 So, welcome everyone. Thanks for joining me for this live event where we're going to link up with Fingers Cross way out in Freetown. And we're also going to have a chat with one of the members of Way Out who's here in London at the moment, Mash P, who's one of the musicians. And he's going to discuss a video that he's produced and then we're going to play that video for you. So, the plan for today is we're going to speak directly to this one person that I've been working with a lot myself. I'm Kieran Mitten, by the way, in the Department of War Studies. We're going to be speaking to Mohamed Esquimara, or MSK as we know him. And I'm going to ask him a little bit about the work he's been helping me with, the work that he does in Way Out. And once we've talked about that, we'll then have some performances from the guys at Way Out. We're having, as can be expected, we're having a little bit of internet connectivity issues, but we'll hopefully be fine. And then after that, if there's time left, hopefully we can have some questions. Great if people have, you know, got questions for the artists. Hello, hello, hello. We're back. You're back. You're back. Okay, so we'll switch the order things around while the internet is with us. Hopefully, Danny, if you're able, we can involve now directly MSK and say hi to the guys in Freetown. So I think they should be on screen, hopefully. Hey, MS. Yeah, hello, hello, everyone. How are you? I'm Mohamed Esquimara, MSK popularly known, a filmmaker, actually. I'm happy being part of this discussion, African Week. Thanks, MS. It's great to have you. Next to you, who is this? Please introduce yourself. This is Yusif Kamara. Guys, the paper points. Ian, you already know how for the rest of you guys. My speed mama is there. Exactly. Yeah. I hope we've got the end. My name is King Blaster. My real name is Kami Nekada. I'm a poet. Okay, excellent. So MS, one of the things that would be good to explain for a lot of the people watching you don't know about way out or even really that much about Sierra Leone. Can you explain what way out is what it does and, and, you know, maybe talk about some of the work that you've been doing with your kind of filmmaking? Actually, personally, I want to say thank you to Way Out for giving me the opportunity, taking part of this particular platform. Way Out is a charity organization based in Sierra Leone, but it's actually a UK organization that is running Sierra Leone here, working with street youths, less privileged and disadvantaged youths. And Way Out creates a platform of music, filmmaking, and also our point, trying to create that platform, art platform for street youth and less privileged. And I've been working, I've been, I've been part of Way Out as a member since 2013 to now. And now, as a filmmaker, and now serving as a staff member in the organization, which has taken from one level to another, as before, like in the community that I actually grew up from, which is Susan's Day, one of the slums within the heart of the city. Like, we are not actually, like, appreciated within the community we are living for, but like, with the help of Way Out and also then, debating our hustling from the unusual things that we used to do to like the filmmaking, to transform our life from one point on order. And now that they are looking up to us, that Way Out has produced within the community as another role model. So, these are some of the things that Way Out actually has done in the life of youth in Sierra Leone, and also within the borders, because we have other Liberia, Guinea and people who are coming in using the facility, which like the doors open. Okay, great. And the kind of work you've done, are you filming anything, I know we've been working on a documentary on around the cleats. Is there other things that you've been working on yourself, kind of documentaries or other projects, what kind of things have you been doing? Yeah, yeah, probably I was working on different different projects, obviously like this platform where you're in like, after you've been taught in Way Out, you've got the chance to go and like, build up ideas and try to see how you can build up your film skills. And I was working, I'm currently working on a film, despite the gang movie that we're doing with you, Karen, and I'm working on another movie, another documentary, which is something related to justice system in our country. Yeah, and there are other research actually that we did with Fauzi, who's not currently here, but we did, we work on a movie, Ghost Killer, we went out there, researched with our gangsters, tried to know their story and also see how we can get all what they've said and try to get a formidable movie out of what they've said and which actually happened. We've just done shooting the movie and now we are working on the editing. Yeah, it sounds really interesting. I heard about this and I'm looking forward to seeing it. It's one of the things I like about what you all do is that you give people the chance to tell their own stories and not just tell the stories, but film the stories, make the stories, produce what comes out of it. Just tell us, where are you by the way? I should have started out by asking, where are we right now? Where are you sitting? We are one of the slums within the western part of Free Town, Calty. This is one of the locations where we actually made our scenes in the movie. So like this is one of the, within the city, if you're thinking about the poor areas, you understand, you consider the slum area, people live down the slum. That's where I come from and most of our members, that's where we come from, we come from the slum. Now like we're making this transformation, but like this is Calty community, Calty Cary community, and it's a slum community. Okay, thanks MS. So I'm going to hand over to you guys now. I know that there's a line of people who are going to give us some different performances. And maybe it's easier if you can kind of introduce the guys as they go or they can introduce themselves. I know Gazby's work really well, so I'm looking forward to that. And I know like Mashpee's music, there's a lot of great stuff that you guys produce. But there's a lot of you and there's a lot of work going on, so I don't know at all. So if you want to introduce people, I'll just kind of be quiet over here. Yeah, with that I think we're out to build that confidence in most of those people. Everyone is actually capable of going there. Gazby can do this. Okay, okay, okay. As you already know, the other guys there who didn't know Gazby, this Yusuf Kamara from the streets of Freetown to Weow, and now a point, the gangster point. So I'm here to do a rough point that I tied to my life. It's