by Irina Bokova
There is only one problem: Kabwe is an only child and he is very lonely. He has grown tired of his Infin8r and longs to have someone real to play with. He also loves to read but he only has a few collector’s item paperback and hardback children’s story books. He can only read them at the weekend when he is resting from all his technology.
He stacks them on his bedroom windowsill. His window is always open because the gadgets and minerals make the house very hot. Kabwe has a secret wish – he keeps his window open all day and night because he prays that an imaginary friend will come and find him one day.
Chapter 2
All the servants working in the castle come from the other part of the city, Madini South, where life is tough. There is no pure water and big families cram themselves into small houses.
They only eat some porridge and fish from the river, once a day. Parents leave home early in the morning to work. Some work in houses and castles like Kabwe’s. Others go fishing and sell fish, iced water, groundnuts and other wares at the roadside. There are no schools in this part of the city because the money for classrooms and books is spent in Madini North, Kabwe’s part of the city. But there is lots of room to play in the dust, even until sundown.
The children in this part of the city have many friends and they create their own games and toys: cars and aeroplanes made of wire, cans and plastic bottles. They invent stick-fighting martial arts games and board games using cardboard and smooth stones.
They have turned the inside and outside walls of their houses into picture murals of the future they want to see. This future has schools, teachers and books, roads, clean water, hospitals and lots of food. They also imagine having toys and educational gadgets to play with. Above all, they wish they could also live in big houses like the people in Madini North do.
Chapter 3
One of the servants in Kabwe’s house is a happy woman called Shamiso. She is a struggling widow with six children. She leaves them early every morning to go to work at Kabwe’s house.
She loves him like her own son and does everything for him: cooking, cleaning, bathing him, and other things he could actually do by himself.
Every day she tells him about her son Tatenda who is also nine years old and who was born on the same day as Kabwe. She shares stories about the creative toys Tatenda makes to play with. When she goes home every night, she tells Tatenda and her other children about Kabwe and all his gadgets.
Every night at bedtime, the powerful technological light beams from Kabwe’s castle on the hill bounce off the Tibela River and shine into Tatenda’s dark home. One Saturday night, Tatenda has to go to bed hungry and he cannot sleep. He is missing his best friend Sahwira.
Sadly, an epidemic has been sweeping the land. Sahwira has to leave the city and return to his village with his family to take care of his aunties, uncles and cousins who live there. Tatenda is worried because he does not know when or if his best friend will come back to the city.
He also cannot hold in his curiosity about Kabwe any longer so he decides to sail his father’s rickety kayak to Kabwe’s home. He climbs the hill and finds Kabwe’s bedroom window open with the stack of books on the windowsill.
He overhears the mayor and his wife yawning as they tell Kabwe that they are going to bed and he should finish playing with his Infin8r soon and sleep too.
Chapter 4
Tatenda takes a deep breath and sneaks into the bedroom through the open window.
He borrows a very interesting looking book from the pile on Kabwe’s windowsill and puts it in his rucksack. He makes his way to the kitchen, hoping to rummage for food. He opens what looks like a fridge and he can’t believe all the kinds of delicious food he finds!
As Tatenda is about to bite into a piece of juicy chicken, he suddenly hears footsteps coming towards him. He starts to panic and sweat beads on his brow and prickles his armpits. It is too late to run. He freezes when a boy who fits Shamiso’s description of Kabwe points a flashlight at him and threaten to set off the alarm with the remote in his hand. It is Kabwe and although he is also scared, he boldly asks Tatenda, ‘Who are you?’
‘Please. It’s Ta-ta-tenda... I am Sh-Shamiso’s son. I live in the other part of the city. I am very hungry. Please forgive me. Sorry...’ Tatenda replies as he drops the piece of chicken. The boys stare at each other nervously and are unsure of what to do or say next. They stand and stare at each other with hearts beating loudly in the awkward silence.
To Kabwe, Tatenda looks thinner but taller than he had imagined from Shamiso’s stories. Kabwe thinks Tatenda’s clothes look like a ragged and dirty uniform and his hair looks very coiled and hard, like it has never been combed. Tatenda also smells a bit sweaty but Kabwe thinks that this must be because of fear and the heat in the house.
To Tatenda, Kabwe seems rounder, shorter and more plump than he had imagined from Shamiso’s stories. He is dressed like a prince in the best African silk and linen pyjamas with fine, soft leather sandals. Just as Tatenda is trying to think of what to say, the book falls out of his rucksack. Kabwe’s face lights up because he thinks the book, which he loves, belongs to Tatenda and that they must have something in common. They both bend down to pick up the book and bump their heads. They smile nervously into each others’ eyes and their smiles warmly soften the tense atmosphere. Kabwe breaks the silence by asking how Tatenda got into the house and they end up spending hours getting to know each other. Tatenda confesses to having borrowed Kabwe’s book and the next thing they know, they are best friends.
