I am Somebody

During a trip to Kisumu, Kenya, Jon Conte, professor and board member for Med25, realized the traumatic pasts of some of the children living at YGC. With the help of teachers and staff, Jon worked with the kids to create a play, using facts from their personal stories and combining them into three fictional characters. Here is the transcript.

I am Somebody

This is a play in three parts about the children of Kenya. But this play is especially a story about the children of YGC. In part 1, we will tell the story of three characters who represent the experiences of many children in Kenya. We are going to tell about their experiences and the feelings they have. In part 2, we talk about the children of today who are living at YGC and our feelings living here and why we have them. The last part of our play is going to talk about the future and our dreams.

Part 1
Rachel
My name is Rachel. I am 12 years old. My story is the story of children who do manual labor. My father died and my mother is sick. I am the oldest of three children, and I have two younger siblings. I had to drop out of school at 9 years old. I work all day selling water on the streets to buy food. Many days I don’t sell enough water.

I feel scared. I am scared that I will lose another parent and my mom will die. I am also scared that I won’t sell enough water to feed my family.

I feel shame. I don’t go to school like other kids. I beg for money but no one helps me. Other children laugh at me.

I feel sad. My father is dead and my mother is sick. Some days I don’t make enough money for food. I am sad that this is my life.

I feel tired. I work long days every day doing manual labor. When I come home after work I have to do all the house work and take care of my mother and siblings. Some times I don’t get enough to eat.

David
My name is David. I am 7 years old. My story is the story of children who are orphaned. My father died when I was 4 years old of AIDS. My mother then died when I was 5. I live with my uncle who has three children. My uncle’s wife does not like me because I am not her own child and she is mean to me. I can’t go to school some days because my uncle can’t pay school fees. I don’t eat every day when my uncle is gone.

I feel sad when I can’t go to school because we can’t pay for it. I feel sad because my parents are gone. I am not cared for by my aunt and do not eat when my uncle is not home.

I feel scared of getting sick like my parents. I won’t have a future because I can’t go to school. I feel scared that my aunt and uncle will send me away.

I feel lonely. There is no one to make me happy. I have no friends, no brothers or sisters, and no parents. I am alone in this world.

I feel angry. Sometimes I am mad at my parents for dying. I feel angry when my aunt is mean to me, and I am angry when I do not get to eat and when there is no money for my school fees. I am angry that other kids make fun of me.

Lilian
I am Lilian. I am 9 years old. My story is the story of children who are born out of wedlock and live with family conflict. My father thinks that my mother had me with another man. My father treats me different and does not love me. I have one older and one younger brother. My brothers beat me like my father does. They lie about me and say bad things, and sometimes they chase me out of the house. Sometimes my father will refuse me food, and I have to sleep in the kitchen on the floor, away from the rest of my family.

I feel ashamed. I have bad clothes. My father and brothers are not nice to me. I have to sleep in the kitchen all alone and away from my mother. People make fun of me. I have no friends.

I feel tired. I have too many chores. I don’t sleep well at night in the kitchen, sometimes my father and brothers wake me up at night to beat me.

I feel afraid. I am afraid when they beat me. My father tells me I have no family. I am afraid I will be left on the street with no place to live. I am afraid when I am alone at night in the kitchen.

I feel shocked. I don’t understand why my family beats me. There is no one to be nice and care for me. I am shocked that my clothes are different from other kids and that my mother doesn’t protect me.

Part 2
Now our story about the children of Kenya leaves the past and comes to today, living at YGC.

I feel happy because I have many brothers and sisters.

I feel happy because I get to go to school every day and don’t have to worry about paying for it.

I feel happy because I eat well and know that I will eat well tomorrow.

I feel happy because I have shelter and a comfortable place to sleep at night.

I feel courage because I am cared for.

I feel courage because my chores are not child labor.

I feel loved because I have clothes, shoes, and a uniform for school.

I feel loved because when I am sad, I have brothers and sisters to make me feel better.

I feel loved because when I get hurt, my mother takes care of me and comforts me.

I feel no fear because my needs are taken care of.

I feel no shame because I go to school and no one makes fun of me.

I feel rested and have energy, because I eat and sleep well.

I feel no anger because I am not hurt and people love me.

I feel safe because I am not beaten.

I feel unity because we are one family from different backgrounds and places, united to care for each other.

I feel peace because we have no conflict with each other and we work hard to make this place our home.

Part 3
YGC has given us the promise of a future.

I am Somebody
Lavender: I am Somebody
Everyone: I am Somebody

Lavender: I am Somebody (louder)
Everyone: I am Somebody (louder)

Lavender: I am Somebody (loudest)
Everyone: I am Somebody (loudest)

Lavender: I am not afraid
Everyone: I am not afraid

Lavender: I am not ashamed
Everyone: I am not ashamed

Lavender: I am not sad
Everyone: I am not sad