about my life, you know. My life is my life and I'm responsible to live it. I choose the life I live. Nobody can tell me how to do it. Can't join the first lane because I want to make me or move life the wrong way just for the fake fame. For so long now I've been moving on the low low. Try to learn the things there but what a man they don't know. Side of the world on pass if they ask someone not go and go. I'm not buying a boutique, I'm going to go with my Congo. Once you get money, just call everything a bingo. Yeah man you don't know, say I saw the thing go. But this one game if I take shot my clean goal. Green goal, green goal, let me go and farm in Fethipou. Come back my town, move around with some big dough. Because it's a low life, too tough, and it's damn complex. The streets, tough, down rough, we're survival to reflex. Struggle to the face that they make up a flex. Prove the rock, prove me right, come and ask the nigger. Faces I've been through to my level here is too much. Street life, thug life, all I know is this life. Sontaining there for survival for sleep with another man's wife. She sound crazy if I'm rapping about street life. Hard life, broke life, surrounding my cold wall. Sufferness I don't feel, I don't see. But in all small, let pull it too tall. Would I make a come here? Don't you ever give me the kaya. Puff, puff, pash, you know the rules of the ghetto. Survive with big dreams. These guys beat me for points. And I will stop here for now. You already know. Man, that's good. I don't know how you remember so many lyrics. Okay. Let me ask you a question, MS, before we move on. Just fucking speak. So the language that you're using, right? A lot of people won't necessarily understand all of, all of the meanings. So can you explain like in a few words, maybe what, what this poem was about? For those that wouldn't understand. Okay. This point is about the life, you my life, about my life, an individual, every individual have the right to choose the life. He or she won't live. I'm trying to explain that I choose the life I lead. It's about my life. I, I, I, I, I, I. This point is about my life. I talk about things that I've gone through in my life. in my life and what I decide to do with my life and how I want my life to be, you know, the stages that I've gone through in life to this level, it's just about that, it's about my life basically. Brilliant, thanks guys, that was great man, thank you. We can take you on to another performer, our poet, our musician actually, Dunik, who will be performing one of his songs, yeah. It's just a little freestyle, I'm going to play a little song for you, because we're here for this little freestyle. It's just a little freestyle, it's just a little freestyle, it's just a little freestyle, it's just a little freestyle, it's just a little freestyle, it's just a little freestyle. My name is Kim Blaster. Next I will be going to a point named the system. If I could change my lifestyle, the way I pull out a smile but deep inside, all is not fine. If I could change my lifestyle, the way people see me in front of their eyes, the way people think of me is not who I am. If I could change my lifestyle, I would start by shipping off those relationships that makes me smile because they cause so much emotion and stress. I would stand straight and pose next to those who don't know my restless feelings of regret. I couldn't imagine how it would be if I changed my lifestyle. The system. Dear Lord, I'm sorry to say this but I have a question that I need an answer. We are supposed to live in peace. Why do I see black slaves punished by their old slave masters? We try to be free but we freeze in the hands of monsters. Monsters who don't care that the poor suffer or grumble about the government, the ugly system, the system. Why do they tell us that education is the key? When they know that a good job needs connection, government supports political influence, not gradation. Dear Lord, our system needs fixing. All I see are poor people persuaded to believe that right is being done. The system goes from bad to worse. They say we are government of the people by the people and for the people when they gain power, they abuse and stab the people, use the people against each other, they swim in a silent pool. Dear Lord, I'm asking all these questions on behalf of the hungry children, poor men and women. Lord, we need a savior to clean us from this senseless system. Our blood is injected with corruption. No cure, no option is left now for us but to die of silence sickness. We see a lot of selfishness acts but we are speechless to state the fact the system. Silence pain is on our heart the system. We are like children forced to walk on a narrow path for system. Good selfishness and pride is what we see in our politicians heart the system. Dear Lord, I stand here to ask, will you ever be free of this wounded system? Will Dennis remember to water my flowers? Will Dennis remember to water my flowers? Where I was beaten with a wooden stick? Where my nose bleeds? Where I was kicked? Where I was nearly killed? And if and among others with ambitious dreams, where it used to retreat? But where it retreated? Will Dennis remember to water my flowers? Where I was hungry, no food to eat? When my mum told me she had no money, why slept on books with grumbling belly, grumbling belly, grumbling belly? Will Dennis remember to water my flowers? Where I looked all the east like the light of the sun? Where I saw a bride with a rainbow color, her laying the money? Where the cockroach grows? Where the cockroach reminds me? Cassa, cassa, cassa, go! Will Dennis remember to water my flowers? You make them call a man full at 40, not because of hardship. MPSI beke was gave bribe, bullet, blood, money. You make them call a man full at 40, not because of hardship. MPSI beke was gave bribe, bullet, blood, money. We've just done our performance with Kasungo, one of our points in the way out, and that's the way we've set up for this program. Excellent, thank you very much. The guy before who just gave us the poem on, I think it was Jibrilo on the system. Can we chat to him briefly? My name is King Blaster, and the system is a point what is going in our system. It's totally going astray, we don't know what to see, so I just do this point. So what is the system that you're talking about? The system is talking about corruption, corruption in the government, in every sector, like in the educational sector, while it's getting job to the people, supposed to earn percentage of what is coming in as don't know, as any other sort of foundational support, but the people are having nothing, the people are just getting that prices going up, you know, they must