Kabwe offers Tatenda some sweet water to drink and fills the table with a lot of food. Kabwe eats until he is too full. They then spend several hours looking at all Kabwe’s toys and gadgets.
Langa, a friend of Tatenda’s from Madini South, had a gadget but it was made in 2012 and it is worn out from over-use. Langa generously lent it to everyone. When Kabwe demonstrates how the cyber world of the Infin8r works, tears well up in Tatenda’s eyes. He tries to hide them, but a big one falls onto the screen of the Infin8r.
He explains to Kabwe that where he comes from, children do not get these kinds of gadgets and toys. Kabwe is shocked and devastated to hear that they do not even have schools. He cannot believe that there are no school resources in Madini South, when he and his classmates have left old versions of their Infin8rs lying around. These wasted gadgets would still be perfectly useful but are now gathering dust in basements and sheds all over Madini North.
Speaking of his home reminds Tatenda that it is time for him to go back. Kabwe fills Tatenda’s rucksack with bottles of sweet water, lots of chicken, fruit and delicious vegetables to take home. Tatenda leaves feeling happy that his family will be eating something other than fish for the next few days.
Chapter 5
Kabwe goes to bed knowing that he will have to talk to his father about building schools in Tatenda’s part of the city. When his parents wake up, he tells them about Tatenda and what he said. His father is worried about how Tatenda made it into the house but he is more shocked about the plight of the children in Madini South. He is angry because the deputy mayor and his team have always been in charge of Tatenda’s area.
The mayor checks his Infin8r for information and finds statements from the deputy mayor showing the number of schools, hospitals, water treatment plants and houses which have supposedly been built in Madini South in the last five years. Kabwe says he believes Tatenda and that nothing was actually done at all. Kabwe’s father believes his son.
That week, the mayor carries out what he calls a special, forensic financial investigation on what the deputy mayor has been doing. He finds that the deputy mayor and his team have been keeping all the money that was meant for Tatenda and the other families for themselves.
They have used it to buy a fleet of highly technologically advanced and customised Cheetah cars, which move at 300km an hour, and have hidden them in secret garages. They have equipped their houses with robots which do everything for them.
Shoc
kingly, the deputy mayor’s wife has been bathing in milk and using gold dust as make-up. The deputy mayor has also filled a special bunker with vaults of cash. It seems the list of selfish and unfair things done with the money is endless. The mayor is very angry and sad because this has left Tatenda and other people to suffer.
After the investigation is completed, the mayor decides to hold a ceremony to honour Tatenda’s bravery in exposing the problems in the city. The mayor’s speech at the ceremony mentions something called the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, from many years ago, which says all children should have an education, clean water, a clean environment, a right to play, a right to be heard and lots of other nice things.
Tatenda cannot believe his ears that there is such a global promise and he cannot wait to find out about it. Just as Tatenda is daydreaming about the Convention, he is asked to come to the podium. To his complete surprise the mayor says that Tatenda is being appointed as a junior mayor for his part of the city. Before he can figure out what this means, there is a large roar of applause and he is being draped in a heavy gold chain with lots of medallions which look like large coins.
He is also handed a custom-made rhodium walking stick with the symbol of Madini, a large lion’s face. The mayor calls it the mayoral mace. While Tatenda is admiring the lion’s head, he is also handed a thick golden envelope with a golden seal of the face of a lion. As Tatenda stands there in the midst of the applause, he knows that this all means his life will never be the same.
After the ceremony, Tatenda and his family are invited to the mayor’s castle on the hill for a feast. The mayor, his wife and Kabwe are dressed as waiters and they serve Tatenda’s family. Everyone thinks this is funny but they, especially Shamiso, feel very important for the first time.
To crown the day, the mayor makes sure that Tatenda and his family are taken home in the mayor’s official yacht. Even Tatenda’s older brothers are being extra nice to him that night. Tatenda can’t believe all the things that have happened today. It is the best day of his life and he only wishes that his best friend Sahwira could have been there beside him.
Just before bed, he remembers to open the envelope. It is written on official paper which is embossed with the Madini lion. This is what the letter says:
Dear Tatenda Gambia,
The city of Madini would like to congratulate you for uncovering corruption. In recognition of your efforts, the city of Madini is pleased to appoint you junior mayor of the area South of Madini. This means you will be responsible for investigating whether the children in Madini South are enjoying the rights they have been guaranteed in the U N Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention is enclosed with this letter.
Please read and understand it as it will be your investigative guide. Please find a team of girls and boys to help you in your investigations.
You will report all your findings to me, the Mayor of Madini, during a special meeting at my offices every month. I look forward to working with you.
Well done and congratulations!
Yours Faithfully,
The Mayor of Madini
Signed on this 15th day of February 2030 in the city of Madini.
It is bedtime but Tatenda is joyful, excited and shocked. He can’t believe this is really happening to him. He has trouble sleeping because so many thoughts are competing for his attention. He is thinking about who he can invite to join his team, what investigations they will carry out, how they will work, whether they should have uniforms and so many other things.
