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"IT IS easy to sit there at your dinner table in the middle of Sweden or wherever and say, 'I want to help a child in South Africa', but few actually get out there and do it."

Muizenberg resident Ryan "Brown" Dalton is 27 years old, sports tattoos and ear piercings ? and is a man of great substance and inspiration.

Ryan is a no frills, no fuss kind of guy, but his focus is very clearly fixed on his vision of "seeing a day when there are no children living on the streets of Cape Town".

Born in Cookeville, Tennessee, Brown first came to Cape Town in 1999 to work with Youth with a Mission (YWAM). Before that his life had mainly revolved around the arts: Acting, writing, singing, songwriting and even some modelling.

In 1998 he became a youth leader at his local church, where he had his first taste of working with troubled youth.

He was only supposed to visit Cape Town for three months before travelling to India for three months and then returning home.

While in Cape Town the group were involved in a number of community projects and soup kitchens, but it was on a day off on the streets of Cape Town that Brown's own mission in life would begin.

"I saw this kid digging for food in a rubbish bin. It was such a striking image. Back home I had seen a lot of poverty and homelessness, but you just don't see children in that state. It was a truly odd sight.

"I went over to talk to him and eventually he took me over to introduce me to his friends. I hung out with them for a while, learning a little about each of them and soon they began to accept me into their group."

Brown was so touched by this experience that soon after his visit to India he returned to Cape Town to try and make a difference in the lives of the city's street children.

For the first three months he simply spent time on the streets, getting to know the children, finding out their stories.

"Sometimes I would spend up to 18 hours with them, and if it got too late I would stay and sleep there on the street. If they were sniffing glue or swearing, I wouldn't stop them, I would let me them carry on as they normally would."

By doing this Brown gained their trust and respect, which was key if he was going to be able to help them.

"A lot of organisations aimed at helping these kids simply come in and try and get them to conform without first discovering what their needs are. But in order to really help them you need to build a foundation first and not just go in and tell them what to do.

"People seem to either think they are delinquents, or they pity them, thinking they must have come from an abusive background. Yes, many of their previous circumstances may have been tough, but what people don't realise is that the street life is addictive. These kids have the freedom to move around as they please. Many of them will choose to stay where they are, living by their own rules."

And that, Brown says, is the greatest problem. "The structure in this country is flawed. Children here are making decisions for themselves they are too young to make."

With this realisation Brown's focus shifted.

"I could keep trying to help these kids on a one-on-one level, but as long as the system works the way it does, for every kid I help there would just be ten more."

Brown knew he had to start fighting the battle from higher up, but being a young musician with no fancy qualifications meant many people did not take him seriously.

Not letting that stand in his way, he signed up with UCT, where he received an honours degree in Social Work. In 2004 he founded the Brown Foundation. The aim of the foundation is to find organisations and projects within the disadvantaged communities, which work hands-on with the youth, build up support and help keep them off the streets.

Around this time Brown, who continued visiting the kids on a weekly basis, met documentary film maker John Henion. Henion was inspired by Brown's work and decided to do a documentary about him and the children he was working with. While filming John noticed that on the odd occasion, Brown would rap with the kids.

"They used to call me 'Slim Shady'," Brown laughs.

John approached Brown about writing a rap song for the documentary.

"I had done some songwriting in the past, but never rap songs. I decided to give it a go and soon found that I had so much to say that I ended up writing 14 tracks.

"Rap music is very influential amongst the youth," says Brown, "but it has such negative connotations. I wanted to put a positive voice to it."

In 2006 he released his debut album, Hangin' in and Hangin' on.

Brown invested a percentage of the money from the record sales back into the community through his foundation. Even though he had put his art on hold for at least four years, he could now use it to reach out to the youth through his music and help fund his foundation.

"People get a little freaked when they hear someone say, 'This is my calling', but I do believe I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.'

"Many organisations are built on numbers, but you can?t measure your success by statistics. You may say you have helped 10 kids this year, but those 10 kids usually end up right back on the street.

"I hope that one day the South African system will change so that innocent kids aren't allowed to make this decision for themselves."

To find out more about the Brown Foundation and how you can help, visit www.thebrownfoundation.co.za, e-mail brown@themothermixgroup.com or phone 083 764 4164.

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