“When Daddy is not we Have to Ask” Four Young Cameroonians Break Their Silence Through Poem

Four young Cameroonians, whose voices they feel have been stifled and silenced, have written a poem to express their disappointment over the prohibition on discussing President Paul Biya and his health.

At just eleven years old, Wilson Malala, along with three peers, wrote the poem titled ‘Silence’ to address Cameroon’s socioeconomic and political challenges. Malala, who is a peace ambassador, poet, spoken word artist, and human rights activist, hopes that through this poem, authorities will listen and disclose the whereabouts of President Paul Biya.

Recently, Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, issued a statement warning the private media and the general public against speaking about President Biya’s health.

“We need to break the chains and unlock the silence that has closed our mouths,” Malala and the group declared.

Here is their poem, titled ‘Silence‘:

You silent our voices but you didn’t silence the guns .
Let the guns smoke, you want us to die .
Man was born free but now in chains .
Freedom is not free that’s what you say.

When daddy is not we have to ask
When mum is unhappy we need to know why
When the family is in pains we shear the pain .

If the president out we have to know
If he is back we need to know
If he is sick we have to pray .
Why then do you chain our hands and close our lips ?.

We got to break the chains and break the lock that silence our mouth.

Yes yes !!!!!
We get the nation the nation doesn’t get us .
We make the laws the laws does not make us .

History repeats itself that’s why it’s true .
Let a hundred flower bloom and let a hundred school of thoughts contain.
Now you round us in our numbers because we speak?.

Children have to speak because you fail .
If I should die I was born for that .

Wilson Malala __ poet

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