He really wishes that instead of being out fighting the terrible epidemic in the countryside, Sahwira would come back soon and help him. Just then, he remembers that he will have to study this Convention document which is in the letter. It looks long and important, with many articles, but he knows that since he loves reading, he will study it very hard.
Before he falls asleep, he imagines the new future he will have now that the corruption scheme has been uncovered. Although he is lying on a small bed with two of his brothers, he imagines that, in the future, he will live in a home with adequate space and that all families in Madini South will have healthy food and water and hopefully medicine to fight epidemics. He breathes a sigh of relief and drifts off into a deep, restful sleep, dreaming about his bright future.
Welcome to Papua New Guinea!
The author of this story is Tyronah Sioni. She is originally from Papua New Guinea and lives in Singapore.
Most of all, Tyra loves helping the planet. She hopes one day to create a worldwide charity called Evergreen. Her charity will help people in need, especially those who can’t afford food and homes. It will also help to tackle environmental problems and reduce pollution.
Tyra also dreams of making the world fairer by uncovering corruption, discrimination and harassment.
She also enjoys singing and dancing.
Chapter 1
There was once a girl named Sine. Sine loved to draw and loved swimming. Sine was a fierce and independent yet friendly girl, who was always ready to help anything or anyone in danger. She loved her island. She lived on a small island a small distance from Port Moresby with her mother, in a small village. It was all they could afford after her father died. She had a best friend named Kaimon, who was the truest, kindest and bravest person she knew. The only trouble with Kaimon was that other people, for some reason, could not see or hear her.
One day, as Sine and Kaimon were getting off the boat that took them to their school on a neighbouring island, they saw something a bit strange. They were passing a shop on the docks. They saw a man shouting at a woman and forcing her out of the shop, until the woman was lying helplessly on the ground. The man looked very selfish and arrogant.
Kaimon nudged Sine, telling her that they simply must do something. Sine trembled a bit but then regained her confidence. She raced over and told the loud man to stop. The woman got up slowly and limped away. Nobody else said anything.
Sine walked the rest of the way to school. She kept thinking about what they had witnessed and how wrong it was. Her mother always told her that respecting other people was very important. How was it possible that a lady was treated so and that no one would stand up for her but two small girls, one of whom no one could even see?
Chapter 2
After many lessons and much worry, Sine decided to tell her school principal what had happened. The principal was kind and thanked her for talking about it. She explained that violence and discrimination against women and girls is forbidden in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It remained, however, a major problem in many island communities and countries. Sine remembered seeing something on the news about groups who worked to educate people about this problem and helped to find solutions.
That afternoon, Sine threw her school bag over her shoulder and left through the tall front doors of her school with Kaimon. They went straight to the island library to do some further research on the problem of violence and discrimination against women and girls. They learned many things about how women and girls can be mistreated. They began to understand that turning their backs, and pretending to be invisible, was exactly the wrong way to change things.
As Sine went to bed that night, she thought about what the two girls might do. She dreamed that she and Kaimon worked together to create an education programme about Women’s Rights. She even saw their motto, ‘Women Forever, Girls Together (WFGT)’, painted in bright colours on a big banner.
The next day, Sine and Kaimon went straight to their principal’s office. Sine asked permission to speak on women’s rights and gender equality in their school assembly, as a first step in starting a new children’s education radio programme for girls and women. The principal agreed. Sine worked hard to prepare her presentation, taking on more research, and practising with Kaimon, who gave her lots of advice. On the day of her speech, she was very nervous. Kaimon encouraged her, telling her to be brave. They had to do something, after all. And since Sine was visible, the t
ask of speaking out was hers! Sine wished that Kaimon could also have a voice and be seen so that she could help. But she knew it was impossible.
During assembly, Sine felt alone at first, but she spoke in a clear voice. She explained that women do have rights and should be able to live without fear or violence, and to participate without discrimination. She told a story that everyone could understand.
At the end, she encouraged everyone to stand up for their rights. She challenged everyone to help create a new educational programme with her. There were many smiles and nods as she finished. Kaimon cheered the loudest, even though Sine was the only one who could hear her.
The principal, teachers and students agreed to support the new programme. The principal thought it would be a great opportunity for the school, for the students and for the country’s development.
Chapter 3
Sine worked hard with her friends to hang up flyers all around the village. The flyers were bright and colourful. They explained all the activities and games they were planning as WFGT education activities. Every day, more and more members joined. Most of them were girls, but after a while, boys also joined.
They started a children’s radio programme and held interviews with all the women leaders in their community, asking them questions and seeking ideas for things that girls could do to help improve their village. Kaimon could participate more that way because, even though she was still invisible, her voice was getting stronger. Sometimes, when it was only Sine and Kaimon in the studio, she would speak out about the things she cared about, and people started to hear her.