have to get separation, nothing to feed their children, everybody is just crying. More this time of coronavirus, that's why I said the system, we are injected by a corruption virus, by corruption, no cure, no option is left for us. Okay, and this was very similar to the last performance we had as well, same theme about corruption, and you mentioned also the problem with Ebola and this kind of thing. So do you perform these for the community as well? Do you perform your poems? How do people respond? Do people agree with what you say? The people agree, I've met so many people who are listening to this, once they listen to it they say, wow, it's good, you are really talking about what is going on, and we really liked it. I've seen, I've played it too, because I've done the audio and I've been playing it around the people I've been loving it. Okay, thank you, I appreciate it. Is Gaz still there? Yes, I'm still here. Gaz, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing a little bit more about your story, because I think it's really interesting the way that you've been teaching yourself to write poems and this kind of thing, but maybe you can share as much as you want to share, if you can tell us about your story with what you want to share. Okay, I will share a brief of my story, because my story is vivid, so broad and big. I'll use all the time if I say I will tell my story. But basically, Gaz here has gone through a lot, has come from a lot, you know, a lot of obstacles. Like I said previously, thanks to We Out for showing me poetry, which have changed me now to better person in my community, you know. Because before poetry, I was lost because I was that kind of gangster who just carries street activities in his head, going to talk during all that, you know. But even though while I was on the street, I was having this feeling that the street way is not the right path to move. Then I need to find a way to catch up with the world train, the modern train, you know. So I started finding ways, I started finding ways, even though I was partaking street activities like the bulldozing and other things, you know, but I'm still wondering to myself sometimes if I sat down by myself. I'll be thinking, is this the life that I wanted to live? I'll have my kids one day. Then if I have kids, then my kids let me do this. Will they appreciate me as their father? Will they see me as a good father also? I was asking myself this kind of question, you know. So it was a burden on my heart because I'm that kind of person who have this conscience, who work with this conscience, you know. If I'm doing something that is wrong, my conscience will tell me that what you're doing is wrong. So if I continue doing that, I will drop asses, but my conscience. So when I was in the street, my conscience kept telling me this is not the right track. You need to find something to do. And I came from that kind of broke background for family and our parents gave back to five of us. Then they have to take care of all of us, you know. Then I've migrated and left them in the provinces and came to the city, Capital Free Town, you know. So I have to find my way out, you know. So I started finding ways. But since I was in school, before I dropped out, I was, I love writing. I never know about poetry because even when I entered my senior secondary school life, I was in the science stream before everything just fucked up. I dropped and took the streets, you know. So, but when I was in school, like I was saying, I love writing. I love to write, write, write, write, write. After school, while I was in the street, I still write. Write in my raps because I was doing music, not thinking of poetry. I was doing street raps, you know, rapping. What were the reactions of the guys around you, right? When they saw you were writing on your phone, you were writing poems. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Most of my friends, it came to time, it came to time that after I've discovered poetry in way out, it came to time, most of my friends do like my call me because I don't have time with them. I'll give all my attention to my phone because yeah, I'll give all my attention to my phone doing my right, my basic writing on my phone. So even if they are trying to explain something to me, they will not get my attention. So that thing pisses them off. So guys, so I'm also, what's going on with you? You just paying attention to your phone. So yeah, I'm finding, I'm finding, I'm getting nice time with my phone, you know. I would abandon the phone for some time, give them some attention. Then later I'll go back to my phone. So it came to time, so at a certain time, they never came around me. So I would just be by myself, even my one, two hangout chicks, you know. They had to find it boring to be around me because all my attention was like I said. So I was so desperate to find my way out of this shit, you know. Because I didn't know it was not a good life, even though I was involved in it deeply. Because I have to survive. The main thing is survival. So even though you don't want to do this, but you have to eat. You answered a question I was about to ask. So thank you because I was going to say to you, why is it, you know, a lot of guys on the streets, they join the gangs or they, you know, they get involved in kind of criminal things. The main goal is survival. The main goal is to survive. Because in this life, you need to survive. Imagine you spend one or two days without having a scent in your pockets, you know. Then you sit down, even to buy the Jambadi marriage one at which you smoke in the ghetto. You cannot afford to buy. Then somebody just popped in and said, hey come, go and abuse that lady for me. He's around my boyfriend also, you know, a ghetto youth who have nothing to do to make money. You just go, even though you don't want to do it, but you've spent one or two days without having a scent in your pocket. Now somebody has come and attacked you with 50 or 100,000 that you just need to go and say some words, just words. You know, you just take the option, you know. This is for survival, meaning not involving most street in some activities, bad activities in the streets. So, you know, I continue, I was still hanging out because I have, I do have no option. I do have no way. If I sell, I quit the street where I do have home to go or house to go. So I just, even though I want to change my life, so I need to be in the street. So I continue to be in the street. And because of my morphological, my body built, I became head of the street that I'm hanging out with, which gives me voice and edge over them. So they listen to me, you know. Whatever I told them, they told me. So I was hanging around