Rapper takes to the streets
2008-12-09 14:07
Click here for News24's video on street children and Dalton's campaign.
Cape Town - Social worker and rapper Ryan 'Brown' Dalton is marking his 16th night on the streets of Cape Town with an open invitation to the public to join him, he said on Monday.
Dalton took to the streets on 25 November to mark the global 16 days of activism for no violence against women and children, which runs every year from 25 November through to International Human Rights Day on December 10.
He has worked with homeless children since moving to Cape Town from the US eight years ago, and said that 16 days a year was not enough.
He has rebranded the campaign "365 days of activism".
"I have seen quite a few '16 Days of Activism' come and go, and I always experience mixed emotions; I think it is wonderful that we have dedicated 16 days towards speaking out against violence of women and children, but I also feel that 365 days of our year should be dedicated to this cause!" he said on his Facebook group. "Since I do spend 365 days out of the year fighting for this cause, this year I decided to spend the '16 Days' doing something a little more radical."
Life of a street child
Dalton, who first came to South Africa with the Christian organisation Youth with a Mission (YWAM), has emulated the life of a street child as closely as possible in his 16 days, relying on handouts and unsure where the next meal will come from.
He is calling for "more structures of support to be built up in our communities, a revival of the education system in impoverished communities, and a general awakening of society to see that these are OUR children and we have the responsibility to look after them".
Dalton started rapping and creating hip hop through his work with street children, and finds it a powerful tool to raise awareness as well as reach the youth.
He is hoping for a big turn out of ordinary South Africans to join him on the street on Tuesday night.
Supporters are encouraged to meet in the median of Buitengracht Street at 20:00, near the main entrance of the Waterfront and should bring "sleeping bags, blankets, posters to support the cause".
Said Dalton: "We will spend the whole night right there, because it is visible and a lot of traffic will pass by. I do not have permission for this and we may get chased away, so that is why it is important for everyone to try and come at the same time and we will stay there as long as possible."
See Dalton's daily blog updates here