Prime
Ghetto blossoms with Youthniversity
Kamwokya-based mechanics teaching auto repair at the “Youthniversity of Overstanding. courtesy photo
A group of artists were showcasing their works in the yard at Bobi Wine Foundation in Kamwokya. Art paintings, car tyres and clothes artistically designed with splashes of paint, dancers and musicians also performed on the stage. Many among these are youths born and bred in the slums of Kamwokya.
As part of an initiative to empower youths in the ghetto, Bobi Wine came up with a theme; Each One Teach One, allowing young people who use this space for learning purposes in creative art forms like dance, painting, music and whatever skills they acquire to share these skills with another less privileged child.
Bobi described this ‘Youthniversity’ as a learning environment where parents can entrust their children to go and learn self-employment and development skills away from drugs, women and alcohol.
Ashat Kageye, (aka Twister Governor), was creating paint-splashed shirts, shoes and caps. He said he learnt the art from his brother Zex inchKumi Bilangilangi and he is now painting for a living. “This Youthniversity has helped me because apart from producing my music here for free, it has got me connections to design clothes with paint in downtown Owino,” he said with his interesting twisted dialect of “Jamaican” Luganda.
Afri Dance Ensemble, a group of teenage dancers, showcased a few tradition dance from Buganda and Nothern Uganda. Margarette Nambuya said Afri Dance is a group of 29 girls who also play football.
This ensemble in Mulimila, Bukoto, has supported their growth as performers and encouraged their guardians to take them to school.
“We want to make a generation that counts even without leaving the ghetto,” an elated Bobi Wine said during the American embassy’s visit to his Bobi Wine Foundation (FireBase studios) in Kamwokya last Wednesday. Under this foundation, he put up a space to provide learning exchange platforms for unpriviledged youth in Kamwokya and surrounding slums.
In attendance was Emmanuel Kimbowa on behalf of the Minister of youth and children, Ms Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi. Kimbowa said the minister’s focus is to empower youth with skills. The members of the Youthniversity were therefore encouraged to submit their project proposals to the ministry.
Henhouse Prowlers, an American bluegrass band, joined the youths at the ghetto youth centre where they performed Eddie Kenzo’s “Sitya Loss” and P.Square’s “Chop My Money” with their generic instruments.
In a fusion of traditional country, playing the contrabass, banjo, Dobro and guitar, the all-male band that went viral on youtube with Sitya Loss, cheered the crowd.
