Octopizzo speaks up for disadvantaged kids

As Governments and children’s rights organizations flooded social media with #DayoftheAfricanChild messages, Kenyan rapper Octopizzo added his voice to the conversation. Sharing images of himself with disadvantaged school children, Octopizzo called on his fans to speak out against the injustices that African children face.

“Today being the #DayoftheAfricanChild (DAC) All over the World, Let us be the ones who say we do not accept that a child dies every three seconds simply because he/she does not have the drugs you & I have. Let us be the ones to say we are not satisfied that your place of birth determines your right to life. Let us be outraged, let us be loud, and let us be bold. Take a moment and remember all the children we’ve lost through war, diseases, poverty etc and stand for a future of a child,” read his Instagram post.

The doting father of two, who serves as a United Nations Human Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Youth Ambassador, urged parents to set a good example for their children citing that children pay more attention to examples than verbal lessons.

“The attitude that you have as a parent is what your kids will learn from, more than what you tell them. They don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are,” posted Octopizzo.

Octopizzo, who often sings about the hardships he faced growing up in Kibera slums,  is the founder of  of a community based organization called  Y.G.B. (Young, Gifted, and Black) that promotes young talent.

The Day of the African Child is celebrated every 16^th June, and it is meant to shed light on the challenges that children living in Africa face. It commemorates the day that South African children were killed as they marched in Soweto for equal rights.  This year’s theme is ending child marriage in Africa.