The Ghetto Kids are here to Change The Story
Nothing should hold these amazing, talented children back from their potential -- but living with malaria daily, the Ghetto Kids know the harsh setbacks and struggles associated with the disease all too well.
From Kampala, Uganda, the Ghetto Kids have become the latest Zero Malaria ambassadors to help fight a disease that they have all experienced far too many times.
Nothing should hold these amazing, talented children back from their potential -- but living with malaria daily, they know the harsh setbacks and struggles associated with the disease all too well.
They have taken part in the Change the Story campaign that is about ensuring grown ups who make decisions listen to children's stories and hear their experiences. Watch their campaign film here.
The Ghetto Kids is an NGO with a mission of using music, dance and drama to empower children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The decisions leaders make today will determine the futures of millions of children across the world.
Malaria threatens the health and dreams of millions of children, including Nahia
For Nahia, 8, and her mother Zam, each night's sleep beneath an insecticide-treated net is a small yet vital defense against mosquito bites and malaria.
“Because we are less privileged citizens, surrounded by trees and plantations it encourages mosquitoes to breed.” This means both Zam and Nahia need to take extra precautions to protect themselves from malaria.
At just eight years old, Nahia knows malaria all too well. It has robbed her of her health, her learning at school, and precious time with her friends. She recalls her experience: “I first got a headache, couldn’t sleep well, and the medicine… literally everything I was given I ended up vomiting… I couldn’t bathe myself or even help with doing house chores.
When Nahia has fallen ill, Zam has had to ensure that her daughter is tested for malaria and then wait in long queues at public-run clinics to get the right treatment. When her health has deteriorated even further it has left Zam with no choice but to incur expensive bills at the hospital, which she struggled to afford.
Zam recalls on one occasion Nahia fell ill “to the point of almost losing her life. But thank God she managed to fight and she got better.” But with a child dying of malaria every minute around the world, not everyone is so lucky.
“My dream is to become a lawyer, doctor, dancer,” Nahia says, “and I like ballet so much.”
Zam believes a world without malaria would mean a brighter future for children. “It will be good for children and the parents… because a lot of children die from malaria.”
We can change the story and reach zero malaria to secure a healthier future for children and communities across Africa.
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