A collaboration to look forward to: DFL-scholar Théogène and former child soldier Emmanuel Jal
Drama for Life is looking forward to the collaboration of Théogène Niwenshuti from Rwanda and South Sudanese musician and former child soldier Emmanuel Jal who got to know each other at Goethe-Institut Über(W)unden - Art in Troubled Times and are planning to work together in the future. Both artists work as peace activists and share their passion for music.
Théogène Niwenshuti is a multidisciplinary Artist and Consultant in Communication for Development. He has been awarded and achieved medals like the Rector Excellence Award for Best Innovator 2009, University Award for Best Artist and Promoter of Art and Culture 2007, once nominated for The Bishop Desmond Tutu Fellowship, twice for the Freedom to Create Prize. He’s the Coordinator of “Great Lakes Peace Campaign-Oya-”, inspired by his song “OYA” Ntibikongere, which means “NO, Never Again”.
Born in Southern Sudan, Emmanuel Jal was a young child when the Second Sudanese Civil War broke out and his mother was killed by soldiers loyal to the government. Emmanuel joined a group of children traveling to Ethiopia who had been told that they could be educated there, but instead were recruited by the SPLA and taken to military training camps in the bush in Ethiopia. He spent several years fighting with the SPLA, but finally managed to escape with a group of other child soldiers. They were on the move for three months when they reached the town of Waat, where Emmanuel met Emma McCune, a British aid worker who adopted him and smuggled him to Kenya. There Emmanuel attended school in Nairobi. While studying in Kenya, Jal started singing about his experiences as a child soldier. His first single, “All We Need Is Jesus”, was a hit in Kenya and received airplay in the UK. Emmanuel works as a spokesman for the UN, the US Congress and several peace campaigns. WARCHILD, the documentary on his life, won 12 awards at international film festivals.