them. It came to a stage that some don't, some just in love with the street activities. They don't want to change. They don't listen to the positive advice that I was giving them. So they started to purring up some fracas, fracas isn't some fraction in the food. So I decided to sit back and allow them to take out some position while I would be giving them. That was after I've discovered we have a friend, a brother from another mother who introduced, who told me about way out. In fact, he didn't tell me about poetry, he told me about, there's a studio, there's a studio that has come in town that is helping streets to do their music. Like I was saying, I was doing music. Why is it I want the street? I was concentrating on music. I was saying music is my hobby or is my profession. That's where I was finding happiness. Whenever I think of, I've dropped out of school and I'm not in any tech, or any educational centre to learn whatever trade, I was thinking to give myself that kind of courage or peace. I said, okay, I'm a musician and I'm an artist. So I keep on pressing on this or write my raps and all that. So the boy just popped in one day and told me that there's a studio that has come in town which is giving help to street shoots. So he gave me the address of way out. So I visited the studio then, by then that was around 2012, 2012, 2013. So I went there, I went through the process, then I was given the chance to record a song and to give video which Jibu manager, Jibu the current manager, by then it was easy to work in there. So Jibu is the man behind the camera right now? Yeah, he's the man behind the camera right now. And he's the man that did my first video. The song is called Fendi Money. So I never think of poetry. So but things didn't work out the way I was thinking of, you know, I thought after recording or the video I would just have somebody that would put money in me that would promote me or so. But things never work out the way, then I have to survive. So I need to go back to the streets and do stuff to survive, you know. I never stayed that long. So I went back to the street after some time. But like I said, this thing was still hitting me up that I need to change. It's not the life that I wanted to live. I need something that the community proud of me. Now my community knows me as a street talk whenever they want to do something like bulldozing and assault or to beat up someone. Can you explain what bulldozing is for people that don't know? Bulldozing is like bulldozing is a term that is used in this land fighting, you know. For example, Mr. A has bought this land and Mr. B also has bought the same piece of land and they are fighting for the land. Let me say Mr. A has constructed maybe pambody or a fence or whatever. So Mr. B will go and add some talks that will come and bulldoze. Take off everything from the land and clear the land for Mr. A to access, Mr. B to access this or our land. That's what bulldozing is. I wanted my community to know me for something good that they were proud of. Not like whenever they want to do negative thing, they will come to us. I usually say this to these boys. Let's think. There are good things that are coming in the community. These elders don't think of us. Whenever they want to do something bad negative, that's the time they will come and show us money to do this act. It's not a lie. Then I tried other stuff. I took some youth from the city. I went with them to the provinces to do some basically gold mining. It doesn't work. Then we come to sand mining. It doesn't work. Then we came back to the city. Then I think of what to do again. That's how I went to way out for the second time. And I went to way out. I was lucky. The first students of the poetry have just done with their level one. Because of poetry. I was inspired by those students. They were talking about poetry. I have been hearing about this poetry. I never know about poetry. I haven't read any poem book in my school days. In this part of where we attended school. We students have this mentality. I'm an art student. I don't pay attention to subjects that relate to the science. Likewise, the science don't pay attention to any subject that's more involving the art. That's how it is. I was just reading my science. I never know about poetry. When I get to the building way out, the likes of Mickey, I get attracted. I get attracted. So I enrolled for the next level. That was around 2017. That's how I started writing poetry. Since I found poetry. Poetry has been a great tool in changing my life. Poetry taught me to be sincere in your writings. And I have implemented that. Even if I'm dealing with somebody in the dark. I'll try to maintain my integrity. That's how I'm enjoying the piece of poetry. I don't want to keep this feeling to myself. I decided to form an organization. I will help street shoots out there. I know there are a lot of street shoots that are involved. They are trapped in the streets. Like me before. I want to use my poetry. To help them get in the right path. And catch up with them. Thank you so much. That's really inspiring. At the end of this, I'll let people know about some of the publications. Where they can see some of your poetry. Thanks for sharing your story. It's not easy. You know, you're trying to do it. You're still trying. Never give up. Exactly. Thanks for the platform. And all that, you know. Of course. Of course. Yeah. And hopefully we will have a chance to do something like this again. In the not too distant future. I think. So. So mash. Mash has been watching everything. Mash peas in London right now. He's been nodding and agreeing with lots of people. Mash peas in London right now. He's been nodding and agreeing with lots of things. He's also enjoying some of the performances a lot. And it's a good. It's a good point to go over to mash. Shout out to brother mash. Shout out to you brother. Shout out. Shout out. Never give up. No, you're ready to give up guys. West coast. West coast. I feel you man. I feel everybody. Mash, that's a mash. Now on your phone. Say hi. I'm Mash. