We Say No!

WE SAY NO!

Rap and play written and performed by the youth group formed at Diaconia to educated young people about violence against children and teenagers and what they can do. They gave us an English summary of the story and a translation of the raps so we could follow along. How grateful we are that they did!

“It’s a drama that talks about how life can be difficult to garbage collectors and to children that are forced to work. They wake up at 4:30 am and spend the whole day long walking around Fortaleza to collect garbage to get money. They work hard but the money they get is little.

“Also it shows the reality of some children that cannot go home until they have enough money to give to their parents. Some of them get money out of garbage, others rob people in the streets. Some girls get involved with people who use for them exploitation.

“The aim of the drama is to bring awareness to the audience and make them think about what is going on in the communities and to denounce any kind of abuse against children and adolescents.Following are the songs sung in the drama.”

JANGURUSSU’S RAP

This song is to change this place

The place where I live, now I’m gonna sing

Sing with joy for a better day

Our reality together we’ll change

We’re the rapper girls of Jangurussu

We are the community that scares

With violence and drugs prostitution and criminality

Unfortunately it is true

But all of this misery is not a reason for sadness

There are a lot of people

That rise up their heads

Wake up early and go to battle

And work to bring food home

Parents go to work in factories and

Their kids go to collect garbage

It’s a hard daily life, very busy life

Going after left overs and risking their lives

To find dignity

My friend don’t stand there

Only watching, do something

It doesn’t help when you pretend

That nothing is happening

There are good organized people

A good example is the New Life Council

They do social work in our community

Culture and education finding happiness

Free from the oppression

Through corporate power and unity

You that are listening to us

Pay attention

Be part of this, come here and

Give us a hand

We’re the Rapper Girls

With love in our hearts

A NEW BEGINNING

Start over

Stop sadness

Looking ahead

Thinking of the present

To overcome pain

To overcome the prejudice

The rebellion, the loneliness

To seek for compassion

Freedom through love

Heads up

The truth is here

No more sadness

No more looking back

To love myself, love in itself

To study, to work with dignity

With courage and strength

That set me free

What set me free

Is to rebuild my life

Have my own family

And forget the past.

RAP

What’s up man

Exploitationis not cool

I’m here today and I’ll not care

For those who exploit

Who can exploit children

We often see on TV

Horrible things that make our hearts sad

And I ask myself

God what is going on with this world

The world is full of favelas

The world is full of misery

And as if this was not enough

There is the abuse

That makes many people suffer

If you weren’t abused or exploited

Don’t be silent otherwise

You’ll be helping the increase of violence

Did you get it

RESPECT AND EQUALITY IS THE SOLUTION

Let’s talk about something

All of us know

Is the exploitation

That increases every day

Can you imagine the pain of a father

Who lost his daughter to exploitation

Today we see our people

On hunger, needing food

And then we see children

That think the only solution

For them the only solution

For them is to sell their own body

We’re giving our message

We want solution

We’re denouncing

We’re against all kinds of exploitation

We bring love

To fight against violence

We sing against exploitation

Of adolescents

WE SAY NO