choreographer Kityamuwesi John or ‘Johnny ‘ squat on the floor below. I sit next to Johnny who tells me that like a shadow, he follows the children and Hassan wherever they go. The kids look at Johnny and start giggling, their faces beaming with happiness – a sight that puts a smile on all of our faces.

However, you can also see sadness in Johnny’s eyes, who tells me that there are over 25 children in the NGO dancing and singing – as you might have seen on their masakakidsafricana social media account which has over five million online followers.

“Today we only brought three kids to play in Global Village and they represent the kids who stayed in Masaka,” says Johnny.

Masaka Kids Africana uses music and dance to bring out the potential of children.
Image Credit: Supplied

Doctors, teachers and music

I ask the kids a few questions, but they just smile and seem to be looking at Johnny with some kind of approval. Johnny insists that they speak to me directly in English and that’s where I learn their names and ages and how much little Jonbosco wants to be a lawyer. “I learned that justice is important and I want to help my people,” he says.

“I want to be a doctor to help my people and take care of them,” Muhammad says. Ayaan wants to be a musician because he “likes to sing and dance”.7960a104-7068-479f-aed8-df7d3b26c836

I want to be a doctor to help my people and take care of them.

– Kakooza Muhammad, who is six years old.

At no point in our conversation does anyone call the Masaka Kids Africana organization an NGO, instead Hassan and Johnny call it “house” and its members, “a community“.

I want to be a lawyer. learned that justice is important and that I want to help my people.

– Kaggwa Johnbosco, 6 years old

“In our home, we have over 25 children from over 10 tribes, who have lost one or both parents and have had some of the worst experiences a child can ever face. We care for all of them and in our community, we have a program called the Community Empowering Program, through which we help many children in Africa, there are many orphans, many live on the streets and they all need help .

“There are over two million orphaned children in Uganda. Poverty, famine, disease and civil strife take lives. We try to help as many of these young people as possible. We give the children a home and access to education and We strive to give children the life skills they need to succeed in the future.

Always ready to sing and dance

Today, the future lawyer, doctor and musician had a 15-minute slot to show off his singing and dancing skills as well as a bit of acting in front of a packed theater. I ask them how long it takes to learn the steps and the children answer “not very long”.

“They’re very talented and it only takes them a few seconds or a few minutes to catch up on the choreography even if it’s something new or something you don’t think they could dance,” Johnny explains.

Everyone in the community is working with me to help find these steps. We upload children’s performances on social media to spread the message that Ugandan children or any child for that matter, who has lost a lot, still has a lot of potential for a bright future.

– Kityamuwesi John, choreographer of Masaka Kids Africana

“All members of the community are working with me to help put these steps in place. We upload the children’s performances on social media to spread the message that Ugandan children or any children for that matter, who have lost a lot, still have a lot of potential for a bright future when they receive the care they deserve,” he adds.

“They went to Turkey once to perform, maybe a month and a half ago, but this is their first trip to the UAE,” Johnny says.

I ask the children how they felt before the show and whether they enjoyed their stay in the UAE. However, nothing seems difficult for the courageous little trio and they show no sign of nervousness before their performance.

“I like everything, it’s not difficult,” says Bosco.

“I just feel…good,” Prince says, while Mohammad whispers, “It’s good.” The children said they missed home, especially their friends, as you could tell they used to play with them.

The children would dance to songs by local Ugandan artists. “When they perform on stage, they dress well, in matching outfits, but when they shoot their videos at home, they bring out the image of African children. Their outfits on the videos, the colors they wear represent the colors of their tribe and where they come from,” says Johnny.

“We choose music and dance to bring out the potential in our children because everyone loves music. It’s like medicine. If you are in a bad mood and you listen to a song, your mood changes. Music is like a language that everyone can understand.

dreams and hopes

It’s just after sunset and the theater is packed. The children are on stage and show their movements. Everyone sways and claps to African tunes and every step the children take is greeted with cheers and more applause.

Masaka Kids African dance

During the school holidays, the children compose their own music and they share their message of hope and inspiration through these songs.
Image Credit: Supplied

Without knowing it, there was a feeling of inspiration that was spreading through the air to each of us here present. The children, who are indeed gifted with the talent of dancing and singing, are filled with joy and hope, without any manifestation of anguish or remorse about their lives before Masaka Kids Africana began to s take care of them.

After the show, the three kids meet Hassan and Suuna in the back, who are watching another group’s dance performance. Without taking his eyes off the performance in progress, Johnny explains that the dance troupe at home only practices when schools are closed for holidays or weekends. However, not everyone in the group wants to be a dancer or a singer because the kids are concentrating.

There are those who dream of becoming teachers. They [children in Masaka Kids Africana] always tell us that we can teach our young people or even the older ones in the community.

– Kityamuwesi John, choreographer of Masaka Kids Africana

“There are those who dream of becoming teachers. They always tell us that we can teach our young people or even the older ones in the community,” says Johnny.

We also do other cultural activities. Not all children have the same potential for dance and music. Even we adults don’t have the same intelligence. That’s what we know best, isn’t it?

– Suuna Hassan, Director of Masaka Kids Africana

According to Hassan, “When people see us on social media, they think that we only dance and sing. We also do other cultural activities. Not all children have the same potential for dance and music. Even us adults don’t have the same intelligence. That’s what we know best, isn’t it? So in our country, there are those who are good at football. There are those who are good at sewing. Some are good at carpentry. Some are good at poultry and agriculture. So our basic cultural activities include those things as well.

There are children who are only 2 years old and our instructors and I try to teach the children according to their age. Then there are the children in our local villages whom we care for through the community empowerment program.

– Kityamuwesi John, choreographer of Masaka Kids Africana

“There are children who are only 2 years old and our instructors and I try to teach the children according to their age. Then there are the children in our local villages whom we care for through the community empowerment program. We take care of more than 200 children from neighboring villages. We feed them and pay for them to go to school. We give them all the necessities that any child would like to have, even if the resources are scarce at home,” adds Johnny.

Lead with experience

The NGO was the brainchild of Hassan, who created Masaka Kids Africana in 2013 to help others. According to Johnny, Hassan was “a street kid” himself.

Masaka Kids Africana director Suuna Hassan with the children

Director of Masaka Kids Africana, Suuna Hassan poses with the children after their performance.
Image Credit: Gulf News

“Suuna grew up knowing everything that happens on the streets. He knew that so many bad things were happening in our area. So he thought, what can I do to stop this? How do we remove these children from the streets and at least make them better people in the future? How to ensure that these children are loved by people instead of being perceived as street children?

Following us on social media is another way to support us. Thanks to social media, everyone can see our message and everyone can see what we are doing.

– Suuna Hassan, Director of Masaka Kids Africana

“Suuna wanted to raise these children. It’s not an easy thing to do. And if we can do it [support and educate the children]then others will find the inspiration to support our cause.

Hassan, who deals with engaging children and getting them to stick together, says his message is for “everyone who has tried and wants to give up.” He speaks in his mother tongue, the Ugandan language Luganda, which Johnny translates.

According to my journey and even the lives of these children, it is really very hard to live. But I never gave up. I never dreamed that one day I would be on one of those stages in Global Village and people would cheer for them and be happy to see them.

– Suuna Hassan, Director of Masaka Kids Africana

“I tell you not to give up. According to my journey and even the lives of these children, it is really very hard to live. But I never gave up. I never dreamed that one day I would be on one of those stages in Global Village and people would cheer for them and be happy to see them. I thank all those who support us, all those who love children’s performances and follow us. Following us on social media is another way to support us. Thanks to social media, everyone can see our message and everyone can see what we are doing.

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