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. Mesh. S. So following on from what Ghaz was talking about, he was saying how important poetry was for him, for changing his life or for trying to make a change. For you, your musician, why is music important to you? What does music do for you? To my brother, I know him from the street. I quite know him from the street. We're back. We used to live together on the street, live around the hood. That's, yeah, it's real. To me, music is like music saved my life because since I was on the street, he knows me. I have nothing else, more than music. And when I, when I found way out, I learned a lot. I have so many things that have forced myself to learn because I want to make it without music. Even without music, I want to help all the people with what in my brain, like he was saying the poetry changes like music changed my life. Because we used to know each other a lot, really, we used to do stuff, went back on the street, you know, so, so then poetry changing his life. Yeah, that's a thousand salute for that. Yeah. Yeah, so as for me, music is, it's like an angel to me. Music is not like an angel. Like when you, you lost, you were really lost. Yeah, you were an angel came and like a bright light to you. That's music to me. Because way back when I was nine, my story got changed. My story changed. So after some years back, when I came family, my family did not really appreciate me. Yeah, it's really hard to start seeing stuff. Yeah, it's, it's, it's a difficult, you've had a really difficult path, right? We know, we know that. But I mean, I saw something recently I mentioned to you before on Twitter, I saw a picture of you with Frank Turner. Yeah, Frank Turner. Yeah, I was thinking about the past that you've taken, you know, it's like, it's crazy. Sometimes it must be weird for you thinking about it, but you've been doing, you've been performing like, you know, a lot of public performance and you've been performing with Frank Turner and others. And like, the music is now, you know, like the thing that people know you for. This is kind of like much really artist. This is like the, this has got to feel like quite a positive change from, from, from where you came from, from the situation in the past. So, because being a next combatant or child soldier is, it's not really easy when, when people will like the stigma and the other, because I migrated, I was born in Teyama, and I was captured in Kenema for quite a long time after coming back after war, but after they said the Tijangkabawa government end the war and try to rehabilitate people. Well, they first, they take me to my family. They never accept me back. So it's like, they try, they just tried just to, to not neglect me. So when I was at home, even my mother used to tell me that I was like, I have the rebel blood in me. I have so many things stigma me. So I, I thought it's fit that no, I think I need to go somewhere where nobody knows me. Even though I was around the vicinity of my family, if people knows me, you know, I taught it again that I have to move far away from that region, not knowing that people knows about me. So I moved to Freetown. I start living on the street, working for people just to survive. Yeah, because these people I work for, they don't know me. They don't know my past. They don't know my story. I don't tell them my story. You know, so things was real hard. So I found that music was the only thing that I can, yeah, that cannot even tell me who I am. So it's like, I, I start playing this track, even though I was not good, I was not really in it. So it starts coming, I start working for people just to have music, just to, just to walk on music, you know, go studio to studio just to go by them. I was like 14, 15 years, you know, then I was moving on in the music. Then I sometimes I sit down and cry. See, I'm not going to be a musician. I'm not going to be somebody else. Who am I going? Yeah, sometimes I really get mad of tired being on the street because it's really hard. Yeah, I can understand. And therefore, we got really, really mental health issues because we think a lot on how to survive. We have to sleep. You know, if you have, we have to sleep. You're thinking of surviving a day to have a meal. Yeah, we don't like right now, I'm used to it. I can, there is a thought I cannot even eat for, for like the end of the day. Yeah, just a one meal. All of us living on the street, we must live with that, that thought in our brain. So this is hard for us. So this is one of the things that I was going through. So I keep working for people, you know, do odd jobs for people. Yeah, still do my music. I work for people. And they give me this little sum of money. I go back to the studio. Yeah, just to survive again and do my music. So finally, because I don't want to go real deep, deep into stuff. And I was in the ghetto for a couple of like 12 years on the street after the war. That's a part, that's another part, living my life. You know, I used to like being on the street, like, like I am. Gas was seen. Yeah. Yeah, I remember there was an incident at the, the melting my guy feel. He was part of the, the gang, gang team called give a damn. And I was like, black black night represent black night, but we eat, we know each other. We are like grabbing people's market just to survive crabbing, you know, when I did ask the leader, gang leader of the gang. When I grab it. Everybody follows that market is going to be finished. It's going to be. So we are happy. But because our lives are now coming to a change. So we want to prove to all the people that they still, they also can change their life if they determine, like, I enjoy his point. I will fill that point right inside me, because you leave the life you want to leave. You decide the life you want to leave. Yeah, if you if you were bad person you and you determine even though it's really hard, right, to change that. And people just see you like, no, he's not, he's not serious. He's not, he's not about serious thing. He's just, it's going to be the same person. You know, you really try your best to change and people down there looking at you. Is the same March is the same gas. You know, it's the same people. They're not never going to change like me, my mother, my family. That's what they always said to me, you know, he's not going to change. He's always a rebel. He got a rebel. Sometimes I keep my mouth shut and think, how am I going to, I think about my future. So he's like, such like that. In 2015, I was in a ghetto, representing a team called TIA talent in Africa, which we have so many talent in that ghetto. You know, I was representing that team. After moving myself from Black Knight, you know, from the peninsula axis, coming to the Abaddon rule because it times somebody knows about my story or I saw somebody from my home. At that part, who knows my story. I have to move because I don't want people to spread out the news because, you know, Sierra Leoneans are quick to spread news. Yeah, that's really, that's really the thing I really hate about them, whether it's true or not. But you know, sometimes it said people who said things a lot. It might be true a bit. Half of like false news, you know, but they will say things that were bad and other people not even want to come close to you. You know, so I was sitting in that