Rap for nature
Kenyan rappers Anderson Mwakazi (aka Harshkid Luckystah), Benard Kaisa (aka Benkaizah) and Simon Mwanjala (aka Popsodah) have a new rap song and video, Pray for Nature, that calls for an end to deforestation in Africa. See it on YouTube and heed their words
Kenya and scores of other African countries have allowed deforestation that has had disastrous consequences for climate change and so people's lives. The rappers hope Pray for Nature will resonate with young people everywhere and that the younger generations that come together to stop any more trees being felled. It's a great video, see it here
Deforestation is the second largest contributor to the climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change – warns that deforestation intensifies the effects of climate change, such as water scarcity, drought and food shortages. Billions of people will be adversely affected, especially those living in rural parts of the world who depend on farming to feed their families.
Anderson Mwakazi lives in the Kasigau Corridor, a severe drought region in SE Kenya located between Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks – a vital wildlife corridor. Anderson’s family and neighbors are subsistence farmers. He knows first-hand how burning and cutting trees to clear land for farming and for charcoal production has a direct negative impact on rainfall and farming conditions. He says he hopes his new song will inspire peaceful environmental activism.
'My generation is increasingly anxious about the climate crisis- we don’t know if our lives will be cut short or if current harsh conditions will get even worse. It's overwhelming and causing young people serious depression. Climate scientists have been warning our leaders since before I was born but unfortunately for us, they have not acted. I wrote this song as a wakeup call for young people to stand up and demand that corporate and political leaders take immediate action to do what’s right for the children of the world before it’s really too late,' he says.
The Kasigau Corridor is also home to Wildlife Works, a leading conservation business focused on protecting forests, wildlife and sustainable development for local forest communities. The company with its 350 local employees and with the cooperation of 120k community members, protects the entire 200k hectare corridor.
Wildlife Works' activities include visiting local schools to educate the young on environmental issues - and many of these schools have been built or refurbished by Wildlife Work. Anderson first learned about climate change and the importance of protecting trees from the community outreach leaders at Wildlife Works.
'Deforestation causes a direct threat to our survival in rural Kenya but it’s not only a local problem, we all share the atmosphere that doesn’t care where emissions from burning forests come from so this is also a serious problem for everyone in the world. I hope our song Pray for Nature will help people remember to have more respect for nature,' says Anderson.
Wildlife Works and its business development partner Everland sponsored Anderson to write and record Pray for Nature.
