From Kampala with Love
“No man is an island and no man stands alone.”
Yassin has lived a life that is – in both geography and lived experience – far removed from the lives of most readers of this blog. His ‘mother’ is also in some ways far removed from me (she was a Christian whereas I am an atheist) but her life and mine have become connected through Yassin: she plucked him off the streets of Kampala as a child and raised him in an orphanage in Kenya; through the wonders of modern technology (social media), I have got to know the man he has become. Sadly, she passed away in 2020, but her legacy lives on in his life and that of many others.
A guitar player and a gentle soul who responds with grace and longsuffering patience to all of life’s injustices, Yassin serves as an an example to me of how to respond positively to whatever life may dish out.
Yassin speaks in his own words:
At the age of three years I lost my biological mother and at six years old I lost my father. I became a street boy almost immediately for five years I lived on streets, life was a nightmare each day, threats from police and bigger street boys made life even more harder.
One day out of blue while on the streets this white lady approached me and started talking to me in a language I couldn’t understand, once she realised I couldn’t understand her she called someone to help her. Speaking in my native language I explained why I was on the streets as stated above and immediately she started crying.
I couldn’t understand why she was crying but what she told me next was the first feeling of hope In five years, she said she wanted to help me go to school and that she loved me. Something I wished for as a kid, from that day onwards she kept her words, since she had only come to visit a church and as a tourist she had to go back to England. Before she left she made sure I was in school and well taken care of, after three months she came back and she started an orphanage and to this day hundreds have been given a second chance in life from this great woman of God.
After growing up, he decided to write a song to sensitize the world to the suffering faced by orphans and street kids. He adopted the artistic nickname ‘MOS-D’ (meaning ‘Man Of Spiritual Deeds’) and recorded a song called ‘Second Chance’, donating all the proceeds to the orphanage:
In particular, he feels these lyrics from the second part of the song have special meaning, and I agree that his ideas should challenge us all:
“I see kids walk down the streets,
craving for a better life,
shelter, clothing and food to eat.“They need a better life in this world,
in our societies,
and I am their voices.“You better hear their cry
their souls are lost,
they need your help
in this world today.”From ‘Second Chance’ by MOS-D, used with permission.
Yassin has many songs that he would love to produce given a chance. Are there any musicians or philanthropists out there who would like to help this young man share his messages to the world?
Our common humanity builds a bridge whereas other life circumstances seek to create difference and division. He and I live in different generations, continents and cultures, but I am proud to call him friend.
© 2021 Geoff Allshorn
Postcript: Added on 17 June 2023 at his request, his latest song WHY WARS?:
All my life i have desired to help street children, orphans and if possible widows. there was a time when i was able to contribute personally to the dream through my song and other means of advocacy and support, that was then until life took another turn and found myself needing help.
i can say for sure now that after six years of uphills and being in a more hostile country i decided to go back home and start from scrutch. having the passion to help orphans and living with them makes my heart broken, i am hoping and praying that through this blog one will indentify with me and help if possible i continue recording and assist orphans and street kids.
We are humans who can decide to do good or bad, i believe life is only complete where there is any act of love.
kids are innocent, its never their choices, i never chose to lose my mum at 3yrs, my dad at six so if i find or hear someone suffering due to those circumustances i feel its my duty to help if i can.
there is no love without actions, no man is an island and no man stands alone, we need each other and we can do together.
Geoff i would like you to add my new song here, called WHY WARS.
Done, my friend.