ghetto. Then I, and the, the, the, the, the, the, the elder of the, like, the, the boss of the team, his name is Sula B. So was having a video shoot, not knowing that there was somebody who was on the street has been transformed in way out as a camera person. He was trying to learn as well to do a video if he making an video producing. So he was like trying to show himself to the boss. So I was fortunate to be on that video. Yeah, so I fall in love with the camera so much. I fall in love with the camera and I told, I went to the guy and say, man, can I be your learning boy? Can I be your, your, can I be your boy? Can I be somebody who will be carrying equipment? I want to know this thing. He said, no, you can. You might need money. He said, no, man, you don't know me. I said, I need this. So he leave me and we, we go through all the video. It was like, the song was go try. It was really, really go, is go try. It was talking about everybody has to take the chance. So that song motivated me. And I was like, Oh, I can do it to myself. And after some time, I have this song, because I used to have songs on my CDs, which I have done with others two years, which I have paid by my hard work, working for other people, all jobs really, had a laundry in for people cleaning their compound. Yeah, just to survive like my brother was saying, we do stuff to survive. So later, he came to me and say, Well, I love this your song, because my song was talking about exactly my past, not only my past, but things that have happened to me on the street, because sometimes really, I don't want to put my music and my past together. Really, really, but it seems that everybody says you need to work this out with this. It's really hard for me to do that. I feel some kind of pain really. We feel that pain. We all feel that pain to include something that is very, very, very people. Some people will not understand. Some people understand, you know, like in the European world, people just say, No, you were just a kid. But to me, sometimes really, it's hard for me to forgive myself, because I've done a lot in the past. Yeah, but yes, music, I don't want my sometimes I don't want my past to be compared or brought near to my music career because I want to make it, I want to make it out. There's a code in my brain that I'm ruining. I'm ruling to us really that always in my brain, even anybody that tries to stop me, I get mad at that person because there's something in my brain that I see you want to achieve it. I want to show the world. I want to show people. I want to show my family that all is not lost by me. I can even try. I can try more than people who have never been to such conflict before. Yeah, that's really in me. So this friend do my video. I was trying to come back to trace my video. Even though he told me he never told me about where to be presided like he did not explain the way about he just tell me there's a place where you can land this. You know, you don't need to be to be like being behind me, you know, but I never knew that I'm going to this place on my own. So at one day, I've waited, waited for quite a long time about for my video, because that's my first video in my whole life. So I wanted to see this. I wanted to see this. So I went to him. It was a new rainy season. Like 2000. Yeah, it was a rainy season. 2014. So like, I grabbed the video and I went back. Later, he came back to the organic to the ghetto and told me that's the place that's called way out. You know, the only thing you need is concentration. Yeah, well, I don't think you can enable because you have a lot of talent in your brain. You know, you have a musical talent or you have you just need patience. And I told him I can do it. I can do it. He said, you know, he said, okay, maybe you, you, you will find a time to come. So I finally find the time in 2015 I came back to where I was there for a couple of months. Before knowing that you have to register yourself legally. So I registered. I registered. And I stopped doing my music, which because even without meeting where I was like in the community performing music all around. And I was enjoying myself, not only enjoying myself, but when I'm always performing, I forgot, I forgot that I'm performing for people, you know, I performed for myself. The feelings came in me. So I performed for myself is not about people. I don't care if people, people, people enjoy me. I don't care. That's why I feel it. I feel the emotion in me. So I enjoy it. So, when, when I perform, people come and say, Oh, you'll go you. So that keep me more going. You know, so my first track was the first track I did with way out was Mr. President. You know, I was first featured on the Ebola song. So they gave me the chance to give, give me a whole song. So they really tried very, very much want to transform me because I was really, I was really a mad man on the street at one point, you know, to transform me. Really, I'm really grateful to the staff of 4L. Even though, because we all have mental health issue, trust, there's nothing to, to, to skip. We all have things we always think about, you know, so to go through all these people to just like me. I'm a real hard work. Yeah, to see way out. So they really tried. They really tried to tame some of us. You know, it's like when you have a wild animal, or, you know, how to trap that animal to how you want it. It's really hard work. You have to understand, you have to be able to go through some stories, you know, but, and I can say 1000 Salute for Chibu. Never mind. You know, all the things we have put them through, you know, let them keep working hard, you know, because some of us believe that way out is the only hope for us. They have so many organizations who claim to be trust way out. They're quite, it's quite really different. You know, I can never believe that I'm living in this part of the world now. Yeah, but I know this story I can tell it to anybody, even to my great-grandchildren and I'll tell them who I was and how far I came. It's far, yeah. So I did my, my song, Mr. President, because I want to see things change in my country. I really need things to change my country, because there are a lot of us, you know, a lot of people like us, the ex-combatant gangsters, you know, who have moved away from their family, their family never want them again, you know, because of, yeah, some of us now, like me, I'm proud of way out because my model, who used to throw me away, now can be proud of me and say he's my son, he's my son. That's one thing I can say, thousand salut to way out for. It's one thing, yeah, it's one really thing, because my mother was really, really upsetting me all the time, telling people who I was. Yeah. So that's