Neglected Refugee Rights
Thousands of children are left standing alone to survive refugee camps with nowhere to turn. For these children, violence and sexual abuse become regular struggles of life along with the poor environment around them. Baruani Ndume has witnessed and suffered through these hardships while spending most of his childhood in a refugee camp in Tanzania. After surviving and struggling through his early years alone, Baruani attempted to make a change for all children just like him. His life-changing work to help refugee kids was recognized when Baruani received the Children’s Peace Prize in 2009. He has fought hard for the reunification of family and rights to voice for suffering refugee kids.
Baruani has attempted to reunite refugee children with their families since he was separated from his own family at an early age. The loss of his own parents has caused Baruani to have the drive to aid other kids in finding their own families. “At the age of 5, Baruani's family was taken away from him by the rebels in a horrible way. 'The rebels forced us into our house and burned it down. While my family burned alive, I was the only one who could escape'" (1). Baruani knows the pain of losing a family and becoming an orphan in a refugee camp. Unfortunately, he no longer has any hope for reuniting with his family. But other refugees still have that possibility and Baruani helps make it transpire. As a teenager in a refugee camp, he doesn’t have a variety of options to help these kids in need. Instead, Baruani uses his radio show to communicate or reach out to lost families. Baruani’s radio show, “Sisi kwa Sisi” meaning Children for Children, airs in four different countries in Africa. This allows Baruani to reach out across further areas. "The children use the radio show to call upon people familiar with them or their family" (4). Children of this refugee camps are poor and have limited resources, but Baruani and his radio show are their biggest opportunities to find their loved ones. Through his radio show, Baruani has been able to accomplish several things, including reunification of family and also the right to a voice.
Because of his own experience of growing up without one, Baruani feels strongly about providing kids with a voice of their own. As a child in a refugee camp, he was never properly granted the right to a voice and felt that it may have cost him his future. “At age of 7, Baruani fled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... ended up in the Nyarugusu refugee camp in Tanzania, where he has lived ever since.” (2). Having gone through a similar childhood, several other refugee children can relate to him. Baruani notices that many of these children don’t have much of a future because of the absence of a voice. Baruani has made an effort to change that for as many refugee kids as he can. After creating his radio show, he shares any air time with other refugee children, literally giving them a voice. Through the radio, teenagers and children voice their thoughts and claim their right to a future. “In his radio show, Baruani discusses the problems and challenges refugee children face in the camp. For many children it is already a big help to talk to someone and to be able to share the problems they experience.” (3). By simply allowing others to speak and share experiences on his radio show, Baruani has been able to make a difference for the young refugees. His efforts to make a change has allowed children to claim their right to voice, which could created opportunities for a future.
Through “Sisi kwa Sisi”, sixteen-year-old Baruani has changed the lives of several refugee children. His radio show has become a tool in the process of regaining a voice and spreading information of lost children. Young refugees have found their families, claimed a right to voice, and also had an opportunity to a future because of the choices of one boy. If that one boy hadn’t helped, there would be several vulnerable children trying to helplessly survive all alone. Baruani shows the world that it doesn’t matter who you are because you can always make a difference. He shows everyone that it only takes one boy to end the complete suffering of young and helpless refugees.
Sources:
1) Baruani (ENG) youtube video from the Kid's Rights, International Peace Prize website -
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2d4P68lhBw&feature=youtu.be>
2) "2009 Baruani Ndume - Childrenspeaceprize." 2009. 17 Oct. 2012 <http://childrenspeaceprize.org/childrens-peace-price/price2009/>
3) "Winners of the International Childrens's Peace Prize - KidsRights." 2011. 17 Oct. 2012 <http://www.kidsrights.org/InternationalChildrensPeacePrize/Winners.aspx>
4) "Winners of the International Childrens's Peace Prize - KidsRights." 2011. 17 Oct. 2012 <http://www.kidsrights.org/InternationalChildrensPeacePrize/Winners.aspx>
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