Skip to main content

Featured

Luanda Reggae Defenders - what is your long term agenda?

Luanda Reggae Defenders is a now a popular movement with roots in Vihiga and border Siaya and Kakamega counties Attention is brought to the manner and conduct the movement has gained fame and followers, mainly the Youths. The movement capitalizes on funerals. With a poor culture of putting the dead to rest, the Reggae Defenders have taken it by storm and rebranded the infamous ‘Disco Matanga’ – disco at funeral. Reggae Defenders on move. Pic: Charles Rankings: Facebook They mobilize quickly on the day the dead will be discharged from the mortuary. They have this huge old school sound system that is over buzzing to no clear reggae song - that they hire a pickup to carry - and it has a young DJ mainly standing there than mixing anything. Often, against the rules, the casket is grabbed from a hearse vehicle and tied to a motorbike. There it will be swayed and jerk breaked between other motorbikes on the narrow roads. That, is, how a fellow soldier, often a young dead, is mourned. ...

FIKISHA; You can easily take a grown up from the street than a young one.

My question to Frank, the Director Fikisha, was, 'Can't this young boy receive a few strokes of cain to school?' He lowly laughed and corrected. My rural upbringing often drives me to the use of a cane (by a superior) to instil purpose in a young one. Things fell apart long ago.

The young boy- of about 12- had come into the rehabillitation program late hence missing the day's topic failitated by Alyssa, the creative Director from USA. To blame them is like blaming an African who comes to the meetings late. There is a song among the luo that 'If I come to your home early is as if I slept there...If I come late is as if I wanted not to come'. The funny fact is that the boys are not driven by time. What a freedom! They are driven by the weather, light and darkness. As long as they can see their shadows- no matter the length- they know it is day. They coming to the meeting late meant that there was still a sun overhead. 

'We can spot a child who can change', continued Frank. 'They always tend to be neat than others and orderly. To such the problem is poverty at home', he said while pointing to a child five metres away. A child who leaves home for the street should be quickly reported because after some time the child may never see the advantage of family homage. The young one may be more curious for street life- something good that he yearned for as he left home. If you think they are regretting for being in  the street you are wrong.

Freedom from family ties- there are families that children would want to run away from- takes them there. Not all come from poor backgrounds. The other post has them related to landlords and well-off families who are just waiting for them to knock off and rush them to rehabilitation centres. They know the love of money and how to live with least conditions- things that teachers tighten nuts on. 

And so if you would want to rescue a street, chose the one with maximum street life for the one with least experience of a life yearned for may be that child who stabs the backs of foster parents.

Thank You.



Comments