one thing that I will wear back and I promise myself, not wear out, not anybody, I promise if I become successful in the world, I have to pay back. I have to pay back. I own the street, I own the people, I own way out back, yeah, even if I know maybe I cannot do it to wear out, but I can do it for the street people, I can do it, I can change somebody's life, yeah, because way out did not give up on me. That's the most important thing because I'm a real nasty person. Some people who see me performing on the stage, you know, my past, yeah, it's really hard, but I believe that with music, like I always say music saved my life, there's nothing about that, there's nothing change, there's nothing, music changed my life, music saved my life. Like my brother was saying poetry. Some people think that I can be a poet, but no. You know, I see myself, I don't enjoy the way I enjoy myself performing for other people, because when I'm on the stage, I'm like a lion, real lion on the stage, I enjoy myself. Again, I want to say thanks to Gibo because I gave him a lot of hard time. Yeah, I'm so sorry about that. Yeah, but I'm sorry. Music is what I want in my life. Music is what I want. There's nothing. Music is what I want. Music is what makes me forget about my past in the camera, right? I came to realize that I have an eye to see the way out. Yeah, using the camera. I love my job at the camera. When it came to where I just tap music in my head. Mash, Mash, thank you so much for like, this is really difficult. I know for you to share and I appreciate you. You're telling us these really personal things. I think it helps people understand what you're saying, right? It helps people realize this is not easy. This is difficult. And also the value of music, of way out, of the kind of changes that are so difficult that maybe people in other parts of the world take for granted or other parts of even Sierra Leone, they don't appreciate. So thank you. Like, it's really difficult. And I know you are, you know, it's not easy to think. Never mind to talk about these things. So we're really thankful for that. One of the things that we're going to talk about actually, and maybe you can introduce, is related to everything you've been talking about. And some of the guys before when they're performing were talking about the system. It's about all of these things that are keeping people in these difficult situations, making it hard to even have a meal by the end of the day to have money in your pocket. And you've written a song, you've produced a video, which we're going to play. Do you want to just introduce that and explain what that's about? Well, when I get, I think it's bread and butter, yeah? Yeah. Yeah. And now it's my favorite because I love, I want, I want every Australian to even leave on $50 a day, you know. Yeah, you know, the song is trying to talk about the system. And the system, like, back home, this politician, they will come to us because we are the need, we are the needy, they will promise everything, they will say, we'll do this, we'll bring you, we'll change your structures, we'll change this zinc house or whatever. You know, we'll change it to a good structure, we'll change the environment, we'll make sure, like, this present government was talking about bread and butter. Before coming in, they were talking that, oh, when we come, every Australian is going to be fine with food and everything. So, but now, when they come, they don't even think about what they have been saying, you know, so it's like, we, the voters, they are using us like a full, a bunch of food that they can only use. The fact that I use the dump is to show that this is how they use us. This is how exactly we are in the eyes of these guys. They think that they are clever, you know. So, bread and butter is talking about everything they said. It's not really evident because you can see everything in one song. So I got a couple of songs that still on hold. GK Media, which is G-Boy, is still working on them, you know, but like this song is really for my heart when I came back, when I first, when I went back to when before coming back to UK, I met a producer called Jack. Which, they gave me the chance to produce a song with. So I thought to flip back. I can, I can do this. And I don't do that track with him. Tides of bread and butter and the video was shot by just the hopes. That's why I always tell them, Salute to the way out staff for hard work, for walking in streets, you know, and I believe that when if you support the way out, more of those things will be done more. Thank you. That's great. We're going to, we're going to switch to video. I just going to say to the people, if they have any questions, I should have said this earlier, but you know, better late than never. If you want to put your questions as a little Q&A box, you can ask questions from anyone. The guys are still there in, in Freetown, Lash is there. I can ask the questions. We should put them in the box and you know, it could be about anything they don't have to answer if they don't want to. But I'm going to hand over to Danny, who's going to hopefully share the screen and play the video so we can have a watch and listen. We put the link into the chat so everybody can have a listen. So as I say, if anyone has any questions, just put it into the Q&A section. For now, going back to the guys in Freetown. I want to just kind of hand it back to you. And if there's anything that you want to say, because so far I've been kind of asking you questions, asking you to tell the story. But maybe you can tell us what we should know. Are there things that you would like to say while you have this audience here about anything really, but maybe in particular about, you know, the kind of the music, the art, the poetry that you're recording and life in Freetown. Absolutely, I want to say that this is something that we have to treat you to actually. And I will say kudos to all street foods in Africa as a whole, because it's actually very, very, very, very difficult living in the streets of Sierra Leone or Africa as a whole in most of the country in Africa. You know, sleeping on market tables, you know, living with the irons of corpse, you know, in and out, and also very difficult to get your daily bread, which like my brother Marsh, he's just talking about the bread and butter, very difficult to get a three meal a day. You know, there is no opportunity like that. And if you look into the employment, there is no better employment for youth. And also, there are also issues on the employment, even if you've got your skill, you understand, for you to actually get what you want or what you're supposed to get out of your skill. You find it very difficult