Doudé Belongs

“I am happy about my child's birth certificate because
when he grows up, I am going to send him to school.”

Mawaki Ngandibi, 24, sits with his 18-month-old son Doudé
in front of his home in Ngoulayo in the Republic of Congo.
Birth registration drive brings Congo's indigenous people
closer to nationality.
Photo Courtesy: UNHCR

I know

Where to go

When life goes cold

Turkey on my soul

The long n' winding road

Leads to my comfort zone

My home is Ngoulayo

In the Republic of Congo

Papers don't lie

And this paper says I'm right

I know

The seed has been sown

For dreams of a better tomorrow

I want to believe

Oh, how I long to live

The long lost expectations

And fantasies of my fathers

And mothers, of inclusion

I can dare look further

Beyond the horizon

Envision pastures greener

Eat strange fruits

From exotic trees

Hope for something good

And not reap the whirlwind

Yes I know

The place to belong

And there's no place like home

Cause home is where I belong

And now there is proof

This is where I come from

Hope is born anew

In me and my lil' boy

He got the greatest gift

He too, belongs

Now he's got a ticket

To soar.

Akpan