Mathare North children reciting a poem
GIRLS & BOYZ
I'm a Kenyan born
And I was a raised in the poorest slum named (mathare valley)
God forgive me for poor
Living
Coz im a child
Stranded in this cold
Night,
This is the most poorest
Slum white people use
To talk about,
Yes! This is the place
Where brothers who love
Prison came from,
God forgive me for being born and raised here
I know God you still need me and that's why
MATHARE IS WHERE I CALL HOME
BOYZ
This is where we can afford our living standard,
The same place they called hell,
Imagine every day you woke up in the morning,
The only thing you can see is 15 years old boy is shot
Struggling for his life.
No food to eat,
Blood is every where
Children killers were every where
Imagine 4years old girl died on a cold blood,
I can't believe they don't get what they deserve,
In the same way we children we give them our respect,
But since they are cops, no respect for our rights,
I will never understand why I cry this tear, and that's why
MATHARE IS WHERE I CALL HOME
GIRLS
I don't know when I will die since we are the target,
I see nothing but suffering they shuttered my dreams for living,
I find it difficult to explain since they started with my loving mother
Yes only the lonely will die slowly,
No one to laugh with, my father was the next victim
They lied to the media after killing him
Outside our box house, they dropped that fake gun on him,
And claiming that he was the most wanted,
Hell can you hear me?
I still stare at this world, is this same world
That Jesus left behind his back?
Before he comes back, and that's why
MATHARE IS WHERE I CALL HOME
GIRLS
They were sent to bring peace
But all you'll hear and see is
Rape and gun shot, murder-murder every where,
We tried to survive from crime of rape- torture
Gun fire every where
They robbed innocent poor people
I came to realize that everybody is over weighed with
There own caskets,
Imagine no freedom of speaking
No freedom to live
Brother never mind if I die before I wake
Bury me besides my loving parents
He-lord I wonder if you'll save me.
And that's why
MATHARE IS WHERE I CALL HOME
by Charles and Stephan, Mathare North staff, 2008
We would like to dedicate this poem to our living parents and children who lost their loving parents during the Mungiki Crackdown in Mathare Valley. May God give you strength to survive. For children who lost their lives, We are all together and we miss you.