to get what you are supposed to actually get. And these are some of the issues, actually, bonding the whole country, you know, the false promises from the politicians and also some of the things that are actually not going on right in the country. So like we asked the streets to be looking up to more platforms like fellowship, you know, scholarship, and also funding that will help us, you know, the world recognize in our society again, because they already know now that we are up to something. We are now working as media practitioners, some of us are filmmakers, some of us are musicians, some are boys, you understand. The platform that will get internationally, like Max has already started having his own platform, which we all have people, that's a plus to way out and also to him, like for each to rule more and more, you understand. So many people are blocking our routes, you know, there are no accessible routes for streets to make it, you understand. So like we're looking up to more help to way out youth and also youth in Africa, advocating for every youth in Africa. We are dropout, we are school dropout actually, we went through way out and also belong to our society. Now our society are also looking up to us to see how we can impact what we've got. And with that, I think we need to upgrade ourselves more and more. So I'll start here from now. Excellent. Yes, actually, I wanted to light on Crime to Career, which is my organization. I want to use this opportunity to say this here, because I know there are other people who are watching this, who are taking part here. Please, please. I have found so much peace in poetry. Like I said previously, I don't want to keep this feeling to myself, because I know there are lots of people in the street that are trapped in street activities who are lost like me before. Since I have found poetry and poetry have opened my eyes, have shown me the way to the right track to catch up with the mood and train. I want to use this opportunity to help release other streets that are trapped in street activities down there. That is why I come. I'm not advocating for my personal and personal to upgrade my personal. I'm doing this for an organization that will help other youth out there, especially those that have worked with and those that have not worked with. I'm kindly apologizing or pleading to all of you that are listening here. As I will soon create a link because we've already, the organization already have a project at hand, which is taking street shoots from the street and take them to the farm to do, to engage them in some agricultural activities. Because you know street shoots based on the, the, the, the, the, the, the, based on what they know about street shoots, it is hard for street shoots to be accepted in this community. After what you've gone through the street life, people still see you as the same person, no matter what you do. I'm, I'm still suffering from that, even though now I'm, I'm a poet, but I'm still suffering. People are still watching me in my commentary like that first month. So I want to show them that I'm now changing and I don't want to stop to myself. I want to take these changes to other youths around the community. So they will know that there's a change man now and he has helped other street shoots to change their life. That's why we formed this organization. Time to career to decided to take the money talk way out. We are planning to take streets to the farm to engage on some agricultural activities. To have a farm base, we are in, we will be taking streets from the street. We will spend like a year or two in the farm, help to reintegrate them, get a steady mind before taking them to the, to the doors of the career they have to go into a farm. So soon we will be doing some fundraising and we need some fun to see that actualize. Okay, so I will share the link when that when that when that link is there then I will share it around. So we'll put the word out and let people know. Time to career and the farming project will share the link when it's created on the website. I have a question here about women and girls in way out. Where are the girls? Are there girls in way out? Are there women in Sierra Leone? We are, we are, we are the girls. We are actually trying, we are actually trying the best out of another like to get more girls come back. We have a special unit operating Susan is the head that is on our projects. That's why like, I mean she didn't show. But like, we actually create a platform for for women's, you know, on the street and also less. There are women who are female now working with success story working at SLBC, our, one of our national television stations, and also there are others now who are working as freelancers, you know, they've got all the help from way out. And we think the points we've got about about two of them who are very vibrant working there and way out is creating more and more platform for them because why they're going to be making calls and also and the graphic design and the life. So in that area, we actually we do have a vibrant modern man. And there was a program I think even in one of the women's prisons, kind of going in and doing music and poetry and that kind of thing. So there's, yeah, there's a lot going on at way up. Guys, we're going to we're going to wrap it up there. Thank you very much. Thank you guys, MSG, everyone. Thank you, Mash. You know, thank you for being so it's a public, you know, we're in public here and you're telling these personal stories, and it feels very one sided. You give us everything and we just, we just watch but we appreciate it and you know it's an important and we value what you're saying. So thanks for taking the time. I don't know. I don't know if we can see on the screen, but I just wanted to show this is the, this is one of the books and written off. Yeah, so this is where a way of poetry, but there's quite a few if you go on Amazon or you go on you go on the way up website you can find these collections of poetry is all the other things that have been produced by members of way up. Guys, I know I've read some of your work in here. I think it's this one maybe it's the new one. There's different ones and you can buy them as a kind of e online kind of Kindle version as well. So I encourage everyone to do that if you if you like what you heard today. Thanks guys. Take care. And I hope we can do this again. And by the way, I'm amazed at how good the internet was all around in the UK and in Freetown so it was it was it was a very good connection in the end. Thank you. I miss Jibo. Thank you behind the camera for doing all of the hard work. Thank you everybody. Hey man. Big up. Big up. Big up. That's a song.