Wafalme Kings and Queens

Short description of the group:

Wafalme is a group of 13 rehabilitated street children between the age of 8 and 23 years

old who were brought together by their strong passion for hip hop as an art and a way of

life. They chose to not only live by the positive message of their compositions but also to

awaken the talent among the street children living in the slums of Nairobi.

Biography of the group:

Brought up in the slums of Nairobi, a group of youngsters, aged 7 to 16 years, have formed

an exciting hip‐hop group that is steadily gaining popularity nation wide. The leader and

driving force behind the group is Dickson Oyugi, a gentleman who at the age of 16 years

was already a veteran in the hip hop industry. He was a member of the acclaimed

Kalamashaka and Ukoo Flani Mau Mau hip hop groups that are recognized internationally

for their strong hip hop culture. Dickson became a ‘celebrity’ in his home ground

neighbourhood and was often approached by other aspiring street children who are keen

on joining the industry. This inspired Dickson to explore the raw talent in his home ground

and pull together the current group of members to form ‘Wafalme’ Kings and Queens.

Despite their tender ages and lack of experience in the performing arts industry Wafalme

Kings and Queens have now performed at the last four WAPI concerts, curtain‐raised for

Tanzanian Bongo star Z‐Anton and displayed their talents at this year’s Sawa Sawa Festival.

Their talent has won them numerous fans and caught the eye of the Slum Talent Trust, an

organization whose aim it is to develop talents from the Nairobi slum areas. The Slum

Talent Trust has since worked hand in hand with Sarakasi Trust to help develop this group

through offering training that specializes on the groups’ vocals, performances, artist

management and marketing strategies. Together we have achieved to bring out hope,

enlightenment and development of this exciting, entertaining and unique slum talent.

URL addresses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5YX6BCD6aY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8R_ZvGpx34

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv2o8--M-BA

List of names of the artists

ZUDY 23 Female

DENNIS KIMATU 8 Male

OSCAR ATWOLI 13 Male

FODE GESAKA 12 Male

GILBERT OKUSI 15 Male

HARRISON MWANGI 16 Male

LUCY WANJIKU 11 Female

FRANCIS DEMESI 17 Male

DICKSON OYUGI 17 Male

ANNE MUGATHA 14 Female

MARY NZOMO 14 Female

ELIZABETH WANJIKU 13 Female

JOSEPH NGUGI 13 Male

KEVIN MISAN’GO 13 Female

Sustainability of the group

1. ‘Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger’ : This group has already had a great

impact in the slums of Nairobi, owing to their efforts of rising against all odds in

the music industry and being able to uplift their standards of living from the little

money they make from their performances. Wafalme Kings and Queens are now

creating a movement among the street children in support of using hip hop

music to elevating individuals from street life.

2. ‘Achieve universal primary education’: This group is a living example of what the

arts industry can do to a talented individual who chooses to pursue this art as a

profession. It is through the Wafalme Kings and Queens that some street

children in the slums of Nairobi have sorted to go back to school. The group

members have also managed to use their income not only to support their

families but also to go back to school.

3. ‘Reduce child mortality’: Many street children in the slums are dying due to

diseases, drug abuse and poverty. Through hip hop music the group has

managed to be the frontiers of a better living through their music.

4. ‘Ensure environmental sustainability’: ‘Trash is cash’ is a single debut that has

been released by the group, it is a song that encourages the youth to create

employment by turning what people pass as trash into cash i.e. using plastics to

create art that can be sold at a fee, or turning waste into manure or to generate

power. Wafalme Kings and Queens are frontiers of the green movement in their

slum neighbourhood.

5. ‘Create a global partnership for development with targets for aid, trade and

debt relief’: Wafalme Kings and Queens have great potential of steering

development in their slum. They have a strong message that is conveyed in their

music and performances and if this talent is tapped by international sponsors, a

lot can be achieved. The Slum Talent Trust is looking into partnering with food

aid organizations such as Red Cross to create campaigns against hunger,

Wafalme Kings and Queens also have a strong message of environment

conservation and drug abuse. Many ideas have been put in to writing lyrics like:

Mama, Life, My Story, Peace, Pamoja, Wisdom, Child Labour, In this World, Crime,

Trash is Cash.

Trash is cash

Intro

Yeiyee no more pollution, this my solution

Make it clean, make it clean

Verse 1

Millions living here

The litter they call dear

They weren’t born here

It’s survival for revival

Air filled with polluted bubbles

Sky’s the limit every day’s hustle

Conserving the slum building a muscle

Cleaning up the streets recycling the trash

To save the environment and make some cash

People wake up and wander right about outside

The narrow dirty streets shantily built muddy shacks

Discarded garbage kids playing on filthy paths

Within the atmosphere of alcohol violence and drugs

Education medication a distant hope in them

Chorus

No more pollution: Trash is cash

This my solution: trash is cash

Make a town a green town; make a town a green town

Climate change, environment, make a town a clean town

Verse 2

Community groups and micro entrepreneurs

Selling to farmers a precious asset compost manure

Irrigation schemes from these rivers

Attires,eco sandals, handbags and jewellery made from trashy granular

Mattress, pillow baskets, roof tiles from trashed plastic

Sold to local and foreign market

Metals sold to scrap dealer’s aint no rampage

Cheap cooker making using dumped coffee seeds and paper as fuel

To feed the poor the price not cruel

Millions of people trying to save the world

While make a living with the strong unemployment

And pollution solution innovative lesson to the world my conclusion 

Starved women bathing in dirty rivers planting veggies along river beds

Kids forage in waste drinking water from pipes covered in garbage

Raw sewers overflowing open sewers the eyes they can’t bandage

Improper sanitation no latrine variation garbage mountains can’t manage

Chorus

No more pollution: Trash is cash

This my solution: trash is cash

Make a town a green town; make a town a green town

Climate change, environment, make a town a clean town

Verse 3

So when I sit back I reminisce about the future

Things the way they are wishing they wouldn’t last

Must thoughts of conservation run inside of me

Now I can get the best life I wanted to achieve

The ozone layer depletion, threat to mankind, I mention

The planet getting warmer, resource scarcity informer

Slums overpopulated/people starving some don’t make it

No trees around the slum this can’t be a greener ground environment surround

Charcoal and bio gas production, youths employed for garbage collection/an ideal correction

Water purifiers, ceramic material, fine art sculptures made from trash

Another best practice by the youth to generate some cash

Fire stutter by the roadside spreading acrid smoke near food kiosks in the air

Its pollution here, pollution there, pollution everywhere beware.

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