I am an African child

I am an African child

I find my pride in my chocolate skin

I stride with power
As I walk towards my future
Africa, a land of opportunities
I am proud to be African

I sit in a circle with my friends
We listen to tales of our ancestors
History like no other
Legacies to be passed on for generations
Memories to tell as though our own
Roots to not be forgotten

Our cultures have been infected
Globalisation, we forgot ourselves
We carry scars of wounds we don't have
Pain we don't understand
As we remember those who sacrificed their lives
For us to see the bright sun shining above our heads

As I watch the television
A tear swims its way down my cheek
The faces of crying children
Crying for their lives
Lives neglected by their leaders
Leaders who are filled with insecurities
Insecurities they create in their heads

I am an African child
I pray for a bright future
I pray for no more hunger
No more tears
No more blood shed
But only happy faces
A happy Africa

Ariane Dushime

16 June - We celebrate the day of an African child.