Orphaned refugee wins Shs2 million from talent search 2024

Ms Rita Francis, 18, known by her stage name as Rita Baby, a refugee from Kyangwali refugee settlement has scooped Shs 2 million from the just concluded refugees got talent search that was decided on June 18, 2024, at Paridi Stadium in Adjumani district.

Ms Rita among five others in the second runner-up in the final is a primary seven dropout from Kasonga Primary School in Kyangwali refugee settlement. She said her parents died in the war in Congo and she fled to Uganda in 2012.

She said she is also taking care of two of her siblings and she does not get any support that forced her to drop out of school. She said she gets money from the sale of chips and chicken on the streets after winning Shs 1.5million in the last refugee talent search.

“Because of being an orphan I go through a lot of challenges. At my age, men who have attempted to help me financially but in exchange for sex. I have resisted all of them, I respect myself because I have the vision to become a superstar in the music industry,” Rita said.

Rita noted that she is still interested in going back to school and if supported and that she would like to study music Dance and Drama to enhance the natural skills and talents that she has discovered in music.

She now has five songs to her name which she did alone, 8 songs that she has done in collaboration with other artists and she has 10 songs pending production.

“I have written 10 songs right now, but I am stuck and I can not produce them because the ten songs in a very good studio would cost me close to Shs 10 million which I can not afford,” she stated.

 Some of the finalists in the second runner-up are Wasfi High Ramwanza refugee settlement, Gods Plan from Kyangwali, and Modecci from Rwamwanja.

Refugees got talent is an initiative of Lutheran world federation and the American government.

The aim is to provide a platform for refugees and their host communities to show case their talents in art, music, dance, drama and fashion.

All the different settlements converged in Adjumani for the grand finale .

Which awarded 15 winners in all the categories, the second runners up taking 2m, 5m for the first runners up and 7m for the winners.

The winners of the grand final include Nyange cultural dancers from Rwamwanja, Daniel Arap from Lamwo, Samuel from Adjumani, the pirate dancers from Adjumani, and Alex Fiston Baseme from Rwamwanja.

The finalists in the first runner-up are Ceaser, a refugee from Adjumani district, top dancers, Mandela from Adjumani, John Choal from Adjumani, and the twinz Kyangwali.

Mr Alex Fiston Baseme, who emerged as the best designer said he got the opportunity to do tailoring with support from Lutheran World Foundation (LWF) in 2017 and also contested in the 2018 talent search but he did not make it to the finals.

He said he will now invest the Shs 7 million awarded to him to expand his business so that he can also employ many youths who may not have jobs in the refugee settlement from Rwamwanja.

Mr Mwenyepato Kyamwami Arafat, also from Rwamwanja was delighted to receive Shs 7 million. He said he will use the money to further develop his talent.

Ms Iris Blom, the head of UNHCR Sub-office in Adjumani noted that it is delightful to see the refugees promote talents.

“They (refugees) have a lot of talents. We saw rappers, we saw hip hop artists. We saw musicians, we saw drama, we saw fashion designers. We saw painters, there is too much to mention. These people found passion in so many different ways,” Blom said.

She added that it is sad to see that refugees are fleeing from violence and the civil wars, like the refugees in South Sudan, DR of Congo.

“And by participating in this context, and contest, they forget a little bit about all the suffering and violence, they mix with other refugees they compete with. There is joy, there is competition and we see a lot of talent,” she said.

Background

This initiative is an activity under the Community Led Opportunities for Recovery and Empowerment (CORE) project implemented by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Uganda, with funding from the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).

“Refugees Got Talent is a testament to the incredible resilience and creativity of our youth. It is inspiring to see how this event has brought together young people from different backgrounds. Celebrating their talents and promoting unity within the communities,” Ms Adriana Franco Chitanana, Country Representative, LWF Uganda said.

Mr David Kwizera, the head of commercial production at Next Media noted that this is a platform that was created for refugees to showcase talents in fashion, art, music, dance, and drama.

“It is to provide a platform for refugees and members of the host community in Palorinya, Palabek, Adjumani Rwamwanja, and Kyangwali refugee settlements to showcase their unique skills and talents”

He added that through filmed auditions held in all 5 settlements throughout March and April, Next Productions and LWF are on a mission to discover and celebrate the diverse talents within these communities.

The Adjumani Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Emmanuel Okwar observed that Refugees Got Talent is a hopeful moment different from the day-to-day life of refugees in Uganda.